VENTURA : Council Agrees to Review 5-Year Plan

A $97.6-million, five-year capital-improvement program--allocating money for such projects as downtown revitalization and a bike path connecting Ventura and Ojai--was accepted for review by the Ventura City Council on Monday.

The city sets its building priorities every other year, and this year’s review is largely a formality done because state law requires it.

But at least one council member, Gregory L. Carson, said Monday he planned to seek changes in the funding allocation when the council holds workshops in late March or early April.

The current program includes $1.5 million to revamp downtown, $8.3 million to redo the Johnson Drive interchange with the Ventura Freeway and $600,000 for a bike trail along the Ventura River.

Residents of Lafayette Street, which backs up to California 126, begged council members Monday to consider allocating money to build a sound wall between their street and the highway. City officials said Caltrans has agreed to pay for most of the construction and move the project to the top of its list, if the city will foot one-third of the construction bill, which could total $1.3 million.