Public Hearing Scheduled for Plan to Modify Slip Count and Percentage of Small Slips in Channel Islands Harbor

OXNARD— A public hearing has been scheduled for July 27 for a proposed amendment to the Channel Islands Harbor Public Works Plan, the guiding document for all harbor development, which would change some of the requirements for the slip mix in the harbor.

At the July 27 public hearing, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors will consider a recommendation from the Harbor Department to amend the PWP to reduce the number of wet slips required in the harbor from 2,150 to 1,950 and replace a requirement for 25 percent of slips to be between 32 feet and 38 feet with a requirement for a minimum of 50 percent of the total number of slips to be 38 feet or less in length. A requirement for a minimum of 25 percent of the total number of slips to be 32 feet or less in length would remain in place.

The amendment would also state no Notice of Impending Development for the development or redevelopment of marinas could result in less than 23 percent of slips under 32 feet and less than 46 percent 38 feet or less, harbor-wide. The PWP requires a NOID to be submitted prior to development by the public agency proposing the project and that the development or redevelopment of marinas include an analysis of harbor-wide conformance with the slip size distribution standards.

According to the harbor department, the purpose of the amendment is to accommodate plans for the replacement of marinas in the harbor. Several marinas have been planning replacements, including the Peninsula Yacht Anchorage, which filed a NOID in January.

“Dealing with all with the different marinas that want to rebuild and I’m totaling up what they want to build because they’ve got vacancies and that’s why we’re going to be recommending the change,” said Mark Sandoval, the harbor department director.

These waterside replacement plans come as Ventura County and the City of Oxnard are in the midst of planning a redevelopment of the landside portion of Channel Islands Harbor as well.

The draft amendment is available at channelislandsharbor.org/reports-publications/.

The public hearing will be held at 1 p.m. on July 27. Meetings are still being conducted online. Anyone interested in providing public comment on the item can email their comment to the Clerk of the Board at clerkoftheboard@ventura.org with the agenda item number in the subject line by 12 p.m. on July 26.

Those interested in making a comment live during the meeting can register to speak using the registration link provided at the bottom of the ventura.org/board-of-supervisors/agendas-documents-and-broadcasts/public-comments/ web page for the applicable meeting date. Registration must be completed by 3:30 p.m. on July 26.

If the draft amendment is approved by the Board of Supervisors, it will go onto the California Coastal Commission for consideration.