General
Plan Phase 1
Outreach
Report
Table of Contents
Community Workshop Series #1 – Summary �����������������������A-1 Community Survey Report ����������������������������������������������������B-1 Phase 1 Pop Up Outreach Summary ������������������������������������C-1
Introduction | Phase 1 Outreach Report
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Introduction
In 2025, the City initiated a comprehensive update to the Camarillo General Plan to ensure that it remains responsive to the challenges of the coming years and reflective of community priorities. Community engagement is a cornerstone of the project and a critical step in the process involves gathering information, feedback, and ideas from community members on the major issues and opportunities for Camarillo over the next 25 years. This report recaps the various community engagement strategies used and summarizes key findings and major themes from the feedback collected.
BACKGROUND
Camarillo’s General Plan was adopted in 1969, shortly after the City was incorporated. Over the years, updates to individual chapters (called “elements”) have been made periodically but the Plan has never been comprehensively updated.
Emerging trends and new State laws are now triggering the need for an update. These trends include demographic change in the community, the rise of internet shopping, changing workplace needs, and new technologies. Additionally, a series of new State laws enacted since 2010 mean the City must incorporate new strategies to address housing, multi- modal mobility, and climate adaptation into the General Plan, among other topics.
In this context, the City has launched Our Camarillo 2050, a comprehensive update to the General Plan built on a shared vision that describes the kind of community that residents want and identifies actions we can take to realize the vision.
The project will be completed in the following four key phases over a period of approximately 2 years:
• Phase 1 focuses on identifying issues and opportunities to address in updating the General Plan and will result in Guiding Principles that describe Camarillo’s shared values and the community’s vision for the future. • Phase 2 will explore different options for achieving the vision described by the Guiding Principles. Several different alternatives for land use and circulation will be evaluated and a preferred land use plan and key strategies to guide the General Plan Update will be identified, based on extensive community engagement. • Phase 3 involves the creation of a draft general plan based on the vision, land use plan, and key strategies from prior phases. This phase also involves completion of an environmental impact report. • Phase 4 involves public review of the draft documents and formal hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council prior to adoption of the 2050 General Plan.
Phase 1 Outreach Report | Introduction
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The General Plan Update is an important opportunity for both new and longtime residents to come together and define a shared vision for the future, clearly articulate goals and priorities, and for the City to put in place new policies that will guide development and conservation in the coming decades. An important focus of Phase 1 was community outreach to raise awareness of the project and solicit input on key issues and opportunities the updated General Plan will need to address from the community perspective. The outreach strategy prioritized a “go-to” approach, with staff and the consultant conducting pop up outreach at events around Camarillo between December and May to meet residents where they are and make it easy for them to participate. Recognizing that many residents lead busy lives and may not be able to set aside time to participate in person, an interactive online survey was launched using the Survey Monkey software platform. The online survey provided Camarillo residents with the opportunity to share input on their own time and at their own convenience.
Other important Phase 1 outreach activities included a series of family-friendly community open house meetings held in March 2026, where participants completed interactive activities and provided feedback on key topics for the General Plan Update. A community-wide photo contest and a youth video contest also provided opportunities for community members to share their vision for the future of Camarillo.
In total, over 800 Camarillo residents shared input as part of Phase 1 outreach activities, including more than 200 community members who attended the open house events, more than 400 people who took the online survey and over 200 who shared feedback at over 20 different pop-up events around the community between December 2025 and May 2026. Part A of this report provides a summary of the open house meetings, Part B summarizes survey results, and Part C recaps input from pop up outreach events.
Ideas and insights shared through Phase 1 outreach activities have shaped the Draft Vision and Guiding Principles for the General Plan Update.
A. COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE MEETING SUMMARY The community workshop series hosted in late March 2026 aimed to raise awareness of the General Plan and the Camarillo 2050 project in the community and solicit input from community members on issues, opportunities and strategies to consider in updating the plan and ideas to help shape a shared vision and guiding principles for the project. WORKSHOP FORMAT AND DATES The workshops took place on the following dates and times: No. Location Date/Time Format Meeting #1 Camarillo Public Library, 4101 Las Posas Rd., Camarillo, CA 93010 Tues, 3/24/26 from 5-7pm Open House Meeting #2 Camarillo Ranch House, 201 Camarillo Ranch Rd., Camarillo, CA 93012 Sat, 3/28/26 from 1-3pm Open House WORKSHOP SERIES SUMMARY This chapter presents a summary of the information and feedback gathered during the community open house meetings. At the events, attendees were encouraged to circulate five different stations set up around the room and engage with staff members of the City’s Community Development Department, from the consulting team Dyett & Bhatia, and from VMA. The workshops were held in an open house format to allow community members to drop in at any time and stay for as long as they like. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions, interact, and provide feedback. Participants were generally interested in learning about the focus areas in the community and enthusiasm for the events overall. In total, over 200 community members attended both open house meetings at the Camarillo Library and the Ranch House. The following section includes a summary of input collected at each station from the participants of the meeting. Images of the boards used in the meeting can be found on the project website1, and photos of boards containing Post-it note comments, as well as dots are included in the Appendix at the end of this document. SUMMARY OF INPUT BY STATION Station 1: Welcome/Orientation The first station provided residents with background information on the Camarillo 2050 Project, an overview of what a General Plan is, an outline of the Camarillo General Plan Update timeline 1 Community Open House – Boards Displayed: https://camarillo2050.com/community-open-house-events/
and project phases, and an interactive ice breaker activity. Participants were asked to place a pin on an aerial map of the planning area to indicate where they live. This station also included a sign-in table where participants received their event passport to visit each station. Station 2: Vision / Guiding Principles Station 2 featured boards with information describing what a guiding principle is, how they will be used, examples of guiding principles, and an interactive activity. Participants were asked to write their own guiding principles for Camarillo and post them on the board under 4 broad topics: community & people; development & conservation; mobility & transportation; quality of life. The main sentiment in the community & people category is a desire for inclusivity and accessibility across all generations. There is a strong call for more “third spaces” (informal public gathering spaces) and community gathering spots, such as weekly street fairs and family-friendly venues, to foster social ties. Participants also highlighted the importance of youth engagement through education and job programs. Under development and conservation, there was a consensus toward high-quality urban design that beautifies the city without losing its unique character to over-development and preserved agricultural land. Residents expressed the importance of better east-to-west connectivity and protected bike lanes, while simultaneously addressing current traffic congestion. Maintaining Camarillo’s small-town feel while keeping the cost of living manageable is a primary goal for residents. Station 3: Mobility Station 3 featured boards with facts and figures describing how people get around Camarillo; and a map which included existing and planned bicycle connections. Interactive activities included participants drawing where they would like to see additional connections or improvements and a ranking activity about what would encourage them to bike more in Camarillo. The most pressing request from residents was the installation of protected bike paths citywide, with participants frequently noting that current lanes feel vulnerable to high-speed traffic. Significant concern was raised regarding Lewis Road, which is viewed as a hazard due to narrow lanes, obstructing hedges, and a lack of pedestrian infrastructure. To address safety, the community suggested reducing major roads like Las Posas and Ponderosa to fewer car lanes, adding more stop lights and roundabouts, and strictly enforcing lower speed limits. Maintenance and comfort were also key themes: residents want root bulges repaired, gravel trails paved for smoother rides, and strategic tree planting to provide shade during the hottest parts of the day. Lastly, there was a specific call to regulate or ban e-bikes for children. Residents aspire to a fully connected Camarillo where they can reach all corners of the city by bike. High-priority hubs include the Metrolink station for regional commuting, California State University, Channel Islands and local schools. Beyond education and commuting, participants expressed they want to use bikes for daily life, such as running errands, shopping, and visiting landmarks like the Library and City Hall. There was a strong desire to bridge the gaps between existing paths on Las Posas and Ponderosa to create routes to Old Town, Bob Kildee Park, and natural recreation areas like Calleguas Creek and the beach.
Station 4: Leisure Time and Quality of Life Station 4 focused on understanding how residents spend their leisure time and gathering ideas for improving the design and programming of public spaces in Camarillo. Interactive boards with text and images prompted participants to reflect on their leisure activities and share what types of parks, public spaces, and community amenities they would like to see in the future. Overall, a major theme among participants was the desire for expanded outdoor and recreational facilities. There was solid support for water-based recreation, such as water parks and splash pads. Residents would also like high-quality parks and specialized spaces like a children’s museum with a petting zoo and a trampoline park. Participants also envisioned a revitalized Old Town that prioritizes people over cars. Suggestions included making the area more pedestrian-friendly with increased outdoor seating and public plazas full of character. Further, the community called for an accessible and diverse food scene, which includes more gluten-free restaurant options, “food weeks,” food trucks, and small mom-and-pop restaurants. There was also a call for social services and inclusive programming, like more services and funding for homeless population and more secular community events. Majority of residents spent their leisure time doing home-based activities and digital entertainment, like reading, watching television, couch surfing, gaming (both board and video games), and computer projects. Outside of the home, the Camarillo YMCA serves as a hub for fitness and community connection. Station 5: Focus Areas Station 5 provided background on General Plan Focus Areas, locations where change is foreseeable in the next 10-20 years. Participants reviewed the information about the focus areas, then provided input on what they would like to see in each one. This could include land uses, amenities, design features, or programs they would like implemented. Input was collected via comment cards or sticky notes placed on or near each focus area board. Focus Area 1 Approximately 22-acres in size, Focus Area 1 is located at a prominent entry point into Camarillo from the west, on north side of US 101. Community members expressed a wide range of opinions about the future of this area. Some expressed interest in housing at this location while others saw an opportunity to attract new business and employment uses. At the other end of the range of opinions, some community members felt that the current smaller scale businesses in the areas represent the appropriate level of development for the area, and others felt that a focus on infill development in more centrally located areas should be a higher priority. Focus Area 2 Focus Area 2 is the 138-acre McGrath property located outside the City limit but inside the CURB urban limit line at a prominent western gateway into Camarillo, between the Airport and US 101. A large share of workshop participants expressed interest in publicly accessible open space, parkland, community gardens, a teaching farm, or continued agricultural uses at this location.
Some voiced interest in planned development with housing organized around parks and community recreational spaces, while others suggested it as a location for restaurant and retail uses. Focus Area 3 Focus Area 3 is a 5.6-acre commercial area visible from US 101. Workshop participants generally agreed that reinvestment in the area would improve the visual character of the area. Opinions were mixed as to the desired future of the area with some participants identifying it as a good location for restaurants and small businesses and others identifying it as a location for affordable housing. Focus Area 4 Focus Area 4 encompasses Old Town along Ventura Boulevard to the rail station. This area drew the largest number of comments from participants. Overall, there was a strong consensus for Old Town as a lively, walkable hub with active nightlife, outdoor dining, and enhanced public spaces. Some residents saw opportunities for high-density residential projects and 2-to-4-story mixed-use buildings along Ventura Boulevard while at least one participant wanted to keep Old Town as it is. In general, participants agreed that the area should retain vibrant commercial character and serve as a focal point of community life in the future. Participants also emphasized the need for new construction to match the existing historic architectural design found as well as for better connections to other parts of Camarillo. Focus Area 5 Focus Area 5 runs parallel to US 101 on the north side of the freeway and encompasses office buildings and associated surface parking lots. In general, there was support for introducing housing in this area, particularly in a mixed use format with apartments located above ground floor retail and restaurant uses. Some saw opportunities to create a walkable district in proximity to the rail station, while others expressed a preference for office and employment uses in the area. Focus Area 6 Centrally located within Camarillo, Focus Area 6 is the 100-acre Camarillo Commons area. Many participants saw this as a key priority area for infill redevelopment and expressed a preference for a vibrant mix of commercial, residential, and community-oriented uses. Many expressed interest in creating a walkable district with bicycle connections to and through the area. Some expressed interest in taller mixed use buildings that provide housing over shops and services. Others saw opportunities for entertainment and recreational uses in the area, such as a central plaza or a splash pad. Participants also emphasized the need to retain small, locally owned businesses in the area and large street trees. Focus Area 7
Focus Area 7 is the Dawson Drive industrial-office triangle located between Pleasant Valley Road, Lewis Drive and the railroad tracks. There was a wide variety of opinions about the future of this area, with some participants envisioning employment uses, others calling for affordable housing and at least one participant suggesting the addition of commercial uses along the Lewis Road frontage to serve new townhomes being development across Lewis to the west. Focus Area 8 Focus Area 8 is a 588-acre agricultural property on Pleasant Valley Road in the southwest of Camarillo. Many workshop participants expressed a preference that it remain in agricultural use, although a variety of other visions for the area were suggested, including housing for families, high tech businesses, and even a new high school. If the area is redeveloped, participants suggested buffering new development from the adjacent airport and introducing trees and landscaping to help mitigate urban heat and sequester carbon emissions. Focus Area 9 Focus Area 9 is a 7-acre area that features a large vacant property adjacent to Camarillo High School. Participants expressed a variety of opinions on the future of this area, suggesting it as a location for new housing - particularly housing for teachers and seniors; for a performing areas center; for open space and community gardens; for a Jewish cultural community center; or for school supportive uses or work-study uses. Some participants highlighted the need for lighting and pedestrian improvements in the area, facilitating safe access for students and others. Focus Area 10 Focus Area 10 is a cluster of vacant parcels totaling 14 acres visible from US 101 at a prominent eastern gateway to Camarillo. Several participants saw this as a good location for housing, potentially including higher density housing. Others identified it as a potential location for additional commercial uses or recreational open space perhaps with an environmental education component. Given proximity to Calleguas Creek, some cautioned against industrial uses that could pollute the waterways and others expressed concern for traffic impacts from new housing in the area. Focus Area 11 Focus Area 11 is a 42-acre triangular area prominently located at the eastern gateway to Camarillo, between Conejo Creek, Ridge View Road, and US 101. Many residents supported continued agricultural and open space uses on the site. Some supported thoughtful development with either freeway oriented retail and commercial uses or a master planned residential community organized around open space. Numerous commenters highlighted limited access and some noted that risk of wildfire and flooding as development constraints to consider. Some participants also offered general comments not specific to any particular focus area. These participants expressed a range of views about community needs with many highlighting the need for a wider variety of housing, including homes within reach for young families and middle income residents. At the same time, a number of other participants expressed a concern for the
pace of development and a preference for less growth and fewer new homes. A number of participants emphasized the need for more shade trees along streets and in public places and for environmentally sensitive development. Commenters also emphasize the importance of preserving farmland and adding performing arts spaces.
APPENDIX: OPEN HOUSE BOARDS COMMENTS Meeting #1: March 24, 2026 Station 2: Guiding Principles
Station 3: Mobility
Station 4: Leisure Time and Quality of Life
Meeting #2: March 28, 2026 Station 1: Welcome/Orientation
Station 2: Guiding Principles
Station 3: Mobility
Station 4: Leisure Time and Quality of Life
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B. Community Survey Report This chapter summarizes findings from the Community Survey conducted as part of the vision and guiding principles identification stage of Phase 1 of the preparation of the Camarillo General Plan Update. The survey was conducted online and was available to everyone from February 21, 2026, to May 15, 2026, through the project website, and received input from 401 contributors. Findings of the survey are summarized below. Detailed responses to the questions, including all responses to the open-ended questions, are provided in the Appendix. Community Engagement and Survey The survey was open from February 21, 2026, through May 15, 2026, and received 401 responses, with an average of 303 responses per question. Respondents were able to answer the survey on their own schedules, taking as much time as they would like to share feedback. The survey included 7 short answer and prioritization/ranking questions, with the addition of 4 demographic questions. The survey was not a scientific survey, and therefore the conclusions and findings in this report are not based on standards typically followed in a scientific survey, including sampling and represen-tation. However, the information can serve as a valuable reference for decisionmakers in evaluating priorities and issues that will inform policy development later on in the project. The survey was advertised to the public through a variety of platforms: • New slider on home page of the Our Camarillo website, with a link to the survey page. • Email blast to the City’s mailing list of interested parties who have signed up to receive notifications about the General Plan Update • Social media posts from the City’s social media accounts about the survey, including Insta-gram and Facebook. • Business cards with QR code linked to the project website handed out at pop up events and workshops. • Promotion by GPAC members by the use of flyers. • Newspaper ad in a local newspaper (Acorn), which included a QR code and link to the survey. • Newspaper ad in the Vida newspaper, which was placed on bulletin boards at gathering places around the city Survey Respondent Demographics The survey received 401 respondents, with an average of 303 responses per question. As an optional component of the survey, respondents were asked to identify their gender, age, their Council General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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District of residence, and how long they have lived in Camarillo. Demographic questions were asked at the end of the survey, and did not receive complete participation, hence the responses may not reflect the demographics of all respondents who answered other sections of the survey. A. What gender do you identify as? Respondents were first asked to provide information about their gender identity. The survey skewed more female than the citywide population, which is almost evenly split; 59 percent of survey respondents identified as female, 35 percent identified as male, 0.4 percent identified as non-binary, and 6 percent preferred not to answer as seen in Figure 1-1. Figure 1-1: What is your gender? B. What is your age? Respondents were also asked to provide information regarding their age (Figure 1-2). Of those who replied, 93 percent reported being 30 years or older, with the 45 to 64 age group representing the largest share of participants at 39 percent. The age demographic with the second-highest turnout was the 30 to 44 range (28 percent), followed closely by residents 65 and older at 25 percent. Conversely, younger demographics were signifi-cantly less represented in the survey results; respondents aged 29 or younger accounted for less than 7 percent of total responses. Specifically, the under-18 demographic comprised only 3 percent of the turnout, despite making up approximately 20 percent of Camarillo’s general population. With a median age of 41.8, Cama-rillo is, on average, older than Ventura County as a whole; however, even accounting for this, the under-30 demographic remains underrepresented relative to the city's census data as seen in Figure 1-3.
