Fillmore Plans Expansion but Is Wary of Santa Paula’s

FILLMORE —  With Santa Paula considering a plan that could quadruple the city’s size by annexing countryside, officials in nearby Fillmore are urging their neighbors to look closely at the problems such growth could bring.

The concerns come as Fillmore officials began considering a major expansion of the city. Fillmore’s plans, like Santa Paula’s, might also include development of agricultural areas.

Earlier this week Fillmore Mayor Don Gunderson sent a letter on the issue to Santa Paula officials.

In the letter, Gunderson said Santa Paula needs to plan for the economic effects of eliminating farms, “urban sprawl” and the impact of building over scenic landscapes along California 126. He said some of the land Santa Paula may annex lies in greenbelt shared by the two cities.

But Fillmore Councilwoman Linda Brewster called her city’s criticism of Santa Paula hypocritical, saying officials in both cities have discussed expanding into their shared greenbelt.

“What’s good for them is good for us,” Brewster said. “Practice what you preach. We’re proposing to do some of the same things--going up onto the hillsides, greenbelt encroachments. Until we deal with it, on our end, I don’t feel comfortable [criticizing] Santa Paula.”

Within a few weeks, Santa Paula is scheduled to release a detailed environmental report on the expansion plans. According to consultants working on the Santa Paula report, up to 9,000 acres in the county area outside city limits could be annexed.

The Santa Paula expansion plans are divided into several areas, with about 7,500 acres in canyons north of California 126 now used by cattle ranchers. Much of the land nearer the freeway is lined by citrus farms. About 565 agricultural acres lie within the two cities’ greenbelt.

Under the Santa Paula proposal, up to 3,600 homes would be built. The city, with a population of about 27,000, now covers about 2,900 acres.

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Gunderson said he contacted Santa Paula officials because so much development is being proposed for the Santa Clara Valley area, including the 24,000-home Newhall Ranch development just across the Ventura County line. The Fillmore mayor acknowledged his city also wants to grow, and is considering a proposal to build 200 to 400 homes on farmland south of the freeway.

In addition to that plan, Fillmore is in the early stages of revamping its General Plan to annex more land--just as Santa Paula is doing.

Gunderson said the numerous developments could create traffic problems in downtown Fillmore, where California 23 and California 126 intersect.

“You have to look at the combined impacts of all the projects,” he said. “The victims will wind up paying to solve the problems.”

Santa Paula officials argue they need to accommodate population growth and gain control of nearby areas.

Because the county controls much of the surrounding land, projects such as a county jail have been built over the objections of local residents, Santa Paula Councilman Don Johnson said.

“Why does Santa Paula have to be held back when all the cities in the county have done things to make themselves better?” Johnson said. “We want to have a say.”

Johnson said he expects Santa Paula’s environmental report to address Fillmore’s concerns.

Gunderson said the concept of Fillmore expanding into greenbelt areas was soundly criticized by a majority of council members at a recent meeting on the city’s future growth, he said. But Brewster said she wants to ensure Fillmore takes the farmland annexation issue seriously.

“Once we start chipping away [at farmland] and move further and further, we’ll become one big Santa Clara Valley city,” Brewster said.

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Officials in both Fillmore and Santa Paula see increased development as a way of boosting tax dollars to expand city services. Santa Paula officials say expansion could bring an additional $3 million per year by 2020. The city has a number of options, including annexing far fewer than 9,000 acres, according to city consultant John Rickenbach. For instance, Santa Paula could drop plans to annex about 5,400 acres in Adams Canyon.

Santa Paula Mayor Robin Sullivan said officials from both cities are working together to boost tourism. She encourages Fillmore’s input on the city’s growth plans.

“Basically, the two cities are in the same situation,” Sullivan said. “I think we realize we’re all having difficulties. We’re the same type of rural communities with lower income demographics. We should work together, because there’s strength in numbers.”