The showdown in the Port Hueneme 46 story tower debate is looming. On April 18 th , developers Harvey Champlin and Ray Mulokas will formally ask the Port Hueneme City Council to give them the green light to begin filing formal project applications to build a 46 story skyscraper on a 1.4 acre city owned parking lot at Port Hueneme Beach. The construction of this behemoth known as Pacific Pointe at Port Hueneme: a World Class Resort, would forever change the landscape, character, and demographics of this peaceful beach town.

The skyscraper would be over twice the height of the tallest tower at Oxnard's Topa Financial Plaza, half the height of the World Trade Center towers, and the tallest building on the pacific coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many citizens believe that this grossly oversized building does not belong in their small coastal town.

A large group of citizens dubbed the "No Tower" group has organized to fight the development. A majority of its members reside in the various condominium complexes around Port Hueneme beach, but as more people become aware of this proposed development, citizens from Oxnard and Ventura are getting involved for fear that the construction of this project could open the floodgates for similar skyscrapers in other Ventura County cities.

Developers Champlin and Mulokas have started a campaign to sell their skyscraper at housing conferences, to realtors, investors and business groups, and finally to the local citizens with a series of community meetings. They claim that building skyscrapers and cramming lots of people into them on small lots of land is "smart growth." They claim that Ventura County could lose its hillsides and agricultural land unless we "build up" The No Tower group believes that genuine "smart growth" is building in a way to preserve a city's charm, character, and quality of life. A 46 story tower is not smart.

In addition, the developers tout advantages such as increased revenue to the city's coffers, increased property values, and an agreement to to develop a blighted property on Hueneme Road with 30 affordable housing units in exchange for permission to proceed with planning. On the other hand, the No Towers group cites disadvantages such as increased traffic, increased population, and added strain to the city's infrastructure, not to mention that the tower is inappropriate in size and an unwanted addition to the community.

Some tower opponents wonder why, when affordable housing is very much needed and very hard to come by in today's real estate market, that Port Hueneme city leaders would even consider a project that would put the American Dream of home ownership even further out of reach for middle class citizens who live in Port Hueneme. According to the Pacific Pointe website, the tower condominiums would be marketed towards affluent retirees who most likely would come from out of the area because most Port Huenemians wouldn't be able to afford one of the luxury condo units.

It is important to be informed about this development. We urge you to study both sides of the issue. Visit the No Towers website at www.huenemepeople.com and the developer's website at www.supportthetower.com. Ask questions. Demand answers. And remember that parking lot "E" belongs to the citizens of Port Hueneme as park and open space land. You do have a say on whether or not this development will happen!

Please speak out and let the Port Hueneme City Council know how you feel about this project.. Email the Port Hueneme City Council at: councilwebmail@ci.port-hueneme.ca.us. Send a letter to the editor of the Ventura County Star at letters@venturacountystar.com or write a letter to the City Council, 250 N. Ventura Rd., Port Hueneme 93041.

Make plans to attend the Port Hueneme City Councl meeting on Wednesday April 18th at 7:00pm.