DEVELOPER TO PITCH REVISED MOORPARK PLAN.Byline: Gloria Gonzales Daily News Staff Writer A developer's request to build 350 homes on as many acres, in an area zoned for one home per five acres, will make its second appearance before the City Council tonight. The Rasmussens, local family operators of C.A. Rasmussen, a Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. construction and grading company, bought the property, formerly dubbed dub 1 tr.v. dubbed, dub·bing, dubs 1. To tap lightly on the shoulder by way of conferring knighthood. 2. To honor with a new title or description. 3. the Ranches at Aspen aspen, in botany aspen: see willow. Aspen, city, United States Aspen (ăs`pən), city (1990 pop. 5,049), alt. 7,850 ft (2,390 m), seat of Pitkin co., S central Colo. Ridge, from the bank during foreclosure foreclosure Legal proceeding by which a borrower's rights to a mortgaged property may be extinguished if the borrower fails to live up to the obligations agreed to in the loan contract. proceedings nearly three years ago. The developer wants to request an application for a General Plan amendment, the first step in a zoning-change request. James Rasmussen, who is overseeing the project, argues that the higher-density project is a better match for the city, is off the ridgeline ridge·line n. See ridge. Noun 1. ridgeline - a long narrow range of hills ridge arete - a sharp narrow ridge found in rugged mountains and is of similar density to the nearby Bollinger project. ``I'll go before the council with the personal sense that the 350-home project is a better project,'' Rasmussen said. If the council grants Rasmussen's request, he can submit an application, but the success of the application is in no way guaranteed, said Mayor Pat Hunter. Even if the request were granted, it would be months, and perhaps years, of Planning Commission Noun 1. planning commission - a commission delegated to propose plans for future activities and developments commission, committee - a special group delegated to consider some matter; "a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours" - Milton Berle and City Council meetings before any new plans for the 350-acre parcel north of downtown were approved, Hunter said. If the council denies the request, Rasmussen can still proceed with the lower-density plan for 66 homes on five-acre lots. Rasmussen said Monday that he could wait no longer, and if the council denied his request he would go ahead with the earlier plan, though he believed it to be inferior to his new proposal. The land lies west of the Moorpark Freeway about one mile north of City Hall, and stretches westward in a now largely undeveloped area. Two other large-scale housing projects are planned nearby: the Hitch hitch to fasten by a knot, usually used to describe tying a horse to a post. Ranch ranch, large farm devoted chiefly to raising and breeding cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. The cattle ranch was introduced from Latin America to Texas and the plains of the W United States and Canada. project to the south and the Bollinger Project to the north. Most nearby neighbors live on large parcels, and some have expressed concern about a high-density housing project going in nearby. Rasmussen said Monday that since the request first came before the council in December 1997, he has spoken to neighbors to rally support for his cause. ``We've met with homeowners surrounding us, and we've decided that the west end would remain open space with the development clustered at the east,'' Rasmussen said. ``I think there's still some question as to 350 homes - or perhaps some other number - is the exact right number of homes. But I believe we'll have some homeowners out to support us at the meeting.'' Mayor Pat Hunter, however, said he was concerned about the the precedent set by allowing a zoning change on land zoned low density. ``If we continue to arbitrarily grant General Plan amendments we'll end up voiding our General Plan,'' Hunter said. ``If that happens, then we have no comprehensive planning "Comprehensive Plan" is a term used by land use planners to describe a set of goals and policies developed by a municipality to accommodate future growth. Typically the comprehensive plan will look at estimated growth within a specific time period, for example, 20 years. process, and that's just poor public policy.'' Hunter also said that the 350-acre parcel was one of the last large-lot, ranch-zoned pieces of property within the city limits. |
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