Try to keep an open mind about Thousand Oaks Boulevard

The city in which we live isn't the same one of 40 years ago or even 20. And it's a sure bet that Thousand Oaks will look differently 20 or 40 years from now.

The future of Thousand Oaks Boulevard between Moorpark Road and Duesenberg Drive would undergo a metamorphosis if a plan described on Monday goes forward (see story on page 1).

The major difference would be multistory buildings- as tall as four stories and 55 feet. Mixed use would be the plan, with commercial operations on the main floors and dwellings on the upper floors.

The goal would be for people to live, shop, dine and enjoy recreational activities close to home. It would be even sweeter if residents could work nearby.

Mixed use is the future because it makes people less dependent on vehicles with internal combustion engines.

Anything that gets people out of cars is good for America.

The payoff for the city would be revenue- money for parks, schools, streets and public services, including police, fire protection and transit services. It would reverse the inevitable cutbacks that face a built-out city.

The downside? People, traffic and pollution.

Let's try to keep an open mind, though, and study the plan as it unfolds.

Cities that circle their wagons and stick their heads in the sand become stagnant. They turn into a showplace for empty storefronts, boarded windows and urban decay.

Thousand Oaks, like any dynamic city, may need to reinvent itself.

Remember, too, that the vast majority of neighborhoods won't be threatened by the redevelopment of Thousand Oaks Boulevard, and the nearby ones will gain the most.

We've never had a downtown. The nearest we have are The Oaks, Janss Marketplace, The Lakes and The Promenade.

Maybe it's time to think outside the box. If the plan doesn't make sense, it can always be shelved.

Let's at least give it the chance to be heard.