Deal reached on Mount Clef ridge

After months of negotiation, the city of Thousand Oaks has tentatively agreed to purchase three of the four Mount Clef Ridge land parcels from a private owner. The highly coveted land is north of Cal Lutheran University. City Attorney Amy Albano made the announcement at the beginning of Tuesday's city council meeting.

The council will review the terms of the deal and make a decision at its next meeting on June 27.

The agreement would preserve 18.7 of the nearly 26 acres as open space, according to Albano. The fourth lot will be developed into one single family home by the property owner. A 600-foot-wide unrestricted wildlife corridor will be retained.

If approved, the city will spend $825,000 per lot. At about $129,000 per acre, the deal is the most expensive open space purchase in Thousand Oaks history. That price is far above the $25,000 to $30,000 per acre the city has previously paid for open space.

The money to acquire the three lots will come from several sources. Already committed is $1.65 million from the city's open space endowment fund; another $100,000 from the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency; and $500,000 was offered by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

Located on the north side of T.O., the scenic ridgeline is recognized as an important wildlife corridor connecting the Santa Monica Mountains, the Simi Hills and other areas. The property overlooks the Santa Rosa Valley on one side and Conejo Valley on the other.

The property owners had planned to build two custom luxury homes on a portion of the land. Two other luxury homes on the ridge were completed several years ago by the same developer, Michael Dubin of SD Development Inc. in Moorpark.

--Sophia Fischer