Camarillo has sent Crestview a letter stating that the Well #8 permit application is incomplete and asking it to fund environmental studies, to submit plans to mitigate the impacts on neighbors, and to say whether it is willing to connect properties on septic systems to the Camarillo sewer system.
Crestview’s application for a conditional use permit, on file since January 8, 2020, was resubmitted on March 24, 2022 to include revised architectural graphics. After review, the City sent a letter June 10, 2022 stating that the application was still incomplete in several important respects.
Before further action, Crestview will be required to deposit $11,408 for the City to conduct an initial environmental study. The initial study will determine whether a full “environmental impact statement” will be required or if a “negative declaration” or “mitigated negative declaration” will suffice.
The letter asks Crestview to state how it will mitigate construction impacts on neighbors. An independent noise expert advised Crestview and the City two years ago that it “may not be possible” to meet the noise limit when round the clock drilling is occurring. Crestview has engaged a new noise consultant to address this, but no report has been released. Does the report reach unwelcome conclusions?
The septic system issue is huge. There are up to 19 neighbors of Well #8 whose septic systems would be made “non-conforming uses” by the construction of a public water well within 600 feet. Two mitigation measures have been identified. One, there could be hold-harmless agreements for each property requiring Crestview and Calleguas to step in and handle all incremental permitting, construction, and operational costs caused by the existence of the new well. It is estimated that would cost about $200,000 for each property needing to replace its seepage pit. Two, Crestview could pay for the cost of connecting the affected properties to the Camarillo sewer system. Several years ago, Camarillo Public Works estimated $700,000 to connect the “dry” main in the neighborhood to the sewer in La Marina Drive, but that number did not include rights-of-way acquisition or the cost of connecting each home to the system.
If Crestview reapplies to the County for Well #7, as many have urged, it will likely face these same mitigation expenses there because the City and County exchange information about Well #7 and Well #8. An order-of-magnitude cost estimate would be $2 million. Crestview has no plan to pay for that in either location, let alone two locations. The City’s letter is here.
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