Construction resumes after red-tailed hawks fly away

By Michelle Knightknight@theacorn.com

A nest of three young redtailed hawks flew the coop last week, allowing construction crews full access to a site that will ultimately become an upscale 367-unit retirement village across the street from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

High in a eucalyptus tree on a 65-acre lot at the corner of Campus Drive and Olsen Road, a pair of red-tailed hawks built a nest in which three chicks hatched. The lot is one where a

— P S P 7 developer also wants to build the $175-million University Village.

But because the hawks are protected by state and federal laws, for months crews were restricted from getting within 500 feet of the tree. That delayed by six months the construction of the project’s information center, which will include a full-scale two-bedroom, two-bath model.

Crews had to wait until last week when the youngsters “fledged,” or were old enough to fly and hunt on their own.

“The good news is the hawks FROM PAGE 1 — are doing well now, and luckily so are we,” said Warren Spieker, vice president of Continuing Life Communities, the project’s developer.

Spieker said that ensuring the nest’s safety has cost his company about $100,000 since they had to maintain two offices and hire wildlife experts to monitor the birds.

Peter Bloom, whose company of biologists was hired by Spieker, said although the young hawks are flying on their own, they’re still dependent on their parents for another four to six weeks.

When they do leave the nest, the hawks can travel as far away as Idaho or Montana, but eventually they’ll return to the area and set up their own nest, he said.

Having the birds nest here was painful in the short term, Spieker said, but since the birds will return each year to have chicks of their own, they’ll enhance the community in the long run. The site will include a 40-acre swatch of open space.

Several weeks ago the situation was further complicated when an orphaned red-tailed hawk from Orange County was sent here in hopes it would learn from these parents how to become a bird of prey. But Bloom said the family never really adopted the orphan, who ultimately left the area. He said they learned last week the adolescent hawk, which had two leg bands on for monitoring purposes, was struck and killed by a car in Nevada.

Despite the clash between development and wildlife, construction now is “unleashed,” said Spieker, adding that the community will be one from which seniors never need move even if they go from a life of independence to one needing long-term nursing care.

Living at University Village will require seniors to pay a refundable entrance fee that ranges from $300,000 to about $700,000 and a monthly fee of $2,300 to $3,700, which includes long-term nursing-care insurance and other amenities, such as meals and housekeeping services.

The models are expected to open in August and the housing units in late 2006.