View sheds and affordable health care are vital to Ventura, but at what cost?

Since the story broke about the perturbed hill dwellers who had received no warning about the construction of a 91-foot medical facility, a number of articles have ensued regarding the rights of the homeowners and the due diligence of the officials for the Ventura County Health Care Agency. When the directors at the agency heard of the distraught neighbors, they acted very surprised.

One can’t help but wonder whether, if any of those directors lived on the aforementioned hill, that the new building wouldn’t have been as high. But none of them do, and so herein lies the problem.

Do the neighbors have the right to feel a sense of betrayal by Ventura County as our tax dollars are used to build this obstruction? Of course they do. Not only did the medical officials not consider how their neighbors would feel, but

Community Memorial Hospital (CMH), a privately run facility, showed them up. Not only did CMH inform their neighbors of new projects, but the reps for CMH held a public forum for a week, which was referred to as a charette, to get them actively involved.

Somehow common courtesy and trying to follow Ventura’s height restriction codes did not apply to Ventura County. Sure, it is for a good cause, and now that the neighbors are reacting, they have also become the bad guys in trying to protect their views.

When the directors and representatives began planning the hospital’s expansion 14 years ago, they said their form of due diligence was one article published three years ago. Prior to that, notices were supposedly posted on the doors of local residences when the plans were originally developed, even though they didn’t have a log of it.

Assuming these notices were posted, then we can take some heat off the agency and look at the former homeowners and real estate agents who should have done their due diligence to tell homebuyers of the looming situation. This provokes the question of why they didn’t inform the potential homebuyers. Money comes to mind. If the neighbors are so quick to blame the agency and the agency did post detailed notices about the project as they said they did, then why don’t the current homeowners go after the former homeowners and agents?

Let’s say it wasn’t about money, but ignorance. According to a real estate agent and some of the homeowners who were involved with the said properties some 14 years ago, the only thing they had heard about the hospital was there was to be an expansion. Quite clearly, the sheer height of the building came as a shock to everyone involved. Whatever supposed notices were posted simply did not inform those who would be affected of exactly what was to come.

It is unfortunate that the agency failed to make some minor architectural decisions in the first place that would have not blocked anyone’s view. The reason people flock to Ventura is because of the close proximity of the ocean and to think some considerate planning measures could have helped preserve such an asset to the community. The reps for the health care agency tote around the many great things they have done for the community, but couldn’t we have saved lives and not bother the neighbors? When looking at the size of the property, the newest addition could have been expanded out instead of up to preserve the views and property values.

When looking at Ventura’s skyline, we already have some formidable structures, including both the current county and community hospitals, the Ventura Theater and the Crowne Plaza. During the construction of these structures, a hand full of neighbors here and there lost their full panoramic views.

The real problem here is change, or the fear of it. Unfortunately for Ventura-lovers who relish picturesque ocean views, beautiful beaches and wonderful climate, change is inevitable. To think Ventura will always be the way it has always been is unrealistic. If it is not the county, it will be a private developer who will overturn the three-story limit, and yet another neighborhood will be upset at the lack of discretion.

What option do we have? Development will continue to occur. Venturans have to face the fact: The only way to go is up. While it has been said Ventura officials have always planned to keep everything low and no more than three stories, the future is unpredictable. It may not happen today or tomorrow, but it is certain, as the population continues to grow, we have to find a way to accommodate it. Unless we are willing to be one of the highest-priced places to live in the country, similar to Santa Barbara and San Diego, then we will have to face a certain future that some of our view sheds will be hindered with structures.