Retail Expansion Near Bridge Appealed

Oxnard’s city manager and the Rio School District have thrown a wrench in a developer’s plans to expand a Rose Avenue retail development, arguing that increased traffic would overburden an already strained bridge over the Ventura Freeway.

Tom Frutchey and the school district have appealed a decision by the city’s Land Use Advisors to allow the 120,000-square-foot expansion--Shopping at the Rose II--to go forward before the city has assurances from the Santa Monica developer that a new, wider bridge will be built.

“I don’t think it is a good idea for the community if [the expansion] goes online before the bridge is built,” said Frutchey, acting on behalf of the city.

Oxnard’s City Council will review the issue at its Tuesday meeting, but the appeal is expected to delay the project.

Mayor Manuel Lopez said the potential for increased traffic across the bridge concerns the school district because children use it to cross the freeway.

“If [the developer] wants to go forward, I think we are going to have to condition that the bridge will be developed,” Lopez said.

The developer, Stan Rothbart, withdrew plans last year for an additional 32,000-square-foot store as part of the proposed expansion in response to city concerns about increased traffic.

Despite an environmental impact report that said the Rose Avenue bridge over the freeway could handle the increased traffic, Frutchey said the community should not have to tolerate the bottle-necks and other problems that the development would cause.