​City and County need to bury the hatchet

City and County need to bury the hatchet

11/12/2019

A Message From Our CEO Nancy Lindholm

There is bad blood between the City of Oxnard and the County of Ventura. Both sides have dug in and are not budging. Oxnard's denial of a local coastal plan amendment on November 7 was the latest episode in an ongoing battle. The victim was the redevelopment of Fisherman's Wharf, which the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce has supported for more than three years.

The fight is over control. The County owns all of the property adjacent to the water of Channel Islands Harbor south of Channel Islands Boulevard. However, they need Oxnard to amend its local coastal plan to allow residential, mixed-use development at the old Fisherman's Wharf site. If Oxnard issues that amendment, it loses control over the project. So, we have a stalemate.

The fight over control has not only stalled, if not destroyed, the Fisherman's Wharf project, but it has delayed the rebuild of the Casa Sirena Marina Hotel on the Peninsula in the Harbor. There is also fighting over park maintenance and harbor patrol services.

This has gone on long enough! It's like watching a very nasty divorce unfold. The City and County should call in an arbitrator to seek compromises from both sides. This fight has been going on for three-and-a-half years.

The Chamber urges both parties to work toward reconciliation of who has approval and permitting authority in and around Channel Islands Harbor. The maintenance issues also need to be addressed.

It is likely one of the current Oxnard City Council members will be elected to District 5 of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors in 2020. How will that person deal with this conflict in their new role?

2 Comments

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frank laza

11/13/2019 02:50:51 pm

Ms Lindholm - on what basis does the CofC support this 390 apartment project? The land is zoned for visitor serving; the County (behind closed doors) made a deal with this developer. The locals have made it crystal clear they do not feel it is the appropriate project for that key location - does that not matter to CofC? Is it the stale old equation of "more bodies = more business" regardless of all else? Everyone knows Fisherman's Wharf needs to go but at what cost to our future and the beauty of the Harbor? Would not a "tourist inviting" project bring a stronger, more durable income stream to the local businesses? Were you even aware that the RFP Ms. Krieger put out back then included the apartments component? Maybe if the CofC had the Harbor's long-term future and it's residents interests at heart instead of short term pocket-lining goals, it could work with the community groups to give the Harbor Department a direction that would benefit the entire area. ps. do any of you actually live in the Harbor?

Dave Vogt link

11/13/2019 11:19:19 pm

Great write up! I’m a resident of this Silverstrand beach community and couldn’t agree with you more! Enough is ENOUGH!!!

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