MOORPARK : Residents Oppose Shopping Center

A group of residents who live next to the site of a proposed shopping center in Moorpark protested the development at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

Mission Bell Plaza, which would be situated between Liberty Bell Avenue and Park Lane, north of Los Angeles Avenue, was initially approved by the council in October. The project’s developers, Ventura Pacific Capital Corp. and Macleod Construction Co., are now seeking approval for major changes to the center. A K mart would replace a grocery store as the major tenant. Also, a day-care center and office building would be replaced by retail stores.

The changes would increase the size of the shopping center by less than 10%. But the new proposal is expected to increase traffic to the center by 11%, or about 2,000 more vehicle trips per day.

The five residents who spoke at the meeting have opposed the project all along. Traffic congestion and accompanying air pollution were high among their concerns, the residents said. They are also worried about dust and noise from the center’s construction, which would be done in phases over five years.

The council continued the public hearing to Sept. 4, when residents’ concerns will be addressed.