Pardee Homes to help repair Deerhill Road

Oak Park residents concerned about the deteriorating condition of Deerhill Road near the Regency Hills and Chamboard residential developments were successful at getting the attention of Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, who, in turn, went to the developer—Pardee Homes—for assistance.

After Parks contacted Pardee Homes project manager Jim Bizelle and requested a voluntary contribution to repair the road, Pardee Homes complied and sent a check for $25,000.

In a letter written by Parks that was to have been presented to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors at Tuesday’s meeting, Parks said that nothing required Pardee Homes to repair the road. Although routine wear and tear, Parks said, would cause some the road’s deterioration, much of it was caused by heavy equipment and vehicles that were used by Pardee or its subcontractors.

In the letter Parks said, "I’m delighted that Pardee Homes stepped up to the plate and provided funds for the roadwork. Their willingness to help fund the road repairs when they were not required to do so shows that they are not only a good corporate citizen but also a good neighbor."

The $25,000 was initially earmarked to pay for slurry sealing of the road, according to Butch Britt, deputy director of Public Works for Ventura County. Britt said that because a slurry seal is cosmetic and temporary, the public works department decided to place the check for $25,000 in a trust. The money will be used in the future to offset the cost of more permanent solution.

In the meantime, the transportation department has already completed substantial interim repairs to Deerhill Road and plans to schedule more extensive repairs as resources and workloads permit. However, with the state budget crisis, it could be years before road reconstruction is complete, according to Parks’ letter.

––Lori Porter