Ventura City Manager Discusses Value Of Smart Growth

The city of Ventura is at a crossroads when it comes to growth and development, sandwiched between the explosive development of Oxnard and the suffocating restrictions (and the associated skyrocketing property values) imposed in Santa Barbara. This month, the Ventura City Council voted to hire Rick Cole as its new City Manager. Cole, the current City Manager of Azusa and a staunch supporter of smart growth, will bring his vision to Ventura at the end of April. The Planning Report presents an interview with Rick Cole, in which he addresses the challenges of escalating property prices, development restrictions, and the need for a new approach to planning in the city of Ventura, California.