From: Jacob Anglin <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2026 8:00 AM
To: City Clerk Internet EMAIL Group <[email protected]> Subject: Official Public Comment for Administrative Record: IPD-412M(1) (Envision Auto Center)
Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important Dear City Clerk,
Please find the attached formal objection regarding the Envision Auto Center & Industrial Park (IPD-412M(1)) and the associated Addendum to Final SEIR 2014-08.
I am submitting this document to be included in the official administrative record and ensure the Council has ample time to review these critical sustainability alignments before tomorrow evening's public hearing scheduled for March 11, 2026.
This submission outlines a critical "Conflict of Vision" between the project's 1986-era planning and the City's recently adopted 2023 Sustainability Master Plan (SMP). It provides a data-backed case for a General Plan Amendment and Rezone to transition this site into a regenerative ecosystem, fulfilling modern municipal mandates for carbon neutrality, urban greening, permeable land cover, and edible landscapes.
I kindly request that this document be distributed to the City Council Members and the City Manager prior to the hearing so they may review the technical findings and policy alignment hooks presented.
Thank you for your assistance in ensuring this is properly recorded.
Sincerely,
Jacob Anglin
Camarillo Resident
Eagle & Lion Initiatives
TO: City of Camarillo City Council & Planning Commission FROM: Jacob Anglin, Camarillo Resident, Eagle & Lion Initiatives DATE: 3.11.26
RE: OFFICIAL PUBLIC COMMENT during Public Hearing: Envision Auto Center & Industrial Park (Addendum to Final SEIR 2014-08 / IPD-412M(1))
SUBJECT: Case for Strategic Realignment with the 2023 Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) Formal Objection to the Envision Auto Center & Industrial Park (IPD-412M(1)) and Proposal for a Regenerative Ecosystem Amendment under the 2023 Sustainability Master Plan The 1986 Airport North Specific Plan is "Environmentally and Strategically Obsolete" when held against the City's own 2023 Sustainability Master Plan (SMP).
While the developer relies on land-use designations from nearly 40 years ago, the City has since formally adopted a new vision for a "Resilient Camarillo" that creates a direct conflict with the proposed industrial use.
"Conflict of Vision"
The City's 2023 SMP mandates a shift toward nature-based solutions and carbon neutrality, which the current 1986-era plan actively undermines.
Key Components:
• Failure of Consistency: The City argues the project is "consistent" with the old 1986 plan. However it is inconsistent with the 2023 SMP, which is the City's most current policy for municipal and environmental health.
The "Carbon Neutral" Mandate: The SMP explicitly commits Camarillo to becoming carbon neutral by 2045. Adding a project that generates 5,324 metric tons of CO2e annually-next to a freeway and an airport—moves the City mathematically further from this goal.
• Obsolescence of Industrial Paving: The SMP (Action M-W-1.4) calls for replacing non- functional turf with edible landscapes and native, drought-tolerant greening. Paving
46.88 acres for an auto center is the exact opposite of this 2023 directive.
Specific SMP "Hooks" to Trigger Rezoning
The 2023 SMP provides several specific policy "hooks" that support a regenerative ecosystem over an industrial park:
1. Urban Greening Initiatives (Action M-NR-1.2): The City is now directed to identify and prioritize "greening areas" that currently lack urban canopy or green spaces. This fallow land is the prime candidate for fulfilling this 2023 mandate.
2. Climate Vulnerability (Section 3.1): The SMP identifies increased heat as a major risk for Camarillo. Converting 46 acres of dirt into 46 acres of asphalt (the heat island effect) directly worsens the vulnerability the SMP seeks to mitigate.
3. Metric-Driven Land Use (Action M-NR-2): The SMP mandates that the City "add and track the number and general square footage of new community gardens, drought- tolerant, native landscaping, or other permeable land cover".
1. The Conflict: Paving 46.88 acres with "non-permeable" asphalt and industrial roofing for an auto center directly contradicts the intent of M-NR-2.
2. The Opportunity: A regenerative ecosystem would provide a massive, measurable increase in "permeable land cover" and "native landscaping," allowing the City to immediately meet the square footage targets required by this 2023 mandate.
4. Community Partnerships (Action M-SL-2.9): The SMP encourages the City to "identify key local businesses and individuals leading effective and efficient sustainability initiatives". This creates a policy opening for a regenerative ecosystem project to be considered a "sustainability partner" rather than just a developer.
Bottom Line: the 1986 plan belongs to a version of Camarillo that no longer exists, and the 2023 Sustainability Master Plan provides the legal and ethical bridge to rezone this land for the "highest and best use" of a modern, climate-ready community.
It is important to understand that the city's legal justification rests on the 1986 Airport North Specific Plan. Because this land was designated for industrial use nearly 40 years ago, the city views its development not as a "new" loss of farmland, but as the fulfillment of a long-standing urban plan. However, per page 16 of this resolution for addendum it has been classified by the state as farmland of local importance, and I believe the 2016 SEIR's original findings are no longer valid despite the project being smaller in scale now because of the 2023 Sustainability Master Plan to create resilient Camarillo.
