In Brief
By Ailene Sankur , Bill Lascher 10/18/2007
Jackson in senate hunt
A state senate race shaping up to be one of the most competitive races in California just got a little more complicated.
Former Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, a Democrat who served six years in the assembly seat currently held by Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara), announced Oct. 17 that she is running for the 19th District of the state senate. The district encompasses Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Ventura, parts of Los Angeles County and most of Santa Barbara County.
“I’m running because I want to continue doing the work that I did when I was in the state assembly up until the end of 2004,” Jackson said. “I think that the community is very anxious to see some reform and some significant improvements in our education system, in our environmental concerns and our climate change and global warming issues. We really have a lot more we can do in terms of health care.”
But before Jackson can make any sort of reform she’ll have to beat a growing pack of opponents seeking to replace Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), who will be forced out of office by term limits. As reported in the Sept. 13 edition of the Reporter another Democrat, consultant Jim Dantona, has already thrown his hat in the ring. In fact, Jackson’s announcement came a day before Dantona was to hold a major fundraiser headlined by retired Maryland Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend and California Senate President Pro-Tempore Don Perata.
Meanwhile, both Dantona and McClintock face stiff opposition from Republican Tony Strickland, another former assemblyman who reportedly has a significant fundraising edge on his Democratic opponents.
CSUCI acquires new land for its campus
California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) announced Oct. 15 that it will acquire 153 acres of land through a land exchange, increasing the university’s size from 680 acres to 833. The land, bordering the northern portion of campus, is allocated for a new roadway, surface parking lots and playing fields.
The roadway is expected to be completed in December 2009 and will include two lanes for traffic as well as bicycle lanes. The current entry to campus, University Drive, will primarily be used as an access road to University Glen, a residential area. New parking lots are anticipated to open up 5,000 spaces for cars. There is no expected completion date for the playing fields.
The land exchange deal closed Oct. 11.
Artist housing project gets tax credits
Ventura’s Working Artists Ventura project (WAV) was awarded approximately $20 million in tax credits by the State of California’s California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, city officials announced Oct. 15. There were 192 applications statewide.
The money will help secure other state, local and federal funds. Proceeds from the sale of the tax credits will help fund construction of the project, set to begin Jan. 1, 2008.
WAV is intended to provide artists with living and studio space. It will be a mixed-use, mixed-income community that meets Leadership in Energy Efficient Design standards. It is expected to offer 82 new housing units, including supportive housing for homeless families managed by Project Understanding, a theater and gallery space, 6,177 square feet of commercial space, three parks and 54 units earmarked for artists’ live/work space. The project is expected to be completed in 2009.
Rocketdyne cleanup bill signed
Gov. Schwarzenegger announced Oct. 12 that he intends to sign Senate Bill 990. The legislation by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) lays the groundwork for the next steps to be taken to clean hazardous waste from the Santa Susana Field Laboratory site near Simi Valley. As previously reported in The Reporter and its sister publication, The Los Angeles CityBeat, the former rocket engine test and nuclear research facility has been the focus of concern about radiological contamination.
Boeing Company now owns the majority of the 2850-acre site and has signed a letter of intent with the California Environmental Protection Agency to transfer its property to the state only after the company meets extensive cleanup standards set by the bill. According to the announcement, after the cleanup, the erstwhile laboratory site can only be used for park, recreational and open space use, not residential or agricultural purposes.
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