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Figure 1-2: What is your age? Figure 1-3: Camarillo Age Demographics (2024 Census) C. Where do you live? Please indicate your Council district (see Map 1)1 Respondents were asked to identify which of the five City Council districts they reside in based on a provided district map. As shown in Figure 1-4, the survey received participation from every dis-trict in the city. District 4 and District 5 saw the highest level of engagement at 21 percent. Districts 3, 1, and 2 followed with 20 percent, 17 percent, and 16 percent, respectively. Approximately 7 percent of respondents selected "Other," representing individuals living in unincorporated areas within the Sphere of Influence (SOI) or non-residents who work in or visit Camarillo. 1 Due to a clerical error in the digital survey form, "District 5" was not listed as a selectable text option. however, the district was clearly identified and labeled on the reference map provided to all participants. Based on the high volume of "Other" write-in responses and geographic descriptions provided, these responses were manually verified and at-tributed to District 5 to ensure data accuracy.
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UPLAND RD
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MISSION OAKS BLVD
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ARNEILL RD
ADOLFO RD
PLEASANT VALLEY RD
CARMEN DR
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S LAS POSAS RD
LAS POSAS RD
VALLEY VISTA DR
FAIRWAY DR
N LAS POSAS RD
CENTER SCHOOL RD
W PONDEROSA DR
LAS POSAS RD
LAS POSAS RD
UPLAND RD
SANTA ROSA RD
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MISSION OAKS BLVD
ARNEILL RD
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SANTA ROSA RD
MISSION DR
N LOOP DR
BEARDSLEY DR
CRESTVIEW AVE
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FLYNN RD
FLYNN RD
CAMARILLO SPRINGS RD
LADA AVE
RIDGE VIEW ST
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3 Data Source: City of Camarillo, 2025; Ventura County GIS, 2025; Dyett & Bhatia, 2025
CAMARILLO GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
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MILES
Survey Respondents by Camarillo Districts
CAMARILLO CURB
CAMARILLO SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
CAMARILLO CITY LIMITS
CAMARILLO CURB
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Percentage of Survey Respondents
District 1 - 16.5%
District 2 - 15.7%
District 3 - 19.5%
District 4 - 20.6%
District 5 - 20.6%
Camarillo Districts
City Limits
Sphere of Influence
CURB
#
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Figure 1-4: Where do you live? D. How long have you lived in Camarillo? As shown in Figure 1-5, the vast majority of participants are long-term residents, with 58 percent of respondents reporting living in Camarillo for more than 15 years. Residents living in the city for 11 to 15 years and 6 to 10 years each accounted for 10 percent of the total responses. Regarding newer residents, 16 percent reported living in the city for 1 to 5 years, and 1.5 percent indicated they have lived in Camarillo for less than one year. In addition, 4.5 percent of respondents identified as non-residents. Figure 1-4: How long have you lived in Camarillo?
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Survey Results Highlights of the online survey are discussed and summarized below. The full set of responses to open-ended questions is included in the Appendix. Analysis of Survey Responses Survey participants were asked 7 questions about their ideas and priorities for Camarillo. Some questions were open-ended while others prompted respondents to rank their priorities among many choices. Average scores provide insight into whether respondents generally agreed about what priority a statement was, or if there were strong opinions on both sides. Open-ended responses were synthesized and summarized to reveal broader patterns of responses. The percentages below refer to the number of responses for each particular question. Many ques-tions allowed participants to check multiple topics as priorities, and in some instances, respondents did not fully answer a question; thus, totals may not add up or may add to more than 100 percent. Question responses are analyzed based on the demographic information presented in the previous section. While demographic-based analysis of the survey provides valuable insights regarding the differences between different groups’ planning priorities, which can support more tailored policy approaches to meet different needs, caution is necessary when interpreting results by demographic categories. Only about 67 percent of the respondents provided demographic details, thereby limit-ing the ability to generalize findings across the full survey population or between demographic groups. Additionally, the sample sizes for each demographic category were not equivalent, which impacts the reliability and representativeness of results for certain groups, as smaller sample sizes in particular demographics may not accurately reflect the perspectives of these groups as a whole. Question 1: What do you like most about living in Camarillo? Respondents were provided an open comment box to identify the primary reasons they enjoy living in Camarillo. Through 375 individual responses, residents spoke about the city's balance of a re-laxed atmosphere and suburban services. Figure 2-1 presents a word cloud visualizing common themes found in these comments. A full list of comments is provided in the Appendix. • Small Town Character and Community (45%). Almost half of all respondents highlighted the "small town feel," "close-knit community," or "small town atmosphere". This group val-ues the city’s ability to maintain a quiet, friendly, and sleepy atmosphere often linked to its agricultural heritage. • Safety and Cleanliness (38%). Over one-third of the responses identified public safety and city maintenance as top qualities. Respondents frequently praised low crime rates and the General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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strong sense of security for raising families, often paired with praise for the absence of graf-fiti and the quality of well-maintained streets, medians, and parks. • Natural Beauty and Open Space (30%). Respondents expressed strong appreciation for the local scenery, including mountain views, open space, agricultural fields, and the abun-dance of trees and greenery. • Climate and Weather (28%). Over one-fourth of respondents cited "weather" or "climate" as a major draw for living in Camarillo. Respondents frequently highlighted the benefits of the area's temperate coastal climate. • Public Services and Local Amenities (27%). Respondents highlighted specific public as-sets and services, most notably the Camarillo Public Library, the high-rated school system, and the variety of local shopping and dining options. • Location and Regional Accessibility (23%). Nearly one-fourth of respondents noted Camarillo’s regional location as a "best of both worlds" scenario between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Many appreciated that the city is easy to navigate with minimal traffic com-pared to neighboring areas. • Family and Senior Orientation (13%). A notable portion of comments specifically ad-dressed the city's appeal to families and seniors, including mentions of Camarillo being a great place for a family, the availability of activities for children, and specific senior re-sources. • Other (<6%). Respondents also highlighted the city's financial health, friendly city staff, and patriotic spirit. Some respondents also expressed a deep appreciation for Camarillo's historical and agricultural heritage. Figure 2-1: What do you like most about living in Camarillo?
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Question 2: Looking forward, what is one thing that should be done to improve Camarillo? Respondents were provided an open comment box to identify specific improvements they believe would enhance the city over the next 25 years. Through 374 individual responses, residents spoke about the need for a balanced approach to growth that prioritizes infrastructure, affordability, and community vibrancy. Figure 2-2 presents a word cloud visualizing common themes found in these comments. A full list of comments is provided in the Appendix. • Infrastructure and Traffic Management (26%). A bit less than one-third of respondents identified traffic congestion and roadway quality as the primary areas for improvement. They specifically called for widening the 101 Freeway, improving the pavement on Lewis Road and Las Posas Road, better street paving, and synchronizing traffic signals to ease the commute. • Growth and Overdevelopment Control (25%). Over one-fourth of respondents called for stricter management of the city's expansion to preserve its unique identity. Respondents advocated for stopping or slowing high-density housing and large-scale commercial pro-jects, frequently noting that the city should focus on keeping Camarillo small. • Vibrancy, Dining, and Old Town Revitalization (24%). Enhancing the city’s social appeal was a common theme, with respondents suggesting the city revitalize Old Town and fill vacant storefronts. Suggestions included attracting unique, non-chain restaurants, improv-ing nightlife options, and creating more family-friendly spaces like a splash pad. • Housing Affordability (21%). Nearly one-quarter of respondents emphasized the need for more affordable living options within the city. Feedback highlighted concerns that rising costs for both renting and buying are pricing out younger families and seniors, making the community less sustainable for many local residents. • Alternative Mobility and Walkability (18%). Many respondents identified non-car trans-portation as a key focus for improvement. Key priorities included adding protected bike lanes, repairing uneven sidewalks, and expanding the accessibility of public transportation, such as the trolley and regional bus routes. • Safety, Maintenance, and Public Health (14%). Respondents identified a need for higher standards of city maintenance and public safety. Comments focused on addressing the homeless population with compassion and safety in mind, increasing police visibility, and removing star pine trees that damage public walkways. • Other (<5%). Respondents also mentioned miscellaneous improvements including the mitigation of airport noise, returning the library to the Ventura County Library System, and improving cellular reception in dead zones like Mission Oaks.
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Figure 2-2: What is one thing that should be done to improve Camarillo? Question 3: What do you consider to be the most important priorities for Cam-arillo over the next 25 years? Drag and reorder the items in this list to indicate your priorities, with the top item representing highest priority and the bottom item representing lowest priority. Respondents were asked to rank twelve statements to identify their top priorities for the city’s fu-ture. This question was completed by 329 respondents, with the relative importance of each priority determined by weighted averages, where a higher score reflects a higher overall ranking. As shown in Figure 2-3, the most dominant priority by a significant margin was “Maintaining Camarillo's small city feel,” which earned the highest weighted average score of 9.91. Notably, over 50 percent of all respondents selected this as their number one highest priority. Economic and com-mercial vitality also emerged as significant concerns for the community. “Creating more jobs locally so residents can both live and work in Camarillo” was the second highest priority with a weighted average of 8.39, followed closely by “Revitalizing older shopping centers” at 7.98. The mid-tier priorities focused on the city’s demographic balance, essential services, and cultural vitality. Attracting and retaining younger households by providing a range of housing types and pathways to homeownership emerged as a key mid-tier goal with an average score of 7.80l notably, this was also the second most common highest priority choice among respondents, at 10 percent. This was followed by the foundational need for upgrading and modernizing water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure, which scored 7.40. The desire for local vibrancy was also reflected in the rankings, with expanding dining and enter-tainment options following at 7.19 and strengthening Old Town's vitality and business health earn-ing a 7.09. Further priorities included encouraging more arts and culture in Camarillo (5.27) and improving community resilience to natural hazards (5.16). Rounding out the mid-tier was the goal of fostering physical and mental health for residents of all ages, which received a score of 4.93.
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Finally, the lowest-ranked specific priority was “Focusing on high-quality design in new develop-ments,” which received a weighted average of 4.15. “Other” responses are summarized below. Eighty-four respondents provided comments in the “other” category, which received an overall weighted average of 2.73. Because many respondents identified multiple concerns in a single comment, the percentages below reflect the frequency of themes mentioned across the 91 individual comments provided. • Growth Management and City Character (26%). The most frequently mentioned theme was growth management and the preservation of Camarillo's small town character. Re-spondents strongly supported limiting new development, preserving open space and farm-land, and managing population density to avoid urban sprawl. • Infrastructure and Traffic Safety (23%). Respondents highlighted a critical need for better road maintenance (specifically fixing potholes), synchronized traffic signals to reduce con-gestion, and safer streets for children and active lifestyles. • Public Safety and Homelessness (19%). Responses emphasized maintaining high levels of law enforcement, consistent code enforcement, and proactive measures to prevent home-less encampments. • Camarillo Airport Operations (14%). Respondents expressed frustration with noise gen-erated by private aircraft and urged the city to better regulate flight paths to avoid residen-tial neighborhoods. • Environmental Maintenance and Landscaping (13%). Themes included transitioning to native, drought-tolerant plants and removing trees perceived as fire hazards, such as the pine trees along the Ponderosa corridor. • Housing Affordability (8%). Comments focused on the need for genuinely affordable housing options for low-income residents and seniors on fixed income. • Healthcare and Medical Infrastructure (8%). Respondents called for improvements to local medical infrastructure, including expanding hospital capacity and trauma center ca-pabilities. • Other (<5%). Other mentions included school quality and extracurricular funding, trans-parency in local governance, and specific senior or family programming. A full list of comments is provided in the Appendix.
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Figure 2-3: What do you consider to be the most important priorities for Cam-arillo over the next 25 years? Question 4: Thinking about getting around Camarillo, how should the following types of improvements be prioritized over the next 25 years? Drag and reorder the items in this list to indicate your priorities, with the top item representing highest priority and the bottom item representing lowest priority. Respondents were asked to rank nine categories of transportation improvements to identify the community’s long-term mobility priorities over the next 25 years. This question was completed by 294 respondents, with the relative importance of each improvement determined by weighted aver-ages where a higher score reflects a higher priority. As shown in Figure 2-4, the primary concern for respondents is “Reducing traffic congestion on city streets,” which earned the highest weighted average of 7.26. Reflecting a significant consensus, over 51 percent of all respondents ranked traffic reduction as their number one highest priority. Active transportation and safety also emerged as significant priorities, with making it easier, safer, and more fun to bike in Camarillo receiving a weighted average of 6.65, followed closely by creating safer biking and walking routes to schools and parks for children at 6.49. Mid-tier priorities focused on regional connectivity and public transit, including improving con-nections to and from the train station (5.97), expanding Camarillo Area Transit bus and trolley routes and frequency (5.33), and improving multi-modal connections across the US 101 (4.63). The lowest-ranked specific improvements included planning for new transportation technologies, such as electric vehicle infrastructure and ride-share zones (3.77), and providing sidewalks and pedes-trian pathways in industrial areas (3.31).
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“Other” responses are summarized below. Forty-six respondents provided write-in comments in the “other” category, which received an overall weighted average of 1.61. Because many respond-ents identified multiple concerns in a single comment, the percentages below reflect the frequency of themes mentioned across the 50 individual comments provided. • Public Transit and Senior Accessibility (24%). Respondents emphasized the need for more reliable, free, and frequent senior transportation, expanded Metrolink/Amtrak ser-vice to Los Angeles, and addressing the undependability of current Dial-a-Ride or health care district transit. • Biking and Pedestrian Enhancements (22%). Feedback included requests for protected bike lanes with physical barriers, secure bicycle storage at shops and restaurants, and the removal of fire-hazardous trees that damage sidewalks. • Infrastructure and Roadway Capacity (16%). Feedback highlighted the need for widening the 101 freeway and Lewis Road, synchronizing traffic signals on major arteries, and man-aging congestion near major shopping centers. • Safety and Traffic Calming (11%). Respondents advocated for lower speed limits on ma-jor roads, improved street lighting for student safety near high schools, and the installation of roundabouts to reduce accidents. • Walkability and Planning (11%). Some responses called for higher-density and mixed-use zoning to foster a city where residents can walk to all necessary services and shops. • Alternative Mobility and Innovation (8%). Specific suggestions included making Cama-rillo a golf-cart-friendly community, building gondola systems between shopping hubs, and preparing for future autonomous vehicle integration. • Other (<3%). Respondents also mentioned miscellaneous topics such as improving FM radio reception in Mission Oaks, the installation of disc golf courses, and term limits for local officials. A full list of comments is provided in the Appendix.
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Figure 2-4: Thinking about getting around Camarillo, how should the following types of improvements be prioritized over the next 25 years? Question 5: Please indicate your level of support for adding the following types of uses and amenities to Camarillo’s older shopping centers to help revitalize them. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of support for adding eight different types of uses and amenities to Camarillo’s older shopping centers to help revitalize them. This question was completed by 295 respondents, who rated each strategy on a scale from “Strongly Support” to “Strongly Oppose”. Overall, respondents expressed a high degree of enthusiasm for transforming these spaces into so-cial and community hubs. As shown in Figure 2-5, the most popular options were “Activities and events” and “Dine-in restaurants,” both of which received support or strong support from over 91 percent of respondents. There was also significant backing for “Plazas, outdoor seating, and kids play areas,” with 90 percent of respondents indicating support. Commercial and service-oriented additions also received broad approval from the community, with “Commercial recreation” and “Services” (such as medical clinics and postal services) both see-ing support levels of approximately 75 and 76 percent, respectively. While “Public art” was gener-ally well-received with 72 percent total support, it drew notable pushback, with roughly 15 percent of respondents expressing opposition. “Housing” emerged as the most polarizing revitalization strategy; while a majority of respondents (63 percent) supported its inclusion, 32 percent were in opposition, including a significant portion who strongly opposed the idea.
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“Other” responses are summarized below. Thirty-six respondents provided write-in comments in the “other” category. Because many respondents identified multiple concerns in a single comment, the percentages below reflect the frequency of themes mentioned across the 36 individual com-ments provided. • Mixed-Use Housing (25%). Respondents supported housing integrated above commercial spaces or mixed with office buffers to improve walkability, though some expressed con-cerns about high-density projects and potential negative impacts on property values. • Vibrancy and Entertainment (20%). Feedback emphasized a desire for more “vibrant” social assets, such as live theater, comedy shows, breweries, and botanical gardens, to pro-vide more local engagement beyond traditional shopping. • Public Art and City Character (18%). While generally supportive of art, respondents spe-cifically criticized current statues for not reflecting Camarillo's history and urged the city to select future pieces that honor its agricultural roots. • Environment and Infrastructure (14%). Respondents raised concerns regarding light pol-lution from proposed light shows and urged the city to prioritize solar panels, EV charging, and ensuring utility capacity before further construction. • Retail Diversity and Social Layouts (15%). Suggestions included focusing on unique bou-tique stores over common chains (like nail salons or gyms) and creating “restaurant rows” with attractive, quiet outdoor dining areas. • Accessibility and Governance (9%). Respondents highlighted the need for improved bus stop areas and reiterated calls for term limits and prioritizing private property rights in redevelopment decisions. • Other (<4%). Miscellaneous mentions included specific calls to lower speed limits, limit the proliferation of gas stations, and implement term limits for local officials. A full list of comments is provided in the Appendix.
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Figure 2-5: Please indicate your level of support for adding the following types of uses and amenities to Camarillo’s older shopping centers to help revitalize them? Question 6: Please indicate your levels of support for the following. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of support for six different policy initiatives related to land use, conservation, and technology. This question was completed by approximately 286 re-spondents, who rated each initiative on a scale from “Strongly Support” to “Strongly Oppose”. As shown in Figure 2-6, the community expressed a clear mandate in favor of environmental preser-vation and focused growth. The two most supported policies were “Additional policies for open space conservation” followed by “Restricting development to infill areas to preserve agricultural land” at 81 percent. These results underscore a robust community preference for protecting natural boundaries and prioritizing growth within existing developed areas. Technological and cultural enhancements also saw strong backing from respondents, with 74 percent supporting “Smart city” technology—such as adaptive traffic lights—and 71 percent supporting additional policies for art in parks and public places. While “Relaxing requirements for undergrounding power lines” to encourage redevelopment was supported by 62 percent of respondents, it drew a more varied response, including 22 percent who expressed opposition. Conversely, “Rezoning agricultural land to allow more development” was the most opposed initiative by a significant margin. This proposal was rejected by 76 percent of re-spondents, with a majority (52 percent) indicating they were “Strongly Opposed,” further reinforc-ing the priority of agricultural preservation as a core community value. This question did not in-clude an open-ended “Other” category for additional comments.
