5 Minute Explainer Video Overview 

or Google Slides Presentation

Proposal for a strategic community project to establish a public hike, bike, walk, and nature trail along the Edison Canal corridor. This project seeks to leverage several key privately held parcels, specifically APN 188011045, 188011006 (Southern California Edison/McGrath Family Trust), 188011053, 188011052, 183001071, and 183001069 (Genon West NRG), alongside city-owned APN 183002102. 

The core of this proposal is the creation of a "revocable" usage allowance. Under this framework, the City of Oxnard would work with these private landowners to grant public access specifically for non-motorized recreation—hiking, biking, and walking—while providing the property owners with tax incentives for their cooperation. This arrangement allows the city to expand its recreational footprint without the immediate need for costly land acquisitions. 

Furthermore, there should be an availability of Quimby Act funds for this specific area in the sum of $660,000, which could be used to facilitate and fund the development of this community project.

This initiative serves several critical objectives for our growing community:

• Facilitating a Coastal Trail: By connecting these parcels, the city can initiate a vital segment of a coastal "trail" that links disparate areas of the waterfront.
• Solidifying Public Safety Ordinances: By formally designating this area as a public trail or park space, the city can more effectively enforce Oxnard Municipal Code (OMC) Section 7-23, which prohibits camping and the storage of personal property in public areas. It also allows for the enforcement of OMC Section 11-10, regulating park hours (typically closed from dusk to dawn), thereby keeping sensitive nature areas free from unauthorized loitering and vagrancy.
• Unifying Communities: This trail would act as a physical and social bridge between major residential developments, including the up and coming Northshore and Avalon Oxnard Dunes projects along with other existing adjacent communities, creating a cohesive, connected community.

Establishing this nature trail will transform underutilized vacant land and canal buffers into a vibrant, appealing corridor for families to root themselves in the area. It provides a much-needed outdoor outlet that promotes health, wellness, and environmental stewardship.