MOORPARK : Fight Over Growth Report Fee Ends

The Moorpark City Council has approved a settlement for a consultant who drafted an environmental report on 10 development proposals, clearing the way for the report to become available to the public.

The settlement approved last week resolves a pay dispute between the city and the private consulting firm, PBR of Irvine. The dispute had held up public hearings on the proposed development projects for about three months.

A representative of Levy Co., one of the developers, complained about the delay at a council meeting last month.

Two years ago, Moorpark hired PBR to prepare an environmental impact report and General Plan amendment to direct the city’s growth during the next 20 to 25 years, Mayor Paul Lawrason said.

The documents cover the 10 development proposals, which involve about 1,000 acres and which together would add 3,556 houses as well as commercial and industrial buildings, Planning Department spokeswoman Debbie Traffenstedt said. Although PBR completed the draft environmental report last spring, the company demanded additional fees from the city before releasing the document.

The four-month-old fee dispute ended when PBR accepted a compromise offered by the city two weeks ago, Councilman Roy Talley Jr. said.

The city will pay the consultant about $44,000 more than the original contract, which set the fees at $158,000, Talley said. In addition, the city has already paid about $32,000 in other fees to PBR.

The settlement agreement is expected to be signed by Aug. 1, Talley said, clearing the way for the draft EIR to be released for public review. State law requires the public to have at least 45 days to review an environmental report.