Thousand Oaks residents who want to add on to their homes may no longer have to get approval from the planning commission.

The city council agreed to consider a municipal code amendment that would allow one-story additions to single family houses to be reviewed administratively, rather than by the planning commission. The change would save homeowners both time and money, and save the planning commission considerable time spent reviewing standard applications.

Council members split over the proposal.

"I think this is a great idea," Councilmember Jacqui Irwin said. "It was a great frustration when I was on the planning commission."

Councilmember Tom Glancy, who also served on the planning commission, agreed.

"It will eliminate unnecessary staff time, commission time and cost to the applicants," Glancy said.

But Mayor Dennis Gillette and Councilmember Claudia Bill-de la Pea did not support the proposal. Predicting that an increasing number of homeowners will add on to their houses as housing prices continue to rise, Gillette expressed concern that removing the commission review would have a negative effect.

"I'm worried that we'll have a situation where additions will be approved without review and that could change the city-- change our skyline," Gillette said.

He and Bill-de la Pea voted against the proposal; Irwin, Glancy and Councilmember Andy Fox voted for it.

The original regulations were created to prevent the overbuilding of lots within established neighborhoods and to

encourage homeowners to build additions that were compatible with the neighborhood. Over the past two years, the commission reviewed 62 applications for additions to single family homes or condominiums. Only nine of these applications faced any opposition.

Under the new policy, neighbors within 150 feet of the proposed project would receive notification. Administrative decisions could still be appealed to the planning commission.

The amendment would apply only to single story additions over 50 percent of the building's footprint.

Two-story additions and demolitions in which the rebuilt house would represent a 150 per

cent increase over the original floor area would still be reviewed by the planning commission.