Hansen Trust Specific Plan - Ventura, California

Alley-served house with two-story porch
Alley-served house with two-story porch
Typical side-drive house without alley
Typical side-drive house without alley

The University of California owns this 36-acre property in east Ventura, donated by Thelma Hansen to help endow a trust for the preservation and promotion of agriculture. To establish a value for the property prior to offering it for sale, the University University retained an HDR team directed by David Sargent to work cooperatively with the City of Ventura to develop a specific plan for the property meeting the City's objectives for walkable, traditional neighborhood development.

The three-year planning process included a design Charrette, multiple public workshops and multiple drafts of the specific plan document. The Plan includes detailed standards for a network of pedestrian-oriented streets, blocks and public open space, a mix of housing types including affordable farmworker housing, designs and standards for buffers to the adjacent agricultural lands; and standards and guidelines for sustainable infrastructure and building technologies. The form based development code is based on the City's standard format, developed in large measure by Mr. Sargent's team in a previous assignment as the City's consulting town architect.

Project Information

Location:
Ventura, California
Status:
Adopted by City Council, November 2008
Client:
  • University of California Office of the President, Real Estate Services for the Hansen Trust
Size:
36 Acres

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