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Figure 2-6: Please indicate your level for the following.
Question 7: Are there any other issues not covered in this survey that you think the General Plan should prioritize over the next 25 years? As the final question of the survey, respondents were provided an open comment box to identify any other issues not covered in the survey that the General Plan should prioritize over the next 25 years. Through 168 individual responses, respondents spoke about a wide variety of long-term con-cerns ranging from growth management to technological privacy. Figure 2-7 presents a word cloud visualizing common themes found in these comments. A full list of comments is provided in the Appendix. • Growth Management and Character (24%). A primary concern for respondents was the preservation of Camarillo’s "small town" feel. Feedback strongly advocated for limiting new development, stopping urban sprawl, and protecting agricultural boundaries to prevent Camarillo from becoming a "big city". • Community Services, Education, and Culture (20%). Respondents urged continued sup-port for the library, animal shelter, and high-rated schools. Feedback also called for more vibrant entertainment options for young adults, better coordination with CSUCI, and cre-ating free community meeting spaces for non-profits. • Housing Affordability and Diversity (22%). Respondents emphasized the need for more affordable housing options to allow younger families and seniors to remain in the commu-nity. Comments called for creative housing arrangements, such as "missing middle" town-homes, tiny homes for retirees, and housing prioritized on infill lots. • Infrastructure and Transportation (16%). Respondents raised concerns regarding wors-ening traffic congestion on the 101 freeway and city streets, while calling for the synchro-nization of traffic signals and roadway widening. Other suggestions included better re-gional transit (such as LAX commuter services), and noise abatement for the airport. • Environment, Sustainability, and Resilience (14%). Long-term priorities included water sustainability, wildfire prevention through hillside maintenance, and carbon footprint
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reduction. Respondents also noted specific issues like the maintenance of star pine trees on city sidewalks and the transition to native landscaping. • Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (11%). Respondents emphasized the im-portance of maintaining high safety standards, fully funding the police department, and addressing homelessness to keep neighborhoods safe. Feedback also called for enhanced natural disaster response planning—specifically for fires and earthquakes—as well as the creation of smaller police substations in shopping centers to improve community policing. • Other (<3%): Respondents highlighted several unique priorities, including the implemen-tation of term limits for local officials and improving cellular service in "dead zones". No-tably, some respondents also called for specialized care centers and semi-independent housing for adults with intellectual disabilities, as well as clearer regulations and licensing for e-bikes. A full list of comments is provided in the Appendix. Figure 2-7: Are there any other issues not covered in this survey that you think the General Plan should prioritize over the next 25 years?
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Appendix: Open-Ended Responses C. Where do you live? Please indicate your Council district (see map) Unincorporated Unincorporated heights Unincorporated Camarillo Cam heights. - county Within the Camarillo Sphere of Influence (Monte Vienda) Unincorporated just north of zone 3 Los posas estates - no representation :( Oxnard commuting to Camarillo daily Own businesses in Camarillo Not currently a resident of City of Camarillo Out of town Moorpark Live at CSUCI Non resident Simi Valley, CA Outside Camarillo Note: The open-ended responses listed below served as the primary data source for manually identifying and attributing participants to District 5. 5 District 5 5 5 District 5 District 5 District 5 District 5 District 5 5 District 5 5 District 5 district 5 5 5 General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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5 5 District 5- Village at the Park District 5 District 5 District 5 5 5 5 Five, and why is it not listed? District 5 District 5 District 5 District 5 District 5 5 5 District 5 District 5 District 5, Camino Ruiz apartments 5 District 5 District 5 District 5 District 5 5 District 5 5 leisure village 5 5 5 District 5 5 District 5 5 5 5 Five Question 1. What do you like most about living in Camarillo? Low key with good services and recreation potential Well maintained city , streets, medians & buildings General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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close community, weather, beautiful upkeep, open farm land, close to the beach, many com-munity events , something for all ages The community and events that bring us together (summer concerts, etc). Lifestyle: good weather, good outdoor activities; living close to nature, convenient shopping, freeway access, safety The cleanliness the friendliness Parks, community events, people Parks, safety, family friendly events, and the people. I love the small town atmosphere while also still having the variety of shopping through the premium outlets and the new Costco Safe community, beautiful weather. Safety and weather Low cost of living given the safety and cleanliness in comparison to other places Safety, cleanliness, nicely kept communal spaces Weather, kindness of people, convenience and lack of congestion Coming from Los Angeles, less congestion and less traffic in Camarillo. I feel much safer here. Peaceful, small town environment, Small town that is kept clean and beautiful Small town vibe, quaint and safe. I grew up here and now I live with my sister who has a house here. A lot has changed but Cam-arillo still retains some of its small town feel. Small town vibes, small businesses, stronger sense of community Community, chill vibes, clean, diverse population, parks I live right outside of Camarillo but spend time there. I love the Farmer's Market. The weather weather. all convenient shopping needs are close by. the beach is close enough to visit when desired. Hiking nearby. croplands and open space is around the city. convenient to get to LA or SB when needed. we have good parks for families, children, sports, etc. Low population Clean streets, lots of parks, community events and the weather. Peaceful and quiet I like that the city is clean, safe, there are not a lot of homeless people on the streets. Things are well kept, and it's not severely overcrowded We are thinking about moving from NYS to Camarillo. Well maintained streets, landscaping and development. small town feel but amenities Low key with good services and recreation potential Well maintained city , streets, medians & buildings Small town feel Small, close knit community The small town feel. Small town feel, not like other neighboring cities Small town feel, not like other neighboring cities The rural aspect of Camarillo. Its serenity, beautiful vistas, small town feel. The parks and places for kids to play General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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The open space and small town atmosphere I don't live here the serenity of a small town with beautiful views of the mountains and the Oxnard plain Its location to both LA and the beaches. Responsive city with growing population. The small town feel as well as its location to both LA and the beaches. weather weather Parks, police department, small town feel, community resources, close to beach Small town atmosphere - lots of unique restaurants and shops Quiet, safe, health care close Clean air, green spaces It used to be very quiet, small, with lots of open space. The small town feel When I moved here in 1992, Camarillo had the feeling of a small community similar to the one I grew up in; a great place for a family. Cool temps, trees, and green spaces The small town feel The safe, small town community Open spaces, fields The open spaces and agricultural fields The community, access to open spaces, and playgrounds that are well maintained. Safety Very little traffic, still has open space, not built to the max with houses like TO, Santa Clarita or the valley. Small town feel People seem to really care- about each other and the community overall No traffic and safety The cleanliness, the style and landscape Best weather, Friendly people, Graffiti free, No crime City. Real Dream town !!! Suburban The library. The parks! I don't live here it is a sleepy town old mostly no gangs or what have u Safe and friendly people. The city is not too large. I like the "small town vibe" - as in a strong community bond for all but also that it has the necessary resources and services for convenience and a positive lifestyle for all. how people are friendly Weather Safe place with a little bit of everything available, and also close to SB and LA The community, opportunities/events for families and kids and safe spaces to enjoy around town. Weather , friendly people and safety. Our farmland - the beauty, the productivity, and the people of our farmland Small town feel the maintenance of all the foliage. The parks, the people. The ease of proximity to all the shopping. Let’s keep Camarillo small.
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Small town feel the maintenance of all the foliage. The parks, the people. The ease of proximity to all the shopping. Let’s keep Camarillo small. The small town feeling and not so busy streets. The Weather and proximity to the beach. Elementary schools. Small town feel, but close enough to bigger cities and larger events like plays, concerts, or sports. I like how close everyone is together. Smaller town feel. How quiet and safe Camarillo is! Financially sound, well maintained. The community and the weather, and the schools Weather The hills and open spaces, ag land The overall area Small town feel my friends, family, scenery, peace, and events. How quiet and peaceful it is. The natural beauty like the creek as well as our access to the beach and the beautiful land like in Camarillo springs or near CSUCI. Family friendly Community events. Small business support Little to no crime, safe, quiet community, decently walkable town, near air shows, near 2 fire departments. Small city, less noisy than bigger places (LA) Open spaces and weather Family friendly Small town surrounded by historic agricultural fields I like the small town feel. I like that it’s a quiet place to live. Good high rated schools Calm It’s a small and quiet town. It’s quiet and a nice place to raise kids. The weather The small town feel We love the parks, the butterfly gardens, the city events, the great schools. Clean and nice landscaping. It’s smaller than Oxnard and Ventura Clean, safe, good school, nice weather and friendly community It's clean and the weather is beautiful. It is easy to get almost everything I need in this city. Smaller town feel. Cleanliness. Homeless not welcome. Safe It is very clean and safe, and has a diverse and friendly community. Nice accessible parks and trails. The parks, the greenery and the people. That it still preserves a bit of small town vibe. How family-oriented it is. Small-town feel. Charming. Beautiful landscape and greenery. The Camarillo police make me feel very safe too. The weather General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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Small town feel, adequate parks/recreation Clean and quiet Close proximity to nature and metropolitan area The weather It’s quiet and not overly congested. I like the people, low crime, safe neighborhood, excellent schools. It has a smaller town feel and isn’t overrun with people and traffic (compared to OC or LA) The Weather! I'm new here from Chicago Quiet, beautiful, centrally located to big cities, still has small town feel. Grew up here my entire life. Safety and cleanliness I like the small town vibe and the weather. I also like how safe Camarillo is. Centrally located to larger cities and strong schools. The welcoming community Small and clean, small amount of homeless & gangs. Low crime It's beautiful The recreation and park services. It's beautiful No traffic Quiet. Safe. Small town that is near larger areas. The SMALL AIRPORT that has limited traffic!!! Size That it used to be a smaller community The small community feeling, although Camarillo was a starting to get very big and busy now. I love Camarillo because it’s clean and well-maintained. I also appreciate the parks and the sense of peace—it feels safe, and I don’t have to worry about gang members when my teenager goes to get a snack or hangs out at the park. I love that we don’t have obnoxious parties every weekend until 3 a.m. It’s quiet, and I know that kind of environment comes at a price. Small town feel Lower population, open spaces, ease of moving around (this is getting worse with traffic last few years) Feels safe, clean landscape on public streets, no graffiti, less homeless than other areas No outsiders, safety, no traffic, suburb living. Camarillo has an easy pace and is easy to navigate across town most days. No homeless, no traffic, no outsiders Fair weather. Fair weather. Small town Small Town atmosphere and friendly residents. I like living in a custom house with some land around it. It’s simple and quiet here Its small town atmosphere and friendly community life. I lived here my whole life. It has grown so much since 1981. Plenty of things to do, go shopping and restaurants. I feel safe living here. I like that I am close to everything and can walk or take public transport.
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Great weather, abundant shopping uncrowded. Small town feel Small town feel Small town feel. Neighbors helping neighbors. Quite, clean and well kept streets and parks Weather, location, community I like that I can walk to everything I need in the city. It feels like a small town. Small, friendly I have lived here 40 years, still has small town feel The area stores, shops and restaurants. environment, climate, people-friendly, trees The city is relatively safe. Law enforcement is active. Streets and parks are well-maintained. Communication from the city is straightforward. Climate. Safety. Attractive City. Ease and availability of shopping, stores and services farmland, open space, trees in medians, financial health of city The friendly people, parks, and cleanliness. Streets are well maintained. Graffiti is taken care of. No Homeless encampments. Everything within 2 miles. Great health care services. I did the Citizen Academy and am impressed with the dedication of our officials. I could go on .... Safety and weather The small-town atmosphere instills security and confidence. The schools are excellent. Cama-rillo has a great atmosphere for shopping. The streets are well maintained. The trees inspire due to their pristine. Aura. History - I have lived here my whole life. Small town feel The weather and sense of community The many parks and recreational opportunities, the good range of local shopping and restau-rants, public safety and clean streets. Safety, cleanliness, weather & small town feel. Safety, weather, cleanliness. Small town feel. Living in Camarillo as many benefits, one of my favorites is having a loving community. Weather obviously, and sense of community. The weather is amazing. How clean the city is. Ease of access to local shopping EXCEPT the 101 Freeway traffic that all local cities make fun of. I like the welcoming of new initiatives to improve the quality of life. The relatively safe living is what keeps me here. Of course, the wonderful weather and beautiful trees in this city do as well. Friendly, small town on the edge of a metropolis. Greenbelts and the Soar initiative. Quite, clean well maintained streets and parks The somewhat small town nature of the city I like the community and how everything is around me. I don’t need to go far for banks, grocery stores, food and shopping, schools etc.
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Weather the rural feel before too much housing was allowed It’s easy to live here. No crowded and people are friendly. Low crime Sense of community It is safe, clean, family friendly City services, community atmosphere, surrounded by open spaces, park concerts, Camarillo house events, Camarillo outlets, responsive city government. The safe, family-friendly community Camarillo is safe and welcoming, the weather is nice, and the City takes care of the basics (clean roads etc.). I think the people are nice and it is a good place to raise a family "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression." The adage holds strong in every aspect of life, but in relation to Camarillo, these things make living here better. Maintained roadways (landscaping that's aesthetically pleasing and weed-free and minimal potholes); no graffiti; homeless in shelters and not on the streets; small businesses thriving, with very few empty storefronts; and neighborhoods with a variety of clean parks and open spaces. The small town yet suburban feel. Weather, clean air, my neighbors, trees The weather, the cleanliness, the people The community Friendly, calm atmosphere The beautiful weather the beauty and the weather the general geniality of the people; the weather (except Santa Anas) A more relaxed, rural feel then the general LA area. Small, rural town, weather, surrounded by farmlands, low crime. Good proximity, and distance from Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. No trash, industrial area looks congruous. Clean, safe community with nice parks and convenient shopping and community resources. It is not the Valley. Weather I love how family-friendly Camarillo is. Everything is oriented around families: parks, recreation, community, church communities. Camarillo is very family friendly and a great place to raise kids. It feels safe. The weather is perfect Slower pace Proactive water conservation measures and protecting agricultural lands. The combination of Community mixed with the farmland…makes a perfect home The weather and how clean Camarillo is. Community The weather. Weather Proximity of shopping The small-town feel and feeling of belonging to a smaller community. Friendly people and strong community support A peaceful easy feeling near the ocean.
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Many places can be comfortably walked to The activities available to children and families. Low crime rate. How accessible it is to get to other cities via public transportation. Smaller town feel, mom and pop shops, although they are sadly fading away. Nothing Access to natural areas, proximity to the coast. Safe neighborhoods, good schools. Living in Old Town with a neighborly environment with culture and art. The small-town feel, the Farmers Market, the layout of the roads, the variety of restaurants, the Outlets, the weather and location. The climate and rural atmosphere The climate It is quiet and clean The quietness, cleanliness, and the mountains view I like that we are a safe community. I like the small town feel and close knit nature of our com-munity. I love our parks and open spaces. The small town feel/community. Honestly, not a lot. I would move if I could. It's horribly expensive, you have to drive to go anywhere, there is hardly anywhere to go or anything to do but shop and eat, and the city talks out of both sides of its mouth on environmental issues. Weather, low crime, safe The community opportunities and green spaces. The general location - fabulous climate, proximity to major hubs, not far from the ocean. Natural beauty and weather I like the fact that our city prioritizes good infrastructure. The community is well organized and safe. Personally, I like how calm and quiet Camarillo generally is-not very much of the overt chaos bigger cities tend to have. It's also still quite an easy place to get comfortably familiar with, though I might just be biased because I've lived here literally my whole life. I like that all of the apartments I've lived in have been within walking distance of at least one grocery-store-like place. Small community feel. Safe and clean city Generally easy to get around town from place to place. Decent variety of stores and shopping. Open spaces like parks and fields. Low crime. Law enforcement presence Quiet. Low graffiti. It’s a great place to raise a family. We live in a beautiful place! Climate is perfect, people friendly, nice parks, open door feel for city council wanting community input small town feel with all the amenities Location and weather. Small town feel. The weather, small town atmosphere. Not too much traffic Slower pace, clean streets, easy access to necessities, many beautiful parks with improvements. The people are friendly and familiar! General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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Friendly neighbors, great weather, good location near attractions but with the small town vibe. Being able to get from one side of town to the other in 15 min. Weather and small town feel. The stability. While other cities in the county have gone downhill, Camarillo has progressed but the culture has remained the same. That it is safe and family oriented. That we have a fantastic police department team. That through Project Hope, we actively try to assist people get off the street, find jobs, and housing without attracting more homeless from surrounding areas. That we started a Homeless Collab-orative group about two years ago, although I haven't heard of any meetings or progress in months. That we have a fantastic cross-section of small businesses and restaurants. That we will soon have a Costco. That we have an Amtrak station. That we essentially have 5 mayors. That we have a bustling senior citizen population with several outstanding assisted living facil-ities not to mention Leisure Village. The climate I don't live here. But I work Here! I love the weather and view of this beautiful city The community feel. The beautiful scenery and quality of life. I love that it isn’t a large city and has retained its cozy, small-town character shaped by its agri-cultural roots. Preserving the integrity of that history and honoring the town’s agricultural her-itage is extremely important to me. Access to Beach Not a typical suburb, more history The weather, accessibility to 101 freeway and nearby city centers. Slower pace of living. Safe, Clean The weather, community, agriculture and slower pace of life. Our weather and proximity to beaches The clean streets. Lovely landscaped medians. The clean streets. The lovely landscaping in the medians. The pretty Spanish Style architecture. The quaint shopping Well run town with many trees, clean air, and safety It is safe and quiet. Good place to have a family. The weather When you enter it you feel a sense of community. The master plan allowed growth but a clear vision of a cohesive plan in traffic, landscaping, height color and design. Walkways are well kept and lit. Signage is attractive and easy to read. Old town is great. Our summer concerts bring my from all over come to join us. The funding of industrial parks and outlet is so helpful to has a course of funding that’s local. Staff at city hall are so friendly and professional. Library is a shin-ning asset and so well run teaching ass ages. As a senior I can say our health senior ctr is amaz-ing . I wish this town had stopped growing 15 years ago! Development is ruining everything I used to love about this special place that my family has called home for multiple generations. Climate, well run city, great place to live we thank the city for doing the fine job of managing the city I feel a strong sense of community about town. The great pains taken to develop a cohesive neighborhood with attention to planning as we grow. We are not one strip mall or scrambled like Oxnard or on long street like Thousand Oaks. We have beautiful landscaping throughout.
