Thousand Oaks Renewal Plan : Jungleland Project’s Foes File Initiative Petitions

Opponents of a controversial $70-million development planned on the Thousand Oaks site of the former Jungleland wild animal park turned in petitions with more than 10,400 signatures calling for a citywide vote on the project.

The petitions, which were presented to the city clerk’s office Wednesday, ask that the Thousand Oaks City Council place the issue before voters in the June primary election. The Ventura County registrar’s office must verify the signatures of 7,600 local registered voters before the petition qualifies as a ballot initiative, county officials said.

But the City Council majority has said, based on legal advice, that the city is not required to place the project before voters, regardless of the number of signatures collected, because it is an advisory measure.

The petition asks: Shall the city of Thousand Oaks submit for voter approval the Jungleland Redevelopment Project?

If the proposed initiative is successful, then a second vote on the project itself would be required, either in the November general election or in a special election, petition organizers said.

City Atty. Mark Sellers contends that advisory measures cannot be placed on a ballot through the initiative process.

If the council refuses to place the measure on the ballot, project opponents say they will consider seeking a recall of City Council members or seek to remove two incumbents up for reelection next November.

“We would question why the council would refuse to respond to more than 10,000 voters,” said Joan Gorner, a member of the group.

The project, which received approval by the City Council last summer, calls for construction of a 1,800-seat civic auditorium, public park and multistory parking garage with about $40 million in public redevelopment money. The Jungleland site is on Thousand Oaks Boulevard near Conejo School Road.

Private developers would lease the remaining parts of the 20-acre property to build a 300-room hotel, convention center and 105,000 square feet of office space at an approximate cost of $30 million.

City officials say the lease money from the private developer, as well as redevelopment property-tax income, will eventually pay for all public improvements.

But petition organizers say the project is a waste of taxpayers’ money and will end up costing the city millions of dollars.