Kathleen Mallory, the City’s planning and sustainability manager, and Orlando Gonzalez of Gruen Associates presented the South Oxnard Connect specific plan and asked neighborhood council members and residents for input.

Mallory said the specific plan is a regulatory document that implements the city general plan and will identify public‑realm improvements and development standards for private parcels in the study area. Gonzalez outlined the study-area boundaries—Saviours Road to the east, Waimea Road to the south, J Street to the west and Van Ness to the north—and emphasized the plan’s community-driven approach. The presentation noted that the specific plan would ultimately require adoption by the planning commission and city council.

Presenters described transit‑oriented development goals—clustered mixed uses, improved public spaces, and prioritized walking and biking—and highlighted potential social, economic and environmental benefits, including improved access to jobs, support for local businesses and greenhouse‑gas reductions.

Community commenters raised several concerns and suggestions: coordination with future growth and Ormond Beach development; the potential for a J Street canal linear park; flood risk in areas near the J Street drain and the need to account for upstream flooding impacts; the lack of park space in Tierra Vista and the need for more green space; and persistent public-safety and youth‑violence issues in parts of South Oxnard. Mallory and the consultant reiterated they are in a listening phase, will distribute four outreach questions by email, accept feedback through an email address with a deadline of Dec. 16, and will hold a community design meeting on Jan. 28 with Spanish and mixed‑tech interpretation.