118, 34 HIGHWAY PLANS UNDER FIRE; LONG, FLYNN ASK IF ROAD IMPROVEMENTS WOULD CONFLICT WITH SOAR INITIATIVES.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

Before the ink is dry on state plans for two reconstruction projects on rural Highway 118, the county supervisors will consider whether the work conflicts with their own plans for the area.

The full board today will consider a request from Supervisors Kathy Long and John Flynn for a staff report on whether the plans conform with the Ventura County General Plan and the new Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources initiatives.

Preliminary plans of the state Department of Transportation include widening Highway 118 and building a connector between Donlon Road and Highway 34, which would eliminate the need to turn onto the highway to continue traveling on either road.

Caltrans also plans to straighten and widen a dangerous S-curve near Mesa Union School.

Long and Flynn said planning deserves reconsideration in light of the overwhelming approval voters gave the SOAR initiatives in November.

``We're trying to be good custodians of the land in Ventura County, and yet there are so many independent agencies that don't have to take any of that into consideration,'' Flynn said. ``When the voters speak, we have to listen very, very carefully. The voters are our bosses. We have to answer to them.''

Some residents in the Somis area have long been concerned that widening and otherwise improving the highway would promote suburban-type development and put on pressure to end farming operations.

Flynn said some fear that the highway would eventually be widened to four lanes, which would kill agriculture along the corridor.

Long said she believes the highway-improvement plans could be growth-inducing.

``When you do two major intersection projects in the same area, there's always a concern that it might be growth-inducing,'' she said. ``People may think that SOAR negates that issue, but I disagree. . . . There is concern in that area because it's all agriculture. We want to see if it falls under SOAR and what impact (the improvements) might have.''

Keith Jajko, chief of staff for Supervisor Judy Mikels, said the requests submitted by Flynn and Long are premature. Mikels has favored improvements to the road to make it safer.

Jajko said Caltrans has produced only preliminary designs, not final plans for the improvements.

``If the board wants it further analyzed and wants an (environmental impact report), so be it,'' he said. ``We don't even know what kind of design we're dealing with yet, and we're hearing calls to overanalyze it.''

But Long said she believes it would be better to begin asking questions now.

She said the county board should try to influence the scope of the state's environmental study.

``We want to get ahead of their determination, and we look at it based on our General Plan. I don't want to be behind the eight ball trying to do something.''

Caltrans has just finish taking public comment on the designs, and is finalizing them for further review.

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MAP: (Ran in Conejo Edition only) Somis: Designated road construction