City sets new design standards for recreational sports facilities at private homes
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

There's no question Thousand Oaks is an affluent community when the City Council decides to establish definition and design standards for residential sports facilities.

Basketball courts, skateboard ramps, batting cages, tennis courts and any other permanent sports facility at home are now subject to new rules.

The maximum height allowed for any lights is 14 feet, with no light spillover permitted upward or beyond property lines. Fences have a 12-foot limit, and those that are chainlink must have plastic-coated wire and may require screening.

Batting cages aren't considered fencing and can go as high as 14 feet. Earth-tone hues are encouraged, and landscaping could be required.

"'Earth tones encouraged'? That's a real strong statement of expectation- it could not be more ambiguous," Councilmember Dennis Gillette said.

Senior planner Stephen Kearns said the language regarding color gives the planning commission more discretion.

Residential sports facilities are for private recreational purposes and may not be used for commercial purposes such as batting instruction or tennis lessons. Concerns over the commercial use of a property will be addressed if there is a complaint, Kearns said.

Councilmember Jacqui Irwin expressed concern for anyone currently giving lessons, but she was assured if such a person has a business license to provide sports lessons on his property, permission to continue would be grandfathered in.

Use hours were not included in the rules because situations could vary significantly, Kearns said.

Someone with a sports facility in the center of a 5acre property would have less-stringent use hours than someone with a smaller property, he said.

The council voted 3-1, with Mayor Andy Fox absent and Billde la Peña dissenting. Bill-de la Peña said she couldn't support the council's definition and design standards for residential sports facilities because there were no time restrictions to protect neighbors from noise after 9 p.m.

Some people have to get up early in the morning, she said.