I n 1995, Save Open space and Agricultural Resources initiative passed by a slim margin of 52 percent in the city of Ventura. The initiative was the first of its kind in curtailing urban sprawl by putting in the hands of voters major developments in need of rezoning of agricultural land and open space. Though contested in court, all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, SOAR was upheld at each level. Over the next several years, eight of 10 cities in the county approved the measure, following with 63 percent voter support countywide in 1998. The countywide measure expires in 2020.

Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett, District 1, co-author of SOAR, and Supervisor Linda Parks, District 2, filed this week their petition to put the initiative on the November 2016 ballot, launching the signature-gathering phase. Approval of the renewal of the measure would extend the laws of SOAR until 2050, with two new laws added regarding farmworker housing and the production of locally grown food.

Though the initiative has been a contentious one for large landowners, Bennett said he sees the initiative as imperative to preserving individual cities’ cultural diversity as well as ag land and open space. He spoke with the VCReporter this week about the importance of SOAR and the signature-gathering phase, plus upcoming events for those who want to help in the endeavor.

What has SOAR done since it was enacted to better the lives of county residents?

Four major things that SOAR has accomplished over the last two decades that benefit the people.

One, in spite of tremendous and ever-growing pressure for urban sprawl from Los Angeles County, SOAR has preserved a critical mass of agriculture needed to keep agriculture profitable. Experts tell us a county needs a minimum amount of agricultural to obtain the economies of scale crucial to support agriculture’s profitability. In Orange County, when agricultural acreage dropped below 100,000 acres, the support services needed to keep agriculture viable collapsed. Since the passage of SOAR, agricultural acreage in Ventura County has stayed above 100,000 acres in our county. Having locally grown food will become a tremendous asset for a community in the future for a variety of reasons such as climate change, causing restrictions on transport, etc.

Two, open-space areas that are highly valued by the public have been protected from urban sprawl. Three thousand homes were planned for North Park, near Moorpark. Because the citizens had the right to vote, the project was stopped after the City Council supported it. The Tierra Rejada Valley, the hillsides above Ventura and many other open-space areas would be developed right now if SOAR had not given the public the right to vote on development projects on land zoned open space or agriculture.

Three, cities in Ventura County are revitalizing their inner-city core areas because SOAR has focused development energy within existing city boundaries. The trajectory of the city of Ventura before SOAR was to have all the development energy out on the east end, sprawling into the agricultural land between Ventura and Santa Paula. Downtown Ventura was becoming a wasteland of thrift shops with no night life. SOAR helped focus development energy back downtown and played an important role in the revitalization of downtown Ventura.

Four, SOAR has empowered the people and changed the old paradigm that allowed for the rest of Southern California to sprawl. The old power brokers have lost influence, and new ideas like smart growth now have room to develop. As a result, SOAR has encouraged smaller, denser development. You see some of this in downtown Ventura. These projects increase the likelihood of units being developed that are more scalable and affordable.

Why is SOAR important to be renewed for the future?

The development pressure in Southern California has grown dramatically in the last 20 years, particularly in coastal counties. In 1995 the city of Ventura asked for an appraisal of 100 acres of agricultural land. It was appraised at $3 million. The city then asked for an appraisal of what that land would be worth if it was rezoned for development. It was appraised at $15 million, a $12 million increase just for having the land rezoned.

The rush to rezone land will be overwhelming if SOAR is not renewed. Developers and large landowners will literally pour millions into City Council and Board of Supervisor campaigns. They will see campaign donations as just an investment that will pay off handsomely for them.

The urban sprawl that would result will cause:

Our cities to grow together and we will lose our unique community identities.

Agriculture to collapse and we will permanently lose access to locally grown food, have a less diverse economy and lose the semirural atmosphere of Ventura County.

Southern California urban sprawl to choke our county with traffic congestion, plus a host of other urban sprawl problems will grow dramatically in our county.

Reduce the amount of civic involvement as people feel less empowered to shape their communities and cities.

Farmers seem to be particularly frustrated with the restraints placed on them by SOAR. What can you say to appease their concerns?

SOAR does not restrict farmers from doing anything that is allowed within their agricultural zoning. The only thing SOAR does is require that the Board of Supervisors or a City Council must put a request to rezone their land onto the ballot. No one has a right to demand that their land be rezoned. People who buy homes in residential areas should not be frustrated that they cannot rezone their land to industrial uses just because they think they could make a profit. It would not be fair to others who bought their homes in a residential area and believed the area was staying residential.

The greatest threat to any one farm is that the farm next to it sprouts a subdivision. SOAR actually gives farmers greater assurance that they will not be surrounded by housing tracts. This increases their likelihood of making a good return on any investments they make in new trees, water facilities, etc.

Privately, many farmers tell me they really like SOAR but they cannot say so publicly because they will be ostracized by the large landowners and many of them lease their land from the large landowners. Those expressing the most frustration are the large landowners who are frustrated they cannot rezone their land for development.

Tell us about upcoming events for SOAR.

Thursday, Oct. 29, at Patagonia’s retail store at 6 p.m. Patagonia will host SOAR at an event called “Running is Activism” with a film titled Mile for Mile. It is about trail running and conservation in Patagonia, a spectacular and pristine area of South America. Beer will be served.

SOAR has been invited to present during the event. This will be the kickoff of our drive to sign up volunteers to gather the 60,000 signatures we will need to place the countywide SOAR, and eight city SOAR initiatives on the ballot.

Sunday Nov. 1, at 3 p.m., I will speak to the Citizens for Social Responsibility, at the Topping Room in Foster Library in Ventura, about the SOAR renewal campaign and sign up volunteers at their event.

Sunday, morning Nov. 9, Patagonia will hold the Salmon Run in the Ventura Riverbottom. The SOAR renewal campaign will receive all of the proceeds from the Salmon Run. In addition, during the festivities after the run, we will be talking to the crowd about the SOAR renewal campaign and signing volunteers up to be petition-gathers. There will be raffle items reserved for those who sign up to gather petitions, a large sign-up board and buttons and T-shirts for volunteers to wear.

For more information and to get involved, go to www.soarvc.org. Patagonia’s retail store is located at 235 W. Santa Clara St., Ventura. E.P. Foster Library is located at 651 E. Main St., Ventura.