Arroyo Simi renovations still many years, dollars away from completion

At a recent meeting of the Arroyo Simi Ad Hoc Committee, community leaders were presented with colorful renderings of their vision to beautify the Arroyo.

But as the development plan for the Arroyo Simi Greenway took shape, aesthetics were put aside to deal with more practical matters.

Foremost in the committee members' minds were two questions: How long will the project take to complete? How much will it cost?

Neither question elicited an easy answer because the project runs the entire length of the city and will take a decade or longer to finish, depending on funding.

"Something this large is going to take multiple funding sources and will be built on a phased basis," said Peter Lyons, director of environmental services for the city.

The Arroyo begins on the east end of Simi at Corriganville Park and runs 12 miles through the center of the city and into Moorpark. The wash, as many refer to it, is managed by the city, the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District and the Ventura County Watershed Protection District.

In 2007, a study was conducted to gather ideas for revitalizing the Arroyo Simi and turning it into a recreational asset for the community. The greenway would enhance pedestrian and bicycle access, connect the city's parks and schools and improve the overall look of the corridor.

At its June 24 meeting, the seven-member committee viewed digital renderings that will be part of a forthcoming specific plan, which is being drafted by RRM Design Group, the consultant hired by the city and park district. The specific plan will include development standards, a phasing strategy and a maintenance program.

Jeff Ferber, a principal with RRM Design Group, said he couldn't imagine the "ambitious" project taking less than 10 years to complete and said it could take as many as 30 years to do everything outlined in the specific plan.

For City Councilmember Steve Sojka, who's been spearheading efforts to revitalize the Arroyo for years, the likelihood of waiting many more years for the project's completion was not a deterrent.

"I want to be ambitious because imagine delivering this amenity to our community," said Sojka, chair of the ad hoc committee. "Sure it's going to be long-term, but if we do it right it's going to be incredible for our community."

The specific plan and an application for a special-use permit are anticipated to go before the planning commission and the City Council this fall.

Ferber said his team is working on a cost estimate to be presented at a later meeting but warned that any ballpark figure would be in 2009 dollars.

"Projecting what a project 20 years from now will cost is virtually impossible," he said.

Lyons agreed, saying it is premature to talk cost. But he said securing funding would be easier once the council approves the specific plan and individual projects are defined and prioritized.

General fund monies will not finance the greenway—instead, the city will seek grants and other funds specifically for this type of project. Sojka said the project is a perfect candidate for stimulus funding and that there are "lots of other pots of money" the city can go after.

"It gets people out of cars, provides safe routes to school, allows people to get from one end of town to another without having to go through the traffic, so it fits a lot of needs," he said. "We just have to be aggressive in going after those (grants)."

One possible source is the Department of Transportation's Safe Route to Schools program.

Mayor Pro Tem Barbra Williamson said she would like more residents to get involved in the process and asked that project plans be made available at the Simi Library.

"This is going to cost an awful lot of money, and it would be nice to have more input from people," she said.

At the next meeting, most likely in September, the committee will discuss which areas it would like to see improved first.