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No trash. No graffiti. Safe sidewalks. Senior services and medical care all right here. Our library is a source of pride with extensive outreach to all ages. It is also beautiful to look at! Climate, small town feel but has history. Culturally diverse, charming city and people. the weather restaurants, location relative to LA and Santa Barbara The proximity to the beach, to LA, and to other Ventura County communities. Safety & Security of City; welcoming environment. Quiet neighborhoods, minimal traffic, low building rates, and the quality care given to our roads and parkways. Proximity to nature, feeling safe Quiet, slow paced, safe environment with great weather. Weather, parks and community I like the parts of Camarillo that feel like a small town, rather than ‘just another suburb’. This goes especially for old town, but mission oaks hiking and parks. Also the weather, Amazing community, clean parks, beautiful landscapes, and awesome views 360° around the city. safety Small town feel It’s safe, clean, well kept and a nice quiet suburban community without the messiness, home-less that are found in larger liberal cities. Safe, clean, weather, low key Weather Climate Open Space I love the small town feel although traffic is getting worse and worse. I love the many neighbor-hood parks. It is beautiful. The pleasant weather, the low crime, the friendly people, the patriotic spirit, the churches, its proximity to medical facilities. There's also plenty to do. It's Main St. U.S.A. west-coast style. The streets are well maintained. I like the availability of farmland with fresh produce, the beauty of the mountains weather, people Quiet tree-lined streets. small town vibes I feel safe here I like the weather and the small town feel. easy to navigate it's relatively small and easy to navigate Low crime, good services, and a quiet, peaceful life. I’ve lived here for 62 years. Now I can say it is the weather. The small town feel is gone. I’ve lived here for 62 years. Now I can say it is the weather. The small town feel is gone. The climate The weather and the beauty of the community. Small town feel Safe, friendly community of good size, not too big and not too small.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-29
The agricultural heritage, the weather, proximity to Los Angeles, without being in Los Angeles. The feeling of order and safety as well as well maintained areas The feeling of community and safety. I feel like things are generally well taken care of and the updates to shopping centers, parks, and the like are appreciated. The small town atmosphere. The cleanliness. I like it because it has been my home for 68 years. I grew up here and am comfortable here. I live close to a grocery store and it's easy to get around the city. When driving around the city most everything looks nice, clean and kept up. We have lots of parks and two movie theaters. Good roads, sound financial management Good roads, sound financial management, parks The tight-community feel, but I also love how clean and well maintained our City is. Clean well maintained city Safety, weather, beautiful surroundings. Safety, weather, geography The small town feel I have lived in Camarillo since 1963, even though we have grown it still seems like a small town in many ways. I like that we have commercial and business growth to fund the city and still have areas that represent our community such as Constitution Park and Old Town. Relaxing lifestyle. The library, the small town feel, the well-maintained streets/trees/signage, the lack of traffic, and the quietness. The people, sense of community, routine/timely and upkeep of roads and parks. Weather Lots of parks for young kids and help for seniors Safe area with enough community conveniences without big city feel. Small town feel, peaceful small enough town with some amenities and shopping Peaceful bedroom community quiet, laid back and uncrowded. Great parks, good monetary city management and minimal development. Climate, relative safely, clean streets, access to shopping, access to farm produce, good library, senior activities, university available, Camarillo community band, Rancho Campana High School, nice housing, good fire department, several museums. Weather & small town atmosphere My neighbors Lots of greenery and great landscaping along the roadways. No trash or unsightly areas. I love the location! Small town atmosphere but close to big City events. The size of the town, the abundance of parks, and the Old Town area. One of the things I like most is the feeling of a small town, but not a lack of infrastructure and amenities that can be a hallmark of small towns. The community presents itself very well. Clean and friendly That it had a small town feel.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-30
At 74 yrs , I grew up in Camarillo and have seen sooo much transformation. Not all of it has been bad but I still wish there were more trees. I will forever have great memories. Old Town community events. Walkability, restaurants Amount of parks available and how centrally they are located The weather 1) Location - coastal temperature community within reasonable distance to LA. 2) Size: big enough to have good city services (roads, landscaping, public transit) and big stores (Costco, outlets, Chic-fil-a) but still has small town charm (farm stands, Fiesta, summer con-certs) 1) Location: a coastal climate community within reasonable distance to LA. 2) Size: city large enough to have good services (eg roads, landscape, parks) and draw business (eg Costco, outlets, Chic-fil-a) while still having small town charm (Fiesta, farm stands, summer concerts, farmland). The weather. There are not as many fascists like the Tennessen family here as there are in Simi. The weather! The mountains I really love the greenery and how well lit the streets in town are, and the community is obvi-ously wonderful lol Small town on the edge of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. My neighbors It is safe and friendly. There are lots of areas to be outdoors and walk. All the trees make it beautiful. Question 2. Looking forward, what is one thing that should be done to improve Camarillo? Encouraging walking/biking access for health and community business's Parking in old town to enhance a downtown area to walk around & enjoy the city with friends add more concerts in the park (at least double )and community fesitvals, art fairs etc I think there should be some organization to bring teens together and/or help teens find groups of people to hang out with (like by making clubs/interest groups?). Also maybe something for teens to have a voice within the city government? Invest in the future: We are going to get shocks; bad stuff happens. Our kids are not being well-educated. With the price of housing, they may have to move elsewhere when they are on their own. Revitalize shopping area on Ventura Boulevard More family friendly businesses/cafes More kid/family friendly cafes. More housing should be created to attack the affordability crisis. Jet suite X type of service at Camarillo airport. More and/or repaired pickleball courts! Housing prices should be lower. I know all the elderly want to keep the prices up, but Camarillo can’t just be a city of the elderly. Who will help them? More family homes built rather than condos and apartments Walkability More restaurants (although I know that's not in your control) General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-31
Make the streets more bike friendly. Enforced laws concerning nuisance dog barking. This has gotten out of control since the pan-demic. Also enforced existing laws concerning motor powered bicycles. Nothing I can think of No more housing. !!!! No more growth !!!!! Stop the building!!! No big planes! The traffic with its' aggressive drivers, I could do without. Make the city more bike friendly and provide safe spaces to ride bikes Parks: fix up what’s broken, cracked pavements, replace old and soiled wood chips in playground Can't think of anything. Have an urban area with living, open space, grocery, gardens and possible school all in one place. improve the climate resilience in the city - install more solar panels on parking lots that provide shade as well as energy. Plant more trees to provide public shaded areas. Keep maintaining city infrastructure Would love a splash pad added to a park or added outside the bob Kildee public pool More trees We can continue to improve on Parks, and access to community services and things to do I'm sure there must be something, but we didn't come across any service/group that might make a move to Camarillo easier and more welcoming, including ways to find existing civic or otherwise kinds of groups that welcome newcomers and would be beneficial for us to hook up with. More things to do and variety of foods. avoid multiplying strip malls and outlets Promote biking instead of cars. More bike lanes, more safety for bikers and more places to park bikes near stores. More community-gathering areas, a more thoughtfully planned old town, more family-friendly ac-tivities Fill the empty storefronts. Prevent further expansion and dense housing Prevent further expansion and dense housing Focus on improving our living environment and quality of life by: - STOPPING development of open space into housing, hotels, conference centers, retail out-lets. - Reduce airport noise and low flying aircraft. Return to Ventura County Library System in-stead of the private company that has decimated the library collection. Any kind of push back against unlawful detention of people in our city Limit expansion of big business as the infrastructure cannot support it. Having a Costco in Camarillo when you have one in Oxnard is redundant and should have been more thought out better restaurants stop these monstrous developments (retail, hotels, convention center, and residential units that your pushing through over the objections of Camarillo citizens. Reduce airport noise and the nui-sance of helicopters and planes flying extremely low over our houses. Improve our environment instead of paving over it and blocking our beautiful views with ugly tall buildings. Go back into the Ventura County Library System and get rid of the contract with the company that has removed 90% of our books and other media.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-32
Work on traffic flow especially on Lewis Road, make planning and development be more friendly for Child Care. Smartly planning infrastructure to include growth and lowering the costs of living. Work on traffic flow especially on Lewis Road, make planning and development be more friendly for Child Care. improve the 101, decrease jet noise the 101 freeway through Camarillo, improve it so that traffic is reduced decrease Airport noise Improve shelter needs, bike accessibility, less housing development, help homeless families, Improve traffic signal reliability during outages and safety at intersections. Less expensive for families Greater local government transparency and increased hiring opportunities for non-law enforce-ment departments. More dedicated bike paths. Greater focus on lower cost of moving AND housing specifically. Focus on more support for local animal rescues, low cost spay/neuter programs, and general awareness for better animal welfare in Camarillo and all of VC. More family geared restaurants or activities. Fr example, more restaurants with outdoor seating. Activities like a skating rink or top golf or indoor play places. Keep up with deferred maintenance before it starts to age the look and feel of the city. Traffic flow is a huge issues. I have lived in much larger metro areas that manage traffic better than Cam and Ventura County. School drop off times are brutal for traffic and the city could better co-ordinate lights. Keep it tight knit, no more new homes Stop the excessive building bringing more traffic to our residential streets. Las Posas and Ponderosa have become freeways with cars tail gating and passing as if those roads were built as a thorough fare. It is unsafe. The apartment complexes at either end of Lewis Road (In Somis Farmland and on Barry St) have created traffic on Lewis road as well. It is sad to see the over development which has not done anything to lower housing prices for our younger generation. The places are priced too high to justify the impact they have on our community. Please hold the line on development and work to improve our now dangerous traffic patterns. Less development, use existing unused industrial complexes for affordable housing Reserving/preserving the agricultural fields, create more parks. Freeway exits. The lack of alignment between going north and south is infuriating. Would love a water park/splash pad for children Stop the large airplanes coming into the airport, don't keep building more homes or shopping cen-ters (like Costco) and destroying open spaces. I prove the parks and rec department. Have an out-door city pool. Replace the playground equipment at Valle Lindo park. Reduce park fees for rentals. Commercial within walkable distance of residential. More schools at all levels to accommodate the population. Have a “evening or night” farmers markets so families can attend I think it is essential to keep mom and pop shops giving locals the opportunity to rely on each other vs big corporations. Improve police attitude. More parks' bathrooms Dedicated hiking locations other than Santa Rosa I would love a park within walking distance to the library General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-33
more gas stations Slow down on the mass apartments and condos, it’s too packed in. Affordable housing - genuinely affordable for seniors, for young people, etc. would be a good start. There are so many new developments in Ventura County and the only truly affordable ones are for farmworkers, who absolutely need them - but so do others in our community. If we can build af-fordable housing for one group, why not for all? We can have more school busses and Tolley's for the community, and the railroad tracks to go on a bridge over roads instead of on them Shady, safe, attractive, non-concrete walking trails in various parks and around town, with com-fortable walking surfaces. More job opportunities for technical folks, like medical and pharma Continue to keep parks clean and safe while maintaining our unique strengths of farms and the airport (we love seeing the planes!) Stop building houses, businesses and work on more streets. Limit development of housing and business that would take away farmland Maybe a bit more police presence. Maybe a bit more police presence. No landscape or tree work on main streets like Las Posas or Ponderosa during morning school drop off hours. Too congested. Things for Teens to do. Less new appartements and townhouse style communities being built and for affordable homes that gives residents space around their home, full driveways, and 2 car gar-ages. Less multiple stores like Ross, and the Goodwill. Better bus transportation to and from the High Schools. I wish the traffic could be improved on the freeways. The reception and that there isn't any dead zones. Safer traffic lights , specifically, Las Posas Road. Have almost been hit multiple times on Las Posas/Arneil intersection. Many accidents on Las Posas road. Fix the homeless problem Attract new business. More things to do, library is great at that but maybe a bit more activities. Outlets, to be better Better variety of restaurants More variety of restaurants More police presence more fun things to do for older kids. Local coverage of events. A lot of big disasters or events go unheard of for quite a bit and quicker coverage could benefit people more as they become more Ware of dangers More Public transportation availability for young adults/older teens More places for opportunity for teens and young adults, such as more teen programs in walkable distance for many people in the more populated parts of town, more musical opportunities, more historical opportunities and works, more fire and sheriff interactions within community events and school events. More internships/job opportunities for teens like Oxnard having summer paid internships Not build more housing over farmlands Make Camarillo safer from wildfires General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-34
Stop the overpopulation Preserve the small town feel. No more big box stores. No more apartments and condos. No more new building. Period. Traffic is a real problem Kids indoor playarea More affordable housing More affordable housing. Get the high schools under PVSD district instead of Oxnard. Having kids in both the elementary and high schools with different start dates and days off gets complicated The stop light timing is terrible It would be great to have a program help residents improve their front yards to make them more esthetically pleasing and drought resistant. Camarillo is clearly growing and building a lot of homes, which is great. Change is good but the city needs to anticipate and prepare infrastructure for increase in cars More competitive schools would be great I wish something could be done about the high rents for businesses, because a lot of small busi-nesses are not making it. Sad to see them leave. Less building because of a large traffic increase in recent years. More restaurants Improve its public schools. More affordable family friendly venues. We need splash pad open to the public and FREE. Camarillo should be made a blue zone! Streets built for pedestrians ,walking & bike paths, routes that make walking pleasant. Lower speed limits for calm traffic. No more mega-stores. More sup-port for local businesses and fines for owners of the neglected strip malls. Old town should connect seamlessly to Arneill road shops, people should want to walk between Arneill and Ventura Blvd. 35 mph should be the speed limit in Camarillo overall. City needs to en-courage new small businesses with grants. The only thing I can think of is more bathrooms at some of the parks. restrict growth to a reasonable number. Wildfire protection, water supply, limit growth Better golf course Stop building Costco. And focus on reinventing downtown Liberalize zoning so dramatically more Camarillo can exist. Make sure we have the best schools, hospital, police enforcement to keep Camarillo safe and not allow bad outside influences to tarnish our beautiful quiet, safe city. Slow the growth of so many homes. If building homes, less compacting of smaller homes with less land between them. Too many postage stamp lots with nowhere to park. Stop developing open space. Keep green areas. Focus less on building. Stop building homes, especially apartments. Traffic is becoming ridiculous to commute within our own county. We don’t want Ventura County to become like Los Angeles. That’s why we live here for its smaller cities and charm. Reduce speeding and accidents Workforce Housing, especially for young and middle aged families General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-35
Focus on safety , with all the new developments by Lewis road emergency services need to be evaluated. More diverse dining. More places for families to go besides the park. Adding housing of various types. Making business more accommodating for families with children with special needs. Making responsible pet owners clean up after their pets. This is apparent during walks in Old Town. Removing junk cars, cars not operating, cars in the same spot for days on end, boats and RVs from public streets Continue to be tough on crime Build an epic park - see The Gathering Place in Tulsa for concept ideas More affordable housing should be made available. Build an epic park Attract an Ikea store PLEASE work on the cellular coverage in the city. There are many parts of the city that have terrible cell coverage. This is a life/safety issue. I was in a minor car accident in the Vons parking lot and was unable to look up a number for a tow truck because I had terrible service. Thankfully it wasn't serious, but it could be for someone else. Given the new housing construction, I would like to see the shopping center near the Roxy theater expanded to include a grocery store. Keeping the airport small- no new hangers! No private jets! No Kardashians! Shopping and restaurants Zero growth The traffic infrastructure. Traffic is getting bad. Maybe slowing the growth of construction. One thing that could improve Camarillo would be building more homes without HOAs, as well as creating more opportunities for low-income buyers. This would make the community more acces-sible while still preserving its quality of life. Take care of homeless situation More housing! Less air traffic and cleaner private retail areas and parking lots Keeping low tax and to not give up farmland for development There are certain roads that are getting a lot more use with all the building and new homes. Several roads need widening and improving such as Lewis Rd from Pleasant Valley to Las Posas. Please plan for the growth in a way that does not diminish the quality of life for current residents. Keep low tax rate No complaints No complaints Splash pad Less traffic and constant road closures/ construction. Fill in unoccupied business spaces. (More restaurants, TJ Maxx, Marshalls) Less housing developments Make it more afford to care for the elderly. I think we need another high school. Another In N Out location would be really smart! There should be more small businesses and businesses/places that are open in the evenings. Dedicated bike paths and more sensible strategy for e-bikes which should be encouraged Slow the growth a bit General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-36
Slow the growth Limiting new builds both residential and commercial. Use or renovate the existing buildings. Old Town parking and public bathrooms. Bring in more employers Slow traffic down! More dedicated bike lanes. Limit more housing we are losing the small town feel. Stop building More affordable housing, very difficult with the SOAR initiative passing, to many NIMBY's. I voted for it the first time, not the 2nd. We are fortunate to have a beautiful home built 40 years ago, but most young families priced out, moving out of state. Rent and vacancy control. Long term cost of living - electricity, gas, water. The city should follow the example of Pleasant Valley School District and build long term solar panels over every big asphalt parking lot - commer-cial centers, parks, industrial roofs ---- AND lower the cost of electricity for everyone! Much of the farmland is being developed. I think that development of farmland should be curtailed. Affordable housing. Expand 101 freeway to 4 lanes each direction throughout Ventura County continue to update older commercial areas Slow down the new compacted home development. Have another affordable grocery store. The loss of the 99 Cent store is still felt. We should have an ALDI, WINCO or Valley Produce to make up for it. With the increase in affordable housing, we should have an increase in affordable places to shop for groceries Bike lanes safer from cars May want to add family style restaurants. Less housing, no homeless housing. Better walking and cycling paths. More restaurants The noise produced by private aircraft is a problem. Noisy propeller, private aircraft fly directly over residential neighborhoods, and those aircraft are typically so loud that the noise brings a halt to conversations when outdoors. It shouldn't be that way. Make the private aircraft stay clear of flying directly over residential neighborhoods. If the aircraft noise problem grows more severe, I'll likely sell my home and move to a community that is largely free from airplane noise. I hope to live in Camarillo for decades to come, so I'd rather not have to move away. I grew up in Camarillo, moved away for my work career, and returned to Camarillo for my retirement years. Complete street construction to improve congestion. Complete street construction to alleviate congestion. One thing that should’ve done to improve Camarillo is a deeper love for God and a deeper love for our neighbors. Keep our property taxes from rising by not putting more bond measures, but rather improve as needed through fiscal controls in spending I think there should be a developed natural barrier between the 101 and Ventura Blvd. (Old Town). Trees and noise absorbing bushes, etc. Seeing and hearing the freeway while in Old Town is un-pleasant. Tackle the homeless issue. Especially the motor homes on Pleasant Valley Rd.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-37
