Home › News › County News
Oxnard OKs rezoning for condo project near the Santa Clara River
Download this story as a podcast!
STORY TOOLS 
More from County NewsDespite earlier concerns about flooding dangers, the Oxnard City Council voted 3-1 Tuesday to approve rezoning land near the Santa Clara River where developers want to build 156 affordable condominiums.
Councilman Tim Flynn voted against overturning the Planning Commission's denial of the project. Mayor Tom Holden was absent.
The council was swayed by new information from the developer, RiverPark Legacy LLC, showing the 6-acre site is protected by a levee.
The property is actually above the level of a 100-year flood and more than three-quarters of a mile away from the levee that is along the south bank of the Santa Clara River.
"Even a 100-year-flood would not get to that level," Councilman John Zaragoza said.
The property is part of the sprawling mixed-use RiverPark development on the north side of Highway 101, bordered by the streets American River Court and RiverPark Boulevard.
In March, the city Planning Commission denied the effort because "there was insufficient evidence presented at the hearing to find that a levee that borders the Santa Clara River would protect the 6.15-acre site from floodwaters during a 100-year storm event."
A 100-year flood is the flood level expected to occur at least once every 100 years.
In any given year, there is a 1 percent chance of such a flood, and the designation is used for planning purposes.
The developer has an updated analysis that says the levee, finished in 1961 by the Army Corps of Engineers, is high enough to withstand extreme flood events. The current height of the levee is from 4 to 9 feet above the predicted 100-year flood mark, according to the study completed by Hawkes and Associates.
The study says that the 1.5-mile-long levee is "more than adequate" to withstand a 100-year flood.
In separate business, the City Council voted 3-1 to spend $12 million in redevelopment money on a parking structure and other amenities as part of a planned upscale shopping center and cineplex at RiverPark. Flynn voted against the proposal.
In return for the funding, developer Shea Properties will give the city $9 million to aid redevelopment in the downtown core.
Work on the parking structure and shopping center is expected to begin soon and be finished sometime next year.
Posted by AnaCapa on April 24, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Despite earlier concerns about flooding dangers, the Oxnard City Council voted 3-1 Tuesday to approve rezoning land near the Santa Clara River where developers want to build 156 affordable condominiums."
Are they going to include flood insurance in the deal? I doubt that an insurance company will write a policy in that area. If flood insurance is available in that area it's probably not affordable for the people who would be buying the "affordable" housing. Sounds like a scam to me.
After the sale, the developer gets the money and the homeowner gets soaked. But who cares? After all it will be "affordable" housing, which means it's for lower income people. Save the good lots for the rich people.
Shame on you Oxnard City council. I thought you were supposed to act in the best interest of all citizens not developers. Kudos Tim Flynn, the city needs more councilmembers like you.
Posted by SMITH on April 24, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hello,
*Lets not build by the ocean; we are going to get flooded.
*Lets not build where we have earthquakes, houses will tumble.
*Let's not build where there is a dam, our homes will get flooded.
People wake up and get real, any where you live, there is always a potential for issues.
The Flynn’s and their grandstanding is old news. They get no where and are totally in-effective. It’s always easy to be the rebel, all you have to do is vote no, especially when all the data points to everybody voting yes.
Election time is coming up and the Flynn followers are on negative highway, just like their leaders Tim & John.
This is why the public wants them out of office, all they do is complain and talk about how everybody else is messed up.
If they are so right all the time, why do their own counterparts on the board of supervisors and city council never agree with them!These leaders represent 98% of the county. I guess the whole county is messed up.
I forgot, all the city councilmen and board of supervisors are conspiring against them, this is why they ran for office.
Tim & John Flynn, get over yourselves and start doing right for the pubic, you both have served the people of your community a huge disservice always bad mouthing your own city & county. SHAME ON YOU!!
VOTE both those useless politicians’ out of office. They are a waste of taxpayer’s money and time!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by shaver_one on April 24, 2008 at 10:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Even a 100-year-flood would not get to that level."
Isn't that what they said about New Orleans?
And, why is The Star printing, as a new article, the same article they printed yesterday?
Posted by shaver_one on April 24, 2008 at 10:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And, yes. This is the same comment I wrote yesterday.
Posted by SMITH on April 24, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Let compare apples to oranges, for that matter, let's compare the East coast to the West coast.
Oh yes, we get Hurricanes in California- Lets call the next hurricane in Oxnard, Hurricane Flynn!!!!
shave-one go help your buddies Tim & John lie to the public somewhere else! This is getting old!
Posted by shaver_one on April 24, 2008 at 12:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
SMITH:
Where in any of my comments does it say I'm "buddies" with either Tim or John Flynn? I don't even know John Flynn. I have disagreed with Tim on several occasions.
YOUR tirades are getting old!
The fact of the matter is that they DID say the same thing regarding the levies in New Orleans. We all know what happened during Hurricane Katrina...and later, Hurricane Rita.
Posted by SMITH on April 24, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If you don't know the Flynn's how did you dis- agree with them in the past? Things that make you go hmmmm.
Posted by iseepeeple on April 24, 2008 at 7:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think those on the Oxnard City Council who think that building condo's in a flood zone should be the first to move there. Let them "test the waters" before the rest of us jump in...if their feet stay dry after the next big rain we have..then heck ya..lets go for it...if not well then, time to look for some new council members with reasonable minds.
BTW...Smith...you wouldn't be related to Martin V Smith would ya? The late great Ventura County developer? Just curious.
Posted by jaysoupy on April 25, 2008 at 6:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What is often overlooked when using a 100-year floodplain map is date the map was issued. Most 100-year floodplain maps were revised in 1985. The use of older maps does not account for recent development or urbanization up-river. In our case, recent developments in Santa Clarita and Fillmore and not to forget the proposed Newhall Ranch development along the Santa Clara River Valley. As the native landscape becomes paved over there is less infiltration and more urban runoff that would ultimately flow to into the river, increasing the flood stage down river. Situations like this have already occurred throughout the southwest as new development encroach upon the floodplains.
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.