Slow-Growth Initiatives

Have you heard about SOAR II? Could it be the next step in restoring the scenic and natural beauty of Ventura County?

Consider this: The next proposal could be to convert all agricultural lands to open space! Think about it. Farmers would have nothing to fear since they would enjoy reduced income taxes, as they would have no income. They would still be able to write off property tax if the property were deemed to have any value.

The SOAR II proposal would permit some conversion from open space to limited and restricted agricultural use provided the open space owner obtained a favorable vote of the public.

Does that sound radical? Think what might happen under SOAR III! The provisions of SOAR III could require that recently constructed tract homes and individual properties be systematically converted to open space. Naturally, this cannot be accomplished overnight. The proposal would call for all properties that were developed in the ‘90s to be converted to open space in the first year, those developed in the ‘80s converted in the second year, the ‘70s in the third year and so on. This is called the reverse drawbridge phenomenon.

As time goes on we will gain more and more open space and, before you know it, the public will own everything! It’s all so simple; why would anyone want it any other way?

After all, that’s the way it worked in the Soviet Union. Or did it?

We must realize that our system of elected representative government and the established planning processes have served us very well. The very best alternative is to simply vote no on SOAR or anything that sounds like it.

JACK DICKINSON

Santa Paula

* If the people of Ventura County are duped into voting for SORE (oops, that’s SOAR--these people are angry but they don’t call themselves that), I ask them this: Where will your children live when they are old enough to move out on their own? Thanks to the slow-growth actions of the City Fathers and their constituency, my two oldest children both have had to move into the San Fernando Valley. Do we really want to stop building housing for the future?

Oh, I’ve heard the statements that this initiative would not stop growth. It would just make it so ponderous to propose any planned development that most would be eliminated just by facing this obstacle, let alone to throw the fate of a project to the NIMBY crowd.

You people elected leaders, let them lead. Will you next pass an ordinance that requires them to call you at home before they vote on anything on your behalf?

GLENN BECK

Simi Valley

* The county Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources ballot item, Measure B, would let the voters vote when the Board of Supervisors gives its OK to proposals to upzone farmland and open space for urban development. It would not stop farmers from building farm buildings. It would not stop farmers from selling their lands. There really is an average of 1,000 acres of agricultural land lost each year in Ventura County.

The city SOARs would only apply if (and when) a city council wants to expand its city into the open space buffers that separate it from other cities. It first would have to go to the voters of its city. Since SOAR would not change any zoning, the same amount of growth now allowed would also be allowed with SOAR--including 62,000 houses and more than 100 million square feet of nonresidential development countywide. It would not stop Amgen from expanding in Thousand Oaks.

Don’t be misled by the campaign of misinformation. The bottom line is that all SOAR would do is let the voters vote. That’s all.

LINDA PARKS

City Council member

Thousand Oaks

* I am a land owner and a rancher and a member of the Camarillo family--all of whom have been land owners and ranchers over the last 100 years or more.

All land in open space is not agricultural. Our family has hundreds of acres that are not suitable for growing anything other than cactus. To enable the voter to place such land into perpetual valueless limbo is unfair and unreasonable.

To expect us to provide free landscaping for the community is asking too much. Surely a better method can be devised to control growth.

GERALD C. FITZGERALD

Manager

FitzGerald Ranch

Camarillo

* Re “SOAR Battle Could Change Political Landscape,” Oct. 4.

Like most people, I have become fairly cynical about politicians. Thus over the past four years as I have worked with Steve Bennett on SOAR and other matters I have wondered about the real motive underlying his seemingly tireless efforts on environmental issues affecting Ventura County.

Throughout our dealings, however, I have not seen a scintilla of evidence that he has any personal interest other than protecting the environment. In fact, I have the distinct sense that he has been reluctantly pushed to the forefront because few others in this county with his intelligence and leadership capabilities are willing to commit the time and resources necessary to represent environmental issues.

In any case, while I think Ventura would be lucky to have Steve--and Richard Francis--holding office, their potential political aspirations are beside the point. SOAR’s opponents would do better to actually address the issues rather than speculating as to the motives of SOAR’s supporters.

SUSAN GOODKIN

Ventura