Saw the presentations at Library and didn't get a feel for safety being a priority. Also the growth didn't seem to factor in parking along the developed corridors Affordable housing I would like the city to stop approving the building of large apartment/condo developments. Over-crowding is already beginning to be noticed here. Additionally, ADU's and conversion of garages into separate living units should be very heavily restricted. Who wants this city to become like Van Nuys or North Hollywood? Maintain the greenbelts. Bring in more employers by offering incentives. Improve the "Old Town" area as a more lively center of the city Continue making the older community refreshed like the Vons shopping center. Stop building Preserve the rural feel (SOAR), stop the construction, and reduce the number of flights, and size of the aircraft, using our airport. Also, do not take stands on political issues as this will no doubt al-ienate and anger half of the people who live here, and sow discord, rather than harmony. Develop Old Town More tech businesses within Camarillo Keep it safe and clean for local citizens. We shouldn't live in fear to enjoy a safe life for ourselves and our children. Affordable housing for young families, keeping fees for services lower including trash and sewer, water, with the surpluses of revenues and excessive reserves maintained. Tax payers pay multiple and separate taxes including property, health care district, parks, library, school bonds, landscape parcel assessments, etc. With Costco coming online soon, that will add even more to our revenues. Missing new housing to retain families Ease restrictions on development so more affordable housing can be developed to reduce housing costs and cost of living I've lived here for almost 30 years and with all the new housing going up, it'd be wonderful to have a small home community just like this one in Carson City, Nevada (Bonnie Place, Carson City, NV 89701). Single-family homes, under 1200 sq ft. small lots, one-car garages. Build more of these and you'll be able to attract so many first-time buyers but can't afford $1mil. These are also perfect for older adults who want to downsize, thereby freeing up the larger homes for new, young families. Smaller is better. Take a look at Bonnie Place in Carson City and I think every city in California should be building more of these communities. Traffic signals should be placed in certain locations where accidents seem to be on the rise. We should stop the big housing/apartment project construction More green spaces and walking trails Stop building Less traffic More of a nightlife community continue meeting needs of residents we need affordable housing Limit growth! Limit ADUs, limit dense housing. The traffic here is already bad! Expanding the free-way might help. Several things! Refrain from allowing precious farmland to be developed into urban monstrosities like Costco, Amazon, and Walmart. Give us a lively “town center” with more frequent music, live entertainment, cozy restaurants, boutiques, art galleries rather than strip malls with fast food and General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-38
chain restaurants. Give us a unique identity, a location where neighbors and locals can frequent, socialize, and develop more of a bonded community feel. Add more cycling/exercise paths and separated lanes. Continue to enforce cycling laws; especially speed and use of protective gear as regulated. Make it more pedestrian/bicycle friendly. Finish sidewalks and make ADA compliant. Making it more accessible by bike. We should seek to strengthen the business community and bring better jobs to Camarillo -- maybe by getting some larger companies to put branches in Camarillo, or HQs. It's an expensive place, but it's not as expensive as Santa Barbara and LA, and so could be a good place for companies to have HQs or regional HQs. (It would be nice if there were just a few commercial flights out of Camarillo airport!) Camarillo needs a central hub for cultural, arts and dining. Camarillo needs to purchase the prop-erty at 2222 Ventura Blvd., and ensure this is redeveloped into a community hub. More late night stuff or fun things for the college students. More friendly way for people to walk or bike Water situation is awful in the heights. Traffic is getting to be awful. No more housing replacing agriculture. Stop treating different parts of the city differently from others. A responsive local government that proactively funds implementation of Camarillo's Climate Action Plan. Old Town rejuvenated Host an 805 night market on the dollar tree / toppers parking lots. https://www.event-brite.com/e/805-night-market-street-food-festival-thousand-oaks-ca-may-2931-2026-tickets-1981904888874?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ebps&utm_cam-paign=PSNB_CUAL_PMK_PDO_0_US_0_BAU_0_GA01-DSA-E&utm_term=&aff=ebmkmxperfor-mance&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23041577694&gbraid=0AAAAAo0IdU3qlK6fHj-SGKMjHmDeLVtoO&gclid=CjwKCAjwhLPOB-hBiEiwA8_wJHCYCVXSK_FJs5aBXpYVY3p2qHTJ1lAX6QaBS3hdbleyhSQBw03v7VRoCGcYQAvD_BwE Stop building housing all over the city! We are crowded enough. Traffic Adding a Jewish Temple Please do not "over-build." It seems that lately Camarillo is rapidly expanding both housing and commercial building and I think it needs to slow down. We don't want to lose our small-town feel. More family oriented activities, more places, park areas for a teenagers to hang out Mohr bike paths. More safety features for bike lanes and improved public transit We need a splash pad for kids during the summer. Flashing light for the crosswalk on Bridgehamp-ton by Davenport. Increased bus routes within the city and nearby areas. Get more grocery stores and shopping centers on the outskirts of town to accommodate the un-welcoming 4 story residential complexes the Planning department keeps pushing. The city streets, Carmen, Los Posas, Arneill and Ponderosa cannot accommodation the thousands of vehicles mov-ing into the city limits. We have no community. We need a meeting space, an attraction that can bring us together so we can get to know our neighbors.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-39
Camarillo needs character, needs central public plazas. Strip malls should be more pedestrian friendly. More connected bike paths, buses to schools. Less private jets flying over my home in Old Town. Stop building more apartments and homes. We do not have enough water and probably not an up to date electric grid to handle the load. Plus, it's getting too overcrowded as it is. Reducing airport traffic overhead as well. Improve pedestrian and bike access Make it more pedestrian and bike friendly. Stop building on fertile grounds. Stop bringing big businesses that draw more crowds. I love Camarillo the way it was 10years ago. Avoid rapid growth and keep the small town feel. Avoid aggressive policies that will make us more like LA City and County. More mixed-use areas to facilitate walkable communities. It is frustrating that mainly retirees reap this benefit and no other demographic. This is what Ventura and Oxnard excel at over us. Remodel many of the older strip malls. Make the architecture look more uniform, like Santa Bar-bara’s Spanish influence. We also need updated cell phone towers; internet is inaccessible in some areas and calls are dropped regularly. One thing? We need MANY things. You only want one? Fine. I should be able to travel anywhere in Camarillo, easily and safely, without driving. It's not feasible for a lot of people who grew up here to live here. Much less other new people we need to help fill community needs, help us grow and create economic opportunities. Permitting a range of housing types and densities needs to be a priority. Taller and more dense doesn't neces-sarily need to mean taller than 4-6 stories. Bad quality ADU and single family homes may not be our best investment. Housing affordability Improve the downtown and the Arneill corridor The aesthetics are a missed opportunity. Our city has a rich history we could lean into with this. The freeway exits near Lewis going south-bound are a good example of this. There is haphazard graffiti mitigation with mismatched shades of gray paint. On the north side of this same area, there is a wall that looks awful; they literally scribbled paint over it. Why not lean into the city’s history and tile some of this in Mexican bright tile (at least the areas that the taggers can reach)? While it’s more expensive on the front end, it is easier to maintain as spray paint won’t stick to it, and it would look vibrant. The overpass coming into Camarillo should also reflect this history. Just like Greg Ramirez made the Calabasas overpass visually pleasing during his tenure (I think), the same could happen on the Lewis overpass as it is symbolic of old town. There are also simple things that can be done like cleaning up the trash near the on and off ramps. It looks unsightly and unkempt. A freeway exit shows visitors what a community expects. It’s kind of like the front yard of a house. Also, please figure out the graffiti abatement in town. Color matching is not that hard. It looks like a patchwork quilt. Paint the common walls one color and over time you won’t have to attempt to color match. Finally, we need a vision for old town, something like Liberty Station in San Diego. IMPROVE THE PUBLIC TRANSIT TO SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY USABLE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO WORK AND WOULD LIKE TO BE OUT AND ABOUT AFTER 9 PM.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-40
It would be nice if it were easier to do some communications without a phone call or an in-person trip; those things tend to be inaccessible to me. Some things have email / text / written communi-cation methods, and some don't, but even ones where that's possible still seem to prioritize spoken communication. Control growth Provide the community with a disc golf course. T.O has 2 course, Simi Valley has 2, Ojai has 2, Santa Paula and Port Hueneme have 1. It's a shame an affluent city with many available open spaces doesn't provide it's residents with this type of healthy outdoor opportunity. Balance additional housing building projects so that there are some new single family/stand alone homes instead of just more multi-family structures built out Car wash at the new COSTCO. keep the airport small, limit more housing, A destination park! Please look at Castle Rock, CO. They have a giant park, stair challenge hill, rec area, event area… walking trails, various age level play area/jungle gyms. Please look at their park system, specifically their regional park. Think base of Conejo Grade. there are some freeway off and on ramp issues throughout the city. Stop high plant huge pine trees so close to private property. I have city pine trees about 20' from my house. This is an extreme fire hazard. Start a plan NOW to replace the pine trees down the Ponderosa corridor. These trees create a major NONSTOP mess for the people that live along Ponderosa. How much does the city spend to clean up the street , replace the sidewalks and fix the street from the tree damage? Camarillo MUST start a plan NOW to replace these 40 foot MESS making FIRE RISK! Start replacing every 4 trees in a 12 year plan. Why is the city insisting on keeping 40 foot fire risks planted 15 feet from homes? This is POOR MANAGEMENT, 35 years ago the city planted those skinny little trees in 2 foot squares, YOU NOW HAVE 40+ foot trees that create a nonstop MAJOR MESS and are a FIRE RISK. Th city needs to take note i county land pine trees must be a minimum 20 feet from structure. The very thought that the city refuses to remove these trees, knowing the fire hazard and the yearly mainte-nance cost is NOT SERVING the City of Camarillo, it is the city for the people NOT the city for the trees! Keep the airport small and not impact the city with too much growth to the point where traffic is a problem. more diversity in restaurants and shops. opening up multiple chic fil a's, Starbucks and chipotle is boring and tired. investing in diverse small businesses of different kinds of restaurants, coffee shops and other stores would be nice instead of having to drive out to Los Angeles to enjoy diverse dining and shopping. Create more "third spaces" for ages 13-25 to feel included and thrive in Camarillo. Improve traffic lights. Cross guards for Cam Heights Elementary, blinking lights on walk paths near schools (Monte Vista, ACHS). Add shades at school bus stops. Murals in Old Town Land should be set aside for more playing fields. While this is not within the city's purview it cer-tainly cannot happen without the city's help. Less brick and mortar and more areas for youth sports which is now an 80 billion dollar endeavor. Or we can turn into the valley. Fund additional social workers and resources to strengthen Project Hope and build/invest in some tiny home parks to help struggling parents, especially single mothers and poor seniors. Control signals on freeway on ramps to relieve congestion More housing. An opportunity to keep growing. Continue developing the land.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-41
I'd like to see a focus on bringing in businesses that want to revamp what we have in place. I'd really like to see the City work with local gov't agencies to provide more community space, teen hang outs, gymnasiums, craft centers. Build more housing/zone land for more housing. Since COVID-19, I’ve noticed that the City of Camarillo hasn’t maintained its landscaping to the same standard it once did. Freeways and public spaces used to feel consistently clean and well cared for—free of weeds, neatly pruned, and with vibrant plant life. More recently, I’ve seen an increase in weeds and trash along the freeway, particularly around on- and off-ramps, as well as overgrown planters in public areas. More mom/pop retail - boutiques, non-chain restaurants. More economic activity, walkable local business areas More attractions and things to do for those interested in moving to the area and visitors. Help restaurants thrive for a better variety of choices. Monitor and limit investment housing so new families can live here. Regulate air traffic to ensure quality of life with noise and air pollution. Taking advantage of our beautiful weather with more outdoor dining that offer patio & dog friendly dining options Remove homeless motor homes from our streets and shopping center parking lots. Get the dirty and unsafe homeless cars and motor homes off of our streets and out of our shopping center parking lots. Increased public transportation with the blue buses vctc Restrict airplane flights after 10 I think limiting the airport usage for aircraft coming in. Another good idea would be to have the airplanes come further away from where the homes are located. Maybe follow the same path as the freeway so it’s not as noisy for people that live close by. Less new condominium building Our eye should be on housing with eye to access to water. Build what we can maintain STOP DEVELOPING! Support small businesses! Invest in our existing infrastructure- better water, better roads, better schools- stop building out into open spaces! We do not want this town to turn into Riverside. Development is destroying our town and it needs to stop! Make safer roads with less traffic accidents- it is not safe to drive here anymore! Careful attention to growth that the plan fits the overall appearance of our community. For exam-ple, the development is Springdale park apt condo plenty of parking low visibility and architecture that is flattering in unification on design. I ask you to look at the new development across from The. collection and the colors, height, is ugly and adds nothing to the style just across in the wagon wheel development. Go one block further to Johnson Dr apt and ask how is this visually appealing developed a sense of community and no landscaping. It’s a box! More affordable housing increase enforcement of traffic laws more efficient/extensive public transportation Jobs for residents. Where are the jobs (not in biotech) that pay over $150,000 that are needed to have a family and own a home in Camarillo? Additional services for youth/young adults. Stop adding new housing units especially high density housing Safer streets for kids General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-42
Restrict future increases in population growth and density. Traffic flow Improve safety of streets in the city. Reduce car speeds, make more pleasant and economically viable places. Personally, I believe that the City of Camarillo should strongly consider working with the Pleasant Valley Parks and Rec to devise a plan about erecting a permanent roof structure over the roller rink at Freedom Park. Ventura Roller Sports and other tenant organizations provide an unmatched sense of community and bring both youth and adults an unmeasurable amount of joy. The rink would protect the states initial investment and the roof structure would provide ample horizontal dual-use service that could house solar panels on top in order to fall into line with the General Plan of making a greener Camarillo. The solar panels could be used to power not only the rink, but the surrounding sport fields and dog park. Less new housing MORE CELL TOWERS! Camarillo is a black hole!! Enforce rules and laws that prevent living in RV’s and parking them on city streets and property to keep the homeless from getting comfortable here in our city. Less traffic Fractured shopping areas, too many small shopping areas with empty stores. Better Transit I wish we had more local cultural activities such as a local playhouse. Protected bike lanes. I think a lot more people of all ages would enjoy running errands, going to school, shopping, etc. by bike if they did not have to mix with cars. This would lead to less traffic, more frequenting of local businesses, and improved quality of life. Lower rents for seniors. Lower cost-of-living. I think something should be done about the availability of transportation to LAX, And within the city itself. There’s no transportation other than the Trolley which doesn’t pass Lewis Road. The trolley seemed to support leisure village, but not the growth or anything past Lewis Road STOP building more houses, condo's and apartments Encourage business and home owners to keep street appearances positive and attractive. Maybe offer grants, subsidies, and/or low cost improvement loans with incentives (maybe offer to show progress in the Acorn or city newsletter). improve walkability, upgrade our downtown we need to keep our town small....too much building going on. It is going to harm our safety The sidewalks on Arneill should be updated. Growth and development should be kept to a mini-mum. expand trolley service expanded free trolley routes Limit jet traffic and airport noise and keep air traffic away from flying low over residential areas. Walgreens and Marshall’s would be a good add. Too many CVSs. Walgreens and Marshall’s would be a good add. Too many CVSs. Better restaurants. Some upscale. Lovely outdoor patios Improve traffic on the 101 to get rid of the Camarillo Crawl. Restrict new housing activity - especially since water allocation does not take into account all the new residences General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-43
Build more affordable homes such as townhomes and fewer rentals. People are much more vested in our community if they own their home. Retain Studio Channel Islands at its current location in Old Town. The art center is a much needed cultural focus not only for artists in our area, but in other areas as well and provides a distinctive reason to visit Camarillo beyond the outlets. More traffic enforcement for the safety of all More care in creating a more varied experience for residents. For example; I wish that a more unique restaurant could have gone into the renovated Vons Shopping Center. We already have a Chipotle in the outlets and certainly didn't need another. I drive to other cities to go to restaurants that aren't chains. Cici's in Westlake, for example. Café Nouveau in Ventura. Somewhere unique to take visiting friends and family. I recall seeing plans to redo the center of the city around the Smart and Final shopping center, from the freeway to Ponderosa. Making it a live/work, walkable shopping and dining experience. What a great idea! I hope that it is something that is still being considered...sooner than later. More activities for seniors Keep new construction to a minimum. Expand the 101 through Camarillo so it's not always backed up. Plant trees! Plant trees on city owned residential parkways. Plant trees! Plant trees on city owned residential parkways. Ways to minimize/prevent graffiti throughout City, especially near parks and schools. Keep traffic moving on the 101 More freeway lanes. Stop air traffic over my home in Camarillo Springs. New single story housing. Encourage small business, particularly through eating establishments/pubs. There are too many fast-food chains across the city. Emergency backup on lights at major intersections along Las Posas Rd Development of areas that are missing businesses, more affordable housing and apartments, more funding for PVPRD for Pickleball court maintenance, and better enforcement of laws related to electric bicycles. Keep the sprawl in check. Change the signal at Adolfo and Flynn back to allowing a left turn from Adolfo southbound to Flynn eastbound on the green. Currently you can only do it on the green arrow. Add more restaurants stores (other than Mexican food). More employment opportunities Build a gymnasium at one of the parks for basketball, volleyball, etc. Ensure access to key community areas (stores, health care, financial services, recreation) via public transit, bike paths, walking. Can’t think of anything. Love living here More parks, basketball courts, transit to Burbank airport & LAX, improved walking path for north/south bound AMTRAK, make Ranch House more accessible for local events (e.g. high school proms, fundraisers, etc.) No jets allowed in or out of our airport. Limit high density housing quiet air plane traffic over the greater community. Keep Slow development a priority and safety from criminals.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-44
