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Council authorizes exclusive negotiations for downtown parcels, residents urge clear goals
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Summary
The council authorized an exclusive negotiating agreement with JB Jonesborough LLC for several city‑owned parcels downtown; council members asked that existing commercial tenants be kept informed and a public commenter urged the city to define community goals before negotiating. Council approved the ENA 6–0.
The Oxnard City Council voted to authorize the mayor to execute an exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with JB Jonesborough LLC to explore potential mixed‑use redevelopment of several city‑owned parcels between West 5th and West 6th Streets.
Housing Director Brenda Lopez said the ENA establishes milestones and deliverables for exclusive negotiations but does not commit the city to a specific concept or approval. Council members asked whether adjoining commercial tenants — including a nonprofit theater tenant on the site — had been informed; Lopez said staff had discussed the situation with tenants and that any displacement or specific proposals would come back for community review and council consideration.
A virtual public speaker, Barbara Macri Ortiz, urged the council to define the city’s goals for the block and historic cultural uses before negotiating with a developer, warning that starting negotiations without community guidance risks outcomes the community won’t support.
Council members emphasized that the ENA is an exploratory step; the council approved the ENA by a 6–0 vote and staff said they will continue public outreach and return with concrete proposals if negotiations progress.
