Image courtesy County of Ventura
Ventura—During a Tuesday, August 6, special meeting, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution with the intent to purchase real property.
The 1.5-acre property is located at 575 Casitas Vista Road, owned by Dennis Ryder and Susan Ryder, Trustees of The Dennis and Susan Ryder Family Trust.
The intent to purchase amount was adjusted to $1.3 million, with an updated notice of intent with the adjusted amount.
Central Services Director Joan Araujo presented the item and said the property is located in the Foster Park area below Lake Casitas in District 1.
“This property comprises five parcels, and the County is offering the appraised and validated value of $1.273 million,” she said. “This request also includes an additional $15,000 for closing costs, which do not include any pro-rated property taxes.”
Once approved, she said the Board’s Clerk will publish three notices of intent starting August 12, 19, and 26.
“I’m scheduled to return to your Board for a public hearing on this matter on Tuesday, September 10, should this notice of intent be approved,” Araujo said. “The funds for this purchase would be forthcoming in a grant from the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).”
Assistant Director Dave Fleisch said Watershed Protection is one of the first two agencies to use the Natural Resources Conservation Services Emergency Watershed Protection Program to purchase property.
“NRCS doesn’t have a process, and neither do we,” he said. “We’re learning as we go. On July 23, your Board approved the authority for the WPA to sign a grant agreement with NRCS, and at that time, we believed we couldn’t do anything until we had that grant approved and signed by NRCS.”
On July 26, he said they learned from NRCS that only work after the acceptance of the grant was not eligible for the grant.
“In this case, it would be the purchase of the property,” he said. “All preparatory and administrative work we can do ahead of time, but not purchase the property.”
He said they met with the property owners and signed a County Purchase Offer.
“There is a fairly lengthy process to go through with this, the four weeks between the two meetings, and we have to open escrow, which we can’t do until that second meeting,” he said. “That will take a few weeks and we want to make sure the Ryders have an appropriate amount of time to access their property and give us a chance to get into the property.”
He said part of the grant is for demolition work for the structures there.
“We’d like to get all of that completed by the end of October, so we don’t get stuck in the storm season,” Fleischer said.
For the complete story, visit Tri County Sentry.com.
