Camarillo examines its remaining vacant land

As Camarillo grows, the open land available for new development continues to dwindle.

For the first time since 2000, the City Council examined vacant land remaining in Camarillo.

"Last time we looked, we had more land. Each time, it gets a little tighter," said Bob Burrow, community development director, who presented a report to City Council last week. "It's important to assess where we are, what we want . . . and see where we're going with our general plan."

Burrow said much of the vacant land is empty for a variety of reasons, involving but not limited to geotechnical, flood plain and construction issues.

"We've got a good balance now," City Manager Jerry Bankston said. "As more residential components come up, we need to recognize if they bring other opportunities."

As of right now, there are 2,282 acres of vacant land in Camarillo, but 1,697 of that is designated agricultural/ CURB, or Camarillo Urban Restriction Boundary. CURB protects agricultural land from being developed without public debate and a citywide vote from the people.

There is still potential for growth, Mayor Charlotte Craven said.

"It's not quite as restrictive as it looks," the mayor said of the agricultural/CURB land.

If a private developer wants to build on vacant agricultural space, then the public needs to vote on annexing the land. The city can move forward on a project on agricultural land only if it's for the public to use, like a library or community center.

"The (agriculture) lands within the city were held in reserve for the future- which means we don't know how we're going to develop it," Craven said. "It wasn't intended, when the city was incorporated, to have lands within city limits to remain agriculture forever and ever."

The survey examined four kinds of land: industrial, commercial/office, residential and agricultural/CURB. The report didn't take into account parks or land owned by the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District.

Camarillo has 5,673 acres zoned as residential, the largest land distribution in the city, with 291 acres still available for development. The most significant vacant residential areas include about 50 acres of the Catalina Heights property and some undeveloped land at Village at the Park.

Including 632 acres at the Camarillo Airport, 1,717 acres are zoned industrial, but only 206 acres are available. According to the report, 41 acres are vacant but may have projects pending.

The city has 621 acres designated for commercial or office use; 88 acres are available. Another 48 acres have approved or pending projects.

The largest portion of vacant land runs along Pleasant Valley Road, south of Old Town. The city is not looking at or spending money to examine that site.

Burrow said developing vacant land can be difficult, especially as Camarillo fills out. That means there is more opportunity to redevelop other parts of the city.

"It is a challenge, yet it's also to a certain degree an opportunity to look at underutilized lands, such as Camarillo Commons or Old Town, and go back into those areas and revitalize them," he said. "(Redevelopment) could meet future needs with (California State University Channel Islands) expanding."

Craven said she would like to see future vacant land surveys contain even more information.

"I think we need to do more with this vacant land survey," she said. "I think we need to go one step further. Supposedly we have a consultant doing this, but tell us what our job-to-housing balance is. Tell us if we need more commercial; give us more guidance."