Still work to be done after Old Town redevelopment

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspaper FAMILIAR CORNER—The intersection of Arneill Road and Ventura Boulevard in Old Town has long since been at the heart of Camarillo. Shop owners along the historic boulevard are glad the street renovations are complete and are excited about Old Town's future. With the most recent phase of Camarillo Old Town redevelopment virtually complete, more residents and businesses in the area are enjoying life along Ventura Boulevard.

Debbie Rice, owner of FastFrame on the boulevard, thinks the beautification project has been positive.

"We're excited about what's happening here and the future of Old Town," said Rice, who has owned FastFrame for more than 15 years, including the past five at its current location. Rice is also a member of the Old Town Association Committee, which promotes the development of Camarillo's downtown and hosts events that include the Artwalk, Trick or Treat Old Town and the Holiday Festival.

Mayor Charlotte Craven still thinks the city's historic center needs more work. The City Council has expressed a desire to attract people to downtown at night.

"I'm happy with the progress to date," Craven said, "but we have a long way to go."

Craven and the rest of the City Council want to move faster redeveloping the Old Fire Station into a restaurant.

The council would also like to transform the Old Courthouse into a community performing arts center. A handful of city employees are working at the courthouse on a temporary basis.

During a goals workshop earlier this year, the council budgeted plans to clean up the Old Fire Station next to Dizdar Park, which is owned by Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District.

"It's been boarded up way too long," Craven said of the firehouse. "We've got to move on it and figure out what we're going to do."

During the most recent phase of construction, some Old Town businesses suffered.

"Construction took a toll on a lot of businesses, even though it was a necessity," Rice said. "We're happy that it's over and it looks so great. We're thankful for the city for doing that.

"Now that we're through with construction, more businesses are coming in and rents have increased in Old Town, which is a good sign. . . . We've still got a lot of vacancies down here that we want to see get filled. But we want to see the right kind of businesses that complement each other. You don't want 50 beauty salons."

Tom Kelley, Camarillo Chamber of Commerce president, thinks a city's downtown is crucial to its identity and economic growth.

"Old Town is important to Camarillo—that's why the city has put money into it," Kelley said. "A downtown shows that we're not just a suburb, we're a city with a historic downtown."

The city presented a parking study from Walker Parking Consultants in July, and part of the research included parking counts in Old Town. The report said that Old Town was busiest at noon on weekdays. The study also showed an uptick in traffic along Ventura Boulevard during the December holiday season.

The study stated that there are no "significant parking occupancy demand issues in Old Town . . . the highest parking demand occupancy in any area did not exceed 80 percent."

However, Rice said she would like to see more parking in the city's hub.

"If (the city) wants to see this area grow, we have to have more parking," she said.

Overall, Camarillo Old Town seems to be doing just fine.

"It's more vibrant than it used to be," Craven said. "We've got some new restaurants and some new businesses. . . . It's taken longer than I thought—but I'm an impatient person."