The Sierra Club Joins the Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation To Oppose Annexation of Canada Larga Valley
On April 19, 2010, the Ventura City Council was deadlocked on whether to include 800 acres of Canada Larga Valley in the City’s Westside Community Plan boundary area--a step that could lead to the construction of executive houses and other developments in the rural canyon. The Council did agree to a study boundary area that includes about 80 acres of SOAR-protected agricultural land and open space located about four miles north of City limits. The Sierra Club and Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation (VCHP) are opposed to extending the city’s boundaries at both sites and facilitating further sprawl that could impact wildlife habitat and air quality.
Canada Larga Valley is tucked between the Ventura Hillsides and Sulphur Mountain. Its meandering creek, oak woodlands, and open savannahs are a draw for bluebirds, woodpeckers, and hawks. In the past, city planners estimated that more than 1,200 houses could be squeezed into the valley floor and up some canyons. The Canada Larga Valley is currently outside of the city's planning sphere of influence. The issue of including the valley in the planning area or annexing it to the City could return to the Council for consideration in the weeks or months to come.
“Sprawling outward and carving up this picturesque open space for more housing contradicts the growing consensus that we should develop in a sustainable way and in proximity to existing services,” said Diane Underhill, President of VCHP. “Paving over habitats and wildlife corridors causes irrevocable harm.”
During the General Plan process, the Council considered and rejected including the Canada Larga Valley as an area for expansion because it would represent non-contiguous, step-out development and be inconsistent with the Guidelines for Orderly Development. Now, annexing the Canada Larga Valley would contravene the City’s General Plan, approved just five years prior. This type of annexation is frowned upon by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), which has the final say on annexation. Council members who voted against including Canada Larga Valley in the boundary area were Mayor Bill Fulton, Brian Brennan, and Carl Morehouse. Those who voted in favor were Neal Andrews, Christy Weir, and Mike Tracy. Jim Monahan was required to abstain on the vote at this time, but has expressed his support of annexation.
The following organizations are opposed to development in the Valley for a number of key reasons:
• Development in open space and agricultural land outside the city’s existing boundaries contradicts the 2005 General Plan’s objective of focusing first on in-fill development within the City.
• Transferring the land from the County to the City means the city is then responsible for firefighting, police protection, and other service costs in this far-flung location.
• The City’s 2005 General Plan EIR indicated that development in the North Avenue area would generate emissions that would potentially be transported into the Ojai air basin significantly reducing air quality in the Ojai Valley. In 2004, the City of Ojai sent a letter to Ventura officials stating their opposition to development along North Ventura Avenue and Canada Larga due to concerns about air pollution and traffic.
• The area’s remoteness from services, schools, and shopping would also increase traffic trips and air pollutants along Highway 33 and Ventura Avenue.
Potential wildfire, flooding, and mudslide hazards exist in the valley. The area most recently flooded in 2005. Evacuation of residents is difficult due to a single access road.
• Introducing a large scale housing development into the valley would permanently deprive wildlife of existing habitat. The area is a significant wildlife corridor with many special-status plants, animals and birds. It’s listed on the Central Coast Birding Trail as one of the top spots in Ventura County to go bird watching. The local chapter of the Audubon Society conducts field trips to Canada Larga and includes the valley as a site for the Christmas Bird Count. A total of 113 species of birds have been counted including owls, golden eagles, white-tailed kites, and hawks which hunt on the open rangeland. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, grosbeaks, and flycatchers can be seen in the trees along Canyon Larga Road.
• The Canada Larga Valley lacks existing infrastructure. It would require a new water system, a new sewer collection system, and expansion of the Ojai Valley Sanitation District Plant.
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Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation is an all-volunteer grassroots group that was organized by community members in November 2000 when plans to build a massive development in the hillsides of Ventura surfaced. The VCHP mission is: To preserve Ventura’s hillsides, open space, Ventura River watershed, and quality of life by actively participating in and influencing the public planning process through public education campaigns as well as supporting like-minded organizations, public officials, political candidates, and ballot measures. For more information, visit www.vchp.org.
Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation is a non-profit 501 (c)(4) and a totally separate entity from the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy which is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) public benefit corporation. VHC is a land trust, and works with landowners, conservation organizations, and government agencies to acquire land or easements for the purpose of permanent protection. Their goals for preservation of the Ventura hillsides and other open space in the Ventura region are focused on acquisition, restoration, and public access. They have acquired three conservation parcels since their founding in 2003.
VCHP encourages Venturans to contact City Council members to voice opposition to annexing or bringing any portion of Canada Larga into our Sphere of Influence which will target the area for development.
2010 Notes From the President of VCHP
Where does the time go? (Here we are in the Year of the Tiger and I am still writing the Year of the Ox on my checks.) It is difficult to believe that the Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation will be celebrating our tenth anniversary this year!
When VCHP formed in 2000, we established our mission to preserve the hillsides and open space in and around Ventura. We understand that the Ventura hillsides provide more than a pretty backdrop for our city. It has always been a VCHP goal to educate the public and public officials on how ecologically crucial it is to protect these watershed and wildlife corridor areas from development.
To preserve Ventura's hillsides, open space and quality of life, VCHP actively participates in influencing the public planning process.
A brief overview of our ten year history:
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In 2001 VCHP spearheaded Measure P which Ventura voters passed by a 77% margin. Measure P established an Hillside Voter Participation Area (HVPA) for the 9000 acre hillside area north of Ventura. Measure P requires city voters to approve any residential development proposal before city services are extended to the hillside area.
