CaÑada larga

Photo by Carrie Vonderhaar with aerial support from LightHawk.

Preserving Open Space & Farmland in Ventura

The City of Ventura’s General Plan stands out for its “Infill First” strategy, which avoids sacrificing natural, open space and farmland to urban and suburban development. In 2010, however, a narrow majority of the Ventura City Council voted to extend the City’s boundary far beyond its existing limits, and develop the Cañada Larga Valley – an 800-acre parcel that includes hillsides, meadows, wetlands and canyons. Cañada Larga is a wildlife corridor and valuable habitat for numerous birds and other animals. Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation hired EDC to educate the public and decision makers about the significant environmental impacts that could result from such development. At numerous public hearings, a record number of the community turned out to support preserving Cañada Larga. Faced with this continued community opposition and discouraging reports on the costs of annexing unincorporated areas, Ventura has, for now, dropped its efforts to extend City boundaries and develop the Cañada Larga Valley.

"In the fight to prevent Cañada Larga Valley from being annexed to the City for the development of executive houses, the Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation were thrilled to hire EDC to help us attain this goal.  Without the experience and legal expertise of the EDC staff, we would not have enjoyed such a quick and successful outcome." -Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation