Attachment 1 - Economic Development Strategic Plan — Camarillo City Council, July 9, 2025

CITY OF CAMARILLO

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN

Approved and Adopted by the
Camarillo City Council
September 5, 2018

PREPARED BY:

T H E N A T E L S O N D A L E G R O U P , I N C .
2 4 8 3 5 L A P A L M A A V E S U I T E I • Y O R B A L I N D A , C A 9 2 8 8 7 O : 7 1 4 . 6 9 2 . 9 5 9 6 • F : 7 1 4 . 6 9 2 . 9 5 9 7 • w w w . n a t e l s o n d a l e . c o m

Contents

1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1

2. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 3

3. Highlights of Background/Technical Studies ............................................................................................. 7

4. Community Online Survey ...................................................................................................................... 18

5. Action Plan Highlights ............................................................................................................................. 22

6. Potential Strategies / Action Items Discussion ....................................................................................... 31

7. Action Item Interactions – Highlighting Actions that Support Multiple Objectives ............................... 42 Cover Photo Credits: “2016_02_10_sba-lax-ewr_054 - Farm and city mix in the Oxnard Plain, on the South Coast of California. The Camarillo Airport is in the midst.” by Doc Searls – Own work. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 via Flickr.com – https://flic.kr/p/FM83qA
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
1 1. Introduction
This document provides a strategic framework to guide the City of Camarillo’s economic development policies and programs over the next 5 to 10 years. The Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) is based on a comprehensive research and stakeholder outreach process, and incorporates consensus views on the most promising opportunities and the most pressing challenges facing Camarillo and the City’s economy. While the EDSP primarily addresses actions and initiatives to be pursued by the City, many other public- and private-sector entities influence the economic vitality of Camarillo. In this regard, some of the recommended actions will be carried out through partnerships with other entities.

Even for those action items in which the City’s role is essentially coordination, the coordination function can take many forms and is often critical to solving problems that may not otherwise have a clear constituency or single responsible entity assigned to resolving them.

The planning process by which the strategic framework was derived included the following components:
• Community/stakeholder workshops and a community online survey. • Background studies, as separate reports, addressing demographics, real estate development potential, and target industries. These studies help inform the strategic recommendations. • Identification of institutional assets and other partners for economic development.

The stakeholder workshops were formatted as a series of three Economic Development “Summit” meetings. A diverse range of public and private sector stakeholders, involved in various aspects of local business and economic development, participated in these highly-interactive two-hour meetings. The meetings were designed to be progressively detailed in nature (i.e., the discussion topics started at a general/overview level in Meeting 1 and progressed to more detailed discussions about specific EDSP strategies and priorities in Meetings 2 and 3). As such, all participants were encouraged to attend all three meetings.

Economic Development Context
Figure 1-1 on the next page is a summary of the context in which economic development will proceed in Camarillo. The intent of the figure is to emphasize that the EDSP is based around thematic goals and consists of action items that a) set the stage for expediting economic development, which directly impact quality of life, and b) define proactive economic development implementation steps.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
2 FIGURE 1-1. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY CONTEXT

Themes and guiding
assumptions
Preserve community
character
Attract more visitors
Attract high-wage earners
Nurture entrepreneurs
Economically sustainable
community
Connect with institutional
assets

Set the stage for
economic progress
Bolster economic dev.
capacity and services
Enhance business
friendliness
Encourage placemaking
Prioritize infrastructure
that supports
economic dev.

Accommodate workforce
in community
Supplement resources for
entrepreneurs
Quality-of-life implications
Prosperity efforts promote
a sustainable, thriving
community
Growth and development
can be aligned toward
the existing residential
base
A prosperous, attractive
community appeals to
both visitors and
residents
Entrepreneurs tend to
expand options for
others
Pursue opportunities
Stay current with
marketing messages
Pursue appropriate target
industries
Enhance partnerships
Leverage new visitor
facilities
Keep retail strong

Target cluster implications
Technology clusters
Info. Tech. & Analytical
Instruments
Biopharmaceuticals
Medical Devices
Comm. Equip. & Servs.

Aerospace Vehcl. &
Defense
Constr. Prod. & Servs.

Distr. & Electr. Commerce
Prod. Tech. & Hvy. Machry.

Metalworking Tech.

Local clusters;
locally focused industries
Health Services
Hospitality and Tourism
Agr. Inputs and Servs.

Edu. & Knowledge Creation
Local Hospitality

Business/other svc. clusters
Business Services
Financial Services
Marketing, Design, &
Publish.

Entertainment
Video Prod. & Distr.

Music & Sound Rec.

Ent. & Media
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
3 2. Executive Summary
Overarching Goal: Fostering High-quality Economic Growth The overarching goal of the EDSP is to foster growth of the Camarillo economy in ways that achieve the following objectives:
• Maintaining the City’s fiscal strength, in order to continue providing exceptional municipal services;
• Expanding high-wage employment opportunities in the City, reducing the need for long commutes by residents to other employment centers;
• Encouraging optimal land use patterns to ensure the long-term viability of Camarillo’s commercial and industrial areas;
• Leveraging the City’s unique opportunities to position itself as a center of innovation; • Increasing attraction of tourists/visitors;
• Balancing growth opportunities with preservation of community’s history and character.

Key Considerations: The Existing Setting for Launching New Strategies The EDSP Action Plan recognizes the following distinguishing characteristics of Camarillo’s economic setting:
• Camarillo has a vibrant and diverse local economy, including:
o Tourism / destination retail
o Agriculture
o Manufacturing (including Biotech and other tech-oriented sectors) o Information technology
o Professional services
o Distribution / wholesale trade
• Within the local business community, there is a unique level of interest in technology-oriented entrepreneurial development (i.e., “tech startups”); there is also an emerging cluster of Biotech startups in the larger region, which Camarillo can potentially leverage. • Camarillo has finite remaining land capacity; dramatic land use changes are unlikely in most places (in terms of land use, the City is in a “fine tuning” stage – not a “reinvention” stage). • There is a concentration of important (and in some cases unique) institutional assets in or near the City (CSU, Port, Airport, Naval Base), each of which can potentially be “drivers” of new economic development opportunities.

Target Industries: Balancing Established Strengths and Emerging Opportunities The EDSP recommends strategic focus on seven “business development targets,” which are thematically aligned groups of industries (more detailed breakdowns of the components of each target are provided later in the document). Key information about the seven major targets is summarized as follows (they are listed in order of the number of existing jobs in Camarillo):

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
4 Business Development Targets
Number of
Existing Jobs
in Camarillo

Average
Annual Wage
Business Services 5,215 $84,200
Hospitality/Entertainment/Retail 4,899 $24,300
Healthcare Services 2,633 $51,100
Information Technology 1,358 $86,000
Advanced Manufacturing 729 $62,800
Agricultural Inputs and Services 290 $36,800
Biopharmaceuticals (Biotech) 120 (1)

1. Definitive wage data not available, but known to be a very high-wage cluster (informal estimates place the average wage at over $150,000 per year).

Each of the business development targets is important, but for different reasons. And, the different reasons that they are of interest to the City will, in turn, lead to unique strategic approaches for each target. For example, it is notable that the second largest target in terms of existing jobs (Hospitality/Entertainment/Retail) is, by far, the lowest-paying. However, this group of industries is still critical to the City from the standpoint of fiscal revenue (i.e., sales and transient occupancy taxes) and from the perspective of providing amenities important to Camarillo’s residents, businesses and visitors.

The need to balance these differing strategic objectives within the EDSP is characterized as follows:

Targeted Business Activity
Why it’s Important
to the City
Recommended
Strategic Focus
Business Services, including:
• Legal, accounting
• Engineering
• Distribution/e-commerce
• Marketing/publishing
• Financial services
• Communications
• Very high average wage
• Strong projected growth
• Provides important
“infrastructure” for other
industries
• General economic
development marketing
• Business/development
friendliness
• Accommodate high-quality
office/business park
development
Hospitality/Entertainment/Retail • Generates substantial fiscal revenue (sales and transient
occupancy tax)
• Amenity value to residents,
businesses and visitors;
significant placemaking value
• Global changes in retail
industry warrant strategic
response by City
• Targeted tenant recruitment
in coordination with
shopping center owners
• Tourism/convention
promotion
• Facilitate revitalization/
redevelopment of key
shopping centers/districts
• Placemaking activities to
strengthen market appeal of
commercial areas
Healthcare Services • Moderate average wage
(wide range of jobs and
income levels)
• Very strong projected growth
• General economic
development marketing
• Business/development
friendliness
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
5 Targeted Business Activity
Why it’s Important
to the City
Recommended
Strategic Focus
• Essential to residential
quality of life
• Accommodate high-quality
office/ business park
development
Information Technology • Very high average wage
• Significant entrepreneurial
potentials
• City has an established core
of prominent firms
• Baseline growth projections
(decrease in jobs) indicate
need for strategic focus
• Existing firm expansion
• Entrepreneurial development
• Targeted business attraction
Advanced Manufacturing,
including:
• Production technology
• Heavy machinery
• Aerospace vehicles
• Medical devices
• High average wage
• Technology oriented
• Baseline growth projections
(decrease in jobs) indicate
need for strategic focus
• Existing firm retention/
expansion
• Entrepreneurial development
(in connection with IT focus)
• Targeted business attraction
Agricultural Inputs and Services • Important countywide cluster
• Has technology-oriented
components
• Existing firm retention/
expansion
• Entrepreneurial development
(in connection with IT focus)
Biopharmaceuticals • Extremely high average wage
• Important countywide
cluster
• Baseline growth projections
(decrease in jobs) indicate
need for strategic focus
• Existing firm retention/
expansion
• Entrepreneurial development
• Targeted business attraction
“Tactical” Priorities: Recommended New Initiatives to Achieve the EDSP Objectives The EDSP Action Plan Highlights provided in Chapter 5 include a mix of existing and new economic development programs for the City. It is important to acknowledge that the City has been successful in many aspects of community and economic development for a long time. The City’s long-term attention to high-quality economic and community development has resulted in the balanced, high-amenity, fiscally strong community that Camarillo is today.

Many of the strategies/programs included in the Action Plan represent continuations of “business as usual”’ for the City. That is, the EDSP is structured around the City’s existing programs and investments related to economic development. Some of the recommended strategies, however, will require additional organizational capacity in order to be effectively implemented. These new, highest-priority initiatives are highlighted below and further detailed in Chapter 5.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
6 High-Priority Initiatives Recommended
First Steps
Expand Economic Development Marketing.
• Market Camarillo as an attractive location for business • Targeted marketing/outreach to specific
businesses/industries
• Target specific demographic groups to live/work/play in Camarillo
Assess partnership options for
general and issue-specific marketing;
identify needed City budget resources
Enhance Camarillo’s Business Environment.
• Continue to improve City’s business/development
friendliness (Get to Yes Team / streamlining of
procedures, Business Advocate)
• Expanded focus on retention/expansion of existing
businesses

Commission independent audit of
current business expansion and
development approval processes, and
investigate options for expediting
approvals
Revitalization of Key Commercial Districts.
• Monitor retail centers
• Rezoning
• Incentivize redevelopment/reinvestment
• Targeted recruitment
• Link to housing
As part of a systematic business
retention/outreach program (likely
requiring expanded organizational
capacity), establish a system for
maintaining communication channels
with commercial property owners to
proactively identify revitalization
opportunities and assess need for City
assistance to facilitate reinvestment
Position Camarillo as a Place for Technology-oriented
Entrepreneurial Development.
• Branding and marketing focus
• Land use policies
• Targeted infrastructure investments
• Incubation/acceleration activities (in coordination with private organizations actively focused on enhancing the local startup environment)
As part of broader business outreach
initiative, serve in active coordination
role to promote, support and
supplement private initiatives focused
on attracting technology startups to
Camarillo
Position Camarillo as a Place for Growth of the Region’s Biopharmaceuticals (Biotech) Cluster
• Branding and marketing focus
• Land use policies
• Active coordination with the regional BioScience
Alliance (BSA)
As part of broader marketing/
business attraction initiative, actively
coordinate with BSA to promote,
support and supplement BSA’s efforts
to attract Biotech investment to the
region
Focus on “Placemaking” Activities.
• Old Town rebranding
• Incorporating public gathering places within
neighborhoods and commercial districts
• Leveraging special events (to support focus of other key initiatives)
Define and bring together ad hoc
group (with an initial focus on Old
Town) to probe the various avenues
by which placemaking activities such
as those identified, supplemented by
possibly others, can efficiently
achieve maximum results
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
7 3. Highlights of Background/Technical Studies
Demographic Profile
This section summarizes a set of baseline data excerpted from TNDG’s Economic and Demographic Profile for City of Camarillo, prepared as part of the EDSP process. The data address the following topic categories:

1. Demographic composition of the resident population

2. Functional aspects of the city: trends in growth, sales, home values in similar measures While the focus of data in this report is Camarillo, other major cities in the county are included, as well as county-level and sometimes state-level data. This provides additional context for the information and reflects the reality that Camarillo will tend to be compared to the other cities by anyone interested in Camarillo. The comparisons also provide indications of where strategic interventions might be advisable, to address possible competitive disadvantages.

The following Demographic Summary in Table 3-1 shows certain key demographic and economic variables, which are “auto-formatted” column-by-column to highlight the variation among the values shown (the longer the lines of color the higher the values). Note that Camarillo generally has values at the upper end of the range of values for all the formatted variables except one, the percent change in number of jobs from 2005 to 2014. Camarillo’s rate of job losses (for jobs located within the city) from 2005 through 2014 was the highest of all communities in the county (and some cities had job increases during this period), even though the city’s population growth rate was highest. Among the cities in the table, only Thousand Oaks has a higher per capita income.

TABLE 3-1. DEMOGRAPHIC SUMMARY

1. For population 16 years old and older; includes military.

Sources: American Community Survey, 2014 5-Year Estimates, Data Profiles; U.S. Census Bureau, OnTheMap Application and LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (Beginning of Quarter Employment, 2nd Quarter of 2005 -2014); TNDG.

Other data in the demographic profile (not tabulated here but included in the full Profile report) indicate the following:
• Camarillo (at 40%) is second only to Thousand Oaks (49%) in percentage of the population with college degrees (percentages refer to bachelor’s degree and higher).

Place Population
(2014)
Population
Growth
(2005-2014)
Total Jobs
Jobs
Growth
(2005-2014)
Jobs/
Population
Median
HH
Income
Per
Capita
Income
Labor Force
Participation
Rate1
California 38,567,459 2,698,286 15,614,666 10.0% 0.40 $61,489 $29,906 63.8% Ventura County 846,705 50,743 303,594 1.4% 0.36 $77,335 $33,308 67.2% Camarillo 68,424 6,909 31,895 -8.2% 0.47 $87,120 $39,689 64.9% Oxnard 202,955 16,961 58,943 8.4% 0.29 $62,349 $20,651 69.0% Simi Valley 126,862 7,901 36,034 -4.4% 0.28 $89,595 $37,279 70.0% Thousand Oaks 131,558 7,389 63,619 0.6% 0.48 $99,115 $46,231 66.5% Ventura 107,980 4,606 52,750 -0.9% 0.49 $66,485 $33,180 65.6% Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
8 • Camarillo’s resident workforce tends to be older than the workforce in the other cities, with the percentage of workers 65 years and older (18%) considerably above figures for both the state (12%) and county (13%).
• Data on commuting patterns show that Camarillo, although having a higher number of jobs in the city than the number of resident workers, has the lowest percentage of jobs (of the five cities) located in the city taken up by its resident worker base (18%, compared to 28-31%). In other words, even though Camarillo has a high jobs/housing ratio, many of these jobs are not filled by Camarillo residents (resulting in substantial in-commuting of workers and out- commuting of residents).
• Retail sales per capita in Camarillo ($19,212) were only slightly below corresponding figures for Thousand Oaks and Ventura ($20,225 and $20,356 respectively), as of 2015, after sales grew at a faster rate than the other cities from 2004-2014.

Retail, Hotel, and Office/Industrial Real Estate Market Analysis Retail Demand Analysis Summary
TNDG’s retail model evaluates existing retail attraction patterns, and then compares potential demand to actual existing sales. The model also forecasts future demand growth based on projected increases in local/regional population and tourism. Potential demand for new retail businesses is expressed in terms of square feet supportable by major retail category (i.e., apparel, home furnishings, specialty, general merchandise, grocery, restaurants, hardware, etc.).

The following table (Table 3-2) provides a summary of potential demand for new retail space in Camarillo, by major retail category. The demand projections run from 2015 (base year in this analysis) to 2030, and reflect a range from a “low” to “high” scenario. The low scenario accounts only for future demand from with the City of Camarillo itself (defined in this analysis as the Primary Market Area or PMA), whereas the high scenario accounts for additional future demand from a Secondary Market Area (SMA), consisting of Ventura County outside the City of Camarillo, along with potential demand from visitors/tourists1.

Figure 3-1 shows that the City is currently (base year 2015) estimated to be able to support about 217,000 square feet of retail space over and above 2015 development levels. This estimate is based on comparing total demand potential (taking into account the additional attraction of business to Camarillo Premium Outlets) with actual retail sales in the City to determine the extent to which there is current residual demand (or “leakage”) that could support the development of new retail space in the City. By 2030, the demand projections show that the City could support between 461,000 (low scenario) and 599,000 (high scenario) square feet of new retail space (with additional space allocated to services, not shown on the figure).

It should be acknowledged that retail demand projections need to be viewed with significant caution given the tremendous challenges currently facing many types of “brick and mortar” retail businesses.

Whereas it is clear that net demand for new retail construction is likely to fall far short of the

1Tourists/visitors would generate potential demand in the following retail categories: Clothing and Clothing Accessories (due to the presence of the Camarillo Premium Outlet Center), Food Services and Drinking (restaurants), and Gasoline Stations.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
9 “theoretical” spending potentials associated with population and income growth (in part due to the downsizing of many national retail chains that are typically the anchor tenants for new shopping centers), the numbers presented here are intended to provide general indications of business opportunities that could be fulfilled in specialized retail settings (which tend to be somewhat immune from the impacts of online shopping due to the “experience” value they offer). The projections may also provide guidance for “reuse/refill” opportunities for existing shopping centers that experience major vacancies in the future.

FIGURE 3-1. POTENTIAL DEMAND FOR ADDITIONAL RETAIL SPACE IN CAMARILLO

FOR THE PERIODS SHOWN, IN SQUARE FEET

Source:

Table 3-5 figures in the following section compare projected demand for retail space (along with office and industrial space), as generated by research for the EDSP, to Camarillo’s estimated available capacity for this space, based on the acreages of available/undeveloped land and the City’s existing zoning regulations.

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000
Clothing and Clothing Accessories
General Merchandise
Home Furnishings and Appliances
Specialty/Other
Food and Beverage
Food Services and Drinking
Bldg. Matrl. and Garden Equip. and Supplies
Auto Parts
Low Scenario
Clothing and Clothing Accessories
General Merchandise
Home Furnishings and Appliances
Specialty/Other
Food and Beverage
Food Services and Drinking
Bldg. Matrl. and Garden Equip. and Supplies
Auto Parts
High Scenario
As of 2015 By 2020 By 2025 By 2030
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
10 Hotel Demand Analysis Summary
This section summarizes a forecast of potential demand for new hotel facilities in Camarillo through the year 2028, and then examines the extent to which this projected demand relates to known planned hotel developments in the City. The demand forecast is based on review of historic trends in demand growth, as well as standard market criteria that hotel developers utilize to make investment decisions (based on TNDG’s interviews with representatives from a range of major hotel chains). The analysis assumes that demand for new hotels in the area will be primarily driven by general economic growth along with growth in the tourism industry generally.

The following table (Table 3-2) summarizes, from 2016 to 2028, future hotel demand in Camarillo.

Included in the table is the existing room supply and room demand forecasts for this period. The projections show a forecast range from “baseline” to “robust” scenarios. The baseline scenario assumes a 2.5% annual growth rate, comparable to the historical growth rate over the longer period of 2000- 2016. The robust scenario assumes a 4.0% annual growth rate, slightly below the recent six-year average growth rate from 2010 to 2016. The demand forecast is premised on the industry convention that an overall occupancy level of 75% represents a hotel market where supply and demand are in relative equilibrium. Once the occupancy rate in a market area exceeds 75%, there is theoretically sufficient demand available to support additional rooms.

As shown in Table 3-2, the City is projected to be able to support between 194 (baseline scenario) and 266 (robust scenario) new hotel rooms by 2020. By 2028, demand for new hotel rooms is projected to reach between 460 (baseline scenario) and 742 (robust scenario).

TABLE 3-2. HOTEL ROOM DEMAND PROJECTIONS: 2016-2028 CITY OF CAMARILLO Scenario 2016 2018 2020 2024 2028
Baseline Scenario
Existing Room Supply 373,760 373,760 373,760 373,760 373,760 Annual Room Demand1 301,976 317,264 333,325 367,928 406,124 Room Occupancy Rate2 80.8% 84.9% 89.2% 98.4% 100.0%
Cumulative Supported New Room Nights at
75% Occupancy Rate – Market Equilibrium 28,875 49,258 70,673 116,811 167,739 Cumulative Supported New Rooms 79 135 194 320 460
Robust Scenario
Existing Room Supply 373,760 373,760 373,760 373,760 373,760 Annual Room Demand1 301,976 326,617 353,269 413,275 483,473 Room Occupancy Rate2 80.8% 87.4% 94.5% 100.0% 100.0%
Cumulative Supported New Room Nights at
75% Occupancy Rate – Market Equilibrium 28,875 61,730 97,266 177,273 270,871 Cumulative Supported New Rooms 79 169 266 486 742

1. Low Scenario assumes 2.5% annual growth rate; High Scenario assumes 4.0% annual growth rate.

2. Occupancy rate constrained at 100%.

Source: TNDG; STR.

Demand-supply comparisons. There are two known pending hotel projects in Camarillo: a 153-room Embassy Suites and a 122-room Home2 Suites. Both are being developed in the Camarillo Hotel and Conference Plan Area near the intersection of Las Posas Road and East Ventura Boulevard. Combined, Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
11 the two hotels will add 275 rooms to the City’s hotel room inventory, and absorb the available demand for new hotel rooms in Camarillo through year 2020. Based on continued growth in the market, by 2024 demand for new hotel rooms, above and beyond the demand that would be met by the two pending hotels, would reach between 45 rooms (baseline scenario) and 211 rooms (robust scenario). Additional demand would be generated throughout the rest of the projection period shown on the table.

Office/Industrial Demand Analysis Summary
Projections of demand for future office and industrial space, through 2030, are shown on Tables 3-3 and 3-4 on the next page. The projections are based on a combination of employment projections and the allocation of employment, by industry, to office and industrial space-using classifications. Employment projection figures are based on a combination of data from SCAG and from JobsEQ2 (figures that are used elsewhere in the EDSP). The SCAG projections are considerably more optimistic, and are given more weight in the space-demand analysis than the Jobs EQ figures, in part because of the expectation that the EDSP will be successful in generating additional jobs. Given the range of projections, however, two employment-projection scenarios (“conservative” and “aggressive”) are included within the modeling process, with the results as shown on the tables.

Employment projections are allocated to office or industrial space within TNDG’s demand-modeling format. These allocations, along with an estimate of the average space per employee for each of the two types of uses, have been derived by TNDG based on long-term studies of office and industrial demand conditions, related to employment growth, across southern California. Using this process, just over half of total projected employment is divided between allocations to office space and to industrial space.

Employment allocations to the two types of uses are shown on the tables. The model applies a demand factor of 175 square feet per worker for office space, and 1,200 square feet per worker for industrial space.

Using the assumptions applied within the model, office space demand would average (across the 15- year forecast timeframe) approximately 21,000 square feet per year under the conservative scenario and 24,000 square feet per year under the more aggressive scenario. Industrial space demand would average (across the timeframe) approximately 77,000 square feet per year under the conservative scenario and 86,000 square feet per year under the aggressive scenario.

2 JobsEQ is a proprietary data tool provided by Chmura Economics & Analytics, a nationally prominent economic forecasting firm.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
12 TABLE 3-3. PROJECTED DEMAND FOR NEW OFFICE SPACE, CAMARILLO, 2016-2030 Conservative Scenario 2016-2020 2021-2025 2026-2030
Job Growth per period, Office Users 668 489 526
Office Space Required (square feet)1
Average Annual 25,699 18,808 20,240
Projection Period Total 128,495 94,038 101,201

Aggressive Scenario 2016-2020 2021-2025 2026-2030
Job Growth per period, Office Users 764 524 584
Office Space Required (square feet)1
Average Annual 29,423 20,188 22,489
Projection Period Total 147,115 100,941 112,446

1. Allows for 90% stabilized occupancy rate.

Source: TNDG; see text.

TABLE 3-4. PROJECTED DEMAND FOR NEW INDUSTRIAL SPACE, CAMARILLO, 2016-2030 Conservative Scenario 2016-2020 2021-2025 2026-2030
Job Growth per period, Industrial Space Users 349 255 275 Industrial Space Required (square feet)1
Average Annual 92,033 67,354 72,484
Projection Period Total 460,163 336,768 362,419

Aggressive Scenario 2016-2020 2021-2025 2026-2030
Job Growth per period, Industrial Space Users 399 274 305 Industrial Space Required (square feet)1
Average Annual 105,369 72,298 80,538
Projection Period Total 526,846 361,488 402,688

1. Numbers reflect a vacancy factor, which allows for 90% stabilized occupancy rate.

Source: TNDG; see text.

Comparison of Projected Development Demand to Available Land/Zoning Capacity Table 3-5 compares projected demand for retail, office, and industrial space (through 2030), as generated by research for the EDSP, to the estimated available capacity for this space, based on the acreages of available/undeveloped land in Camarillo and the City’s existing zoning regulations. The table shows that adequate capacity exists for the projected levels of retail and industrial development, while the projected demand for office development would theoretically require more than three times as much additional dedicated land as now exists. However, since the City’s zoning allows “by right” development of office buildings in retail and industrial zones, the projected amount of office development by 2030 could be readily accommodated within available development areas. Moreover, given the evolving nature of the retail industry, it is foreseeable that some existing retail properties will warrant reuse/redevelopment in the coming years (which could potentially create expanded capacity for office/business park development).

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
13 TABLE 3.5. COMPARISON OF PROJECTED SPACE DEMAND WITH CAPACITY FOR DEVELOPMENT IN CAMARILLO Projected Development Based on Land Use Demand Modeling Assumptions Retail Office Industrial
High Growth Scenario 599,000 360,502 1,291,022

Development Capacity
Capacity in Camarillo Based on Development Assumptions
(in SF, See Below) 1,202,256 117,612 5,645,376
Percentage of Capacity Used by 2030 49.8% 306.5% 22.9%
Development Assumptions
Maximum Lot Coverage 0.3 0.5 0.6
Acreages1 92 5.4 216

1. This reflects the total acreage assumed for unbuilt zoning capacity for each land use. However, for retail, approximately 62 acres are undeveloped "greenfield”, and 30 acres could be intensified to support this land use.

Industry Cluster (Target Industry) Analysis
The economic “clusters” analyzed for this study are based on definitions (consisting of industry groupings) from the U.S. Cluster Mapping Project3. In this system, detailed industry sectors are assigned to unique clusters based on linkages among the sectors. Clusters are classified as “local” clusters or “traded” clusters. Local clusters primarily provide goods and services for the local (resident) population.

Traded clusters are “export-oriented,” engaged in producing goods and services for end-use customers outside the community, thereby having a more material role in producing wealth in the community than the Local clusters. In Camarillo, traded clusters represent one-third of jobs located in the city.

Camarillo’s pattern of employment in traded clusters is shown in Figure 3-2, which includes an indication of those clusters in which Camarillo’s location quotient (LQ) values represent a competitive advantage, that is, the LQ value equals 1 or more. The location quotient (LQ) measures how concentrated an industry cluster is in a place compared to national benchmarks. An LQ value greater than 1.0 indicates that a cluster is more concentrated in the place than it is nationally. This is generally regarded as an indication that the place has a comparative advantage relative to a particular cluster, although (especially for local clusters) an LQ below 1.0 can indicate a strong growth opportunity (i.e., unmet demand). The numbers in the center of the chart indicate Camarillo's employee-size rank among cities in Ventura County. For example, from the first line of the chart, Camarillo ranks second, among the cities in Ventura County, in number of employees working in the Business Services sector.

3 The U.S. Cluster Mapping Project provides county-level data and analytical tools for the major industry clusters composing the U.S. economy. It is led by Harvard Business School's Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness in partnership with United States Economic Development Administration.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
14 FIGURE 3-2. CITY OF CAMARILLO: TOTAL EMPLOYMENT BY TRADED CLUSTER (EMPLOYMENT = 10 OR MORE), 2016 Q3

The numbers in the chart after the clusters indicate Camarillo's employee-size rank among cities in Ventura County.

Sources: U.S. Cluster Mapping Project; Chmura Economics; TNDG.

Employment in local clusters in Camarillo is shown on Figure 3-3. The Local Hospitality cluster, which includes restaurants as well as certain local retail and entertainment activities, has the highest number of employees in the Local category. Below the figure is a list of industries that correspond to this particular local cluster.

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000
Music and Sound Recording - 2
Water Transportation - 5
Jewelry and Precious Metals - 2
Textile Manufacturing - 1
Vulcanized and Fired Materials - 3
Upstream Metal Manufacturing - 4
Electric Power Generation and Transmission - 3
Oil and Gas Production and Transportation - 4
Video Production and Distribution - 3
Apparel - 3
Wood Products - 2
Upstream Chemical Products - 2
Plastics - 5
Automotive - 3
Performing Arts - 5
Food Processing and Manufacturing - 4
Transportation and Logistics - 3
Furniture - 3
Biopharmaceuticals - 7
Medical Devices - 5
Aerospace Vehicles and Defense - 4
Insurance Services - 2
Recreational and Small Electric Goods - 2
Communications Equipment and Services - 4
Printing Services - 4
Metalworking Technology - 3
Downstream Metal Products - 3
Financial Services - 6
Agricultural Inputs and Services - 3
Production Technology & Heavy Machinery - 3
Paper and Packaging - 1
Hospitality and Tourism - 5
Downstream Chemical Products - 1
Lighting and Electrical Equipment - 1
Marketing, Design, and Publishing - 4
Education and Knowledge Creation - 5
Construction Products and Services - 1
Information Tech. & Analytical Instruments - 2
Distribution and Electronic Commerce - 3
Business Services - 2
LQ's Greater Than 1 LQ's Less Than or Equal to 1
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
15 FIGURE 3-3. CITY OF CAMARILLO: TOTAL EMPLOYMENT BY LOCAL CLUSTER, 2016 Q3

Sources: U.S. Cluster Mapping Project; Chmura Economics; TNDG.

Industries in the Hospitality Establishments Cluster
Bowling Centers
Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets
Caterers
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
Food Service Contractors
Full-Service Restaurants
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
Limited-Service Restaurants
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
Sports and Recreation Instruction
Clusters in Camarillo with employment of over 1000 workers include: Business Services; Distribution and Electronic Commerce; and Information Technology and Analytical Instruments 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000
Hospitality Establishments
Health Services
Retailing of Clothing and General Merch.

Real Estate, Construction, & Development
Community and Civic Organizations
Education and Training
Commercial Services
Motor Vehicle Products and Services
Food and Beverage Processing and Distr.

Entertainment and Media
Personal Services (Non-Medical)
Household Goods and Services
Financial Services
Industrial Products and Services
Logistical Services
Utilities
LQ's Greater Than 1 LQ's Less Than or Equal to 1
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
16 Only one of these three, Information Tech, is forecast to shed workers in the future in Camarillo.4 These three clusters, and 18 others, all have Location Quotient (LQ) values of 1.0 or greater.

A list of 26 “potential candidate” clusters was initially selected for additional consideration as target industries for Camarillo. These clusters were selected based on an initial screening of all clusters using the following criteria:
• A focus on primarily Traded clusters, in keeping with the notion that these are the dollar- importing and therefore most meaningful components of the economy. The exceptions to this principle are the included Local clusters of: Industrial Products and Services, Entertainment and Media, Hospitality Establishments, and Health Services. • LQ values of 1 or more, except that a number of service-related clusters, some of which had been more important in Camarillo in the recent past, were also included, as were clusters related to creative occupations, given the greater region’s physical proximity to Los Angeles, and hospitality, which is a “natural” activity in Ventura County generally. • Employment levels of 25 or more.

Stakeholders ranked the initial set of clusters according to their desirability or perceived importance for having a role in the Camarillo economy. TNDG applied a simple scoring method to these rankings (0.5 for low, 1 for medium, and 1.5 for high), and clusters with scores less than two-thirds of the maximum score (eight clusters) were dropped from the list. The retained clusters, sorted by their score, are shown on Table 3-5 on the following page, which includes additional data about each. The Cluster ID column relates to a legend at the bottom of the table, which assigns each cluster into one of eight broad categories. Note that the figures for employment forecasts include many negative numbers, although this should be understood to reflect the observations of the data provider (see footnote below), which differ from official, more optimistic, projections by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG).

During the Summit workshops conducted as part of the EDSP, stakeholders provided commentary on industry targeting, summarized below:
• Targets could include: Technology industries, geriatric services/industries, businesses/industries that leverage technology transfer (from Naval Base and CSUCI) and the presence of local talent/higher education, logistics cluster (building on the Port, Airport and Naval Base). • The University encourages tech business formation; also have defense-related tech opportunities – should a “summit” be held bringing together these kinds of economic drivers? • There could be a health focus, with retirement population, in which the community could cherry-pick healthcare focus.
• What do businesses in the community need for internal support?

4 According to the data source used in the table, Jobs EQ, which as noted elsewhere is not the only source of employment-projection data used in this document. The data source is useful however for the detail it provides about current employment patterns.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
17 TABLE 3-6. POTENTIAL TARGET CLUSTERS
Cluster
Type ID Cluster Name Low Med. High Total Score
Employ-
ees
(2016)
Employ-
ment 10-Yr.

Forecast, %
LQ
Wages
(Annual
Avg.)
Notes
Local E Health Services 0 5 14 19 26.0 2,633 23.9% 0.63 $51,124 Traded F Hospitality and Tourism 2 6 12 20 25.0 344 0.3% 0.41 $37,591 Traded G Information Tech. & Analytical Instruments 0 7 12 19 25.0 1,358 -10.8% 4.81 $85,972 Can include IoT Traded B Agricultural Inputs and Services 2 7 11 20 24.5 290 5.2% 3.03 $36,847 Traded H Education and Knowledge Creation 2 7 11 20 24.5 450 6.4% 0.39 $57,099 Traded C Biopharmaceuticals 1 6 12 19 24.5 120 -3.3% 1.83 (1) Local F Local Hospitality 2 8 10 20 24.0 3,719 3.0% 1.25 $19,017 Local F Entertainment and Media 2 8 10 20 24.0 836 -9.4% 2.20 $42,043 Traded A Medical Devices 3 5 11 19 23.0 121 -3.3% 1.84 $59,785 Traded D Business Services 2 11 7 20 22.5 2,791 13.4% 1.28 $82,653 Traded D Communications Equipment & Services 2 8 9 19 22.5 144 4.2% 1.88 $80,264 Traded A Aerospace Vehicles and Defense 3 6 10 19 22.5 122 -7.4% 0.86 $75,186 Traded H Construction Products and Services 2 14 4 20 21.0 532 -0.9% 2.30 $67,892 Traded D Distribution and Electronic Commerce 2 12 5 19 20.5 1,702 6.7% 1.25 $85,283 Traded D Financial Services 5 12 3 20 19.0 183 18.0% 0.38 $103,507 Traded D Marketing, Design, and Publishing 5 13 2 20 18.5 395 -1.3% 0.98 $83,006 Traded A Metalworking Technology 6 12 2 20 18.0 177 -4.5% 1.57 $54,915 Traded A Production Tech. & Heavy Machinery 7 10 3 20 18.0 309 -4.2% 1.40 $63,642

1. Wage data cannot be confirmed. Different sources cite $150,000 to as much as $400,000, so clearly this is a high wage industry whatever the actual figure.

Sources: U.S. Cluster Mapping Project; Chmura Economics; TNDG.

CLUSTER BROAD CATEGORY ID LEGEND
ID Cluster Broad Category ID Cluster Broad Category
A Advanced manufacturing E Health services
B Agricultural technology F Hospitality/entertainment/retail C Biopharmaceuticals G Information technology
D Business services H Other

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
18 4. Community Online Survey
Overview
The TNDG Team prepared, in coordination with the City of Camarillo, an online survey primarily intended for residents to provide important feedback concerning the development of the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan. The survey solicited opinions on the prioritization of goals, the importance of economic development functions of the City, the City’s key assets/strengths, the City’s key weaknesses/challenges, and the desired types of new development within the City. Ninety-three (93) individuals responded to the survey.

Survey Respondent Profile Characteristics
Over 80 percent of the respondents noted that they live within the City limits of Camarillo, and two-thirds of the respondents noted that they had lived in Camarillo for 10 years or more. Over half of the respondents who took the survey indicated that they work in Camarillo, and over half of respondents indicated that they had been working in Camarillo for 10 years or more. Interestingly, almost one-third of the respondents also indicated that they own a business within the City limits or somewhere in the Camarillo area. In addition, almost 20 percent of respondents indicated that they are currently working but looking for a better job, or are currently unemployed and looking to find work. It is also important to note that almost half of respondents stated that they are over the age of 50.

Respondents’ Views on Economic Development Goals and Specific Functional Priorities Respondents indicated that the most important goal of economic development for the City (Figure 4-1) is to invest in infrastructure/amenities, and secondly to create jobs within the City.

FIGURE 4-1 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Respondents indicated that the most important economic development function of the City (Figure 4-2) is to retain existing businesses, and secondly to encourage small business start-ups / entrepreneurial development. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Goal #4 - Invest in
infrastructure/amenities
Goal #3 - Expanding availability of
various goods and services
Goal #2 - Strengthening City's tax
base
Goal #1 - Job Creation
Most Important Somewhat Important Least Important
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
19 FIGURE 4-2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNCTIONS, LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE

Summit Meeting #3 Commentary on Survey Results for Goals and Functions Participants in Summit Meeting #3 were given the opportunity to comment on the survey results illustrated in Figures 4-1 and 4-2 above. The figures were reproduced in a handout on which participants, if they wished to comment on these topics, could indicate their own preferences for levels of importance. Ten participants commented, generally agreeing with the survey results, with the following differences in emphasis:
• Participants were more supportive of job creation than infrastructure/amenity investment as the top goal priority;
• Participants were more inclined to note “expansion/growth of existing businesses” as a high functional priority.

Community Key Assets/Strengths
The following figures (Figure 4-3 and Figure 4-4) identify both the key assets/strengths of the community as well as the community’s weaknesses/challenges. In both figures options were omitted where selection percentages were less than 20 percent.

Figure 4-3 indicates that the top three assets/strengths of Camarillo as a place to live, work, and conduct business noted by survey respondents are:
• Being one of safest cities in the state
• Having a location that experiences mild climates year-round • Quality of primary and secondary education
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Encourage small business start-ups
/ entrepreneurial development
Attract firms from outside the City
Support the expansion/growth of
existing businesses
Retain existing businesses
Most Important Somewhat Important Least Important
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
20 FIGURE 4-3. CAMARILLO’S KEY ASSETS/STRENGTHS AS A PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND CONDUCT BUSINESS

Community Key Weaknesses/Challenges
The top three weaknesses/challenges for Camarillo as a place to live, work, and conduct business identified by survey respondents (Figure 4-4) include:
• Lack of sufficient affordable housing
• Limited options for local employment
• Lower demographic representation among the younger population

22.4%

25.9%

27.1%

28.2%

30.6%

31.8%

34.1%

36.5%

37.6%

40.0%

42.4%

43.5%

49.4%

51.8%

64.7%

71.8%

78.8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Plenty of room to grow a new or relocated business
Many restaurants and eateries
Good-quality healthcare
Pleasant Valley Fields
Camarillo Regional Airport for businesses
50 miles of bicycle paths, lanes and routes
Accommodating meeting spaces
No user utility tax and low business license fees
Youth Sports Programs
15 miles from Port of Hueneme
Vicinity of notable cultural attractions
Old Town
Community events
Good-quality shopping centers and stores
Relative proximity to other higher education resources
CSUCI Campus
Metrolink connects with adjacent counties
Within an hour of major airports
Community parks - size and accessibility
Quality K-12 education
Mild climate
One of the safest cities in California
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
21 FIGURE 4-4. CAMARILLO’S KEY WEAKNESSES/CHALLENGES AS A PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND CONDUCT BUSINESS

21.4%

31.0%

33.3%

35.7%

40.5%

48.8%

53.6%

61.9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Lack of racial/ethnic/income diversity
Limited options in types of housing
Long-time residents being priced out of the area
Broadband service could be better
Water supply issues
Infrastructure project investments not meeting needs
Less representation among younger demographic
populations
Need more options for employment locally
Lack of sufficient affordable housing
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
22 5. Action Plan Highlights
Recommended Strategies and Action Items
The following tables (Table 5-1 and Table 5-2) outline strategies and action items that are recommended for the EDSP. The EDSP elements are organized in terms of seven headings or groups of strategies:

1. Marketing

2. Business Retention/Expansion

3. Entrepreneurial Development

4. Real Estate / Community Development

5. Workforce Development

6. Infrastructure

7. Quality of Life
Strategies and Action Items are presented in two different tables below: Table 5-1 shows the alignment of Strategies and Action Items with input from a) the online survey and b) by stakeholders in Summit meetings, and Table 5-2 identifies prioritization and other administrative details pertinent to the Strategy groups and Action Items. In reviewing either of these tables, it is important to keep in mind that not all of the listed Action Items represent new programs or costs to the City. The City is already doing many of these things to some extent. Also, some programs address issues (e.g., education and workforce development) that are largely outside the City’s purview; in these cases, the City’s roles would most likely be limited to coordinating with the existing programs of external partners.

Stakeholder input on certain aspects of the EDSP is summarized in Table 5-1, in the right-hand column, by Action Item, under up to 4 separate headings as applicable. The first three categories are those discussed in the initial Summit workshop: 1) Community assets that could play a role in formulating and implementing strategic actions, 2) Potential threats to achieving community goals, and suggested strategic responses to those threats, and 3) Roles the City could take in EDSP implementation (and the table also includes potential priorities for expanded organizational capacity, which was discussed in the Summit 3 workshop). The fourth category is input from the community online survey conducted as part of the EDSP. Note that stakeholder input is also reflected in the narrative section of the EDSP (see Chapter 6).

TABLE 5-1. ACTION ITEMS IN RELATION TO STAKEHOLDER INPUT ON ASSETS, THREATS, AND CITY ROLES Strategy Group
Action Item
Related input from the Summit meetings and
Online Survey

1. MARKETING / OUTREACH
a. Core Marketing Framework. Establish a
marketing program to promote Camarillo as a
place for:
• Target industries (business attraction)
• Entrepreneurial startups
• Tourism/conventions
• Shopping/dining
Threats: [1] Perception that Millennials/younger tech workers do not live here (some do). [2] Camarillo should not (and does not need to) change its lifestyle “brand” to attract young talent to live here; just promote what’s already here. [3] In an updated marketing/branding program, California State
University (CSU) Channel Islands could be a partner. [4] There is a low awareness of the community, a branding issue.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
23 Strategy Group
Action Item
Related input from the Summit meetings and
Online Survey
City Roles: Business Recruitment (attraction) was 1 of the 6 highest priorities for expanded organizational capacity identified in the Summit 3 session.5
Survey: [1] Top three assets: Being one of safest cities in the state, having a location that experiences mild climates year- round, and quality of primary and secondary education. [2] Survey comment: special attention is needed to coordinate marketing/branding of Old Town, which could be done
through a property-based business improvement district
("PBID"). The City could help demonstrate how beneficial a PBID can be to both business success and property values. In the interim, the City can work closely with the Old Town Association, the Chamber, and Tourism Bureau to facilitate promotion of Old Town, by both helping specific businesses open and thrive, and through City-sponsored or co-sponsored events/festivals.
b. Placemaking. Promote development
concepts and community events that build on
Camarillo’s strong sense of place
Threats: [1] NIMBYism (City can potentially build a “voice” and political momentum for alternative mindsets). [2] Limited transit or alternative modes of transportation.

Survey: Survey comment: Given its locational attributes, Old Town is a natural community/regional gathering spot.

2. EXISTING BUSINESS RETENTION/EXPANSION
(BRE)

a. Business Outreach Program. Utilize online
surveys, business site visits (for firms that are
particularly important or otherwise require
this type of hands-on attention) and other
mechanisms to expand communication with
existing firms, identify needs for additional
support, and connect businesses with
available resources for business assistance
Roles: [1] City can be a catalyst for discussions in the community to expand community/political support for
targeted economic development, by providing community
forums, for example. [2] “Direct outreach/accessibility to the existing business community” was 1 of the 6 highest priorities for expanded organizational capacity identified in the Summit 3 session.
b. Business Advocate. Establish Business
Advocate position at City to ensure
responsiveness to new businesses and those
seeking entitlements/permits for relocations
and expansions
Roles: The term “Business Advocate” would make the
purpose of the position clearer (as opposed to the somewhat outdated “Ombudsman” title) to the business community
(from Summit 3 input).

5 During Summit Meeting #3, participants were asked to “hypothetically” prioritize the potential roles/activities of one new City staff member focused on economic development. Although it is recommended that the City evaluate options for expanding organizational capacity as part of the implementation of the EDSP, it was made clear to the workshop participants that the City has not yet determined the need (or committed budget resources) for additional staffing and/or other options for expanded capacity (e.g., contracted services).

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
24 Strategy Group
Action Item
Related input from the Summit meetings and
Online Survey
c. “Get to Yes” Team. Expand visibility of City’s
“Get to Yes” team consisting of key City
department representatives focused on
expediting business relocations and
expansions (entitlements, permitting, etc.)
Roles: “Expediting the approval and permitting of new
businesses/development projects (serving as an
interdepartmental expeditor)” and “Working with City
departments to develop and implement policies/practices that would have a positive impact on the City’s business/ development friendliness” were 2 of the 6 highest priorities for expanded organizational capacity identified in the Summit 3 session.

3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT
a. Startup-Friendly City. Actively publicize
Business Advocate and “Get to Yes” resources
(see Items 2.b and 2.c above) to help position
Camarillo as a startup-friendly City
Roles: If encouraged to locate here, R&D activities draw other tech-related businesses.
b. Incubator/Accelerator Programs. Investigate
extent to which existing programs/facilities in
the city and region meet the needs for
emerging entrepreneurs. As appropriate,
investigate options for establishing additional
or expanded incubator and/or accelerator
facilities in Camarillo; also consider options
for encouraging the development of private
industrial space accommodating smaller
tenants
Assets: Library, as an existing resource that can further leverage other resources, especially for start-
up/entrepreneurial businesses.

Threats: [1] Lack of systematic support for entrepreneurial startups. [2] [To counter threat] Expand outreach to venture capital community (potentially through an event like the Thousand Oaks “Demo Day” which showcases promising
startups to venture capital firms).
c. Access to Capital. Facilitate expanded access
to venture capital for startups in Camarillo,
recognizing the limitations that can apply
within traditional VC funding models

d. Leverage Private Sector Startup Resources.

Investigate options for a more direct City role
in expanding the positive impact of successful
existing entrepreneurial development
initiatives (including Startups Ventura County,
Pharos Center for Innovation, and BioScience
Alliance
Assets: [1] Cal State campus: a) provides skilled workers for local business, and b) is a potential resource for local businesses/start-ups [2] Maker spaces; and [3] Startup
Weekend
e. Leverage Presence of Major Institutional
Assets and Key Industries. Serve in a
facilitation role to more fully leverage the
entrepreneurial development potentials of
Camarillo’s unique assets (including CSU,
Navy, key industries, specialized workforce,
etc.)
Assets: [1] Three examples: Proximity to the Port of Hueneme (the only deep-water port between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay); Proximity to Naval Base Ventura County; The Camarillo Airport. [2] Within Ventura County, job reductions at Amgen present a potential opportunity for spinoff
ventures. [3] Ag tech has strong potential.

Threats: [1] Upper limit to Port’s capacity to grow. [2] Connect with the Naval Base’s existing tech transfer program (including several different public/private joint venture models).

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
25 Strategy Group
Action Item
Related input from the Summit meetings and
Online Survey
Roles: [1] It is important to look beyond Camarillo, in part to align with and maximize the opportunities represented by major economic drivers. [2] “Ongoing, systematic
coordination with a wide range of institutional and business stakeholders (including “breaking down the silos”) was 1 of the 6 highest priorities for expanded organizational capacity identified in the Summit 3 session.
f. Position Camarillo as a Place for Innovation.

Consistent with strong stakeholder support
for technology-oriented entrepreneurial
development, investigate the feasibility and
desirability of various options for positioning
Camarillo as a prime location for innovation
Assets: [1] Higher cost of doing business in some nearby areas (e.g., LA County) – attract businesses being “squeezed” by these costs: land costs, building rental costs, and taxes.

Roles: Be proactive in collaborations with University and industry.

4. REAL ESTATE / COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
a. Coordination of priority development areas
and key opportunity sites. Maintain up-to-
date inventory of available development /
redevelopment opportunity sites and
determine capacity and initial suitability for
accommodating priority land use concepts
identified in EDSP
Threats: Too much empty space can lower the energy of a place and discourage prospects; provide targeted incentives to encourage desired development.

Roles: Flexible zoning can help diversify depressed areas. (In Orange County, for example, multi-family housing is being allowed in under-utilized industrial areas).

Survey: Survey comment: In Old Town, parking can be
concentrated, rather than requiring each site to satisfy its specific parking demand. A long-term master parking strategy could also, for example, allow maximum intensity of use of the valuable Ventura Boulevard frontage.
b. Development Streamlining. Audit current
business expansion and development
approval processes, and investigate options
for expediting approvals (including expanded
use of program-level environmental impact
reports; online permitting tools, etc.)
Roles: [1] More flexibility in building codes (“innovation doesn’t fit into molds”); maintain the intent of the codes, but allow for flexibility in how the intent is met. [2] Improve communication with businesses seeking permits/approvals:
• Expand use of online permitting
• Provide and publicize support available to assist small businesses in navigating permitting processes.

Survey: Survey comment: Old Town would benefit from
customized zoning rules and regulations tailored to the pedestrian nature of the Old Town District and its other unique characteristics.
c. Hotel / Conference Center Development.

Leverage forthcoming development of two
new hotels and related conference facilities;
tie to other EDSP initiatives (e.g.,
tourism/convention marketing); identify long-
term opportunities for additional facilities as
market demand grows
Assets: The convention market is an untapped opportunity for Camarillo, given the city’s central location within Ventura County.
d. Retail Repositioning. Coordinate with
commercial property owners on
Assets: [1] Camarillo can potentially capitalize on the large number of external/regional shoppers who come to Camarillo Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
26 Strategy Group
Action Item
Related input from the Summit meetings and
Online Survey
retail/restaurant tenant recruitment to
support long-term market strengthening
and/or needed repositioning of existing retail
shopping facilities; investigate options and
provide appropriate non-financial incentives
to facilitate reuse/redevelopment of evolving
properties
Premium Outlets. [2] Senior population – existing base in the city represents a population segment that some businesses could cater to.

Threats: Benefiting from destination retail facilities, and retail sales taxes in general, in an era where the future of brick and mortar retail is uncertain.
e. Office/Business Park Capacity. Maximize
options for future office/business park
development (including reuse/redevelopment
of existing properties) to accommodate
business expansion in targeted industries;
collaborate with office/industrial brokers on
attraction of targeted tenant types; consider
rezoning of any retail properties deemed to
be “surplus” given the evolving retail market
(to potentially accommodate additional
office/business park development)

f. Housing Diversification. Consider options
(including locations, entitlements, etc.) for
accommodating specialized urban housing
types attractive to all generations, while
protecting the quality of Camarillo’s
established lower density neighborhoods
Assets: [1] Areas exist that would be suitable for multifamily housing; aging neighborhoods can be revitalized. [2]
Neighborhoods/community can capitalize on retirees
remaining in place, which is one thing driving the demand for expanded housing choice, along with multigenerational
families living together. [3] Spaces that would be attractive to younger people can also be attractive to elderly (e.g. Library converted some space to maker-spaces for students).

Threats: Housing affordability (recognized as a regional issue), which is exacerbated by the long timeframes required for new housing projects to get entitled/approved.

Survey: One of the top weaknesses/challenges for Camarillo as a place to live, work, and conduct business: the lack of sufficient affordable housing.

5. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
a. Talent Retention / Recruitment. Prioritize
EDSP strategies that focus on creating
residential options and employment
opportunities attractive to young
professionals and technology workers
Assets: Drive-through commuters and other traffic might be captured within economic activities occurring in Camarillo.

Threats: Promote lifestyle features and employment
opportunities to convince CSU graduates to stay here after finishing school.

Survey: [1] One of the top weaknesses/challenges for
Camarillo as a place to live, work, and conduct business: a low demographic representation among the younger population. [2] Other issue identified: the quality of childcare options for workforce.
b. Workforce Development Coordination.

Coordinate with local/regional workforce
Assets: [1] The presence of CSU Channel Islands and a strong pool of recent graduates. [2] A vibrant and growing
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
27 Strategy Group
Action Item
Related input from the Summit meetings and
Online Survey
development organizations (e.g. County
Workforce Development Board, P-20 Council6,
CSU Channel Islands, etc.) to ensure that
available workforce training resources are in
sync with the City’s business development
(including retention/expansion) efforts
community of innovation/technology-oriented entrepreneurs, with a strong connection to the Internet of things (IoT) by virtue of the cutting-edge work of certain local firms. [3] Rancho Compana, new high school with STEAM focus, and
Ventura County STEM programs.

Threats: Shortage of qualified workers.

Roles: “Ongoing, systematic coordination with a wide range of institutional and business stakeholders (including “breaking down the silos”) was 1 of the 6 highest priorities for expanded organizational capacity identified in the Summit 3 session (also noted under 3.h, above).

b. Other High-priority City Infrastructure. In
City’s annual CIP process, prioritize
infrastructure improvements (to be
determined) essential to economic
development progress
Survey: Most important economic development goal for the City: invest in infrastructure/amenities.
c. High-priority (non-City) Infrastructure.

Coordinate with other agencies/service
providers to ensure timely development of
new infrastructure such as broadband needed
to accommodate development and business
growth
Roles: “Facilitating infrastructure investments that are highly important from an economic development perspective,
including broadband development” was 1 of the 6 highest- priorities for expanded organizational capacity identified in the Summit 3 session.

b. Signature Events. Identify additional (to be
determined) special events that enhance
resident QOL and also have the potential to
promote economic development

6 The P-20 Council is a group of key decision makers from education, business, parent organizations, government and community agencies who bring together partners throughout the region to promote and to support the strengthe ning of educational and career pathways from pre-school through college and post-secondary/careers (from Ventura County P-20 website).

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28 Strategy Group
Action Item
Related input from the Summit meetings and
Online Survey
c. Other QOL Initiatives. Prioritize other (to be
determined) QOL-oriented investments based
on their potential to enhance economic
development
Assets: Community Foundation could be utilized to generate more philanthropic funds on behalf of the community,
coordinating with government
Survey: Other issue identified: sustainable development practices would further the “smart growth” of the
community.

Table 5-2 below identifies implementation priorities for the Strategy categories and Action Items recommended in the EDSP.

Implementation Priorities. The identified action items have been prioritized based on the following scale:

First: First priority for new budget resources (either a new initiative or a substantial budget increase for an existing program)
Status Quo: Existing initiative that will be continued at close to current budget/staffing levels Later: Later priority for additional resources (new initiative for which full implementation would be deferred for 2-3 years)
The recommended priority levels reflect the input of stakeholders participating in the planning process, as well as recognized best practices for comprehensive economic development programming.

TABLE 5-2. ACTION ITEM SUMMARY AND PRIORITIZATION
Strategy Group
Action Item
Priority
Level

1. MARKETING / OUTREACH
a. Core Marketing Framework. Establish a marketing program to promote Camarillo as a place for:
• Target industries (business attraction)
• Entrepreneurial startups
• Tourism/conventions
• Shopping/dining
First
b. Placemaking. Promote development concepts and community events that build on Camarillo’s strong sense of place Status Quo

2. EXISTING BUSINESS RETENTION/EXPANSION (BRE)
a. Business Outreach Program. Utilize online surveys, business site visits and other mechanisms to expand communication with existing firms, identify needs for additional support, and connect businesses with available resources for business assistance First
b. Business Advocate. Establish Business Advocate position at City to ensure responsiveness to new businesses and those seeking entitlements/permits for relocations and expansions First c. “Get to Yes” Team. Expand visibility of City’s “Get to Yes” team consisting of key City department representatives focused on expediting business relocations and expansions (entitlements, permitting, etc.)
First
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
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29 Strategy Group
Action Item
Priority
Level

3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT
a. Startup-Friendly City. Actively publicize Business Advocate and “Get to Yes” resources (see Items 2.b and 2.c above) to help position Camarillo as a startup-friendly City First b. Incubator/Accelerator Programs. Investigate extent to which existing programs/facilities in the city and region meet the needs for emerging entrepreneurs. As appropriate, investigate options for establishing additional or expanded incubator and/or accelerator facilities in Camarillo; also consider options for encouraging the development of private industrial space accommodating smaller tenants
First
c. Access to Capital. Facilitate expanded access to venture capital for startups in Camarillo, recognizing the limitations that can apply within traditional VC funding models Later d. Leverage Private Sector Startup Resources. Investigate options for a more direct City role in expanding the positive impact of successful existing entrepreneurial development initiatives (including Startups Ventura County and 805 Startups)
Status Quo
e. Leverage Presence of Major Institutional Assets and Key Industries. Serve in a facilitation role to more fully leverage the entrepreneurial development potentials of Camarillo’s unique assets (including CSU, Navy, key industries, specialized workforce, etc.) Status Quo
f. Position Camarillo as a Place for Innovation. Consistent with strong stakeholder support for technology-oriented entrepreneurial development, investigate the feasibility and desirability of various options for positioning Camarillo as a prime location for innovation First

Status Quo
b. Development Streamlining. Audit current business expansion and development approval processes, and investigate options for expediting approvals (including expanded use of program-level environmental impact reports; online permitting tools, etc.) First
c. Hotel / Conference Center Development. Leverage forthcoming development of two new hotels and related conference facilities; tie to other EDSP initiatives (e.g., tourism/convention marketing); identify long-term opportunities for additional facilities as market demand grows First
d. Retail Repositioning. Coordinate with commercial property owners on retail/restaurant tenant recruitment to support long-term market strengthening and/or needed repositioning of existing retail shopping facilities; investigate options and provide appropriate non-financial incentives to facilitate reuse/redevelopment of evolving properties Later
e. Office/Business Park Capacity. Maximize options for future office/business park development (including reuse/redevelopment of existing properties) to accommodate business expansion in targeted industries; collaborate with office/industrial brokers on attraction of targeted tenant types; consider rezoning of any retail properties deemed to be “surplus” given the evolving retail market (to potentially accommodate additional office/business park development) Later
f. Housing Diversification. Consider options (including locations, entitlements, etc.) for accommodating specialized urban housing types attractive to all generations, while protecting the quality of Camarillo’s established lower density neighborhoods Status Quo

5. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
30 Strategy Group
Action Item
Priority
Level
a. Talent Retention / Recruitment. Prioritize EDSP strategies that focus on creating residential options and employment opportunities attractive to young professionals and technology workers
Status Quo
b. Workforce Development Coordination. Coordinate with local/regional workforce development organizations (e.g., County Workforce Development Board, P-20 Council, CSU Channel Islands, etc.) to ensure that available workforce training resources are in sync with the City’s business development (including retention/expansion) efforts Status Quo

6. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
a. Highway 101 Improvements. Coordinate with Caltrans and VCTC to implement phased approach to needed Highway 101 improvements; phases include ramp metering, development of auxiliary lanes, and other long-term improvements
First
b. Other High-priority City Infrastructure. In City’s annual CIP process, prioritize infrastructure improvements (to be determined) essential to economic development progress Status Quo c. High-priority (non-City) Infrastructure. Coordinate with other agencies/service providers to ensure timely development of new infrastructure such as broadband needed to accommodate development and business growth
Status Quo

7. QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL)
a. Community Gathering Places. Investigate options for creating additional community gathering places as part of other EDSP initiatives (e.g., within repositioned retail shopping centers) Later b. Signature Events. Identify additional (to be determined) special events that enhance resident QOL and also have the potential to promote economic development Status Quo c. Other QOL Initiatives. Prioritize other (to be determined) QOL-oriented investments based on their potential to enhance economic development Later
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
31 6. Potential Strategies / Action Items Discussion
The recommended action items are described below. Where applicable, supporting comments from the stakeholder Summit meetings are summarized in sidebar boxes next to (or below) the main narrative.

1. MARKETING / PLACEMAKING
a. Core Marketing Framework. Establish a marketing program to promote Camarillo as a place for:
• Target industries (business attraction)
• Entrepreneurial startups
• Tourism/conventions
• Shopping/dining
Within this action item, the approach to promoting the community for visitors can be combined with promotional efforts directed to businesses/employers. Although messages directed to each of the two groups can be structured differently, thinking about visitors and businesses simultaneously can help ensure that assets valued by visitors are also recognized as being, generally, valuable to businesses in terms of quality of life enhancements, etc. At the same time, the image of a place can better avoid over- identification with either tourism or industry.

Community stakeholders frequently express frustration with the image of their community held by outsiders. Marketing becomes a primary tool in managing perceptions of outsiders, and is particularly important when an area as suffered some unusual misfortune, such as the recent fires that have occurred in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. In this regard, the geographic scale in which certain marketing messages are crafted can be a critical consideration. One could argue that all of Ventura County has certain “image challenges” that may be more a matter of perception than of reality. To the extent this is the case, countywide efforts directed to this specific issue are likely to be more effective than those undertaken within and directed towards Camarillo alone.

Although the concept of identifying “best” cities for some attribute or another tends to be overused, the working approach to dealing with these things is to use them to the community’s advantage when the findings are favorable, and ignore them (at least from a marketing standpoint) when they are not. In this regard, it is noteworthy that National Geographic’s list of the “25 Happiest Cities” (by metropolitan statistical area) in the US includes Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura at position 20, along with neighboring Santa Maria-Santa Barbara at number 12.6
From a business-attraction standpoint, community assets that are valued by members of the workforce likely to be associated with desired businesses are particularly relevant. So, for example, tech companies are likely to be staffed by younger workers who tend to favor assets that support urban lifestyles and recreational amenities.

6 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north -america/united-states/happiest-cities-united- states-2017/. According to the authors, findings are based on nearly 250,000 interviews conducted with adults from 2014 to 2015 as a part of the comprehensive Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
32 b. Placemaking. Promote development concepts and community events that build on Camarillo’s strong sense of place
This action item would be closely coordinated with real estate and quality-of-life strategies. The emphasis with this action item is to formally recognize the need to coordinate events and event planning with places that either are or have the potential to be recognizable as destination facilities/neighborhoods. Just as events can enhance places/locations, these locations can help make the events occurring within them more effective and memorable.

2. EXISTING BUSINESS RETENTION/EXPANSION (BRE)
a. Business Outreach Program. Utilize online surveys, business site visits and other mechanisms to expand communication with existing firms, identify needs for additional support, and connect businesses with available resources for business assistance This function7 can be particularly advantageous in a number of respects in that it provides a path by which to connect the business community, and specifically the most important businesses or business types from an economic development standpoint, more directly with the City and with supporting institutions such as universities and other job-training resources. These efforts can provide valuable assistance to businesses that they are often not aware is available to them. While Chambers of Commerce typically represent general business interests to local governments, economic development outreach is highly focused, proactive, and can be directed based on various levels of research into business conditions.

For communities that are actively attempting to attract new businesses, a business outreach program directed to existing businesses can be perceived as a way to balance the attention given to business- attraction prospects. Primary purposes can include:

7 Resources for this section include the publication: Beyond the Survey: How EDOs Add Value through Business Retention and Expansion. International Economic Development Council (IEDC), 2017.

