Council delays approval of access deal for 360-unit Somis farmworker housing after safety, liability concerns

The Camarillo City Council on Tuesday declined to finalize a joint-use agreement and quitclaim deed tied to the Somis (AMCAL) farmworker housing project, asking staff to return with a revised agreement clarifying safety, maintenance and financial protections.

The council said the agreement, as drafted, left unanswered questions about how the project's two access points will be used, whether a planned direct pedestrian path to Rancho Campana High School will be completed, the safety of a shared driveway used by the city's desalter facility, and financial guarantees if a power pole relocation forces the desalter offline.

City staff said the developer, AMCAL, built the southern entrance and the project is currently using a shared driveway the city constructed for its desalter. Michelle Gluger, assistant to the city manager, told the council the county-approved project requires two points of direct access and a safe-route-to-school pathway, but the city had not been kept fully informed of later permit adjustments and on-the-ground changes.

"There have been significant gaps in communication…