Agoura Hills Businessman Is Honored

Major Agoura Hills landowner and businessman Arthur N. Whizin received a humanitarian award Sunday afternoon for “40 years of continuous dedication, service and unselfish contributions.”

Only a few people turned out for the surprise recognition barbecue sponsored by the Las Virgenes Kiwanis and Agoura Optimist clubs. But Whizin, 82, did not seem surprised by the small turnout. After all, he often has stated that he is the most-hated man in Agoura, although he says he does not understand why.

Whizin bought up large chunks of what is now Agoura and the city of Agoura Hills, which incorporated six years ago. He ran Whizin’s store, an outpost for Ventura Freeway travelers, which has since become a large shopping center.

As Los Angeles sprawled toward the far corners of western Los Angeles County, Whizin’s garish advertising billboards, a topless bar that rented space in his shopping center and his odd but grandiose development plans clashed with goals of city planners and environmentalists.

Councilwoman Fran Pavley explained in a telephone interview Sunday: “He’s a strong private property-rights individual, and I understand that.” But, she said, his independence has “led to differences of opinion” regarding “a number of things.”

Pleasure Faire

Most recently, Whizin was again in the news as the owner of the rolling hills dotted with valley oaks that had been leased to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire for 26 summers. Whizin and his partner, developer Brian Heller, hope to build 160 homes on the land, forcing the fair to move. Earlier this month, Heller ordered bulldozers to tear down fair structures.

Fair organizers still hope to gather $14 million in state and federal parks grants and persuade Whizin and Heller to let them buy the property instead.

Kevin Patterson, the fair’s equestrian coordinator, said he blames Heller, not Whizin, for forcing out the fair.

Whizin has been “a very fair landlord” who has “basically closed his eyes to the whole situation because he knows it’s ugly,” Patterson said Sunday.