Just an hour’s drive* from the heart of Los Angeles lies a respite from the concrete jungle and its ever-encroaching sprawl. Nestled on a fertile plain along the Pacific coastline, Camarillo is best known for its quieter pace of life, open views to the ocean, exceptional produce, and ideological resistance to development. Yet, as time moves forward, I’ve watched as the renowned soil sprouted its last fruits in the form of pre-recession McMansions (and post-recession apartments), luxury auto dealerships, destination outlet malls, and townhomes starting from the “low $700s”.
*Typical traffic excluded.
Village at the Park
In the early 2000s, the City of Camarillo approved the Village at the Park project, a decade-plus plan to turn 330 acres of top-designed Prime Farmland and Farmland of Statewide Importance – at the time growing strawberries – into 1,235 homes, 250,000 square feet of boutique retail, and a 55-acre sports park called Pleasant Valley Fields.
Imation & the Andorra Apartments
In 2010, the city approved plans to develop a 180-acre area, comprised of a manufacturing plant, Imation (owned by 3M), and its surrounding farmland. Imation closed during the 2008 recession and was identified as a hazardous materials cleanup site after decades of magnetic tape manufacturing.
The buildings were demolished, the industrial site cleaned up, and the open space and farmland built on. The 450-unit Andorra Apartments, 87-unit ParkWest Townhomes, and more are currently under development.
Rancho Campana High School
To support the growing population, the city elected to build a second high school in the north side of town. The high school and a performing arts center opened in 2015, atop 27 acres of farmland. Plans for an additional 360-units of housing on 36 more acres were approved in 2021.
Springville
The Springville Development is bringing another 1,440 housing units sited on 174 acres of farmland to the west end of the city. It is expected to grow beyond that with additional commercial and residential space.
A new Costco and attached gas station will anchor the space. It will be only 4 miles east of the existing Oxnard Costco.
“No other county in the United States has more effective regulations against urban sprawl.”
— Camarillo SOAR Website
