Ventura Avenue used to be the main road through Ventura. It’s been a long time since that has been true. For a long time the west side of Ventura along the 33 has been neglected and blighted. Plans seem to float by and then disappear, with little progress. Sometimes it feels like it’s a separate city! I think that all stems from the location of the Shell Chemical plant. Closed in 1984, the facility has been left to rust and leak hazardous waste into the nearby Ventura River and surrounding area. It only attracts vandals and illegal campsites. My goal would be to help cleanup that substantially depressed area and turn it into a viable, useful and beautiful place for Venturans to work, play, relax and enjoy nature. If you take a look around but ignore the actual facility there you’ll see that it is really a beautiful location. That area could be a west end gem that could be used for multiple purposes like nature walks, indoor and outdoor soccer, roller derby, bicycle trails, retail businesses, and more. The whole city will benefit. Once that area is attractive and useful then the surrounding areas will increase in their attractiveness as well. A sense of pride is infectious.