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In 2002 hillside landowners gave the Hillside Voter Participation Area a test, proposing Measure A: a plan to build 1,390 homes in the Ventura hillsides. With VCHP and SOAR help, this proposal was defeated by a 70% margin.
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In 2003 the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) split off from the Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation (VCHP). It was agreed VCHP would focus on protecting the hillsides and open space from development through public education and political action and VHC would form a land trust to focus on acquiring and managing the hillside land to assure permanent protection and public access for low-intensity recreation. Both groups are non-profit organizations with separate corporate officers. VCHP has 501(c) (4) status and VHC is a 501 (c) (3).
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VCHP participated in the 2005 City of Ventura General Plan Update and encouraged the decision to remove the the hillsides area from being listed as an potential expansion area.
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2003-2010: VCHP vetted and endorsed like-minded political candidates for elective office and joined statewide coalition efforts to defeat environmentally harmful land-use planning propositions. VCHP endorsed local environmentally friendly initiatives. VCHP supported like-minded organizations, such as VHC and SOAR, to promote open space preservation. |
Through the years VCHP has continued to vet political candidates for agreement with the goal of preserving the hillside greenbelt in perpetuity for the environmental advantages of protecting: unspoiled wilderness, wildlife habitat, watershed, view shed and, ever more threatened by human encroachments, fragile ecosystems.
Due to the economic downturn, the most recent potential development threat to the hillside area failed to complete escrow. Nonetheless, potential development threats are real and with the eventual economic recovery, land speculators will come back as strong as ever. Knowing this VCHP remains vigilant and poised for action to address any threat to the hillsides, watersheds, and open space of Ventura.
If you would like to join VCHP supporters and receive notices regarding environmentally-oriented events and potential development threats, please go to the top of our home page and click on "Join Us." Our membership is free, and with your current email address, we will keep you posted on events that might be of interest to you. (We will not inundate you with emails--there would likely be less than a dozen a year.)
Since our membership is free, we sell a few VCHP products and accept donations to raise money to promote hillside and open space preservation. A beautiful art photo image of Two Trees looking out toward the Channel Islands by artist Michael Hewes is one of our supporters' favorites. This art photo, as well as the Two Trees logo on our t-shirts and tote bags, are active reminders that some things are worth preserving. (And, of course, our tote bags also aid in reducing the environmentally wasteful practice of using plastic and paper grocery bags.) We will soon be set up to sell our products over this website. Until then, look at the community events section on our home page and locate the next event where we will be selling items.
Thank you for your interest in VCHP. We thank you for your continued support in helping preserve Ventura's remarkable hillsides and open space areas. Come by and see us at our next scheduled event and just say "Hello"!
Sincerely,
Diane Underhill
President VCHP
SOAR Update
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Local Nature News
The Beauty of the Ventura Hillsides & Surrounding Open Space
The hillside backdrop to the historic City of San Buenaventura (Ventura) abounds with delightful natural treasures. The majority of these precious open space lands are still in private ownership, but since the hillsides are still open space wild lands, almost 200 species of bird, mammal and plant species are able to thrive. Some of these species are considered rare by the State of California. This backdrop also boasts the crown jewels of the Ventura hillsides, TWO TREES, which are the great Australian forest tree, Eucalyptus Globulus. Over the past 150 years these trees were commonly used by California ranchers as windbreaks bordering agricultural fields.
Some of the best bird watching in Ventura County is along Canada Larga Road, just off Highway 33 north of Ventura. This two lane country road is bordered on both sides by the historic Spanish Rancho Canada Larga y Verde Larga (large green canyon), commonly known as Rancho Canada Larga.
Park your car alongside this rural byway, and as you walk along Canada Larga Road you will notice at least a half dozen species of hawks, several falcon species, and turkey vultures soaring overhead. Small songbirds abound in great numbers. Coveys of quail scurrying about and the early morning calls of field doves and whippoorwills make an early start to this daytrip most rewarding. Full moon nights bring out several species of the kings of the night skies, the owls. Canada Larga is even close enough to town to allow for a great bike trip as well. Just bike up Ventura Avenue until you reach the access road to Canada Larga.
Closer to town one can explore Grant Park above Ventura City Hall. The views from this hillside preserve are spectacular. If one tires of viewing the Santa Barbara channel, offshore islands, upper Ventura River watershed, western edge of the Santa Monica Mountains and downtown Ventura, there is much to explore in the grassy fields above the historic cross. After an early rain, new sprouts of wild mustard emerge. Their yellow flowers dominate open space lands in our area when in full bloom during the spring. I have spotted several small clumps of native violas (commonly called Johnny Jump-ups) in the past. Several species of native sages are growing in this area as well.
Continuing along Poli Street as it turns into Foothill Road, one passes an historic Tamarisk grove on the hillside property just north of Dorothy Avenue. Our journey along Foothill Road takes us to the "gem" of Ventura city parks, Arroyo Verde Park. With its open space hiking trails and ridgeline trail, this park also offers great views on a clear day.
The Arroyo Verde trails take us close to such wonderful native shrubs as the Toyon (aka Christmas Berry or California Holly), noted at this time of year for it brilliant red berries, wild sage species, small willow saplings, several plantings of blue flowered (in spring) Ceanothus (California lilac), silver leafed Artemisia (Common Wormwood or Mugwort) and the drought tolerant Rhus (Poison Oak and Sumac) shrub groves. This park is also a birdwatchers’ paradise. It is also not uncommon to see small mammals running across the trail ahead. The park is also home to one of Southern California’s rarest cat species, the mountain lion. Several are spotted at various times of the year.
Next time we will explore the upper reaches of Wheeler Canyon and on up to Sulphur Mountain (between Ventura and Santa Paula).
