CRPD gets mixed reviews on plans for future Lang Ranch community park
By Lori Porter
Acorn Staff Writer

The Conejo Recreation and Park District conducted another community input meeting Tuesday to discuss plans for the future Lang Ranch Community Park proposed for southwest of Avenida de Los Arboles and Westlake Boulevard. There was little discussion, but plenty of dissent during the evening.

Addressing a packed room of residents, Loren Pluth, CRPD senior park planner, and David Volz, the landscape architect working with the district, said they were there to gather community input on what features should go into the park. However, their presentation was disrupted by many residents saying they don’t want a park constructed at that location.

Lang Ranch resident Jerry Langer said he has been studying the geology of the park’s land, and has discovered things that present potential danger such as landslides and signs of seismic activity.

Langer’s comments were followed by questions concerning the fesibility of the project from audience members. Pluth and Volz responded in a like manner, saying, "The right agencies will certainly look into that."

Volz attempted to steer the meeting back to its agenda. "We are here to talk about what we want in this park."

However, most residents wanted to talk about what they don’t want to see in the park. The consensus was no lighted courts or fields and no sound systems. Residents are also concerned about noisy games such as roller hockey.

One resident stood up and said that she visited a park in Moorpark that has a roller hockey rink. "I went up into the neighborhood by the park to listen for noise from the roller hockey, and it was just as loud up there."

Another concern was traffic, which many claim is already a problem along Westlake Boulevard. Preliminary plans for the park have the main entrance at Westlake and Rainfield, which Pluth said is the only viable option as far as the traffic department is concerned.

North Pointe resident Michael Kupfer, a doctor who works at a trauma center in Northridge, said he’s concerned about the additional traffic he feels the park will create. "Traffic accidents are the No. 1 cause of death among young children." Adding that he sees what happens to people when they are injured by cars, and that he is very concerned about the kids who live in the area around the park.

Kupfer suggested that cars not be allowed access into the park, only to peripheral parking.

There was a contingent there in support of the proposed park. They said they were excited that their children would have a place so close to home to play at. Cindy Levenson said she can’t wait until the park is finished because she has been driving her kids to parks for various activities that are on the other side of town.

Levenson believes that many of the people in the community with small children are in support of the park, as she is, but were not at the meeting simply because they are pleased with the proposed plans.

Other residents voiced desire to sees things such as a golf course, tennis courts, a fishing pond and an amphitheater to go into the park.

Aaron Frank, a Lang Ranch resident, asked Pluth why the CRPD hasn’t communicated with the local school districts regarding a joint use plan for fields already at the schools instead of building a new park.

Pluth and Volz were not available to answer any questions after closing the meeting.