I just received a slick eight-page "No on Measure B" mailer. Developers are flaunting their money!
It's unconscionable to say the grassroots Ventura Citizens Organized for Responsible Development are "empowering themselves at our expense." VCORD is empowering Ventura voters on view protection. This dedicated group, representing all city areas, worked hard to bring this citizen initiative to voters. Their motto: "Let the people decide."
VCORD saw that building codes allowed 45- to 75-foot-tall buildings along our city's commercial corridors, which run adjacent to existing residential neighborhoods. VCORD knew that if tall buildings line these commercial corridors, then public views throughout the city would be blocked.
VCORD appoints 20 of the 23 members of the View Resources Board that will write the View Protection Ordinance because a majority of our City Council opposes this View Protection Ordinance. VCORD needed to make the appointments to ensure a strong View Protection Ordinance for our city.
This slick mailer states that the east side will not get "fair representation." What a red herring! The 23 View Resources Board representatives are not in competition! VRB members work in small groups in their own neighborhoods to designate views important for protection. Repeat: There is no competition between neighborhoods, thus no one can be "unfairly favored ... at the expense of others." Whoever authored the brochure doesn't understand the initiative or is deliberately misleading the public.
The four east-siders on the View Resources Board will address lowering commercial corridor coded building heights to protect our eastside views to mountains, the ocean and hills.
Don't fall for the developers' slick mailers. VCORD's Measure B initiative empowers Ventura voters. Without Measure B we will have no view protection.
Let's keep Ventura's views from being spoiled by overly tall commercial corridor buildings. Vote yes on Measure B.
-- Norene Charnofsky, Ventura