Many stakeholders attended last night’s (July 31) Ormond Beach Restoration and Access Plan (OBRAP)Meeting at Oxnard’s Community Center.
Representatives from the 3 properties—Chris Kroll of the State Coastal Commission (SCC), Peter Dickson of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Isidro Figueroa from Oxnard city— led discussions around the extensive 322 page plan to restore the Ormond Beach wetlands area.
VC District 3 Supervisor Kelly Long was in attendance as well as officials from Senator Jacqui Irwin’s office.
The Ventura Audubon’s President, Cynthia Hartley attended as well as other biologists from the Audubon Society.
Environmentalists from the Port and Ventura’s Patagonia apparel also attended.
Oxnard’s Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Ramirez was in attendance as well as Council Member Vianey Lopez and Homeless Director Emilio Ramirez.
Many citizens’ groups, including CAUSE, the Savier’s Road Design Team, and Save the PH Coast, from both Hueneme and Oxnard also provided input last night.
Key concerns include developing a long-term solution for security around the properties once all the homeless are vacated by the next nesting season and funding the restoration and eventual maintenance of bathroom and trash facilities. Other key ideas included involving the Chumash and other native groups more and also developing partnerships with the local colleges and universities.
Candida Moebly, owner of the site adjacent to the Halaco site, expressed that she and the other property owners intend to raise millions to clean up the property with hopes of eventually selling the land to TNC. Wendy Leung from the VC Star covered the meeting, so please look for her article online.
For those seeking to offer additional input to the plan, please go to the ormond.scc.ca.gov website and leave comments by August 21, 2019.
The next Public Input Meeting is scheduled for spring 2020 and a final plan is expected in the winter of 2020. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2024.
Please write letters to Kelly Long, letting her know that Ormond Beach matters to you. If you do not get an email back from Long, please call. I promised Walter Fuller I would never give up on Ormond Beach… I hope you don’t stop speaking up.
Christina Zubko writes for Hueneme Voice
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