Letters  of  concern  regarding  Sinaloa  Park  must  be  sent  to  Elected  Officials,  City  Council,  City  Hall ,  City of Simi Valley Planning ,  Rancho Simi Park  District,  Rancho Simi Park  Board of Directors, Local  Newspapers,  and  all  other  forms  of  available  media.  

For  names  and  addresses  please  check  the    Who to Contact   page

Links  to  E-mail Addresses  are  also  included on  the  "Who to Contact" page  to  express  your  feelings  via  email  instead  of  formal letter-writing . . .  the  bottom line  is  to  be  sure  and  make  your  personal  feelings  known  regarding  Sinaloa  Park  as  quickly  as  possible !

Letters  sent  directly  to  the  Ventura  County  Star  newspaper  should  be  sent  via  email  (email is preferred)  to   letters@venturacountystar.com

Letters  sent  directly  to  the  Simi Valley Acorn  newspaper  should  be  sent  via  email  (email is preferred)  to   simi@theacorn.com

Note:  Letters  should  be  limited  to  300  words  or  less. When emailing letters remember to include your full name (not partial initials), full home street address and phone number on each letter you submit for verification purposes.

Please . . .
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SINALOAPARK.INFO  GUESTBOOK

and  share  your  feelings . . .  issues . . .  concerns







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Wrong project, wrong place

PUBLISHED: Ventura County Star  10-24-2007 

It appears that the Rancho Simi Parks & Recreation District and the Simi Valley City Council have lost sight of their purpose: to represent the citizens of the city.

The City Council in the spring voted to have the district go ahead with a plan to be presented as the "Sinaloa Park Project." These plans include rezoning of the property that it purchased on Madera and Irvine roads from a "park" to "commercial/recreation."

This also includes special-use permits for the reckless project, which includes four-story water tubes, an electric arcade (teenage hangout), along with alcohol sales in a "restaurant" for over a thousand people.

The problem is that the parks and recreation district has already spent almost $1 million in furthering this plan with no input from the people it represents.

Some of the funding for this project will come from the sale of the Simi Valley BMX track land, which has been in existence for approximately 30 years and provides a positive environment for thousands of kids in Simi Valley. Essentially, what it wants to do is take a positive outdoor activity for the kids in town and bring them inside to "hang out" in an arcade to create more "revenue" for the district.

This will then become an area ripe for drug- and alcohol-related problems, not to mention a fertile ground for pedophiles and other criminal behaviors.

I urge all of you to go to www.sinaloapark.info and www.sinaloapark.com to find out what your city officials are doing to our city. Call these people now. Do not let the district and City Council turn our city into a "hangout" for the next Valley.

This zoning change must not go through. If it does, there will be nothing to stop it from selling all of this land to outside developers. Then we will have truly lost all control of our city.

This the wrong project in the wrong place. Where are their family values? Contact the Rancho Simi board of directors and the Simi Valley City Council.

In addition, please take a moment to sign the petition at: www.ipetitions.com/petition/savessycamorebmx to save the BMX track, which has trained kids who are going to the Olympics and a world competition in China.

— Deborah Bassham Bucci,

Simi Valley

Plan presents too many risks

PUBLISHED: Ventura County Star  10-24-2007

Re: your Aug. 24 article, "18 park upgrades, expansions approved for Simi Valley district":

In learning that Simi Valley would be reduced to two public golf courses, I was excited to see that $925,000 would be used to expand the existing family-friendly Sinaloa Golf Course.

After reading the article, I believed the funds would go to expanding the golf course from 25 acres to 38 acres. But, after speaking with several people and course personnel, I found a different story. Rancho Simi Parks & Recreation District would like to put in a game arcade building, a water park with a four-story-high water slide and 54 miniature golf holes for $20 million more than the $925,000 listed in the paper.

Plus, none of the $925,000 would go to the current family-friendly Sinaloa Golf Course. And this is all because families supposedly have nowhere to go in Simi Valley.

Miniature golf is available just off Highway 101 in Ventura and at the 405/101 interchange in Sherman Oaks. Water parks are only comfortable in summer months. Game arcades have historically become criminally active hangouts and the games won't rival what is available for the home.

Plus, the risks associated with a theme park of this proposed nature and size would disrupt the existing golf environment and ultimately prove to be unattractive to both families and business owners. And since this location is not directly on a freeway, anything other than an additional nine-holes would be family-unfriendly and a neighborhood invasion.

Please let our elected officials know that this is unacceptable in anyone's backyard. Keep it on a freeway and not in a residential area. In the meantime, dust off your Neighborhood Watch signs and hold on to your tax dollars.

— Mark H. Griffith,

Simi Valley


SAVE  BMX  SPORT

PUBLISHED: Ventura County Star  10-3-2007

Our unique bicycle motocross racing track, at Los Angeles Avenue and Sycamore, is being threatened by the uncontrolled expansion plans of the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District board of directors, who propose selling our facility to help finance the proposed Sinaloa Park concept on Madera and Irvine roads to the tune of $20 million (projected costs; half-a-million has been spent to promote the project).

We can stop or modify this harebrained idea from happening by alerting everyone in our community that the sport of BMX has been around since the early days of Simi and Santa Susana development. It is a part of the health and fitness of its citizens and should not be sacrificed for commercial purposes.

Do not permit zoning changes by the Simi Valley City Council on the Sinaloa Park Project from park to commercial, nor give conditional use permits for this current proposed plan.

Do all you can to persuade the Rancho directors to develop other ways to improve their land on Madera Road that would not remove our present facility. This might be a more challenging and better-designed golfing facility, as in other cities. Other refined family-oriented gatherings, such as miniature golfing or picnic areas, might be considered. Projects should be considered that have no attractive nuisances for our developing youths who would have to be constantly monitored and policed.

