By Rebecca Wicks
Ventura Breeze
Jan. 26, 2011

The battle over the fate of Canada Larga, a large piece of property adjacent to the city’s westside boundary has become even more inflamed with opponents hiring an environmental law firm in recent weeks. Toss in Governor Brown’s proposal to do away with all redevelopment agencies in the state – Canada Larga being part of the Westside Community Revitalization Plan which is dependent on redevelopment funding – and the picture becomes even murkier.

The larger Westside Community Revitalization Plan involves the redevelopment of Ventura along Ventura Avenue and areas directly north of the Avenue. The vision includes the cleaning up of industrial and other brownfield sites to make way for a better-developed community including new high technology and other business opportunities. The plan incorporates mixed-use projects, pedestrian-friendly circulation, open space and landscaping, transit-oriented development and a variety of housing options all with sensitivity to existing scale and architectural design.

The city is considering adding a Canada Larga development to the Westside Community Plan which would include the construction of less than 100 luxury ranch homes on what is now open land owned by the Bonsall family. Shull “Buzz” Bonsall Jr. who spoke at a council meeting in May described the land as ideal for “rural, equestrian type estates.”

Last year, the City Council voted by a small margin to move forward with the possible annexation of 800 acres of private land which sits adjacent to the city’s westside boundary near the northern end of Ventura Ave.

The county Local Agency Formation Commission would need to make a final approval of the annexation.

Council Member Christy Weir who voted in favor of the Canada Larga project believes the construction of higher-end homes in Ventura fills a residential need in the community.

“Ventura lacks this type of housing,” said Weir who explained that while Ventura is home to high-end housing, it is largely hillside and beach homes and not expansive properties. “Cities that are fiscally healthy generally have a wide variety of housing types to meet the needs of the entire spectrum of a community.”

Weir sites an increase in property tax as well as the possibility of these types of homes attracting wealthy business people and their businesses to Ventura as an additional benefit.

Opponents of the plan have been gathering forces. Led by Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation who recently hired environmental law firm Environmental Defense Center the list of those opposed to the possible annexation has grown to include The Sierra Club, Save Open-Space & Agricultural Resources, Wishtoyo Foundation, VCCool and Ventura Audubon Society.

The local Sierra Club has called itself “categorically opposed to the development.”

“When you do breakout development like this, you have to build all the infrastructure like water and electrical out to the development which is well outside city limits,” said Mike Stubblefield the steering committee chair for the Los Padres Sierra Club. “The land between the proposed development and the city is all open space which means you have to disturb all lot of nature, and the people who enjoy.”

Stubblefield questioned the overall benefit to the city.

“This project would be done for a few wealthy people at the expense of everyone else,” said Stubblefield. “It would impact the quality of life for all kinds of people, from those who just enjoy the beautiful drive up to Ojai to bikers, hikers and nature-lovers alike.”

According to Karen Kraus of the Environmental Defense Center the firm is focusing on delivering a detailed comment letter asking for the city to drop Canada Larga from the greater Westside Community Plan.

“If they don’t do this, we’ll push for them to thoroughly review the impacts of a development project such as this,” said Kraus who explained the land is home to a number of important animals and plants. “There is a lot at stake, California condors forage in the area, other endangered birds live there; there is coastal sage scrub.”

VCCool, a local non-profit is concerned with the projects sustainability as it relates to climate change. The group focuses on curtailing automobile emissions, a sizeable way to protect a climate according to the group.

“We look at how cities are planned,” explained Rachel Morris, executive director for VCCool. “Canada Larga is obviously not designed for its residents to bike or walk or even take a bus to town where they would be working or doing their shopping.”

Environmental groups are not alone in their opposition to the possible annexation of the area. Mayor Bill Fulton has also voted against the project twice. His rationale is two-fold, the first being he doesn’t think the project is worthy environmentally or economically, the second because he worries it will bog down the Westside Community Plan which it has been attached to.

“I don’t think the city needs to go all the way up there and muck up that entire canyon for a few dozen luxury homes,” said Fulton who also stressed the city would need to provide utilities and safety services for the new community.

“Our city has no business taking on additional infrastructure responsibilities,” said Fulton. “To start, the area is prone to wild fires and it’s hard enough to protect the area without homes on it.”

Fulton also fears adding the Canada Larga community to the larger Westside Community Plan will slow down or even stop the progression of the plan which focuses mostly on redevelopment of blighted areas.

“We have overwhelming support for the Westside Community Plan, I don’t want to see all our efforts get sidetracked arguing over the Canada Larga portion of the plan,” said Fulton. “It’s just not worth getting into a debate for a few custom homes.”

Making the entire issue even more convoluted, the destiny of the Westside Community Plan has become even more questionable with Governor Brown’s recent proposal to cut funding for all redevelopment agencies.

Fulton remained adamant that the possible death of redevelopment agencies and their funding would not equate to the end the Westside Community Plan.

“The desire for the plan will remain no matter what,” said Fulton. “If redevelopment funding is not an option, we’ll have to re-think what our motivations are, but it doesn’t mean we won’t continue to plan.”

Fulton remained optimistic that developers may step up to the plate to help fund whatever successor agency might service the cause the current redevelopment agency serves.

“They may or may not want the project, we’ll have to wait and see.”