Close the airport. Stop the air shows. Stop expansion of hangars. Frequently, pilots violate the con-ditions that are supposed to be in effect for the air show, as well as usual activity. Air crashes are too frequent - the last very close to Monte Vista School and a senior retirement home, as well as housing. There is far too much federal control over the airport, and far too little local control. I have hobbies, too, but mine don't involve endangering other people and negatively affecting the envi-ronment. One of the civilian airports in the L.A. area is being closed because of complaints and incapability, and this Camarillo airport should be closed, too. I don't know how the people in Old Town can tolerate it, as I can see from my vantage point the number of landings during the evening hours, at low altitude. Do not bring in cheap lodging by the freeway and keep airport small! Cut down on the noisy commercial and private air traffic over the Mission Oaks area. It is getting worse all the time and is affecting our quality of life and our home values. I've lived in Camarillo for 50 years as of this year and, as it improves in all the right areas, I can't think of any other improvements. Although, that hideous piece of "art" on the corner of Ponderosa and Arneill in the new Von's center needs to go and be replaced with something else, like a Cama-rillo white horse! Please curtail so much growth as the quiet, rural environment is disappearing Synchronize traffic signals on all major arteries in Camarillo and widen the 101 freeway. Traffic flow in this City is non existent. More investment in performing arts spaces and programs, including access to a smaller community theater space along the lines of the stage space now being used as a gallery at Studio Channel Islands or the theater space at the Hillcrest Arts Center in Thousand Oaks. Many of our Camarillo friends are constantly driving to TO or Ventura to access quality music and theater programs be-cause quality options within Camarillo are limited. housing affordability Provide for interactive suggestion process for improvements (like increasing greenlight times at Adolpho and Santa Rosa). Control homeless Stop building dense housing Preservation of as much historical data as possible for future generations. Bike lane shouldn’t be in alley. Better signage for public parking, more lighting in Old Town. Light up the town year round Do not expand the airport No flock cameras Improve public transportation by adding more standard bus routes with extended hours and week-end service rather than growing dial-a-ride which is not scalable. With the growing size of Camarillo, please improve public transportation by adding more standard bus routes and having them run longer hours and on weekends rather than relying (and growing) dial-a-ride service that is not scalable. Increase walkability and bicycle safety. Replace city council with forward thinking liberals. Kick ice out of our city. They have multiple offices here and they are terrorizing our community- not only by brutalizing and kidnapping my neighbors (immigrants and non immigrants alike) they also drive like complete maniacs through our streets with complete impunity. Also get rid of all of the flock cameras. They are incredibly dangerous for all of us.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-45
I wish Camarillo would make more of an effort to protect its residents from Immigration and Cus-toms Enforcement, which would also include the removal of the twenty-something flock cameras surveillance us at any given time (as ICE has access to flock footage. I also don’t want to be sur-veilled). Complete the Ventura Boulevard vision as a mixed use neighborhood City Council needs to hold public q&a forums for residents to attend before council votes on items that impact us all. For ex. approving flock cameras, The streets are increasingly becoming more congested. More traffic surveys should be done to help with the flow of traffic, especially while sitting in left turn lanes. Question 3. What do you consider to be the most important priorities for Cam-arillo over the next 25 years? Drag and reorder the items in this list to indicate your priorities, with the top item representing highest priority and the bottom item representing lowest priority. Other (please specify below) Develop a community that has facilities to encourage exercise and good health by creating walk-ing, hiking, biking paths. No major changes, small improvements with additional housing , small apartments for single peo-ple in the central area of Camarillo, Arniell , ponderosa & Ventura blvd Teen engagement and connection Create overcrowded, slow growth policy to avoid overcrowded, and the lose of the small towns feel. We do not need more tracks, townhouses and clutter Quit building everywhere!!! What made Camarillo so desirable is being ruined by all the unneeded growth . We don’t need a bunch of outside people moving here and building on every corner. Within fostering physical health I would like to see safer bike lanes and more bike lanes. Riding on las Posas in the bike lane is not safe. Finding ways to "hide" or "buffer" the 101 so it is not so prominent - and loud - feature through a core area of the community. Also, make the city's train station feel like, well, more of a nice train station instead of a highway underpass area. Support small businesses - keep doctors in our community. Fix potholes and streets well improve the environment by stopping new development. stop the noise pollution from low flying helicopters and planes. Plant areas as wildlife, pollinator habitat, a way for citizens to enjoy nature. Investment in family friendly features for the city, such as family events, ease of building childcare, support for young families to move here. Please see my earlier comment regarding animal welfare. They live here, too, and deserve better from humans. Many trees in the city and parks are ruining sidewalks/walking. Maintain importance of landscaping and trees in overall look of city keeping it fresh and new like Springville exit. Improving parks and rec offerings. Improving the pool facility. Create more Affordable, lower income, and especially affordable housing/apartments for the el-derly ($1,200/mo) More schools at all levels General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-46
Genuinely affordable housing for all, especially for seniors, many of whom only have social security to live on. Transition existing landscapes to California native, drought tolerant, bird and bee friendly plants. Ditto for new developments. Eliminating Homelessness Stop with corporations. More local owned businesses. Improving access to nature. It's not an easy ask but more nature filled environments like the Cam-arillo Springs park or the new park in Old Town. I feel like adding more trees and brush even in urban areas (with fire hazards in consideration) would parallel improvements in things like mental and physical health and people's desire to go outside. Less traffic/building. Leave the open space. Invest to improve the quality and competitiveness of public schools above national average; includ-ing extracurricular activities such as STEAM ( AI, robotics, coding, etc.) and more educative instal-lations such as makers space with high technology; and other languages such as French, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc. besides Spanish. Lower the speed limit. Liberalizing zoning laws so people who own real estate can build whatever they can sell or rent to others on that real estate. Keep drug dealers and homeless people out of Camarillo. Ventura County does not need to be like Los Angeles County. More family friendly events welcoming people of all abilities. Making events more accommodating to encourage participation. Tough on crime and management of homeless populations Keep the airport small! Allow businesses like Costco to build. Maintain some of the agriculture. Make Camarillo more walkable. Too much traffic! Less Air traffic Please keep the small town feel. Traffic is horrible on the 101 and it’s starting to feel like the valley. Show me the Money ... a rich city can do way more than a medium city Preserving farmland. Maintain agriculture and the open spaces are Number One, not on your list. Improving public trans-portation for elderly (not enough support from health care district), close the airport, better regu-late or close the air shows. City councils have historically focused on commerce, not on culture and the arts. Assessments have already increased too much. Are these assessments for my own area, or are they for new developments that should pay for themselves? Poor organization and commu-nications during the December fire of 2024. Support for local news. Providing more affordable supermarkets like ALDI, Winco, Valley Produce to replace the 99 Cent Store and give young employees a better option to shop. Also, there are many family caregivers and more cheap or free entertainment options should be provided to go there with elderly, mobil-ity impaired family members. There are options, but they are expensive and limited in times of-fered. Better walking and cycling paths Reduce noise pollution that's generated by private, propeller aircraft flying in and out of Camarillo Airport. The noise produced by private aircraft is beyond annoying. The noise is severe and a dis-turbance to residents living in Camarillo. Halting private planes from flying directly over residential General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-47
neighborhoods is essential to maintaining a good quality of life in Camarillo. Make the aircraft fly over agricultural land. Public safety in parks and common areas with additional police presence. Avoid homeless popula-tion. Without safety all the above priorities are void. Keep the city safe and clean. Keep it a place where both children and the elderly can walk the streets in safety. Very few cities in California are like this. This includes good, strict policing, code enforcement and city maintenance. I moved here from Los Angeles for these reasons. I will leave if things deteriorate to anything even close to the level of any city in Los Angeles county. Keep our city safe for our citizens and keep it clean in common areas. Support school districts which are struggling with low enrollment. More housing? We could definitely improve our medical care infrastructure and capacity. Our St Johns Pleasant Valley may be ok for sprains, strains, and flu's, but quite honestly it is not where you want to be for serious life threatening emergencies or trauma. We lost a family member who receive poor and inadequate care due to an extremely serious life threatening situation, where I witnessed first hand the limits of its medical capacity and response. We could benefit from perhaps becoming a level two trauma center and upgrading the medical center zone at Las Posas Northside between Pon-derosa and the Library. I also don't see much value with the Health Care district in its current form. It receives district revenues, fees for service, and numerous grants, but most of it's costs are spent on high priced administrators and boutique like senior services for small groups of well connected clients. Implementing a plan to mitigate climate change Limit growth and overcrowding. By packing more people in the same space, you just make life mis-erable for everyone! I have lived in Camarillo since 1979. I watched in dismay as city government approved the factory outlet. Mom and Pop businesses crumbled. We lost our small town identity and feel. While “Old Town” is perking up, there is lack of parking, noise from the freeway, and not much to offer in the way of nice dining and evening entertainment. Ugly old statues instead of pretty fountains. We should have more, consistent live entertainment during the summer. Weekly, rather than monthly concerts; every weekend. Study other small thriving towns, like Greenville, SC, Ojai, Carpenteria, Palm Desert. Get rid of the deciduous fir trees, that are obstructive, costly to maintain, and most certainly not indigenous to our area. Revitalize the senior center; give “lively” seniors more than bingo, puzzles, table tennis, and old fashioned “dances” that end while most families are still eating dinner. Give us some interesting, fun, stimulating activities. Many of us are awake, bored, and lonely at night. We are also on fixed income during inflationary times - give us a senior break on city taxes and utilities. Term limits. You broke us up into voting districts but there is absolutely no outreach by the person elected in those districts to their specific voting populations. In all honesty, there is no real representation in this city at all. How many of you want a huge gas station in your neighborhood or a “revitalized” shopping center that is nothing but empty store fronts? How many of you are paying higher water bills because the city put off infrastructure repairs to central Camarillo with absolutely no say in the discussion prior to being rubber stamped by the city council? How many of you like having trees literally turned into lollipop shapes because the goal is to fill a chipper not actually prune trees? General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-48
The city council has turned central Camarillo into an Orange County ugly nightmare with absolutely no input from those of us who live here. Shame on you! Working collaboratively with State and County government to fully implement Camarillo's Climate Action Plan. Engineering better roads with safety features for pedestrians and cyclists Increased Public Transportation for Residents Continue to keep the amount of commercial air traffic down. And definitely do not allow huge commercial jets to use our small airport. Manage growth to avoid becoming like LA or Orange County. We need nearly all of these things, it isn't "either-or" it's "yes, and." We can't afford to pick and choose. What does "high quality design" in new developments even mean? More expensive hous-ing" More urban sprawl? Funding for the streets division, tree budget Making old town visually pleasing so that people want to spend time there. Prioritize keeping the streets clean and graffiti free. Lean into the city’s history. Keeping the city & its residents protected from state violence ordered by either Sacramento or Washington...our local police should NOT be collaborating with ICE as much as they are! Affordability of housing. My rent is going up to $2537 next month, which is $30,444 per year just to have walls and a roof. And all utilities are separate from / on top of that. Opening a disc golf course in Camarillo. Addressing any crime concerns such as shopping lifting at the Outlets and beyond, tagging, and vagrancy Camarillo has already lost its small city feel The beautiful thing is~ we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. As suggested above, please look to the park in Castle Rock. CO. BUT also look to the new Linden Ave development in Carpenteria! Fabulous feel, design, energy… this kind of development would enhance every stage of life of our residents, stay busy with our out of towners from outlet mall and keep expendable income in Cam-arillo. Remove the Pine Trees along the Ponderosa Corridor, the mistake of planting these pine trees cre-ates a CONSTANT MESS that requires a MAJOR COST to clean up. for the city and people along the Ponderosa Corridor and THEY ARE A FIRE HAZARD. Drive down the Ponderosa Corridor and look at the pine needles on roofs... FIRE HAZARD CAUSED BY THE CITY. Setting aside land for more playing fields and open space. Don't allow the state government to force rapid growth and other policies that ignore common sense and not conducive to our small city feel. Building more housing/zoning for higher density. Safer streets for active lifestyles All of the above are important but first and foremost are health and safety of citizens Better public transportation enhancement to ditch our car more especially with this fuel pricing You do not need to worry about job creation! You are just a small city government that should be focused on making sure our infrastructure is in line with the high cost of living here- which it is not. Jobs are created elsewhere! Culture is not your job, we create culture. The town has had culture for 100 years, please stop ruining it! General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-49
Other: 1) safer streets for our kids, 2) more infill (i.e. development of new housing units on vacant or underutilized lots) housing, and 3) more culture/events! I prioritize these three above all other options. Limit population growth and density. Improve street safety for kids and families (and other vulnerable road users). keeping pace with the increase in population by building more/larger grocery stores so families do not have to go outside of Camarillo for groceries Keep the Oxnard gangs, crime and graffiti out of Camarillo Keep crime down by keeping homeless camps and homeless RV living OUT of our city. Enforce laws to prevent them from parking on our streets and on city property. Don’t let them get a foot hold as once you do it just get worse. Providing public transportation. Reducing airport noise and keeping jets traffic to a minimum Installing toilet facilities at the train station. require multi-use buildings for new business centers, add a university satellite hub for college and universities to provide classes in-town, this can also support local training and meeting space continue to support a strong law enforcement to guard against crime, and maintain and support fire fighting capability. Get rid of the airport. Get ICE out of here Not to bring in large scale conference & airport facilities, and Costco’s mega filling station looming over environmental disaster and killing intown businesses. it’s already starting to look like back of Burbank and loosing Camarillo’s Charm!!! A 50 year Resident. Beautiful landscaping along roadways Synchronize traffic signals on all major arteries in the City and widen the 101 from Camarillo Springs to Central Ave. Stop building dense housing & apartments. Everything else on this list is not a priority or a need for our city ICE out of Camarillo. Remove all flock cameras. removal of flock cameras and protection from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Question 4. Thinking about getting around Camarillo, how should the following types of improvements be prioritized over the next 25 years? Drag and reorder the items in this list to indicate your priorities, with the top item representing highest priority and the bottom item representing lowest priority. Other (please specify below) Path under train station connecting downtown to village at the park Make it so we can park on either side of the train & get to the other , not have to walk over , a 10 min walk , the cal trans walking bridge- get rid of fence between the tracks or go under- make it easy Stop the growth and keep the small town beauty… then the issues will be minimal. The more that is built, the more problems we will have. This survey probably won’t be considered anyway .. Love all of these General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-50
Improve signage in historic areas and near the highway/train station. Offer ways for the commu-nity to better interact/do business with all the many farms in Camarillo. The farmers market is okay, but found it remarkable how far some vendors traveled given all the local farms in the area. To improve biking, you need to add secure places for people to lock their bikes at shops and res-taurants. Make old town prettier and give it more of a unique place to attract family outings stop new development of open space so that there will be less congestion. Camarillo has and will continue to have many older residents. Providing FREE, convenient, and safe public transportation would be ideal. Cities in other countries do this and we can too. I still have many years ahead of driving but I'd honestly never even own a car if I could just hop on a bus, a shuttle, a light rail train, etc. conveniently. You have many college students here, too. That would help them. With gas prices and shortages as well as the environmental impact, this should be a huge priority not just for Camarillo, but for every city in the country. Add an extra trolly to reduce wait time. Add a trolly that goes to the airport. Reduce freeway traffic congestion None of the rest of these. Again: liberalize zoning rules so land can be put to its highest economic use. Communities are not planned. They grow organically based on the highest valued uses of the underlying land, as discovered by owners, developers, and renters. Reducing the speeding and number of accidents Bike racks available for bike safety. More pedestrian cross walks in commercial areas, like on Arneil. Dedicated bike paths to get around town eventually private ownership of vehicles will not be the norm and self driving vehicles will be eve-rywhere (cheap instant taxi service) It is very difficult for elderly to get around Camarillo without a car. Uber is undependable, health care district is often booked solid. Making Camarillo a golf cart, friendly community. None of these plans matter if the local citizens do not feel safe to enjoy them. Bike lanes just create traffic congestion by limiting lanes. Expand the 101 freeway. Make Lewis Road 2 lanes each way. Term limits. More Metrolink/Amtrak options into and retuning from LA from the Camarillo station. More protected bike lanes. The Calleguas Creek Bike Trail needs to be connected to Old Town. Decrease speed limit on Las Posas Road to 35 mph Improve FM Radio reception in the areas of Camarillo where it is not getting the signal. It cuts in and out, such as on Santa Rosa Rd. in Mission Oaks. Again, we can't pick and choose here. If the city is truly serious about reducing congestion (approv-ing a freaking COSTCO is a resounding "NO, congestion is fine) the way to accomplish this is to GET CARS OFF THE ROAD BY MAKING THE CITY WALKABLE. Change the zoning rules- require mixing commercial and residential. Build more densely. Build on a grid. Build protected bike paths. Add a network of free-at-point-of-service, fully funded by taxes street cars. The bus that takes people to the Outlet Mall (an enormous waste of space that should not have been approved) is a silly novelty. Streets are for people, NOT for cars! Sidewalk maintenance The underground tunnel is a waste of funding and could create a public nuisance. Other municipal-ities like Miami figure this issue out using elevators.
