Year in review
Residents the winners in 2007
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Moorpark residents flexed their muscle this year.

When the City Council proposed cutting funding for the Drug Abuse and Resistance Education program in June, parents successfully fought to keep it. DARE continues to serve fifthgraders in Moorpark schools.

Local residents also convinced the Redevelopment Agency to abandon a controversial proposal that would have reinstated eminent domain authority in downtown Moorpark. Hundreds of downtown residents and sympathizers attended council meetings to voice their objections.

Proposal shot down

Property owners in Moorpark Highlands, north of downtown, also won a battle against new development. Pardee Homes had proposed to pay a costly assessment on behalf of new buyers. But existing residents considered the incentive unethical on grounds it would have reduced their home values, so they picketed the developer and compelled Pardee to pass the assessment to new homebuyers.

Graffiti abatement A group of volunteers took matters into their own hands to curb a growing graffiti problem. They formed the Anti-Graffiti Coalition in October to fight vandalism at the source. Young people were directed way from negative influences and into productive activities.

Classroom curriculum

Outspoken parents convinced Moorpark Unified School District to make changes over an allegedly explicit sexual education presentation made at Mesa Verde Middle School earlier this year. The uproar forced school administrators to review the notification process to ensure that detailed information is provided to parents ahead of time.

Notable city achievements

•In addition to opening a cityowned library, Moorpark officials approved the design for a new Veterans Memorial that will be located across the street from the Moorpark Police Services Center. •The City Council approved a new permanent skate park that will be constructed at Poindexter Park in 2008 and the city celebrated its first official Arbor Day event in March. •The city is moving forward with plans to construct a new Human Services Center. Environmentally friendly designs will be incorporated into all new public facilities and developers were encouraged to do the same. •County, law enforcement and city leaders formed the Highway 118 Taskforce to seek solutions and bring additional resources to alleviate hazardous conditions on the rural highway between Moorpark and Camarillo. •Moorpark residents will have more shopping choices next year as the city approved several new retail centers throughout the town. Some businesses already opened and more are slated to open this spring. •Officials approved designs for the city's first hotel. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2008. The Fairfield Inn & Suites Hotel will be on Sage Road, just east of the 23 Freeway and Los Angeles Avenue. •Home Depot was approved. The home improvement store is now under construction behind the Moorpark Marketplace. •The city also granted permits for two new medical complexes in Moorpark. Approval was granted to sell land on the south side of High Street to developer Severyn Aszkenazy, who wants to build a retail and office building in the heart of Moorpark.

While commercial projects moved forward, several residential projects were delayed due to a downturn in the housing market.