VCHP History

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-- A TIMELINE OF EVENTS -- 1990's - THE BEGINNING: Over the course of this decade, Ventura's population grew to over 100,000. Concerned citizens experienced increased traffic, the advance of sprawl, and open space threatened by development. 1995 - SOAR: The Save Our Agricultural Resources initiative was passed by Ventura city voters. The initiative requires that the City Council obtain voter approval before redesignating land within the city limits from agriculture to any other designation, including residential development. 1998 - SOAR: The Save Open-Space & Agricultural Resources initiative was passed by Ventura County voters. The initiative requires that the County Board of Supervisors obtain voter approval before redesignating farmland and open space in unincorporated areas for residential development. 2000 - VCHP: Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation began meeting. VCHP was organized by Martha Zeiher and Pat Perkins. VCHP is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve Ventura's open space and quality of life by actively participating in and influencing the public planning process, and supporting public officials and political candidates who favor permanent hillside and open space protection. VCHP spearheaded the campaign for the passage of Measure P in 2001, and the defeat of Measure A in 2002. VCHP continues to meet regularly, monitors City Council and the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) and Residential Growth Management Program (RGMP) reports, the Planning Commission and other related city meetings, in order to keep the voters informed. VCHP also endorses candidates for elected office who believe in VCHP's mission statement. 2001 - MEASURE P passed by Ventura voters by a margin of 77%. Measure P requires any proposed residential development for the 9,000-acre hillside voter participation area to be approved by the voters before the extension of city services can occur. Passage of Measure P led the hillside landowners to launch an initiative campaign to place Measure A on the 2002 ballot in order to seek voter approval to sell their land for development. (Measure P does not require voter approval for the extension of city services if the hillside parcel is 40 acres or more and has only one primary residential unit.) 2002 - MEASURE A defeated by Ventura voters by a margin of greater than 70%. The hillside landowners sought voter approval of a development agreement authorizing the construction of 1,390 homes on the hillsides without an Environmental Impact Report. VCHP and Ventura County SOAR led the grassroots effort to defeat Measure A despite $1.3 million spent by the landowners in the attempt to pass it – the most amount spent on any campaign in Ventura city history. 2003 - VHC: The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy is formed - www.venturahillsides.org - 805.643.8044. President: Brooke Ashworth; Vice President: Patrick Perkins VHC is a 501(c)(3) public benefit, non-political corporation dedicated to permanently preserving the hillsides, canyons, and open space that contribute to the natural environment and unique character of the City of San Buenaventura and the surrounding region. VHC is raising money to purchase hillside land for permanent public recreation, preservation of habitat, and scenic views. VHC produced the first Ventura Hillsides Music Festival in September 2003, a fundraiser for the Conservancy. If you would like to volunteer, make a donation, or assist VCHP in attaining its goals, please call 805.644.9247, e-mail at members@vchp.org, or visit here to join.

-- A TIMELINE OF EVENTS --

1990's - THE BEGINNING: Over the course of this decade, Ventura's population grew to over 100,000. Concerned citizens experienced increased traffic, the advance of sprawl, and open space threatened by development.

1995 - SOAR: The Save Our Agricultural Resources initiative was passed by Ventura city voters. The initiative requires that the City Council obtain voter approval before redesignating land within the city limits from agriculture to any other designation, including residential development.

1998 - SOAR: The Save Open-Space & Agricultural Resources initiative was passed by Ventura County voters. The initiative requires that the County Board of Supervisors obtain voter approval before redesignating farmland and open space in unincorporated areas for residential development.

2000 - VCHP: Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation began meeting. VCHP was organized by Martha Zeiher and Pat Perkins. VCHP is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve Ventura's open space and quality of life by actively participating in and influencing the public planning process, and supporting public officials and political candidates who favor permanent hillside and open space protection.

VCHP spearheaded the campaign for the passage of Measure P in 2001, and the defeat of Measure A in 2002. VCHP continues to meet regularly, monitors City Council and the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) and Residential Growth Management Program (RGMP) reports, the Planning Commission and other related city meetings, in order to keep the voters informed. VCHP also endorses candidates for elected office who believe in VCHP's mission statement.

2001 - MEASURE P passed by Ventura voters by a margin of 77%. Measure P requires any proposed residential development for the 9,000-acre hillside voter participation area to be approved by the voters before the extension of city services can occur. Passage of Measure P led the hillside landowners to launch an initiative campaign to place Measure A on the 2002 ballot in order to seek voter approval to sell their land for development. (Measure P does not require voter approval for the extension of city services if the hillside parcel is 40 acres or more and has only one primary residential unit.)

2002 - MEASURE A defeated by Ventura voters by a margin of greater than 70%. The hillside landowners sought voter approval of a development agreement authorizing the construction of 1,390 homes on the hillsides without an Environmental Impact Report. VCHP and Ventura County SOAR led the grassroots effort to defeat Measure A despite $1.3 million spent by the landowners in the attempt to pass it – the most amount spent on any campaign in Ventura city history.

2003 - VHC: The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy is formed - www.venturahillsides.org - 805.643.8044. President: Brooke Ashworth; Vice President: Patrick Perkins

VHC is a 501(c)(3) public benefit, non-political corporation dedicated to permanently preserving the hillsides, canyons, and open space that contribute to the natural environment and unique character of the City of San Buenaventura and the surrounding region. VHC is raising money to purchase hillside land for permanent public recreation, preservation of habitat, and scenic views. VHC produced the first Ventura Hillsides Music Festival in September 2003, a fundraiser for the Conservancy.

If you would like to volunteer, make a donation, or assist VCHP in attaining its goals, please call 805.644.9247, e-mail at members@vchp.org, or visit here to join.