Moorpark City Council- Proposed power plant, business park, low income housing, discussed

By Debra Tash

Proposed new gas-fired power plant, here business park

At the Moorpark’s city council meeting of 2014 there was an effort to set one more barrier up to stop the proposed gas-fired power plant from being built.  The plant would be located behind Southern California Edison’s current distribution station and just north of the site for the yet to be constructed, cheap Moorpark West movie studios.

City Manager Steve Kueny did a brief presentation on a proposed resolution that reconfirms the Covenant between Moorpark and the property’s owner, A-B Development.  He stated that the resolution did not need to be reviewed by the City Attorney and that future councils were not bound to it.  The resolution reaffirms the property’s use as a business park only.  The resolution was adopted by a 5-0 vote.  You can read it here: http://moorpark.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=58&event_id=279&meta_id=122799

Low income housing mandate

Photo: www.ahacv.org 

Also discussed was a revision to the City’s Housing element.  According to staff, SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments) mandated that low income housing be built in the City.   David Bobardt, Community Development Director, identified properties in the General Plan update where housing could be built with a density of 20 units per acre in order to meet the low income Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).  These numbers are calculated by reviewing the most current census data.  Pauline Gaven of the Moorpark Farm Workers Task Force spoke in favor of the update, along with Vicky Perez, a long-time resident.  Though the State does mandate low income housing be included in the General Plan updates it does not mean that high density, low income housing must be built.  The City of Santa Clarita has identified existing low income housing in its community to satisfy this State requirement.

Previous CJ article on this: https://citizensjournal.us/moorpark-nixes-new-power-plant/

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Debra Tash is Editor-in-Chief of Citizensjournal.us, past president for Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, business executive and award-winning author, residing in Somis