THOUSAND OAKS : Suit Seeks Details of Builder-City Accord

A former Thousand Oaks planning commissioner filed a lawsuit against the city Friday demanding the details of a preliminary agreement between the city and a Los Angeles developer who has asked to build a hotel-office complex within the proposed $55.6-million Jungleland government center.

Heinrich (Corky) Charles stated in his suit filed in Ventura County Superior Court that he believes the tentative agreement between the city and Lowe Development Corp. has fallen through, placing the private development project in jeopardy.

Charles and others argue that if the city loses the private development within its Jungleland complex, named after an animal amusement park that used to occupy the 20-acre site, the whole project could crumble.

“Because of the size of this project and the potential loss to Thousand Oaks, we have the right to know the whole picture,” Charles said Friday.

Last week the City Council approved a $55.6-million budget for the city center--which will include a new civic center, City Hall, theater, civic auditorium and a five-acre park--prompting Charles to renew his efforts to gain access to the tentative agreement.

Charles said he has been asking the city to reveal the details of the negotiations since April, 1989. When the city failed to respond to his requests, Charles said, he decided to file the lawsuit asking a judge to force the release of the information.

City Atty. Mark G. Sellers said Friday that the city has not provided Charles with the information because it has not finalized the agreement with Lowe.

“We’ll eventually release it,” Sellers said, adding that the tentative agreement with Lowe still is intact. “Right now it’s confidential.”