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Harbor plans unveiled
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More from Other NewsAbout 100 Oxnard and harbor-area residents got a look Wednesday night at some rough sketches of what the parks, sidewalks and other public areas at Channel Islands Harbor might look like when the county is finished with its plans for redeveloping the harbor.
Wednesday's public forum, held at the Embassy Suites Mandalay Bay near the harbor, was held mostly to gather the public's input on the plans. Staffers and consultants for the Ventura County Harbor Department presented the broad outline of their plans and asked the audience what it would like to see in the harbor's public areas.
Some of the answers: a continuous promenade along the entire stretch of waterfront, better signs and lights, and more parks.
However, many of the people present wanted to talk about the plans for the commercial areas at the harbor. Developers have proposed as much as $150 million worth of improvements to the shops, hotels, restaurants, marinas, boat yards and other businesses.
Those projects are being handled separately, and each will have its own set of public hearings, so the moderators of Wednesday's forum steered questions back toward the public areas.
It's difficult to separate those elements of the harbor from the business environment, said Crosby Swartz, an Oxnard resident who came to the meeting.
"If its an economically viable area for businesses, they'll make the money to contribute to the landscaping and the sidewalks," he said.
Wednesday's meeting was noticeably calmer than the last forum held on the topic, in August. That meeting started off with on a hostile note, and was derailed for a bit when a group of people who are unhappy with the county's harbor plans spoke out against the entire process, and then walked out, Harbor Director Lyn Krieger said.
To keep things on track, the Harbor Department hired a professional municipal planner named Jennifer Lilley to moderate Wednesday's forum.
"They really kept a lid on it this time," said Preston Davis, one of the local residents who objected to the last meeting. "(Lilley) really kept things under control."
The meeting was the second in a series of three, with the next one scheduled for sometime next month. The Harbor Department will then draw up a proposal for the harbor's public areas and introduce it to the County Board of Supervisors in January, Krieger said.
Posted by starlight on October 25, 2007 at 8:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree completely. Having lived near the area for 5 years, I am excited that something will finally be done. It was sad to see the boating center delayed again. Let's hope this proceeds without the political bantering, the area should be enjoyed by all who want to dine and play by the ocean. I am looking forward to the redevelopment. It's a beautiful place.
Posted by bigluke on October 25, 2007 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds great! Let's start by shelving the Special Interest Sailing Center until a master plan for the entire harbor can be agreed upon and the Center fits into that plan without the now needed shoe horn...
Posted by luv2sail on October 25, 2007 at 9:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Been going to these meetings since the beginning. Same rhetoric as the meeting in 97.
The long and the short of it is over the years more than a million dollars has been spent on consultants and we are no further along than we were.
Now we are going to build more restaurants, more retail space since the existing ones are doing so well.
There has to be some end to this "Field of Dreams" mentality. Just because you build it does not mean they will come.
The height limits were skirted over quickly as well as other questions, all to be addresses at a later date. The Hotel needs to be taller to allow more walkway. Are you kidding? The hHotel is going to be taller, likely nearing 70 feet so they can rent more rooms. If their concern was walkway and public space, they could build underground parking.
The continual insult to our intelligence is becoming annoying.
These folks are merely having these feel good meeting but will proceed as they wish, history always repeats itself.
Posted by fpecar4525 on October 25, 2007 at 10:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The City of Ventura as being led by the current crop of council members has a "plan forever, build never" stance. Ventura is so far "behind the curve" on positive growth that it will take years to catch up. On Tuesday November 6th make sure you don't vote for the three incumbents so with them gone, we can begin to move forward.
Posted by sslocal on October 25, 2007 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Krieger is the problem. She trys but in the end you can see that she has dug her heels in and will not budge. Do it her way or she will fight you tooth and nail.
Get rid of her and it will progress much faster.
Posted by luv2sail on October 25, 2007 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ssl, you are absolutely right. I can't imagine the money that has been wasted and she is still employed. Would be real curious to know what she has on someone to keep her job.
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