Channel Islands Harbor Partners gives up exclusive lease agreement for Fisherman’s Wharf

A virtual public forum on for the redevelopment of Fisherman’s Wharf has been scheduled for Jan. 20th at 6 p.m.

OXNARD—With plans to bring nearly 400 apartments to Channel Islands Harbor’s Fisherman’s Wharf squashed by the California Coastal Commission, the developer behind the plans has indicated they are abandoning the project.

Channel Islands Harbor Partners did not pay the required fees on Dec. 1 required to retain its exclusive Lease Option Agreement related to the Fisherman’s Wharf area. CIHP’s exclusivity for the X3 area and F/F1 parcels are due to expire on March 31, 2021. Ventura County and Oxnard will now have to entertain other development proposals for the area in order to see the aging commercial site rehabilitated.

“We obviously want it to be accepted by everyone who’s passionate about the harbor but also and as importantly it has to be a development that a developer will invest in because we do not have the funds, city of Oxnard doesn’t have the funds, so whatever we develop needs to be developed by a private sector developer,” Ventura County Harbor Department Director Mark Sandoval said.

CIHP, a development team made up of Peter W. Mullin, Geoff Palmer and Thomas R. Tellefsen, has held an exclusive Lease Option Agreement related to the Fisherman’s Wharf area for several years. Their initial plans included 390 apartment homes, 36,000 square feet of restaurants, retail and artesian food and cafes, a 1-acre park, a 1,000-foot long boardwalk, rehabilitation of six retail buildings and the restoration of the area’s iconic lighthouse.

“The city basically shut the door on it, and so they just to me read the writing on the wall,” Sandoval said.

CHIP’s proposal for almost 400 new apartments saw push back from the city of Oxnard, some local residents, and ultimately the California Coastal Commission. The redevelopment project was derailed in August when the California Coastal Commission rejected Ventura County’s request to overrule the Oxnard City Council’s vote in November 2019 to deny an amendment to the city’s local coastal plan that would allow a mixed-use development at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Under Oxnard’s current local coastal plan, Fisherman’s Wharf is designated for visitor-serving commercial uses and harbor-related uses that support recreational boating and fishing. Ventura County had sought to amend the local coastal plan to allow for housing. Sandoval, along with other supporters of the CIHP project, believed a developer would not receive a return on their investment without housing part of the plan. Oxnard officials felt the proposal would take away too much public access to the coastline and was too massive.

Since the decision, Ventura County has been working on a “visioning process” for the redevelopment of Channel Islands Harbor as a whole, with Fisherman’s Wharf being a major focus. The county hired Sargent Town Planning to lead the process and created a steering committee made up of county and city officials, local residents, boaters and other harbor stakeholders.

As part of the visioning process, a virtual public forum has been scheduled for Jan. 20th at 6 p.m. It’s expected that Sargent Town Planning will give a presentation on development options for various parcels in the harbor, with Fisherman’s Wharf being one of them. The public will then be able to provide input.

“I think there’s been a lot of good ideas,” Sandoval said. “What I don’t know yet is if all the boxes will be checked.”

Sandoval said he is hoping this visioning process will be completed within the next three months and that they will come out of it with a blueprint for where to go with development in the harbor.

3 thoughts on “Channel Islands Harbor Partners gives up exclusive lease agreement for Fisherman’s Wharf

  • December 23, 2020 at 4:50 pm
    Permalink

    Well well, the grandiose plans of the elite have come crashing down and now lay smoldering in the beautiful waters of our harbor! Again the elites look to another consultant to save their bacon with still another way to develop property no one else wants developed! Since the maintenance money for Fisherman”s Wharf has been spent elsewhere, there is now no money for refurbishment! The obvious direction forward is long term leases on the existing buildings including lowering harbor tax’s! This approach will get the place up and running quickly as well as remedy an eyesore! The harbor can maintain the common and parking areas as well as the signature Lighthouse too. But unfortunately we probably won’t see this plan initiated because it’s too simple and has “all kinds of problems”! We will wait and see!

    Reply
  • December 23, 2020 at 4:50 pm
    Permalink

    Sandoval’s comments are self-serving and inaccurate. The proposed megalopolis would have put a strain on local infrastructure and ecology. In addition, it would completely betray its bequeathed and intended use as “visitor-serving.” City agreed, residents agreed, visitors agreed, Coastal Commission agrees. Sandoval/Board of Supervisors are the odd men out.

    Since the property is not mortgaged and doesn’t pay taxes, its financial load is far lighter than most. It could be self-sustaining with some individual parcel developers/even lease holders, and competent management, something not now in evidence.

    Reply
  • December 30, 2020 at 8:51 pm
    Permalink

    I am glad the huge apartment complex will not be going forward, but my concern grows about the ability of the Harbor to get anything done there. There are buildings all around the Channel Islands Harbor that are in great locations, but remain derelict ruins instead of bars, restaurants, and other commercial establishments. Clearly lack of funds is not the only problem here.

    Reply

Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *