Correspondent

The Camarillo City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve a zoning change for a 45-acre swath of centrally-located property within the city, which will allow property owners and developers to eventually implement a city-initiated, redevelopment strategy for the designated area.

The rezoning move brings the city one step closer to creating what officials call a "mixed-use village concept," known as the Camarillo Commons Strategic Plan, and adopted by the council last year.

Officials said the zoning change — from commercial planned development to mixed use — is part of a comprehensive redevelopment planning effort that would include a blend of commercial and residential land uses, plazas and green spaces, and interconnecting walkways that are pedestrian-friendly.

The rezoned property is referred to as the Commons. Until Wednesday night, it was zoned for commercial use only.

The vote was 4 0, with mayor and councilmember, Charlotte Craven, excusing herself from council discussion and from voting because of a "financial conflict of interest." Craven said that she and her husband own property adjacent to the proposed Commons mixed-use area, and that it was inappropriate for her to be present when the rezoning issue was addressed.

City officials describe the property as being south of Ponderosa Drive, east of Mobil Avenue, west of Arneill Road, and north of Daily Drive and the Raemere Street residential neighborhood. Currently, the area contains commercial buildings, offices, a church, a post office, a fire station and two of the city's oldest shopping centers.

When the area is redeveloped, something that officials said would take years to materialize, it would contain a mixture of businesses, retail stores, offices and residential housing. New development would have to be at least two-stories in height, with residential uses permitted above the first floor. Officials said the Commons would have architectural and streetscape design elements that would visually link it to Old Town.

The council also unanimously approved an environmental impact report that studied potential impacts related to the zoning change and the Commons development. Prepared by the city's community development department, the report said there would be minimal impact on noise, traffic and air quality.