1. The Rezoning Context
The land is currently zoned Limited Manufacturing (L-M), a designation based on plans from 1986. While the City argues the project is "consistent" with these old plans, the 2023 Sustainability Master Plan introduces new municipal priorities that did not exist in 1986.
To repurpose the land for a regenerative ecosystem, a General Plan Amendment and Rezone would be required. The case for this change is supported by the following components of the new SMP:
2. Component Case for a Regenerative Ecosystem
A. Carbon Sequestration and Climate Mitigation
• SMP Goal: The City aims to become carbon neutral by 2045. • The Case: The SMP explicitly identifies carbon sequestration through "strategic planting of trees and vegetation cover" as a long-term preventative strategy. A regenerative ecosystem provides far superior carbon sinking capabilities compared to the "landscaped boulevards" of an industrial park.
B. Urban Greening and Heat Island Reduction
• SMP Finding: Camarillo expects extreme heat days to increase from 4 days annually to 24 days by the end of the century.
• The Case: The SMP highlights the need for "urban greening initiatives" and the conversion of "underutilized green space" to increase resilience against extreme heat. A regenerative space would act as a natural cooling zone, whereas 46 acres of industrial roofing and asphalt (Auto Center) would likely contribute to the local heat island effect.
C. Water Conservation and "Edible Landscapes"
• SMP Strategy (M-W-1.6): The City's new plan encourages replacing non-functional turf with "edible landscapes" and "carbon sink farming".
• The Case: While the City claims the land has no "irrigation water" for traditional farming, the SMP advocates for "water-wise gardening" and "rain barrels" to maintain sustainable landscapes. A regenerative space fulfills the SMP's goal of demonstrating these practices to the community.
D. Protection of Natural Resources
• SMP Pillar: "Protection of Natural Resources" is a core co-benefit, defined as preserving natural ecosystems and the biodiversity they support.
• The Case: The SMP acknowledges that California is "one of the four most ecologically degraded states". '. Rezoning for a regenerative space directly addresses the SMP's objective to "increase biodiversity" and preserve the "California Floristic Province" hotspot in which Camarillo sits.
There is a Cumulative Impact of emissions and this use of land.
1. Synergy of Pollutants: The project is near the 101 Freeway, the Airport, and Costco.
Each of these is a major source of Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and CO2. Adding 5,324 MT more isn't happening in a vacuum; it's being added to an area already burdened by high traffic and aviation.
2. Loss of a "Sink": By paving the 46.88 acres, you are not just adding 5,324 tons of emissions; you are removing the land's ability to act as a carbon sink (which a regenerative ecosystem would provide). The net loss to the atmosphere is actually higher than just the project's output.
Key Findings & Takeaways
"Sustainability Pillars" from the 2023 Plan compared to the Industrial Park:
Industrial Park Risk (Per SMP Logic) Regenerative Space Benefit (Per SMP Goals) Increased Emissions: Adds ~5,324 metric Carbon Sink: Actively removes CO2 through soil tons of core annually. and vegetation.
Outdated Planning: Relies on 1986 land- Modern Alignment: Fulfills the 2023 goal of use assumptions. "Resilient Camarillo".
Loss of Soil Health: Permanent paving of Soil Regeneration: Aligns with the "Nature- 'Farmland of Local Importance." Based Solutions" mentioned in the SMP.
Important Takeaway
While 5,324 MT might seem small compared to a massive factory, it is a substantial amount for a 46-acre plot-especially one that is moving the City away from the goals of the 2023 Sustainability Master Plan, which prioritizes carbon sequestration and nature-based solutions.
In conclusion, the City of Camarillo stands at a crossroads. We can choose to fulfill a 40-year-old industrial plan that predates our modern understanding of climate risk, or we can choose to uphold the vision of the 2023 Sustalnability Master Plan.
Approving this project as currently proposed would be a formal commitment to increasing our carbon footprint by 5,324 metric tons of CO2e annually and permanently removing a vital opportunity for carbon sequestration. This is not just a 'minor technical change'; it is a strategic retreat from our goal of carbon neutrality by 2045 and creating more local eco-friendly sites.
We respectfully request that the Council deny the current Addendum and direct staff to initiate a General Plan Amendment to rezone this land for a regenerative ecosystem. By doing so, you will not only prevent the 'synergy of pollutants' from burdening our community further but also create a measurable, native landscape that fulfills the City's mandates under Action M-NR-2 and M-W-1.4 and create the opportunity for more edible landscapes and community gardens that have a positive local impact, not just being known as a city who exports agricultural goods to increase our GDP.
Let us build the 'Resilient Camarillo' we promised our citizens in 2023, rather than the industrial park of 1986.
Sincerely,
Jacob Anglin
[email protected]
www.Eagle-lion.co
*"Submitted for the Administrative Record regarding IPD-412M(1).
Referenced Citations:
• City of Camarillo Sustainability Master Plan (Approved Oct 25, 2023) • Airport North Specific Plan (1986)
• Addendum to Final Subsequent EIR 2014-08