Residents Object to Home Development Plan

A plan to subdivide a 27-acre property above Upper Ranch Road has some residents upset.

The Thousand Oaks City Council unanimously agreed to a request by LC Engineering Group and property owner K&S Homes to simultaneously consider an application for annexation and a zone change. Approval of both applications is necessary for construction to take place.

The property currently has one unoccupied single-family home.

Members of the Westlake North Property Owners Association believe the developers failed to notify nearby residents until after the city council met, thereby preventing public opposition.

Trudi Loh, an attorney who has lived in her home on Upper Ranch Road since 1989, said she and other residents want the council members to be aware that local residents had been given no information about the proposed development.

“Had they known we were completely in the dark, they might not have voted unanimously on this first step,” said Loh to the Ventura County Star.

“We have a lot of concerns about the impact of this project on the neighborhood and we want to make sure the concerns of the people are taken into account every step of the way. As a county property, the parcel is zoned for open space. The question is whether the annexation itself is appropriate, and that’s a very big if. By bootstrapping the two issues together, they’ve blurred the analysis of whether it’s the correct thing to do.”

John Prescott, community development director for Thousand oaks, said the construction requests are consistent with city and county regulations. He said once city planners complete an environmental impact state, there will be a period of public review before a formal construction application is submitted.