Developer trying to woo voters in Santa Paula
Ventura County Star
By Scott Hadly
The backers of a 1,500-home development proposed for the eastern edge of Santa Paula plan to officially kick off their campaign Saturday to secure the voter approval needed for the project to move forward.
The Santa Paula-based Limoneira Co. has been working on a plan to develop the 501-acre parcel dubbed East Area One for more than five years, said John Chamberlain, the company's marketing manager.
Saturday's gathering — including a barbecue, raffle and community presentation on the project — will be the first big public event since both the City Council and Planning Commission gave their approvals last month. The project will appear on the June 3 ballot.
The 11 a.m. event at Limoneira's Pavilion, 55 Hallock Drive in Santa Paula, is meant to kick off a community discussion about what is planned.
"One thing we've learned from other campaigns is that people don't want to be bombarded with messages or a lot of mailers and advertising," Chamberlain said.
The development needs voter approval because it would require changes to Santa Paula's Urban Restriction Boundary, or growth-limit lines.
