Developer submits housing project to county

Property is outside city limits



HELP FOR FARMWORKERS—Above is a tentative parcel map for the Somis Ranch Farmworkers Housing Complex proposed for Somis Road just east of Rancho Campana High School.

HELP FOR FARMWORKERS—Above is a tentative parcel map for the Somis Ranch Farmworkers Housing Complex proposed for Somis Road just east of Rancho Campana High School.

A developer has submitted a formal application to the county for permission to build affordable housing for farmworkers and their families on slightly more than 18 acres of a nearly 40-acre parcel directly east of Rancho Campana High School.

The project is outside city limits and in the unincorporated portion of the county, a fact Camarillo officials have been trying to convey to residents through posts on the city’s website and its Facebook page.

“We recognize that this project is immediately adjacent to our city limits and have created a web page to better inform our community about this project and communicate about ways to stay engaged in the county’s permitting process,” city officials said on Facebook.

Somis Ranch Partners LLC submitted a request on May 17 to the county for a planned development permit for the Somis Ranch Farmworkers Housing Complex proposed for 2789 Somis Road in Somis.

Ventura resident Dave White of Somis Ranch Partners LLC and a partner in Oxnard-based Plaza Development Partners submitted the permit request to build 360 units, a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging in size from 576 to just over 1,100 square feet.

SUBMITTED—This artist rendering shows what the architecture of a proposed farmworker housing community would look like. Courtesy of RRM Design Group

SUBMITTED—This artist rendering shows what the architecture of a proposed farmworker housing community would look like. Courtesy of RRM Design Group

For financing purposes, the proposed project will be developed in three phases, with the first two phases consisting of 100 units each and a third phase consisting of 160 units, according to the permit application.

White’s application also seeks a new parcel map for the property that proposes four lots, three of which will be used to construct the farmworker housing complex and the fourth lot—roughly 18 acres—to be used for agricultural purposes.

Armando Lopez, White’s partner at Somis Ranch Partners, said the company has an option to buy the property from the Meyerstein family of Hidden Hills and expects to close escrow soon.

The project is at the very early stage, Lopez said Wednesday, and company officials had no estimate yet for when it could be completed.

Apart from affordable housing, with rents based on residents’ incomes, the project includes two 3,000-square-foot community centers, playgrounds and basketball courts, according to the application’s project description.

Although the proposed development is outside city limits, Camarillo officials are keeping residents updated through the city’s website because of its proximity.

And because it is in unincorporated Ventura County, regulations prevent the development from linking to the city’s sewer system.

To solve that problem, the application seeks a conditional-use permit for an on-site wastewater treatment facility. Water recycled at the facility could be used to irrigate neighboring farm fields, subject to approval by regional water-quality-control officials.

“As this (wastewater treatment) facility is associated with the proposed Farmworkers Housing Complex and will be operational as long as the housing community exists, a 40-year CUP expiring in 2059 is requested,” the permit application states.

Because the project is slated for farmworker housing, which is an approved designated land use under the countywide Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) initiative, it would not be subject to voter approval.

Now that a formal permit application has been filed, the project will be brought to county officials to determine whether an environmental review is required under the California Environmental Quality Act.

“The project has been distributed to multiple agencies for review,” said Justin Bertoline, a spokesman for the county’s planning division. “These agencies will provide comments, conditions and mitigation measures as required by their respective ordinances. Most likely, an EIR (environmental impact report) will have to be prepared.”

Should that be the case, public hearings will be required before construction can start. City officials said they’ve requested that the county hold at least one hearing at the Camarillo Public Library.

“The project is in the preliminary stages,” Bertoline said by email Tuesday. “I cannot provide a timeline (for completion) at this point.”

An area agency representing the county’s agricultural industry backs the proposed housing development.

“Ventura County has a serious shortage of safe, decent housing that’s affordable to farmworkers,” Farm Bureau of Ventura County CEO John Krist said when White submitted a preliminary proposal to the county in December.

“This is one of the most expensive housing markets in California, which means it is particularly difficult for farmworkers and their families to find suitable accommodations,” Krist said.

The property for the proposed housing neighbors a 5-acre parcel owned by the city that’s slated for a desalination plant, which has long been in the making.

“As part of the project, the City of Camarillo will construct a new access road/entrance to the property and improve an existing entrance from Somis Road (State Route 34),” according to the city’s website. “A shared access agreement between the city and the property owner has been established, which will allow the future farmworker housing project to utilize the access road and entrances.”