REPORT DUE ON COLLEGE CONSTRUCTION'S EFFECTS STUDIED.

Byline: Carolyn Sinclair Special to the Daily News

MOORPARK - With $104 million in construction planned at Moorpark College through 2008, a report on the projects' impact on area traffic, parking, noise and dust is expected by February.

The environmental impact report to the community will look at effects of building a three-story learning resource center, a fine arts building, a child development center and a computer center at the 153-acre campus. Parking lots also are being added, and renovations are due to some existing facilities.

The report, being prepared by Rincon Consulting of Ventura, will include input from the community and government agencies.

``We're not trying to develop the campus for ourselves in secret and not share our intent,'' said Leslie Dickey, project director for the JCM Group that oversees the use of Measure S funds. ``We're hoping to engage the community, not just meet the legal standards.''

Measure S, the $356.3 million bond initiative approved by Ventura County voters in March, will pay for construction and rehabilitation at the county's three community colleges.

Moorpark College will receive 29 percent of the total bond money, to be allocated over four phases of construction over the next five years.

The college, built in 1967 to accommodate 15,000 students, has seen enrollment increase by 4 percent to 6 percent every year since 1995. The current enrollment is just above 15,000. By 2015, enrollment is projected to reach 19,000.

The new construction will not expand beyond the campus's existing boundaries.

Some nearby homeowners, however, are concerned about traffic, pollution, noise, dust and safety hazards that will result from the construction.

``The college has got to grow, but I'm just concerned about traffic,'' said college neighbor Les Ventimiglia. ``At certain times of day, you'll have traffic backed up from the freeway to University Drive, which means 5 to 10 minutes just to get out of the campus parking lot.''

Ventimiglia and his neighbors, he said, also have petitioned the city to have one-hour parking on their street to limit student parking.

Neighbor Mark Ayoub moved to Moorpark in 1989 when enrollment at the college was about 6,000. Since then, enrollment has more than doubled, and he feels the impact to his neighborhood.

``They finished the new parking lots in May before the beginning of the semester, but before that students were parking on the streets,'' he said.

Eva Conrad, president of Moorpark College, acknowledged the growing pains of the college but insisted the focus should be on students.

``As we grow, my fervent wish is that we maintain our focus on the students, on their learning,'' Conrad said.

Of the 107 community colleges in California, Moorpark is in the top five for highest percentage of students transferring to four-year universities, Conrad said.

``I like living here,'' said neighbor Janet Murphy. ``We're for the college, but we have concerns and we're going to voice them.''

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The Learning Resources & Telecommunications Center of Moorpark College is three stories tall, with an area of 55,000 square feet.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News