SOAR FAQs

Q. What is SOAR?
A. SOAR is Save Open-Space and Agricultural Resources – a non-profit organization whose mission is to make Ventura County a better place to live by limiting urban sprawl, protecting open space and agricultural lands, and promoting livable and sustainable communities in the county and surrounding regions. We work through grassroots community action, education, policy development and advocacy, in partnership with citizens and diverse coalitions.

Q. What are SOAR boundaries?
A. The SOAR boundaries, or City Urban Restriction Boundaries (CURB lines) as they are called in some places, give citizens in Ventura County the right to vote before development takes place on open space and agricultural lands outside our cities. The first SOAR initiative passed in 1995 in the City of Ventura; today SOAR boundaries are in place in 8 out of 10 cities and all unincorporated land in the county, protecting more than 600,000 acres of open space and agricultural land.

Q. Do the SOAR boundaries permanently protect open space and farmland in Ventura County?
A. No. The SOAR boundaries have built-in 15- or 20-year expiration dates. And the boundaries can be challenged at any time through the ballot initiative process, as we saw in 2002 when developers campaigned for (but failed to win) voter approval to open the Ventura Hillsides and Adams Canyon in Santa Paula for huge sprawl developments. (Certain types of development, e.g., low-income housing and public facilities such as schools, are also exempt from the SOAR boundaries.)

Q. What is SOAR doing to keep safeguarding our open lands?
A. SOAR is the only organization that stands ready to support citizens in any community in the county whose growth boundaries are threatened by an inappropriate developer initiative. We provide campaign expertise, coordination and fundraising capacity to help counter massive corporate-backed developer campaigns. With our support, the citizens of Ventura and Santa Paula defeated developer campaigns in 2002 by wide margins in spite of being outspent 10 to 1. We are also working to permanently protect open lands through creation of a Ventura County Open Space District, and eventually through permanent extension of the SOAR boundaries.

Q. Can Ventura County grow without paving over our remaining open space and farmlands?
A. Yes. Much if not all of forecasted growth in Ventura County can be met by developing or redeveloping lands within existing urban limits. Doing so will require large amounts of creativity and political will. But done right, infill and mixed-use development within our cities combined with thoughtfully planned mass transit can not only relieve pressure on our open lands, it can significantly enhance the quality of our neighborhoods, services and civic amenities while reducing our environmental footprint. The alternative? If we continue down the path of piecemeal suburban sprawl, we need only look to our neighbors in the San Fernando Valley or Orange County to see what our future will look like.

Q. How can I help protect open space and farmland and make Ventura County a better place to live?
A. Join SOAR – help up us keep working for you and with you to stop sprawl and build vibrant and sustainable communities.
Speak up – be a voice for open space protection and smart growth in your community. Go to a public meeting, write a letter to the editor, talk with your neighbors, and call or email us about the issues that concern you.
Get involved with – or start up – a local SOAR chapter. Contact us for more information about volunteer and leadership opportunities.
Support our allies – we’re all in this together, and we’re in it for the long haul. Support elected officials who work for smart growth; local land trusts like the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy; businesses who understand the importance of environmental sustainability; and the local farmers and farm workers who are vital to our economy and sustenance.

For more information please contact us:

SAVE OPEN-SPACE & AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
P.O. Box 7352
Ventura, CA 93006
(805) 421-9230
info@soarusa.org

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