Guest opinion
Land-use decisions should be made at home
By Claudia Bill-de la Peña Thousand Oaks City Council member

Like many of you, I was startled about the June 21 article "Thousand Oaks Boulevard business owners hear about trade-offs for 'smart growth.'" It was alarming, to say the least.

The Thousand Oaks Boulevard Business Improvement District (BID), in a meeting thankfully open to the public, discussed ways to inject life into what some describe as a tired-looking staple of what was once a quaint ranching community.

I didn't attend the meeting, but according to the article, the Thousand Oaks Boulevard BID, with the help of a hired consultancy firm from San Luis Obispo, discussed options as to how to achieve maximum use of the boulevard.

They include multistory, 55foot buildings (some would call them highrises, since most everything on T.O. Boulevard is single story), residential apartments on top of businesses, the obstacle of Measure E, which requires a vote of the people to increase density, as well as the obstacle of the city's oak tree ordinance.

There was mention of needing to move from a 1970s planning philosophy of greater buffers to a "smart growth" style. In response to a business owner who was concerned about changing the character of T.O., the consultant was quoted as saying he didn't know the "flavor" of our city.

Promises were inferred that the city would pay for environmental reviews or otherwise help defray the cost of a Specific Plan for the boulevard. Regarding the inevitable significant increase in traffic, it was amazingly said, "slower traffic won't kill anyone."

This council member isn't endorsing any circumvention of a required vote of the people- Measure E- - nor the expenditure of taxpayer dollars to defray costs of a Specific Plan brought forth by private entities. It's been standing city policy and practice that project applicants carry the cost of environmental reviews and other related matters and permits.

It was mentioned that the city needs revenue from businesses. This is true in financially challenging times, but this council member doesn't make land-use decisions based on tax revenue.

While those present at the meeting might disagree with what was reported, the bottom line is that the Acorn article brings crucial attention to a very important issue of which all residents must be aware- that planning philosophy of the 1970s shaped T.O.'s character and is the very reason why so many people want to live here.

Changing the face of the boulevard, radically or not, changes the face and character of our entire city. We have become a city that's enviable but, sadly, is also experiencing the pains of urbanization. The fate and future of Thousand Oaks are in your hands.

Please take the opportunity to weigh in on the vision for the boulevard and tell the Thousand Oaks Boulevard BID, as well as the city, what, if anything, should be changed.

We shouldn't leave our hometown decisions to out-of-town consultants who admit they don't know "the flavor" of our city.