Contact Information: CONTACTS: Harold Edwards CEO LIMONEIRA COMPANY Office (805) 525-5541 ext. 235 Mobile (805) 207-1897 John Chamberlain Director of Marketing LIMONEIRA COMPANY Office (805) 525-5541 ext. 256 Mobile (805) 708-0364 Diane Rumbaugh Rumbaugh Public Relations 805-493-2877
Voters Approval of Santa Paula East Area 1 Measure Means New Sustainable Community and Increased City Tax Revenue
| Source: Limoneira Company
SANTA PAULA, CA--(Marketwire - June 4, 2008) - On June 3, Santa Paula, California voters
approved Measure G, which allows 541 acres on the eastern edge of the City
of Santa Paula to be incorporated into the city and zoned for development.
Work on a master planned community for the site can now move forward.
Limoneira Company (PINKSHEETS : LMNR ), a 115-year-old agribusiness and
community builder with headquarters in Santa Paula, will be responsible for
developing the site known as Santa Paula East Area 1.
Measure G passed with 82.57% percent of the voters in favor of the measure.
"The East Area 1 development has been in the planning stages for more than
five years," says Harold Edwards, president and CEO of Limoneira. "We
listened carefully to Santa Paula residents and created a master plan that
will be a great benefit to the area and, we believe, will be a blueprint
for future developments in California."
The project is anticipated to create millions of dollars in new tax revenue
for Santa Paula and the Heritage Valley Corridor, located between Ventura
and Santa Clarita and 20 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. The value of the
completed community is expected to exceed $1 billion upon build out.
The master planned community will contain over 1,500 new homes at various
price points, 150,000 sq. feet of new office and retail space, 200,000 sq.
feet of new light industrial space, a new, state-of-the-art elementary
school, high school and post secondary facilities, new fire and police
stations, athletic fields, parks, hiking trails, a civic center and new
amphitheater.
Approximately 79 acres will be designated open space and another 55 acres
will be set aside as an agricultural preserve.
Design and construction will use environmentally sound practices with
eco-friendly building and landscape materials, and renewable energy
sources. "It will be a sustainable community were residents can live, work
and play locally," notes Edwards. Limoneira recently partnered with UC
Santa Barbara's Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management,
one of the country's top environmental research institutions, to ensure the
development is one of the most sustainable building projects in the state.
"By passing Measure G, Santa Paula residents understand the need for
additional affordable housing in their community and a stronger business
base to bring in tax revenue to the city," says Edwards. "We thank Santa
Paula for putting its faith and trust in our company."
As the next step, Edward says, "We will now be following through with the
Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) process so that we can
implement the many benefits that our community needs and wants. We are
excited about this next phase for both Limoneira and for our entire
region."
Limoneira Company continues to pursue strategic community building
opportunities, and has investments in California and Arizona. In addition,
the company has over 7,000 acres in active agricultural production and
distributes its products through Sunkist and Calavo. The company is traded
on the Pink Sheets under the symbol LMNR.
For more information about Limoneira Company and East Area 1, go to
http://www.limoneira.com/.