HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1998 0520 CC REG ITEM 10Ia &s. 9(19- D)
ITEM 10 a Le
CITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA
AGENDA REPORT City Council Meeting
CITY OF MOORPARK
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TO: The Honorable City Council kAorne on 3 dr^ aP M_, acs
FROM: Nelson Miller, Director of Community Developme
DATE: May 13,1998 (For the City Council Meeting of May 20,1998)
SUBJECT: Consider Report of the Council Ad Hoc Committee Regarding the Proposed
Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) Initiative
DISCUSSION
At the City Council meeting of April 15, 1998, an Ad Hoc Committee of Councilmembers Evans
and Teasley was appointed to consider the proposed SOAR initiative and report to the City Council.
The Committee held several meetings to take public input and discuss recommendations. The Ad
Committee heard from both proponents and opponents to the proposed measure in the City of
Moorpark.
The initiative measure proposed in the City of Moorpark would establish an urban restriction
boundary at the Sphere of Influence line as it existed as of January 1, 1998. The Sphere of Influence
is the same as the City boundaries in the case of the City of Moorpark. The proposed initiative
would restrict urbanized services and land uses to within the proposed urban restriction boundary.
There was considerable concern expressed at the Ad Hoc Committee meetings about the potential
costs of defending potential litigation relating to the proposed measure. It has been estimated that
the City expended nearly $250,000 in legal costs and a significiant amount of staff time to defend
against the two lawsuits filed against the growth control measure which was previously approved
in the City. The proposed Moorpark initiative is different than the measures being proposed in other
cities in the County in that it removes area from the Planning Area of the General Plan, which
specifically affects one property, the Messenger property. There were also discussions as to whether
the public would be willing to purchase properties in order to preserve agricultural lands or natural
open space. Concerns have been raised that open space zoning allows for a wide variety of uses,
including mining, oil drilling, and intensive processing and packing uses related to agriculture.
Therefore, if the concern is to really save natural open space or land for actual growing of crops, it
may be desirable to consider a land trust, or other agency, which would actually purchase property
or development rights and to consider how this might be funded.
After considerable discussion, it was the consensus of the Ad Hoc Committee to recommend to City
Council that the City consider placing three measures on the ballot. These three measures are
generally described below:
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Soar Ad Hoc Committee
May 20, 1998
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1. A Greenbelt Preservation Measure, in which the City, for ten (10) years would not, without
a vote of the people, annex any property within the Tierra Rejada Greenbelt or any other
areas outside the Planning Area of the current General Plan Land Use Element and would
modify existing General Plan policies to expand the buffer presently required adjacent to any
agricultural use to require a buffer entirely around the City boundary.
2. A Special Tax Measure to purchase land or development rights to properties for natural open
space or growing of crops, not involving structures (would require a 2/3 vote).
3. A Special Tax Measure to fund potential defense costs relating to the SOAR Initiative or the
Greenbelt Preservation Measure (would require a 2/3 vote)
RECOMMENDATION
Direct staff as deemed appropriate.
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