Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences between Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation & Ventura Hillsides Conservancy? Find out by clicking here.
What is the zoning of the hillside land?
Except for a small portion of the land within city limits, most of the hillside property is in the county and has a land use designation of "open space" or "agricultural."
What does the City of Ventura's Vision Statement contain about the hillside area?
In 1999, the City of Ventura completed a Vision process that was marketed as the vehicle for citizens to express how they wanted their community to look in the future. Throughout the Vision document, citizens expressed their desire to preserve the hillsides, scenic views, and ridgelines.
What is Measure P?
Measure P is a city ordinance that passed by a 77 percent vote in November, 2001.
Measure P states:
"Shall the City's Comprehensive Plan be amended to provide that until the year 2031, city voter approval will be required for any urban development or for any extension of city services to urban development within the 9,108-acre portion of the city Hillside Area described in City Council Resolution No. 2001-77, other than development consisting of public water facilities, public parks, city government facilities and certain exempted minor development?"
Measure P will ensure that the citizens of Ventura will have the right to vote on any development proposal for the Hillside area.
If the landowners decided to sell the land to a nonprofit organization in order to preserve 100 percent of the open space, how could funds be raised?
Traditional campaigns to purchase open space have included funding in the form of private and government grants, tax breaks for the landowner, state and federal funding, corporate donations, major donations by private individuals, and grassroots fundraising events.
According to local urban planner Bill Fulton, "there's never been as much federal and state money available for the purchase of open space as there is now."