At the 3rd Summit meeting, participants probed certain strategy topics, including potential benefits from revitalization activities. Points raised by participants pertaining to placemaking include the following:
• To build on the City’s long-term (and very successful) investment in Old Town revitalization, continued attention to Old Town’s market position could convey a stronger sense of place, with increasing continuity in uses and more connectivity with adjacent areas where compatible/complementary uses exist. A signature structure/function could help, as could having a focal, ceremonial place (“where do you hand out the keys to the city?”) within Old Town. • The success of Old Town could be furthered leveraged through improved physical connections to Camarillo Commons and Camarillo Premium Outlets, such as bike paths and enhanced pedestrian access, if feasible, along with wayfinding aids.
• Successful areas in other cities that could to some extent serve as model s for the continued evolution of Old Town include Riverpark in Oxnard and Old Town San Diego.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
33 • Discovering community-level issues that may be helping or hindering a particular business, group of businesses or entire industry/cluster, or a geographic concentration of businesses. • Discovering issues outside the community’s purview affecting the health of businesses, in response to which the community could consider a range of remedial actions, from offering direct support of some kind to generating contingency plans in the face of possible downsizing or loss of such businesses.

Basic outreach functions are traditionally handled through surveys, in which business owners/managers are asked to identify specific challenges, positive and negative influences exerted by the community, and the like. Many examples of these surveys are available from economic development organizations, and the activity has also been systematized through organizations specializing in this kind of work. Inherent in any outreach approach is the notion that the ED people are developing relationships with the business community, some of which will involve people at the
headquarters of companies with branches in Camarillo, and located elsewhere. Economic developers need to keep in mind that some major business decisions, such as downsizing, relocation, etc. are made at the margins, where even relatively minor interventions can make a big difference.

It can be argued that business outreach is particularly important in communities such as Camarillo where entrepreneurial
development is being encouraged, as startup businesses tend to be the most vulnerable.
b. Business Advocate. Establish Business Advocate position at City to ensure responsiveness to new businesses and those seeking entitlements/permits for relocations and expansions

c. “Get to Yes” Team. Expand visibility of City’s “Get to Yes” team consisting of key City department representatives
focused on expediting business relocations and expansions (entitlements, permitting, etc.)
The two preceding action items are part of a coordinated effort to enhance the “business friendliness” of Camarillo, which also includes Action Item 4.b, Development Streamlining. Properly structured, the organizational adjustments implied in these action items could also ultimately save the city money through increased efficiency.

The Summit 3 workshop participants
expressed the opinion that it is critical for
the City to “institutionalize” the process of
obtaining direct input on economic
development matters from the business
community and other key stakeholders.

One possible way of maintaining interface
with the business community would be to
re-convene the EDSP Summit workshops (or
something similar) on an annual basis, with
this annual meeting used as an opportunity
to showcase progress and seek stakeholder
input on refining EDSP priorities in the
future.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
34 3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT
a. Startup-Friendly City. Actively publicize Business Advocate and “Get to Yes” resources (see Items 2.b and 2.c above) to help position Camarillo as a startup-friendly city This action item would be coordinated with 1.a, Core Marketing Framework. b. Incubator/Accelerator Programs. Investigate extent to which existing programs/facilities in the city and region meet the needs for emerging entrepreneurs. As appropriate, investigate options for establishing additional or expanded incubator and/or accelerator facilities in Camarillo; also consider options for encouraging the development of private industrial space accommodating smaller tenants
This action item would be coordinated with 3.d and 3.e.

Encouraging the development of private industrial space, including related office space, for smaller tenants can include the repurposing of properties that are vacant or underused due to obsolescence, retail disruptions, or
other factors. To the extent that this can be
accomplished, properties and entire industrial
neighborhoods can be revitalized, as an added benefit to accommodating tenants who may not be in a position to
pay top dollar for space.
c. Access to Capital. Facilitate expanded access to venture capital for startups in Camarillo, recognizing the limitations that can apply within traditional VC funding models Although securing additional access to venture capital is a common and worthwhile goal for community entrepreneurial efforts, traditional venture capital models (including venture capitalists and angel investors) are not necessarily the ideal early funding model for startups. Various organizations have attempted to set up systems were favorable to entrepreneurs, so the playing field for access to capital needs to be broadly examined, from the standpoint of different models and also entrepreneur-friendly financing that the city could somehow encourage.
d. Leverage Private Sector Startup Resources.

Investigate options for a more direct City role in
expanding the positive impact of successful existing
entrepreneurial development initiatives (including
Startups Ventura County and 805 Startups)
The City might play a role in helping coordinate these
activities and coordinate the different resources among one another. Also, it might be possible to relate incentives specifically to these programs. The City could also sponsor a seminar for entrepreneurs. Such a seminar could focus on accessing startup capital, business plan development, or other issues relevant to entrepreneurs.

For this action item, Summit 3 participants
expressed the opinion that an appropriate
role for the City would be an
informational/facilitator function. That is,
the City would help connect any potential
entrepreneur interested in these types of
programs with existing
incubator/accelerator programs in the
region (such as the Pharos Center for
Innovation, Hub101, etc.).

Many Summit 3 workshop participants
acknowledged that startup financing is
crucial to the success of most
entrepreneurial efforts. They also indicated
that typical Camarillo startups would likely
be funded by Angel Funds, which typically
make startup investments in the range of
$100,000 to $500,000.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
35 e. Leverage Presence of Major Institutional Assets and Key Industries. Serve in a facilitation role to more fully leverage the entrepreneurial development potentials of Camarillo’s unique assets (including CSU, Navy, key industries, specialized workforce, etc.) An investigation into current relationships between these major assets and key industries, and current entrepreneurship in Camarillo, should prove informative and suggest additional actions to encourage such interactions. These assets should be understood to include retirees, especially military retirees, that could constitute a potential source of entrepreneurial-support talent.

f. Position Camarillo as a Place for Innovation. Consistent with strong stakeholder support for technology-oriented entrepreneurial development, investigate the feasibility and desirability of various options for positioning Camarillo as a prime location for innovation This action item would be closely coordinated with 1.a, Core Marketing Framework. A comprehensive asset inventory related to technology-oriented entrepreneurial development would be useful in this regard.

Most participants at the Summit 3 workshop agreed that there are several institutional assets that could support and further develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region, especially local universities such as CSU and CLU, and the Chamber of Commerce (COC). Participants indicated that the City could foster this by making goals very clear with respect to entrepreneurial development; that way, organizations are aware where their own unique goals and missions align and potentially overlap with those of th e City. It is also important to foster interactions/connections among these institutional assets themselves. There is a tendency for organizations to remain unaware of mutually beneficial connections and interactions. In this respect, with expanded organizational capacity the City could potentially play a positive role in fostering these beneficial connections and interactions among the various organizations.

Many of the Summit 3 workshop participants indicated that an overall branding/marketing effort would help make Camarillo known as a great place for entrepreneurs and innovation. This could include direct City efforts, such as encouraging the development of “smart buildings” in Camarillo. Another specific example would be sponsoring some type of Technology Expo focused on entrepreneurial development. Such an expo could include something like a local startup “hall of fame” that highlights previous local startup success stories. Because the nature of innovation is such that change is constantly at the forefront, visionary thinking regarding this action item, anticipating how the community could fit into evolving techn ologies and responses to technological advances, will be important.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
36 4. REAL ESTATE / COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
a. Coordination of priority development areas and key opportunity sites. Maintain up-to-date inventory of available development / redevelopment opportunity sites and determine capacity and initial suitability for accommodating priority land use concepts identified in EDSP This action items should be carefully coordinated with Action Items 4.d, e, and f. For economic development organizations that intend to maintain such databases, there are systems in common use available from private service providers, such as GIS Planning. These kinds of databases are sometimes sponsored (or otherwise supported) through economic development organizations operating at the regional level. Typically, maintaining such a database requires close cooperation from local commercial real estate brokers. For redevelopment opportunity sites, the City can provide additional information in the form of specific plans, development guidelines, or clearly defined development bonuses or other similar incentives, without taking on the full burden of developing and maintaining the database. b. Development Streamlining. Audit current business expansion and development approval processes, and investigate options for expediting approvals (including expanded use of program-level environmental impact reports; online permitting tools, etc.) The term “regulatory relief” is sometimes used to refer to methods of improving a city’s actual and/or perceived levels of “business friendliness.” A common approach to reviewing regulatory relief options is to examine what other communities consider to be “best practices” in this regard. Examples of this are measures undertaken by the cities of Anaheim and San Diego, which address both conceptual and specific issues related to project planning and development. Relevant elements of these cities’ programs can potentially serve as models for Camarillo.

The Anaheim Regulatory Relief Task Force8 drafted recommendations intended to alleviate burdens on business permit applicants attempting to build or expand, some of which are listed below:
• Alleviating the burden of applying for Conditional Use Permits (CUP) for several types of businesses and improving the processing time for those that still should require a CUP. • Expediting the plan review process.
• Reduction in required permits for business operations and the costs associated with annual renewals of various permits.
• Giving staff more authority to process permits through administrative actions and decisions. • Increased efficiency of inspections and the pre-identification of common corrections. • Improved facilitation of online services.
• Review of all impact fees to discern the nexus relationships associated with the costs of development, uniformly across the City.

In late 2011 the San Diego City Council9 held a “Business Regulatory Relief Workshop” to address issues of possible inconsistent, redundant, or outdated regulations. Suggestions made at the workshop by organizations and individuals reflected themes of increased business and development advocacy, accountability of regulatory bodies, and regulatory review, some of which were also addressed in the

8 City of Anaheim Regulatory Relief Task Force, Phase 1 Recommendations. November 2011. 9 City of San Diego, Regulatory Relief Suggestions Matrix - Review Completed in 2012 Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
37 recommendations made by the Anaheim Task Force. Listed below are some of the intended benefits of this initiative:
• Designation of an “Ombudsman” for dispute resolution to represent business owners during the development review process.
• Providing clear and concise information to help property and business owners better understand the process of the regulatory environment.
• Accentuating the importance of customer service on the part of staff during the development review process.
• Overhauling the parking and sign ordinance to mitigate regulatory concerns brought forth by the business community.
c. Hotel / Conference Center Development. Leverage forthcoming development of two new hotels and related conference facilities; tie to other EDSP initiatives (e.g., tourism/convention marketing); identify long-term opportunities for additional facilities as market demand grows This project fulfills the longstanding need for this type of facility in the center of Ventura County, and has the potential to “raise the bar” in terms of the types of visitor-oriented economic development activities that will be viable in Camarillo.
d. Retail Repositioning. Coordinate with commercial property owners on retail/restaurant tenant recruitment to support long-term market strengthening and/or needed repositioning of existing retail shopping facilities; investigate options and provide appropriate non-financial incentives to facilitate reuse/redevelopment of evolving properties
Statistically, Camarillo currently experiences a certain amount of retail leakage, based on an analysis by TNDG as part of this strategic planning process. (The analysis accounts for additional sales captured outside the community due to the presence of Camarillo Premium Outlets.) As surrounding communities continue to develop, new retail development outside of Camarillo could attract shoppers from the city, increasing retail leakage. For this and other reasons, maintaining the competitiveness of existing retail space is an ongoing challenge. The city can encourage ongoing maintenance and revitalization of retail properties through cooperative marketing and incentive partnerships with cooperating property owners and developers.
e. Office/Business Park Capacity. Maximize options for future office/business park development (including reuse/redevelopment of existing properties) to accommodate business expansion in targeted industries; collaborate with office/industrial brokers on attraction of targeted tenant types; consider rezoning of any retail properties deemed to be “surplus” given the evolving retail market (to potentially accommodate additional office/business park development) Redevelopment of existing properties is always challenging, if for no other reason than the fact that property owners are often reluctant to undertake such work on their own, or price properties so that others can afford to do so.

