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Land use study for children's facilities OK'd
Child care, special ed programs or schools considered for industrial area
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More from CamarilloDuring the next six months, Camarillo city staff members will look into several issues that could determine whether child care, special education programs or private schools can operate in industrial buildings.
The City Council voted 5-0 Wednesday night to direct the staff to do the research after members decided not to vote on a proposed ordinance that would add the new uses for industrial buildings in the "limited manufacturing" zone.
People from schools and churches have told the city that it is difficult to find available or affordable facilities for child care, special education programs or private schools, City Manager Jerry Bankston said. They are interested in using industrial buildings for those uses, but current zoning does not allow that.
And council members questioned whether allowing industrial buildings to have additional uses is a good decision.
"There's an overarching problem that I have with just the concept of that," Councilman Don Waunch said Thursday.
Light manufacturing zones have specific uses for a reason, and businesses probably would not expect schools to be in that type of zoning, he said.
"It just doesn't seem like a compatible mix to have business and light manufacturing and young kids," Waunch said. However, he said that he wants to wait to see what the staff reports to the council.
Staff members will research how much land zoned as "limited manufacturing" is vacant or available in Camarillo, Bankston said.
They will also evaluate the effects the new uses could have on businesses that need to use industrial buildings, he said.
The initial request to look into proposing an ordinance stems from the Ventura County Office of Education.
The office, which operates in a limited manufacturing zone in the city, is interested in building a facility that could have child educational programs, said Stan Mantooth, associate superintendent.
Supporters of the change say allowing child care, for example, would cut down trips for employees who have children.
Posted by CamarilloResident on October 31, 2007 at 12:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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