The board of directors — Kate O'Brien, Jim Meredith, Elaine Freeman, Gene Hostetler and Mark Johnson — have no published e-mail addresses, but may be reached through the general manager, Larry Peterson, larry@rsrpd.us, 584-4407; or Ed Hayduk, ed@rsrpd.us, 584-4418.

E-mails for the Simi Valley City Council are Paul Miller, pmiller@simivalley.org; Steven Sojka, ssojka@simivalley.org; Barbra Williamson, bwilliam@simivalley.org; Glen Becerra, gbecerra@simivalley.org; and Michelle Foster, mfoster@simivalley.org.

Further information is available at www.sinaloapark.info.

— Raymond Bucci, Simi Valley

To Whom It May Concern:

I'm writing to express my feelings regarding the Sycamore BMX track located in Simi Valley, CA.  I have personally been riding and racing at the track for nearly twenty years and feel it would be a shame if it were to ever close down.  I can think of no better place for kids and their families to have fun, get good exercise and bond together as a family, than a BMX track.  Over the years, I have seen younger riders at the track grow, age, enjoy the sport of BMX and then bring their own children out to experience this wonderful, family oriented sport.  Having the track here in Simi Valley keeps lots of people, both young and “not so young,” healthy and excited about participating in an activity that is like not other.  BMX brings families together, keeps them together and builds friendships that will last a lifetime.  I've personally been racing BMX for over thirty-three years and can honestly say its the single greatest family sport there is.  We are lucky to have the Sycamore BMX facility and will gladly do whatever we can to keep it up and running.

Sincerely,    

To Mayor Paul Miller

Dear Mayor Miller,

For the following reasons, to name just a few, we oppose the proposed Sinaloa Park Plans:

1.  This is ajacent to Sinaloa Lake a wetlands, a place for migratory birds, a santuary in the midst of our city for wildlife. 
2.  There will be noise pollution.
3.  There will be light pollution. ( After dark)
4.  There will be more crime and trespassing.
5.  This has always been a peaceful retreat like living in the country and now they want to citify our neighborhood.
6.  It will adversely affect our property values.  Honestly, if there were an empty lot next to your home would you like this type of complex being built next to you?
7.  This type of complex should be built next to a freeway for visibility and accessibility not on our already overly crowded access road out of town.
8.  Traffic congestion will increase.
9.  This type of complex should be in a commercially zoned area not a neighborhood that people have chosen for it's quiet country, atmosphere.
10. This "family entertainment complex " would be selling alcoholic beverages.  

These are just some of the reasons that we strongly oppose the plans to turn our neighborhood into a commercial area.  We hope that the city council will listen to thecitizens of this community and not the out -of -area entrepreneurs who wish to profit from our location.

Sincerely yours

Richard Price, MD
Elaine Price
Anne Lee
Dorothy Barr
Dorothy Price



Sinaloa Golf Course Expansion Misleading

In reading that Simi Valley would be reduced to two public golf courses, (Acorn 8/24), I was excited to read that $925,000 would be used to expand the existing family friendly Sinaloa Golf Course, (VC Star 8/24). The manner in which the Ventura County Star article was written led me to believe that the funds would go to expanding the golf course from 25 acres to 38 acres.

After speaking with several people and the golf course personnel, I found a different story. Rancho Simi Parks & Recreation District would like to put in a game arcade building, a water park with a 40-foot water slide and 54 miniature golf holes for $20 MILLION MORE than the $925,000 listed in the paper. Plus, NONE of the $925,000 would go to the current family friendly Sinaloa Golf Course. And this is all because families supposedly have nowhere to go in Simi Valley.

Sinaloa Golf Course is unique in that it affordably caters to families, groups, seniors and weekenders working on their short game. There is nowhere else in Ventura County that offers this combination of sport and exercise for the amount of money. In addition, the driving range is not intimidating and a great place to start.

Since 1959 Sinaloa Golf Course has truly been a family friendly place. Many times I have enjoyed the replica holes of famous golf courses with family and friends. Plus, having a pitch-n-putt close by allows you time to squeeze in a round generally in a little more than an hour. Players know it’s a family course and understand when a less than par shooter is enjoying the game. This enables you to bring your children and grandchildren and get them interested in the game. If this isn’t nurtured our children will never have the opportunity to walk with nature and experience the game of golf. Instead they will have to be able to afford one of the public “country clubs” that charge much more money per round and only bring frustration to the less experienced player.

Considering the new medical & professional buildings that are currently being built next to the golf course, additional holes would offer ideal opportunities for expanding business and social gatherings. Plus, the risks associated with a theme park of this proposed nature and size would disrupt the existing golf environment and ultimately prove to be unattractive to both families and business owners.

Miniature Golf is available on the 101 freeways in Ventura and at the 405/101 interchange in Sherman Oaks. Water parks are only comfortable in summer months and game arcades have historically become criminally active rundown hangouts. And the games won’t rival the Play station or Wii available for the home.

Additionally, for the Rancho Simi Parks & Recreation District to generate any real profit, more than just Simi Valley residents would need to patronize this park. And since this location is not directly on a freeway, anything other than an additional 9-holes would be family unfriendly and a neighborhood invasion.

Finally, I would personally oppose any use of public land slated for the sole purpose of giving people a place to hangout under the guise of family fun. Even the new Simi Valley Towne Center won’t allow groups of young people to congregate and hangout.

Good opportunities create good outcomes and this isn’t either. Please let our elected officials know that this is unacceptable in anyone’s backyard. Keep it on a freeway and not in a residential area. In the meantime, dust off your neighborhood watch signs and hold on to your tax dollars.

Mark H. Griffith
Simi Valley

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