The City might help motivate owners by making incentives available on a limited basis or to limited areas within a first-come first-served framework. Seeing successful redevelopment can encourage other owners to follow suit.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
38 f. Housing Diversification. Consider options (including locations, entitlements, etc.) for accommodating specialized urban housing types attractive to all generations, while protecting the quality of Camarillo’s established lower density neighborhoods
Lack of appropriately diversified housing can undermine many other efforts directed toward maintaining long-term community prosperity.

In Camarillo, however, there are potentially winning options for doing this. For example, revitalization plans for areas such as Old Town could potentially include mixed-use development (with adequate onsite parking), and the increased resident base in or near these commercial areas would lead to increased viability of businesses there.

5. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
a. Talent Retention / Recruitment. Prioritize EDSP strategies that focus on creating residential options and employment opportunities attractive to young professionals and technology workers Given that finding appropriate housing is likely to be a hurdle for young tech workers, this action item will coordinate closely with Action Item 4.f as well as other action items pertaining to the revitalization of urban neighborhoods.
b. Workforce Development Coordination. Coordinate with local/regional workforce development organizations (e.g. County Workforce Development Board, P-20 Council, CSU Channel Islands, etc.) to ensure that available workforce training resources are in sync with the City’s business development (including retention/expansion) efforts
Business Outreach programs can also be a means by which issues pertaining to the alignment of existing firms with the workforce, and workforce training resources, are identified. Maintaining this alignment is an often-cited challenge for communities and in some ways can be said to be inherent within the nation’s educational system, which tends to overemphasize traditional university credentials.

Consequently, ongoing and dedicated efforts are required to remain current within the objectives of this action item. This action item will also benefit from maintaining a review of best practices taking place around the country to fill in gaps in workforce training.

6. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
a. Highway 101 Improvements. Coordinate with Caltrans and VCTC to implement phased approach to needed Highway 101 improvements (discussed at a special City meeting in January 2018); phases include ramp metering, development of auxiliary lanes, and other long-term improvements b. Other High-priority City Infrastructure. In City’s annual CIP process, prioritize infrastructure improvements (to be determined) essential to economic development progress Participants at the 3rd Summit
meeting tended to think that
this could be accomplished
from a market as well as
development-capacity
standpoint, but housing
diversification concepts tied
to Old Town would need to
reflect the intended market
for Old Town businesses –
what are the options and
what should the demographic
and other focus be.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
39 c. High-priority (non-City) Infrastructure. Coordinate with other agencies/service providers to ensure
timely development of new infrastructure such as
broadband needed to accommodate development
and business growth

7. QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL)
a. Community Gathering Places. Investigate options for creating additional community gathering places as part of other EDSP initiatives (e.g., within repositioned retail shopping centers) Topics of interest within this action item range from places that serve the general population, as in “placemaking,” to recognizing the gathering-place value of facilities such as the Camarillo Public Library.

In discussions with stakeholders, it is clear that some of these places could be specific to certain kinds of users. For example, these could be permanent or temporary co-working spaces primarily of interest to tech people.
b. Signature Events. Identify additional (to be determined) special events that enhance resident QOL and also have the potential to promote economic development
For visitors, these kinds of events can “put a community on the map,” and showcase the community in ways not possible otherwise, such as through traditional marketing and commercial
establishments.
c. Other QOL Initiatives. Prioritize other (to be determined) QOL-oriented investments based on their potential to enhance economic development
These kinds of initiatives could typically include the refurbishment of historic venues or other landmarks.

In Camarillo, investments might relate to agro-tourism.

Summit 3 workshop participants acknowledged
that improving broadband service is a difficult
challenge for the City to directly address, while
also expressing dissatisfaction with the City’s
current telecommunications provider(s).

At the 3rd Summit meeting,
participants raised the following
points relevant to the quality of life
action items:
• There is a genuine symbolic
importance to Old Town, and it
also occupies a very strategic
location. Old Town could be
representative of “what
Camarillo is at its best.”
• Wayfinding from the freeway,
and other parts of town, could
be improved. Old Town would
seem less isolated with
directories and other internal
wayfinding.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
40 PARTNERSHIPS / INSTITUTIONAL ASSETS
Among the many organizations that might be involved in the EDSP, some will play key supporting roles and others are in the best position to champion specific initiatives. In Table 6-1 below, potential partners are linked with strategy categories that have action items with which each partner is most likely to be associated.

TABLE 6-1 ABBREVIATION LEGEND

MATCHING POTENTIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS WITH STRATEGY CATEGORIES Strategy
Abbreviation
Strategy
Description

1. MP Marketing/Placemaking

2. EBRE Existing Business Retention/Expansion (BRE)

3. ED Entrepreneurial Development

4. RECD Real Estate/Community Development

5. WD Workforce Development

6. CI Critical Infrastructure

7. QOL Quality of Life (QOL)

TABLE 6-1. MATCHING POTENTIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS WITH STRATEGY CATEGORIES # Potential Economic Development Partner
Organizations
Strategy Categories1

1. MP 2. EBRE 3. ED 4. RECD 5. WD 6. CI 7. QOL
1 805 Startups X X X X X X X
2 ACE Charter High School X X X X X
3 Agencies/organizations involved with disaster
awareness X X X
4 “Anchor” industries/employers X X X X
5 Aspire X X X X X X
6 Cal Lutheran X X X X X
7 CalPoly Center for Innovation and
Entrepreneurship/SLO Hot House X
8 Cal Poly (Engineering and agriculture) X X
9 California State University (CSU) Channel Islands –
needs name change to associate this asset with
Camarillo

X X X X X X
10 Caltrans X X X X
11 Camarillo Airport X X X X X X X
12 Camarillo Chamber of Commerce X X X X
13 Camarillo Hotel and Tourism Association X X X X
14 Camarillo Old Town Association X X X X
15 Camarillo Premium Outlets (not an institutional
partner but a key City asset that needs to be a
significant partner for economic development)

X X X
16 County of Office of Education X X X X X
17 Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura
County (EDC-VC) X X X X X
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
41 # Potential Economic Development Partner
Organizations
Strategy Categories1

1. MP 2. EBRE 3. ED 4. RECD 5. WD 6. CI 7. QOL
18 Hub 101 X X X X X
19 Library X X X X X X
20 Many Mansions X X
21 Naval Base Ventura County X X X X X
22 Newco Foundation X X X X X X
23 Patagonia – Tin Shed Ventures – Venture Capital
Fund [investing in environ-mentally/ socially
responsible start-ups]
X
24 Pharos Center of Innovation X X X X X X X
25 Pleasant Valley Hospital X X
26 Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District X X X X 27 Port of Hueneme X X X
28 Russell Fischer Business Collection at Camarillo
Public Library X X X X X X X
29 San Fernando Valley Business Journal X X
30 Small Business Innovation Research Program
(SBIR) [Through SBDC] X X
31 Southwest Carpenters X X
32 Tech Coast Angels (TCA) [resources for early-stage
entrepreneurs] X
33 UC Santa Barbara – research facility in Santa Paula X X X X 34 Various agriculture interests X X X
35 VCCAR Ventura County Coastal Assoc. of Realtors X X X X 36 VC COLAB X X
37 VCEDA X X X X X
38 Ventura County Civic Alliance X X
39 Ventura COG X X
40 Ventura County X X X X X X X
41 Ventura County Community Foundation X X X X X X X
42 Ventura County Lodging Association X X X X
43 Ventura County Office of Education X X X X
44 Press: Ventura County Star / Pacific Coast
Business Times / 805 Living Magazine X X X X
45 Ventura County Transportation Commission
(VCTC) X X
46 Ventura County West Tourism Business
Improvement District (VCWTBID) X X X
47 Ventura County Workforce Development Board
(WDB) X X X X
48 Women’s Economic Ventures X X X X X
49 Workforce Education Coalition X X X X

1. See Strategy Category Abbreviation Legend for full name.

Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
42 7. Action Item Interactions – Highlighting Actions that Support Multiple Objectives
Table 7-1 highlights how action items within one strategy category will influence, or be influenced by, one or more action items that fall within other strategy categories. The table follows a format in which successive action item categories (reading down) that are shown as linked in previous categories are not shown as having those links repeated (consequently the last category is completely blank).

TABLE 7-1. STRATEGY CATEGORY ABBREVIATION LEGEND FOR ACTION ITEM INTERACTIONS Strategy
Abbreviation
Strategy
Description
MP Marketing/Placemaking
EBRE Existing Business Retention/Expansion (BRE)
ED Entrepreneurial Development
RECD Real Estate/Community Development
WD Workforce Development
CI Critical Infrastructure
QOL Quality of Life (QOL)

TABLE 7-1. ACTION ITEM INTERACTIONS WITH STRATEGY CATEGORIES Strategy Action Items Strategy Categories1

MP EBRE ED RECD WD CI QOL

1. MARKETING / OUTREACH

1.a. Core Marketing Framework X X X X X

1.b. Placemaking X X X X X

2. EXISTING BUSINESS RETENTION/EXPANSION (BRE)

2.a. Business Outreach Program X X

2.b. Business Advocate X

2.c. “Get to Yes” Team X X

3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT

3.a. Startup-Friendly City X X X X

3.b. Incubator/Accelerator Programs X X X

3.c. Access to Capital

3.d. Leverage Private Sector Startup Resources X

3.e. Leverage Presence of Major Institutional Assets and Key Industries X X X

3.f. Position Camarillo as a Place for Innovation X X X X

4. REAL ESTATE / COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

4.a. Coordination of priority development areas and key opportunity sites X X

4.b. Development Streamlining X X

4.c. Hotel / Conference Center Development X

4.e. Retail Repositioning X X

4.f. Office/Business Park Capacity X

4.g. Housing Diversification X X X
Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
43 Strategy Action Items Strategy Categories1

MP EBRE ED RECD WD CI QOL

5. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

5.a. Talent Retention / Recruitment X

5.b. Workforce Development Coordination

6. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

6.a. Highway 101 Improvements X

6.b. Other High-priority City Infrastructure X

6.c. High-priority (non-City) Infrastructure X

7. QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL)

7.a. Community Gathering Places

7.b. Signature Events

7.c. Other QOL Initiatives

1. See Strategy Category Abbreviation Legend for full name.

Camarillo City CouncilJuly 9, 2025

Camarillo City Council
July 9, 2025