Working Group and SOAR

I am a member of both the Agricultural Policy Working Group (APWG) and SOAR (Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources) and see both working well for our county. For those cities that have not recently conducted growth management, the APWG strategies would be appropriate. For others that are updating their General Plans or have done so--SOAR is more appropriate.

The two strategies are quite compatible. Both groups depend on a vote of the people to decide their boundary lines. The critical difference is the time limit. The APWG strategy provides that once a boundary line is drawn, no change can be made for 10 years. SOAR, however, permits amendments at any time by a vote of the electorate. Both plans envision a city council studying its growth management policies to determine the appropriate boundary, then asking for a vote of approval by the citizens.

Each city in Ventura County is at a different planning stage. I’m particularly proud of the city of Oxnard. That City Council, for many months, has been evaluating its growth management policies with an eye on amending the General Plan. The SOAR group came to them in April with the idea of setting the curb line at the sphere of influence boundary, and they were willing to add several projects that had been in the pipeline. The resulting initiative was placed on the November ballot by a unanimous vote of the City Council, a commendable and cooperative achievement.

This initiative identifies 5,000 empty acres within the city that the staff advises are sufficient space to fulfill the General Plan. Subsequently, the City Council will make all decisions about the development of those 5,000 acres such as the use, density and quality of growth. In my thinking, cities are for growth, county land is for open space and agricultural preservation thus following the guidelines for orderly development.

In Oxnard, the cooperation between SOAR members and the City Council is surely what democracy is all about. Let’s go forward now. There is no basic argument between the Agricultural Policy Working Group’s strategies and those of SOAR. Both can make Ventura County a beacon for the future of California.

JEAN HARRIS, Oxnard