What a shame.

After years of planning, after a series of public meetings and hearings, and after spending a not insignificant sum of public monies, the Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD) board of directors was forced to agree several weeks ago that the proposed major development of the Lang Ranch Community Park is simply not feasible.

The reason: a geological study which concluded that it would cost millions of dollars to reduce the threat of a potential landslide which could be exacerbated by all the grading and earth-moving called for in the park’s master plan.

However, the acres and acres of park property (south of Avenida de Los Arboles and west of Westlake Boulevard) are still there and are still sitting empty.

Surely there are ways that this public land could be put to use for the recreational benefit of those living nearby in Lang Ranch and by those elsewhere in our community, ways which would not require spending huge sums of our tax dollars on a major development.

The CRPD will be holding several public meetings to get thoughts and ideas for how the Lang Ranch Community Park site could be used.

The first such meeting has been scheduled for Wed., Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at the CRPD offices (at 403 W. Hillcrest Drive, although you actually get there off of McCloud Avenue, across from The Oaks mall). I would urge anyone who has an interest in our local parks to attend this meeting and have your voice heard. Chuck Huffer Thousand Oaks