Ventura County Star
By Sam Richard

A local agricultural company has offered to convert some of its farmland into a temporary sports facility to help Santa Paula expand its park system.

Santa Paula-based Limoneira Co., which grows lemons, avocados and other crops on more than 4,000 acres in Ventura County, is proposing to lease the city seven to 10 acres for athletic fields. The parcel is on the southeast corner of East Area One, which is 501 acres just east of Santa Paula where the company wants to build as many as 1,350 homes.

The sports facility could become permanent if voters clear the way for Limoneira's development by expanding the City Urban Restriction Boundary to encompass the property. That proposal is expected to come before Santa Paula voters next year, as early as June.

Limoneira President and CEO Harold Edwards said the proposal is not an attempt to win favorable treatment from the City Council or voters.

"Since this is slated to be a park eventually, we figured this would be a good thing," he said, adding the company just wants to help the community.

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