General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-51
Make it more possible to walk everywhere you might need. Some stuff is really far away and I'm forced to drive (which is a high-anxiety thing for me as an autistic person and requires a prescrip-tion). E.g., https://culdesac.com/about Expanded recreational opportunities in the form of disc golf courses There is already increased traffic off streets around where Costco will be( yay Costco!). Another signal will be needed for drivers to get out of Target/Staples mall. The city has forgotten that it is there to serve the people of Camarillo. It acts as if the people are only here to provide funding for pet projects of the loud minority. Remove Pine Trees that cause MAJOR MESS on sidewalks Build a gondola system with hope on/hope off stations between Costco/Home Depot area, the Outlets, the train station and the high school. Build infrastructure to facilitate housing. It would be amazing if las posas estates area could get sidewalks and be included in planning of Waymo type transportation when it becomes available The cat bus isn't working. The reliability is poor and to get more places we frequent the vctc bus or train. Syncing traffic lights in areas in which there multiple lights in a condensed area. Reducing vehicle speeds throughout the city to improve safety. Better Public Transit Protected bike lanes (with physical barriers between cars and bikes could enable children to bike to school safely. Older adults, like myself, could run errands via bike. This would reduce traffic for those that choose to or need to drive. Safe transportation needs to be more available and affordable to people who cannot drive. Dial-a-Ride is great, but sometimes unavailable. Add bike, walk, hike paths within and between VC cities. Widen the freeway, have 2 lanes of stacking at freeway offramps. Add a streetlight to Rancho Calleguas and Mission Oaks to improve safety for Camarillo High School students, parents, and local residents. Add sidewalks to Flynn Avenue and industrial by Pitts park. Elderly, with a walker, non-driving, I find it very difficult and expensive to get to medical appoint-ments. Senior transportation from the health care district is often booked solid, Uber is undepend-able, and there are almost no benches to sit on while waiting. Uber's maps are inaccurate in shop-ping areas for their drivers, so stranding has happened. In one such instance, stranded, my last resort was a taxi company in Ventura who sent a taxi from there for a 1.5 -mile trip to my home, cost $30. With the issues, it took two hours to get home from that doctor's appointment. Seniors are 25-30% of the population in Camarillo? Better connecting transit to surrounding cities. Synchronize traffic signals on all major roads in the City. Get rid of all stop signs & put in round a bouts. Everything else on this list is not a priority or a need Question 5. Please indicate your level of support for adding the following types of uses and amenities to Camarillo’s older shopping centers to help revitalize them. Other (please specify) Key is housing for single & couples that is small & affordable- would suggest build up More things specifically targeted for teens (third spaces) General Plan Update Community Survey Report
B-52
Camarillo already has lots of outdoor parks. I think I would like to see more activity based estab-lishments/businesses that foster a sense of community. Such as an indoor market like The Mark but scaled bigger. While outdoor spaces for shopping are fun, it would be nice to have some in-door space that is somewhat climate controlled. The idea is to make a Boston Public Market/ The Collections the Annex but Camarillo version as a variety to the outdoor shopping spaces we see. Question would be how do we inspire the public to start more small businesses? And therefore how do we foster the environment where small business thrive No to more gyms, nail salons and stores other than unique boutique like stores. I don't know if we necessarily need a lot of statues in town, but live music and artwalk events would be great. I think no shopping centers should be built or remodeled without an affordable housing option being included. I am originally from the Northeastern US. Many people had apartments above the stores and services in the cities we lived in. I had relatives who could walk to their doctor, super-market, movie theater, park, etc. It was healthier for them, more convenient, and it also saved them a lot of expense and time, not to mention it was better for the environment. It was also safer having less people driving on the road, especially if they might not be in top physical condition anymore. Not sure about the light shows idea. We need to consider the light pollution we already have. We don’t need more. Will the shows be loud? Will it takeaway from a calm environment we should be fostering here? You want a light show go to LA. Lower speed limits. Also restricted number of people in single family homes. Like you cannot rent two extra rooms to 15 people. What I strongly support is having these decisions made privately by the owners of real estate and the entrepreneurs who see opportunities, and then keeping or not keeping those things based on the choices of consumers. And that’s it. For Camarillo residents to enjoy these things. Multi-use buildings: commercial on the first floor, housing above, with potentially office space on the second floor as a "buffer" to residents. Perhaps the new Costco can offer housing above its warehouse like it is doing in LA. Also would like to see the outlet mall have more "after hours" activities and events, but that's more of a property management decision, not city planning. Stop additional construction until SCE, Gas, and Water is in place. Why are current residents paying for the scarce resources and having restrictions (water) and power blackouts and yet you keep issuing water meters, etc. Do business customers get the same warnings and restrictions during drought that all existing res-idents receive? Creating housing in the middle of town brings down the property value. IMHO It seems that plans to redevelop shopping centers with more housing have largely failed to work. Walking trails Term limits. No more gas stations, please! Expand EV charging stations, install solar panel covered parking and convert buildings to 100% elec-trification. The artwork at the corner of Arneill and Ponderosa belongs in Channel Islands or Ventura, it’s beau-tiful but has NOTHING to do with Camarillo, Adolfo Camarillo or the history of our city. Shame on General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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the planners that approved this inappropriate piece in our City and shame on the City Council for not requiring one thing relative to Camarillo roots. Please, for the love of God make Camarillo a vibrant place to live! This is such a boring place. You can shop, you can go out to eat, then you can go home to watch TV. Woo. Meanwhile, Santa Barara and LA have plenty to do and see. Why doesn't Camarillo have a botanical garden or something? We lost our community theatre. There are no good public spaces, because Camarillo was built for cars, not people. Look at Liberty Station in San Diego or Vail Ranch in Temecula as examples. BUS STOPS AND AREAS TO WAIT FOR SCHEDULED RIDES! The artwork on Arneill and Ponderosa was a poor choice that doesn't reflect the character of the City. I am very in favor of public art but fear the same poor decision will be repeated. Hopefully using vacated businesses and rehabilitating existing buildings/areas is top priority Turn some into tiny home parks with social worker oversite and assistance for needy Camarillo residents. Art incorporated in design like the Arneill plaza is always nice The new statue in the center of town is hideous! Who designed that and approved it, why on earth would you think that represents our town? It could have been a beautiful tree, a waterfall, nice landscaping. It looks classless and trashy and embarrassing. You are not responsible for art! Please see earlier comment regarding the roof of the roller rink Live theatre All of the above, but especially more outside entertainment and dining. We have beautiful weather. Encourage a "restaurant row" with different food fares so patrons may try something different each night or as often as possible. Couple this with outdoor dining options and attractive surround-ings (not smelly, noisy parking lots). Oppose AUD's. People who bought home in single family neighborhoods expect to life in single family home areas, NOT over-congested neighborhoods with AUDs that don't account for parking, noise, and infrastructure burdens. Absolutely NO high density projects in residential neighbor-hoods. It all sounds good. Property owners should not be required at add costly amenities without trade offs or credits. comedy shows, brewery, and live music Lighting up Old Town Question 7. Are there any other issues not covered in this survey that you think the General Plan should prioritize over the next 25 years? More trees on residential street for aesthetics and to encourage walking Build up , multi story projects in key areas for more density along the 101 corridor How do we distinguish ourselves, positioning Camarillo as a unique, distinctive community, to help attract business, residents, and visitors. How do we assist in strengthening our educational and trade-training systems (K-CSUCI) to ensure our kids and grandkids re well-prepared for life I would like to see more larger apartments around our shopping centers similar to what is hap-pening in the Collection in Oxnard. I think housing affordability is a massive problem and causing an aging city. Prioritizing health of residents (socially, physically, emotionally— look at blue zone areas for inspi-ration) through infrastructure and local/small businesses General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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Creating space for residents to thrive and feel a part of their community Family friendly-focused communal spaces This is a great community… please keep it great! We don’t need a bunch of new growth. Costco is a bit too much! NA Continuing to support homeless populations find and get to services so they are not loitering which makes the community feel less safe No One of the most appealing things about Camarillo is how well it's kept, how clean it is, how it's not overly taxed. I think focusing primarily on keeping this city safe, clean, and low taxes. Will keep businesses and people living here. With that focus on community development, resilience and atmosphere Focus on reducing carbon footprint and using green technology. Sometimes if feels we're paying the price for the generations that didn't save for updating infra-structure. Cost for infrastructure repair/updating, now that Camarillo is over 50 years old, is pun-ishing. Feels like we're nickel-and-dimed all the time. The school districts are the worst. I know that isn't the city... but we don't need another bond. Jiminy. No covering business windows with signs and cheap advertisements and no food trucks. Return to Ventura County Library System and get rid of private company that we are contracting with. We used to have amazing one day access to all the books in the VC system, delivered to our library to pick up. Now our books have been converted into cash for this private company's benefit. Keeping the balance of open space and development Where applicable policies that encourage developers to include childcare centers in their plans and easing the burdens for converting spaces that could be used. Camarillo has been booming in housing development the past 20 years, and our farmland is disap-pearing. Where is our food going to come from? We have excellent weather to grow year round--we cannot afford to lose this precious resource. Instead of building more, we need to work on making it affordable for current families to stay here. Keep Camarillo Small! No more development! Make sure the public has communication with the city via mail and email so we are all in the loop with plans; Get seniors 50+ involved since we've been here a while. Be more inclusive Do not increase the size of the airport. Try to keep the home town feel of Camarillo. We do not want to be the next Orange County. Do all you can to limit growth for the sake of numbers, please recognize the impact it has on what we have been given in Camarillo Prioritizing and improving Ventura County Animal Services. And again, making Camarillo more af-fordable ($1,200) for the senior population to reside here. No Keep Camarillo small. Stop over developing Camarillo keep big corporations out gas stations The surveillance cameras are a total waste of tax dollars. There is no need for them. I can under-stand having sensors on traffic cameras to change the lights if there is a vehicle waiting and no cross traffic. HOWEVER, the amount of surveillance everyone is under is too Orwellian and it needs to stop. It's invasive and out of control. It makes Camarillo feel like a police state, not the charming community it always was before. Oh - and do everything you can to keep the library as fantastic as General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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it is and, if anything, allow it to expand in size, inventory, programs, and hours. The library and its staff are the crown jewel of Camarillo, whether you realize it or not. Finally, please make sure any remodeling or building in Camarillo adheres to its history in style. Mission, Spanish, etc. are all ideal. Let's keep Camarillo, Camarillo. Cities are mostly building in horrible Soviet-era bloc housing style, and everything looks like a Leningrad penitentiary. We don't need that in Camarillo. LAST BUT NOT LEAST - Give the animal shelter the funds it needs to upgrade and expand. They're doing a fine job, but the animals need our help and the facility is in barely functional condition, despite all best efforts by staff. Our shelter needs to reflect our growing and caring community and, currently, it isn't meeting that mark. More traffic cams, a lot of times people get hit by bikes by uncareful drivers Again, Camarillo's greatest character trait is its preservation of farmlands and its resistance to be-coming another Moorpark or Thousand Oaks. Emergency and traffic alert system. Reception dead zones no, just prioritize housing to make Camarillo more livable as we are starting to face enrollment issues within the school districts and I don't want to see a place I love start to die out more because of affordability. Encourage small businesses. Get big businesses like Amazon out of here or locate it in a dilapidated area where old buildings could be repurposed. Increase sustainability practice and also specifically no AI data centers ever! They will destroy Camarillo's small town environment. No more big centers like that. Big companies can take their business elsewhere, Camarillo is sacred. None Less housing built in town, as that will lead to much more traffic and less safety for pedestrians. Teens not just artwork and older gens Wildfire prevention Please keep Camarillo small! No No Making high schools a part of PVSD district instead of Oxnard. Different starting dates, ending dates and days off make things complicated and confusing and cause headaches where there shouldn’t be any Create a community college option Rent control to help people and families live in Camarillo comfortably Creating opportunities and programs that allow local business to thrive in a place like Camarillo that is increasingly harder to afford. We need local owners and shops to thrive. We don’t need another Walmart or Target or whatever large corporations to take up more space here. We should’ve been more selective about that. Can we stop focusing so much on consumerism and the almighty dollar? Let local people have a chance and make it feasible to do so. Big box stores don’t need anymore of our money. Make Camarillo a Blue Zone! Yay! na I think you think of this as something that needs to be directed, as opposed to something that needs to be discovered by thousands of individual choices of individuals. And that is depressing, because it could not be more incorrect. Other cities in Ventura County can grow/expand if they want to. Keep Camarillo safe by restricting growth. Don’t turn Camarillo into a "mini L.A." General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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Don’t destroy the community by over developing it! We don’t need more traffic and congestion. Camarillo is amazing because of the small town feel and agriculture here. There is no need to change it or become a big city. More support should be given to farmers to allow them to continue to do their business here in our county. I would like to see more business buildings like packing and distribution houses to help them instead of shipping their products elsewhere for that. More sup-port should be given to our senior citizens here and our young kids with more activities and spaces for them. Camarillo has always been a town for families. Let’s keep it that way, please. We don’t need the hustle and bustle of a big city. Encourage business and economic development to fuel a healthy and growing community Emergency services near village of the park No Prioritize safe streets and controlled homelessness Cellular service. Please add more or better cell towers. I should not have zero bars in my own drive-way. 1) Keep the airport small. 2) Allow dispensaries as long as they are not near schools and are appropriately licensed. Same with brewpubs and other "vice" related businesses. 3) Limit corporate ownership of single family homes in Camarillo to one to allow more private buy-ers to have a chance to purchase single family homes. 4) More lighted crosswalks to encourage walkability AND to reduce jaywalking. 5) Regulate e-bikes and make it clear if they are allowed on sidewalks or if they must use the bike lanes. Consider requiring them to be licensed and carry insurance if operating within city limits. They can, and do, cause collisions and are often operated by children with no formal training on how to share the road. 5) Reasonable development of agricultural land AFTER all disused/underused developed land has been re-purposed/re-vitalized. First, I am concerned about water sustainability. With continued residential development, where will the additional water come from to support new residents—especially considering water-inten-sive landscaping and crops such as avocado trees? Additionally, what measures are in place to pro-tect the community during periods of drought? I would also like to suggest stronger enforcement and increased penalties for dog owners who fail to pick up after their pets. This is a simple issue that greatly impacts the cleanliness and overall experience of our public spaces. Another major concern is housing affordability. Rental prices for both houses and apartments have become extremely high. Greater transparency is needed regarding who regulates rental pricing and what protections exist for residents. Furthermore, short-term rentals, such as Airbnb properties, should be clearly identified—similar to how rideshare vehicles are marked—so that neighbors are aware of their presence. It is also im-portant to understand which entity is responsible for regulating these services and ensuring com-pliance with local rules.
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Finally, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are increasingly being rented out. I would like clarification on who oversees these rentals and ensures that property owners are properly reporting income and paying applicable taxes. Thank you for your time and attention to these important matters. I appreciate your efforts to maintain Camarillo as a safe, clean, and high-quality community for all residents. Less Air traffic. Cleaner requirements for private retail spaces Keep Camarillo small and family oriented, increase non-car transportation options to encourage walkable lifestyle/culture. Like, why is Village at the Park not making use of the shops area?? We would be there daily if there were /actual/ storefronts and restaurants. We need housing, and neighborhoods need amenities, not "get in the car" shopping centers. Safety Safety Make process for those trying to rebuild homes from the fires an easier quicker process. Provide assistance or aid to families who can’t afford Nursing Home Care for elderly parents, etc. Please keep Camarillo small, safe, affordable and farming as it always has been. I would like to see installation of native landscaping to support water resilience, protecting our agricultural identity, and support for small local businesses over large chains. Housing should be included in all renovation plans for shopping centers to make housing more available and afforda-ble to attract a younger demographic and keep the city walkable. Commuter service to LAX Plan more lights at intersections, no 1. The city should closely research The City of Carlsbad, California ocean reverse osmosis desalina-tion plant utilizing solar power plant. 2. Beautification of Solar Panel Parking lots with hanging flower pots like City of Florence, Oregon in partnership with Chamber of Commerce. 3. Interconnected transportation networks 4. All police should have instant video 5. Camarillo should follow other California cities and have an identity as _________? Capital of the World 6. Community Gardens that donates to charity. 7. Research promotion of modular construction architecture. 8. Research the future of fission/fusion nuclear power A question: we would be better off if utilities were underground during high wind and fire events, but I have seen costs estimated at $20,000 per property. I favor underground utilities, but not at that cost to me. Attract a Walmart Superstore to the city Regulation of the use of electric bikes on streets, sidewalks, and parks. Stop building houses. Stop building shopping centers when other centers are left vacant. Designate/create safe bicycling lanes throughout the City. Mark those bike lanes with highly visible green and white paint--like they are doing in the City of Ventura and many other California cities. Affordable community meeting spaces for service clubs and nonprofits. Fees currently charged for parks and rec facilities are very steep for organizations that are raising money to do good in our community. It would be nice if there was something that was very low cost or free where groups can meet to work on projects that improve our community overall General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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Getting the community involved means actually talking to the new people that have moved here. We are diverse and excited about building Camarillo to its best. Creating more small police substations (within shopping centers, for example) in several areas of the city. This would enhance community policing and keep crime low. Putting all electrical underground and providing a city wide fast internet connections to attract new business As I have noted on this survey, citizen safety is of the upmost importance. I have lived in Los Angeles where the quality of life has deteriorated until citizens are afraid to go out in public especially after dark. Families who used to walk together are wary of having their children walk freely. The criminal element has infiltrated areas and made them unsafe. We have to keep Camarillo safe or none of this survey will matter in the future. Camarillo future can have a bright future if high standards are kept and enforced. Different areas in Los Angeles which used to be safe and clean are now not walkable, we have to learn from those areas and have to know they decline while other issues are addressed first and by then it's too late. So far Camarillo is family friendly and responsible adult friendly let's keep it that way. Thank you for considering my ideas. A designated city emergency manager to support good emergency coordination and planning. Very important that this be a priority moving forward. Keep the "small town" feel. Improve, yes, but those improvements should make Camarillo stand out, not turn into every other city out there. Be unique. Offer unique things. Small-home commu-nities are a necessary offering in these trying times. No other city is taking advantage of offering housing that promotes the small-town feel. Continued support of these entities which are doing well: library, Camarillo Health Care District, PV Parks and Recreation. Green energy, increased recycling, climate resilience, support for immigrants Enhance preparation for response to natural disasters, such as fires and earthquakes I emphasize affordable housing so we can get young families to move and stay here Limiting growth and improving traffic are my main concerns See my previous answers Term limits. Commercial flights in and out of Camarillo -- just a few would be nice! The City needs to ensure the property at 2222 Ventura Blvd is redeveloped into a cultural and com-munity hub for arts, entertainment, education and dining. Communication requirements for elected officials within their voting districts Ensuring our City's contract with Ventura Co. Sheriff's Office prioritizes local public safety and pro-tecting immigrant civil rights. None at the moment Adding a Walmart Superstore Water conservation, trash/recycling/composting services improvements There has been a high increase in autism on all levels. Now 1 in 30 children. This doesn't include all the other intellectual disabilities. The city needs to start thinking about how to care for this popu-lation as their parents/caregivers grow old. Ex: Make space for care centers, semi-independent living apartments, etc. Another option: keeping nursing homes open after the baby boomer generation passes and turning those into centers for adults with intellectual disabilities. Adding more to parks to make them more appealing.
