CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The bicyclist campgrounds will be located near the Ojai Valley Trail, which runs through Foster Park.

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By Kathleen Wilson of the Ventura County Star

Ventura County supervisors approved new fees Tuesday for beach sites and a bicyclist campground near Ventura.

Bicyclists will pay $5 a night to stay in the campground designated specifically for them at Foster Park by the scenic Ojai Valley Trail. It is the first such facility in the county system of 11 parks that offer campgrounds.

Bicyclists may camp for up to 48 hours at the site with a picnic table, barbecue and bike rack. The attraction is scheduled to open April 1.

Also approved were $2 increases in daily fees for campsites without utility hookups at the Faria and Hobson beach parks. Campers will pay $36 for sites with campfire rings and $34 for sites without rings at Faria. The fee will increase to $36 at Hobson.

Supervisors also passed a rule stipulating that use fees in the county park system are nontransferable and that a $10 fee will be charged for processing late payments of camping fees.

The board also agreed to remove four campfire rings at the Faria park in response to complaints of smoke from residents living nearby. Perhaps 20 rings located farther away from beach homes would remain.

All fee increases take effect April 1.

Supervisors Steve Bennett, Peter Foy and John Zaragoza approved the measures. Supervisor Linda Parks abstained, citing her longtime objection to charging parking fees at Santa Rosa Valley Park. The equestrian venue lies in Parks' district.

Supervisor Kathy Long, who was in Washington, D.C., on county business, was absent.