WATER TANK TO BE BUILT NEXT YEAR HEAVY GROWTH DRIVES DEMANDS.

Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer

MOORPARK - Preparing for more development in the Moorpark area, Ventura County officials plan to start construction next year on a $2.3 million, 1.5 million-gallon water tank on a hill above the Home Acres neighborhood just west of the city limits.

The site will also be graded for another 1.5 million-gallon tank that could be built to accommodate more development down the road. The project originally was part of a 1992 master plan for the area that was based on an expected housing boom.

``At that time there wasn't a deficiency, but the planners saw a potential deficiency by the year 2000 due to the development that would be occurring in the area,'' said Chris Cooper, the project manager with the Ventura County Public Works Agency.

Water from the tank would serve both city residents and residents of the nearby unincorporated county area, including Home Acres, where pipes will need to snake underneath streets, meaning torn-up roads in the neighborhood.

The population of Moorpark has grown dramatically since the mid-1990s and is expected to continue through 2020.

The city had a population of 27,099 and 8,452 housing units in 1995, according to figures from the California Department of Finance. By 2000, U.S. Census figures show the population was 31,415 with 9,094 housing units. And by Jan. 1 of this year the population was 35,908, with 10,237 housing units.

By 2020, Moorpark is expected to be near its maximum capacity, with a population of about 44,000 and 12,900 housing units, officials said.

When the water tank and piping is completed, Home Acres residents should notice a stronger stream of water from their faucets and showers, Cooper said.

There will be a new water main installed from the south end of Hitch Boulevard to Ventalvo Road and about 8,800 feet of 16-inch and 12-inch pipes placed in streets. But any disruptions to traffic in the area should be minor, Cooper said.

The construction could be under way this summer and might take 18 months, he said, estimating homeowners will see construction on their streets late next year.

``There might be minor disruptions, but no streets will be blocked,'' he said. ``Homeowners will always have access to their properties.''

Will Whitaker, a Moorpark Hardware Store owner who owns three homes in Home Acres, said he hopes the construction goes smoothly because Home Acres residents are particularly sensitive to problems getting in and out of their semirural community, where the main access is Hitch Boulevard.

County officials and construction workers ``will have to be really careful because street access out there is of high concern to everybody,'' said Whitaker.

A study of environmental impacts showed that there will be some construction noise. With mitigation measures, the environmental impacts should be ``less than significant,'' county officials said, inviting people to review the documents and comment through Jan. 13.

Copies of the environmental findings are available at the Public Works Agency Engineering Services Department at 800 S. Victoria Ave. in Ventura, and the Moorpark Public Library at 699 Moorpark Ave.

Eric Leach, [phone]

eric.leach(at)dailynews.com

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Map:

Site of water tank

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