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Reducing traffic speed. Every road is designed like a highway. Makes it fast to get out of town but we want more enjoyable and livable places within town. Doing some kind of major change to the 101 South Santa Rosa Road offramp so that that dangerous sharp curve, is no longer such a hazard. 101 FWY congestion between Carmen and Springville exit While housing is definitely important (and as I understand, mandated by the State to meet RHNA targets), we should prioritize infill development. Farmland should only be used for development as a last resort as it is part of our economy. Also can we please have something, literally anything, for the 20-something crowd? Not more breweries with children running around. I grew up here and Camarillo is fantastic if you're a child or a retiree. We don't have anywhere for young (unmarried and childfree!!!) people to dance and have fun (except sometimes El Rey Cantina when they have an event). I find I spend a lot of my paycheck in Ventura since they have more for my demographic. no More places where young teenagers can come together in a safe productive environment . Better internet service/providers. REDUCE THE COST OF LIVING! I have a college degree, and I can NOT find work. I may never own my own home. Why hasn't Camarillo instituted a minimum wage? If wages had kept pace with inflation, the federal minimum wage would be AT MINIMUM $30 an hour. I would very much like the City to implement a program that helps businesses re-organize into worker co-ops. That means instead of executives, shareholders, and a board of directors, workers vote on everything. In a nation ruled by, and ruined by, the billionaire Epstein Class, we all have a responsibility to make our communities more prosperous, vibrant, and equitable. Also, as a member of the Kiwanis Club of Camarillo, I will say that it has become extremely difficult to find locations to meet or hold events. It would be a huge benefit if the City built a facility ex-pressly for service clubs to use for meetings, service projects, and fundraisers, free of charge. The "community" center charges- a ton. Please explain to me how it makes sense that, to use a "public facility" funded by taxes, the public has to pay a second time to access what it already paid for and owns. As costs continue to skyrocket, it is becoming ever more difficult to serve our community. Climate action! It's the most pressing local matter of the times. It impacts both land use and City organizational design. Sustainability considers economic, social equity and environmental factors-- you need to consider all three in service design, organizational/department design and land use. I think resurfacing streets is too high on the current priority list. Don’t ignore the west side of town Yes, please figure out the star pine situation on Arneill and Ponderosa. Side pruning star pines is not a good strategy and unsafe due to the physics of this. The lifting of sidewalks from the roofs from these trees on Las Pisa’s and Temple will cause a trip and fall tort at some point. Protecting Camarillo as much as possible from antifreedom violence inflicted by our state and | or federal government like ICE kidnappings and ICE raids...how is it still apparently A-OK for our local police force to literally protect the people who are kidnapping OUR neighbors and OUR local work-force and, via giving them access to AI-taken images of OUR streets and OUR license plates through General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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expensive Flock ALPR cameras, outright HELP OUT said people who are kidnapping OUR neighbors and OUR local workforce!? Ease of transportation to some of these things - events and dine-in places and specialty shops are great, but if I can't get to them it doesn't matter whether they exist or not. If I need to figure out a bus or train schedule, where to go to get to it, how to call to set up a dial-a-ride, etc etc etc, rather than e.g., going on a website and putting "I want to go here on x day at y time" and it setting it up for me, it's probably not going to happen - I'll just stay home even if it'd be nice to go, because it's too overwhelming to figure out. (I'm currently unemployed and trying to find a new job because the company I was at shut down the U.S. section of the programming department, but when I was working I earned too much to qualify for any sort of supports, but not enough to be able to pay for them. So I'm on my own for all of it even though I could use help.) Airport and Pt Mugu noise abatement Mixed use of residential and commercial properties should be pursued during development of older commercial area such as Pickwick shopping center. Housing additions should include single family dwellings not just more multi-family housing builds Perhaps talking to our city arborist about trees. Choosing the correct sycamore tree so it doesn’t look dead most of the year would be a good idea. Having other choices than pine trees may be a good idea for streets. Yes, they’re evergreen and lovely but the sap and needles are very messy. Our tree lined streets are so beautiful!! safety and homelessness should be a priority to keep Camarillo from becoming the valley. Personal freedom! Camarillo city management is way to controlling and restrictive. While forcing its pet projects on "it's subjects" The city has forgotten that it is there to serve the people of Camarillo. It acts as if the people are only here to provide funding for pet projects of the loud minority. Again have a replacement plan to remove the Pine Trees along the Ponderosa Corridor The plans for the airport have not been addressed. Keep the sky's over Camarillo not overly com-mercial. Old Town is very affected by the air traffic that has increased. Encouraging diversity and inclusion. Yes on more restaurants and shops and entertainment but if it is the same copy pasted restaurant, shop and entertainment then it is a waste of construction and should prioritize development for projects that are new, exciting and diverse so the city can grow and be appealing to different crowds and younger people choose to stay in Camarillo instead of moving somewhere more fun and exciting. Clinics and medical services Continue to limit amount of traffic at our airport. More emphasis on quality living for senior citizens. Emphasis city safety with continuing to fully fund our police department. I would really like to see the City improve its connection with the local park district. I feel that there is a big piece missing by the City not contributing significantly to their budget on a yearly basis. The City's of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley have long standing relationships with their districts. The community could really benefit from your support, especially if you are looking into bringing in more entertainment, arts, murals, or "corporate" recreational facilities. There should be more of a view of this is the "tax payer's money" not the "City's money." Let's invest in the current programs. Allowing housing in all commercial zones, more by-right processes for housing production. Affordability of housing. Become less of a contractor based city. More multifamily and townhome infill housing Stop extra bond taxes on property taxes bills General Plan Update Community Survey Report
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Prioritizing well paying jobs and housing so our kids graduate college and want to and are able to live here Need to stop unapproved protests and private political signs on freeway bridges that distract driv-ers and slow traffic Reduce airport noise. Aging population and strain on budget STOP DEVELOPING! The city is FULL! Our population has exploded over the last 20 years- please stop! The people who were born here do not want to live here anymore! maintain the infrastructure with current budget Not that I can think of. 1) safer streets for our kids, 2) more infill (i.e. development of new housing units on vacant or underutilized lots) housing, and 3) more culture/events Housing types aren’t discussed. I support all of the above but especially missing middle housing like townhomes. Encourage small businesses to open (not so many "chain/franchise" businesses). Keep Camarillians spending their money in Camarillo not neighboring cities. -World class cellular service -Keep crime out of Camarillo -Prioritize budget for citizens and not non-citizens More Affordable Housing Hardening against extreme weather and fire will be necessary. Fresh water is a huge concern. Also, the hills along the perimeter of Camarillo become very dry at certain times of the years, which greatly affects wildfire danger. Those hills need to be cut back, so that windy conditions don't attract fires that can burn and destroy neighborhoods. THIS SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY after the recent fire that destroyed over 100 homes in Camarillo. Also, if we could reduce the fire danger, maybe fire insurance prices might reflect more reasonable premi-ums? STOP BUILDING NEW HOME ETC. Pass an ordinance that limits urban/suburban sprawl perhaps due to limited water resources. Keep Camarillo as a quiet and friendly little town. tiny homes for retirees or singles PROHIBIT the city council from passing an initiatives for political posturing such as Black Live Mat-ter, Defunding Police, Sanctuary Cities, interfering with Law Enforcement including federal Border Patrol or ICE. Require permits for any public protest and ENFORCE those laws. I don't see education. Maybe because the school district is regional? Prioritize coordination with CSUCI so that the campus drives community growth in business, cul-ture, and education Better parking on Ventura Blvd Plant more trees! Plant trees on city owned residential parkways Freeway widening Stop bringing chain eateries and other outlets to Camarillo! Encourage small business. Review traffic patterns and left hand torn arrows. Some areas are blind trying to turn on green light only. Example is Carmen and Mission. Anything that can bring more wild nature into the city like a marsh or a great park that has changes in topography.
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Address the increasing traffic congestion on 101 freeway. Need to add freeway lanes to improve travel time between districts in Camarillo and similar to double lane design of Lewis rd offramp from northbound 101 fwy. More mixed use projects, more creative housing arrangements, especially for younger adults. City should not be in the development business. Lewis road from the 101 to Las Posas is hideous it needs to be improved with paving, trees, plants, something aesthetically pleasing as people ride the train through Camarillo and don't get to see how nice it is. It's very rough. No. Airport use mitigation On the undergrounding of power lines, I have read in the L.A. Times that in fire areas, underground-ing of power lines has been planned, but it costs $20,000-30,000 for homeowners. Your question did not take costs into consideration. keep to a minimum big box retail stores. support more mom and pop retail. Please don’t bring in too many buildings alongside 101 which is making Camarillo already looking like any San Fernando Valley town, and we are loosing our Camarillo Character!!! You've thought of everything important to me. To relieve pressure on the 101/405 corridor there needs to be an efficient and inexpensive way to get to LAX via mass transit. Exploration of Public/Private partnerships to increase service levels and reduce cost to the citizens. I can’t say it enough….Stop building, full stop! Definitely stop building dense housing & apartments. If your going to allow anything to be built, at least make developers build real neighborhoods with actual decent size yards for houses. Arneill Ranch is the perfect example of a good neighborhood, anything with denser housing or smaller streets is inadequate & has no place in our community. ICE out of Camarillo for all the reasons I previously mentioned. Flock cameras as well- this data is being abused and co-opted for nefarious work and Camarillo can’t allow this. We have no community. What are we doing to have more opportunities for people to get to know each other and support and life up our town? We need to dump the old white men off city council as a start! continuing to improve the city’s walkability ! all of the walkability mentions in this survey made me very happy!! More inclusionary housing in new residential developments
C. PHASE 1 POP UP OUTREACH SUMMARY This memo summarizes findings from the pop-up outreach conducted as part of the vision and guiding principles identification stage of Phase 1 of the preparation of the Camarillo General Plan Update. The pop-up outreach was conducted from July 2025 to May 2026 at 25 community events and locations. The remainder of this memo highlights objectives summarizes the pop-up outreach events and keyfindings of the outreach, and presents materials used at events. POP UP OUTREACH OBJECTIVES 1. Raise awareness of the General Plan and the Camarillo 2050 project in the community 2. Get feedback from community members on issues, opportunities and strategies to consider in updating the plan and input to help shape a shared vision and guiding principles for the project POP UP OUTREACH EVENTS SUMMARY The pop-up outreach events happened from July 2025 to May 2026, and engaged a variety of stakeholders and residents, including teenagers, older adults, high school students, and citizens at the city’s farmer’s market. Table 1 in the Appendix to this memo lists the dates and times of pop-up outreach events and the purpose of each. In total, over 200 community members were engaged throughout Phase 1 pop-up outreach events. In addition to the pop up events, the City also launched a community survey, photo contest, and youth video project to help gather ideas and priorities for Camarillo’s future. These forms of engagement were advertised throughout the pop up events. Postcards of the photo contest and business cards marketing the project website and included in the materials section of the memo. KEY FINDINGS Recurring Themes • Residents value and wish to sustain Camarillo's close-knit "small-town feel," seeking expanded opportunities for the community to connect through local festivals, holiday celebrations, and cultural gatherings. • There is a desire to expand dedicated, well-maintained bicycle paths and pedestrian routes to make local streets significantly more bike-friendly and supportive of active lifestyles. • Community members advocate for limiting overdevelopment and strictly managing growth to preserve Camarillo’s surrounding agricultural lands, natural open spaces, and scenic mountain views • Residents emphasize the need for effective traffic mitigation strategies to relieve congestion along the Highway 101 freeway while maintaining manageable, safe, and convenient vehicle travel across town. • The vision of the community focuses heavily on preservation of groundwater resources and adoption of climate-adapted, native landscaping. • Residents want to see continued investment in the local park system, including upgrades to park facilities, extended hours for dog parks, and the addition of modern recreational features like splash pads and community pools.
• There is a desire for centralized dining spaces, such as an outdoor promenade or patio setting away from heavy traffic, to support a lively civic life and revitalize Old Town into a premier destination. • The community highly values city maintenance, advocating for clean public spaces, public restrooms, streetscapes, and essential infrastructure upgrades like the local sewage treatment plant. • Residents want proactive efforts to fill commercial business vacancies and expand diverse local services, entertainment options, and high-paying employment sectors. • Residents desire a welcoming, supportive environment for all age groups, calling for free youth activities, accessible older adult amenities, and childcare options integrated within new community developments. • While community members wish to preserve the current scale of the city, they acknowledge the need to plan a balanced mix of attainable housing options that allow younger generations and older adults to remain in Camarillo. Unique Ideas • The community envisioned specific festive gatherings to bring people together, explicitly proposing a community dog parade and a Halloween zombie walk hosted at Dizdar Park. • Community members expressed a vision for future restaurants, requesting that fine dining establishments be grouped around a pedestrian-friendly promenade or patio setting, away from noisy road edges or the margins of parking lots.
APPENDIX: DETAILS OF EVENTS, MATERIALS, POSTCARDS, BUSINESS CARDS, AND COMMENT T able 1 Camarillo General Plan Phase 1 Pop-up Outreach Events Date/Time Event/Location Purpose Saturday, July 26, 2025, 5:30-9:30PM Booth at Summer Concert in the Park, Constitution Park Build project awareness Sunday, Dec. 13, 2025, 10AM-12PM Booth at Camarillo Christmas Parade & Santa’s Village Build project awareness Sunday, Dec. 13, 2025, 4:30-8PM Booth at Camarillo Glow Holiday Walk Build project awareness Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, 1-3PM Pop-up Outreach at Rolling Pin Donuts Build project awareness Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, 4:30-6PM Presentation to Teen Advisory Board, Camarillo Public Library Build project awareness Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, 2:30-4PM Workshop at Leisure Village Build project awareness Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, 8AM-12PM Booth at Old Town Farmer’s Market – build project awareness Build project awareness Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, 4:30-6PM Pop-up Workshop at Camarillo Public Library Present Youth Video Contest Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, 12-1PM Presentation to Business Advocacy Committee of West Ventura County Business Alliance Build project awareness Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, 8:00AM-12PM Booth at Old Town Farmer’s Market Promote community survey Monday, March 9, 2026, 5-7PM Presentation to Las Personas Community Academy Build project awareness Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 10AM-12PM Workshop at Leisure Village – 2 stations Build project awareness and collect input (general info
Date/Time Event/Location Purpose and guiding principles) Saturday, March 21, 2026, 12-2PM Dizdar Park Grand Opening Build project awareness Thursday, April 9, 2026, 10-11:15AM Presentation at Pleasant Valley School District Tour Build project awareness and present Youth Video Contest Saturday, April 4, 2026, 8AM-12PM Booth at Old Town Farmer’s Market Promote community survey Saturday, April 25, 2026, 10AM-1PM Booth at “Love Your Planet” Earth Day Event Promote community survey Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 10AM-4PM Booth at the Camarillo Library Promote community survey Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 10AM-4PM Booth at the Camarillo Library Promote community survey Thursday, April 30, 2026, 10:50-11:30AM Presentation to Adolfo Camarillo High School Video and Film Class Build project awareness and present Youth Video Contest Saturday, May 9, 2026, 8AM-12PM Booth at Old Town Farmer’s Market Promote community survey Saturday, May 9, 2026, 10AM-2PM Booth at Pleasant Valley Lions Club Carnival Promote community survey Saturday, May 9, 2026, 10AM-4PM Booth at Deeply Rooted Mother’s Day Vendor Fair Promote community survey Saturday, May 23, 2026, 8AM-12PM Booth at Old Town Farmer’s Market Promote community survey
Postcards (front) – 5 versions
Postcards (back) – English and Spanish versions
Business Cards (front and back) – English
Business Cards (front and back) – Spanish
COMMENTS Q: What is the best thing about Camarillo? Parks (x2) The people Holiday activities Free activities for kids Free music events
Community and safety (x2) Calleguas Creek Trail Community events (x2) Small town feel (x2) Food City employees (I did not write this one!) Well maintained streets and landscaping Clean city Perfect spot to raise a family and close to all that you want to do Q: What makes Camarillo unique? Outlets/shopping (x2) Perfect location Good pools Small town feeling – especially at events (x4) Manageable traffic in town Feels safe Good restaurants (x2) Farmland The mountains Q: What is your vision for the future? Fill business vacancies Halloween zombie walk at Dizdar Park Dog parade Cleaner public bathrooms No AI (because of water needed for cooling) Free park activities for kids Upgrade sewage treatment plant Dog parks that are open later Splash pad Childcare provided as part of new developments Fine dining that surrounds a promenade/patio and not on the edge of parking lots/noisy roads Cleaner city (x2) Make more streets bike friendly/more bike paths (x7)(+2) Improve traffic on the 101 highway (x2) No more new housing Maintain open spaces and farmland Preserve the groundwater Solar panels on every roof Better senior center Infill development over sprawl Native plants instead of grass School funding for arts and sciences Better public transportation
Maintain current transportation Beautiy Lewis Road (e.g. remove graffiti) New park in Old Town Farmer’s Market Area Indoor play spaces for kids (e.g., Dojo Boom/Sky Zone) Restrooms at all parks (x2) Better care for wildlife Cover the 101 highway from Carmen to Los Posas and turn into greenspace (x2) Ikea in town More: robust PVRPD classes and leagues for all ages artistic and cultural events agriculture (x3) dogs dog parks community gardens (x2) filtered water for public use water at parks one-story homes for seniors housing food banks local businesses trees community events skate parks amusement parks ice skating rink downtown area (x3) pools tennis courts racquet ball facilities – need 2 public courts public art trash cans in Old Town trash cans on busy streets (e.g. Las Posas, Arneill, Ponderosa) living wall in Old Town General Comments Remove pine trees and replace with species that requires less water Once monthly close down one side of Arneill and Los Posas and open up to bicycles and pedestrians Make parking lot near Dizdar Park a parking lot again Provide help/assistance list to seniors needing handyman or yard work (i.e., list of people willing to do small jobs that are trustworthy and do not take advantage of the elderly)