'We need to slam the brakes': Fairgrounds stadium pitch brings hoots, hollers at hearing

More than 500 people packed a Ventura County Fairgrounds hall Wednesday night, many of them expressing ardent opposition to a private development team’s pitch for a $319 million facelift that would bring a 7,500-seat baseball stadium to the seaside fairgrounds.

The proposal comes from Pacific Sports Group of Oxnard, which seeks to negotiate a private-public partnership centered around a stadium that could be used for minor league baseball, concerts, conventions and other uses. Developers said the project would also renovate and expand a fairgrounds dotted with dilapidated buildings.

The fairgrounds board of directors rejected the proposal in October after a 16-minute presentation by Pacific Sports. The public hearing was arranged after the development team complained they weren’t given a fair shot and cited a $25,000 contract they signed with a now retired fair executive last year guaranteeing them right of first refusal.

People lined up outside Santa Rosa Hall for the hearing, expressing concerns about the magnitude of the project and the motives behind it. The worries came out loud and clear during public comments.

“They’re not doing this out of the gratitude of their heart,” said Greg Andrews of Fillmore. “Wake up. This is about money.”

Others expressed worries about the impact on traffic and the environment. Christy Weir, former Ventura city councilwoman, said conversations about the future of the fairgrounds are needed but should start with what the community wants because it’s public property.

“It’s not up to a private developer to come in and tell us what we want,” she said.

A couple of people at the back of the auditorium waved signs. Others hooted and hollered. A few people offered support for the proposal.

The plan is a step in the right direction for a fairgrounds in desperate need of renovation, said Bert Lamb, a farmer and rancher from Camarillo.

“It doesn’t do everything for everybody but it’s a start,” he said.

Jim Colborn, a former major league baseball pitcher born in Santa Paula, touted the appeal of minor league baseball stadiums and said the fairgrounds needs a boost.

"I do think it's a shame to have this crown jewel in the town of Ventura go to waste," he said.

Read more:Short-handed, long-serving fair board unlikely to gain new members, history suggests

The most passionate protests came from supporters of the Ventura Raceway, the motorsports track that brings weekly races and has been at the fairgrounds for more than 100 years. It would be eliminated in the Pacific Sports Group proposal.

“It’s got so much history,” said Ricky Lewis, a Camarillo race car driver who got his start at the fairgrounds track. “The race track is here every week. It brings people here.”

The hearing started with long-time county residents who are members of the Pacific Sports Group team presenting a conceptual master plan in which they would execute a master lease for the entire fairgrounds for $1 million a year.

The site would be run through a private-public partnership that has raised concern from fairground directors. The fairgrounds staff would control the site for the fair. Pacific Sports Group would control the site the rest of the year, though the fairgrounds board would maintain authority, said Rick Conrad, the development’s group CEO.

The project would be privately funded and phased in over six years with work done by local residents. The master plan calls for two new parking garages, a transit center, a police substation and retail space that could be used by restaurants, stores and other business. Though a new hotel is shown in drawings, it is not part of the project, said designer Andrew Goodwin.

The goal is to turn the site into a year-round attraction that connects to Ventura’s downtown while also protecting the fair. Convention halls and many other facilities would be replaced or drastically renovated. The equestrian area and many other sites integral to the fair would be expanded and improved.

The presentation was interrupted several times by audience members who yelled out their complaints. Michael Viola, a local contractor set to be involved in the project, responded to the heckling.

“Winners look for solutions. Losers look for excuses,” he said. “If you have a plan that is better, bring it up and if all you’ve got is excuses, get the hell out.”

Fairgrounds board director Cecilia Cuevas said some of the proposed changes, including the retail space, are not allowed on state-owned fairgrounds property. She also questioned the process being followed for the project.

“It seems to me we are out of order,” she said.

The next steps are unclear. Pacific Sports Group leaders said they are hoping to negotiate details of the proposal with the board. But directors have already rejected the project. To vote again, they would have to place the issue back on a future agenda, probably no earlier than March.

Many audience members urged directors to stay with their earlier decision.

“We need to slam on the brakes immediately," said John Herndon, a lifelong Ventura resident.

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura County Fairgrounds stadium hearing draws opposition