The Westlake Village City Council last week approved construction of the city’s new longawaited YMCA.

The 35,000-square-foot sports complex will be built on a 33-acre parcel located on the north side of Thousand Oaks Boulevard just west of Lindero Canyon Road.

Last week’s vote didn’t include approval for a sports field, but a separate vote to rezone the land makes it possible for the city to build an eight-acre park adjacent to the main building.

City officials said they hope to see the field built in the near future, but according to YMCA officials, it will take about three years to raise the $8 million needed to build the complex.

The decision to allow construction of the new facility was met with applause from YMCA officials and a handful of residents who supported the project. For many, the vote was long overdue.

“We are extremely excited about this new facility,” said Steve Edwards, board chair for the Triunfo YMCA. “It’s been a long time coming. We’re looking forward to getting started.”

Council approval for the sports complex has been delayed since 2001 due to lengthy negotiations concerning the facility’s location between Triunfo and the Westlake Canyon Oaks Homeowners Association.

YMCA officials initially wanted to build the complex on a 7.3-acre parcel that fronts the east side of Lindero Canyon Road, about 1,000 feet north of Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

Westlake Canyon Oaks homeowners felt that site would have created excessive noise and traffic congestion for residents.

The two organizations spent almost two years working out a land swap agreement in which the YMCA traded its smaller, but more valuable lot for a larger parcel owned by Canyon Oaks.

The bigger site made the much-needed sports field a possibility, but the cost of grading the hilly terrain caused further delay.

Because Triunfo YMCA didn’t have funds to grade the hillside for both the main structure and the sports field, officials negotiated an agreement with the city of Westlake Village to help cover the additional costs.

The city agreed to lease the field from Triunfo once construction and grading are completed. Under an agreement reached in late 2004, the city will eventually buy the sports field.

“I’m very pleased that it’s finally coming to fruition and we can move forward with this project,” said Mark Rutherford, mayor of Westlake Village.

To make the city of Westlake Village aware of the concerns shared by Thousand Oaks residents, the T.O. City Council wrote a letter to the Westlake council. That letter neither supported nor opposed the project.

Thousand Oaks officials wanted to be sure the grading of the hillside didn’t cross into Ventura County and that the lights on the field aren’t a nuisance for nearby residents.

YMCA officials said a 9 p.m. shut-off time and directional lighting will minimize the effects of the lights on surrounding homes. The grading won’t cross city boundaries, officials said.

The two-story complex will sit on about five acres. It will include a large indoor gym with basketball courts, an indoor swimming pool and heated hydrotherapy pool, a workout facility with equipment and weights, a daycare area, locker rooms with showers, a community room and staff offices.

“This complex is going to give us a chance to really expand the services we provide to the greater Conejo Valley,” Edwards said.

YMCA officials said the activities offered at the sports complex will include swimming lessons, summer camp, Indian Guides, a government youth program, basketball leagues and teen nights.

Since its creation in 1989, Triunfo has operated in various storefronts. The new facility will be one of four YMCAs in the Conejo and Simi valleys.