New Council Member at Odds With Colleagues : Jungleland: Elois Zeanah is criticized for quoting a “library of misinformation” in her remarks on the Thousand Oaks plan.

In a rare display of discord, the Thousand Oaks City Council criticized council newcomer Elois Zeanah after refusing her request to review the controversial Jungleland project.

Zeanah won a council seat in the Nov. 6 election after waging a battle against building a civic arts center on the site of the former wild animal park. Tuesday night she called it a $130-million “blob” that will drain city resources during uncertain economic times.

The project, which has been immersed in controversy since it was proposed six years ago, includes a $63-million government center and arts auditorium and a $65-million hotel and office complex to be built by Lowe Development Corp. of Los Angeles.

“I question whether citizens are willing to sacrifice other public needs to fund a spreading megalopolis blob of Jungleland,” Zeanah said, reading from a five-page statement. She also criticized a council decision to lend Lowe $2 million.

Zeanah said she would have withheld criticism had the council honored her request to delay a crucial vote on the Jungleland project until she was sworn in Nov. 27.

Zeanah’s statements drew frowns from other council members, including Alex Fiore, 26-year council veteran and one of the primary architects of the civic center. Fiore said Zeanah drew from “a library of misinformation” provided by members of a citizens group that opposes the project.

“I’m just a little perturbed that . . . we have been told we don’t know what we’re doing,” Fiore said. “You’re asking the council to reinvent the wheel.”

Mayor Frank Schillo brandished a four-inch-thick stack of documents that Zeanah said she has not reviewed.

“You say the information you want isn’t in this material, yet you haven’t even looked at it,” Schillo told Zeanah. “Please, Elois, get the facts.”

Zeanah is the second council member to oppose the Jungleland project. Former Councilman Lawrence E. Horner, a vocal critic, was ousted from his seat last month.

On Wednesday, Zeanah defended herself, saying she was treated rudely by other council members for asking questions about the project.

“I feel like I was attacked . . . I don’t think that’s right for council members to do,” she said. “They had their submarines waiting for me.”

City Manager Grant W. Brimhall said he was eager to resolve discord on the city’s most important projects but that Zeanah had not submitted any questions to his office on Wednesday.

The council voted last month to end a three-year-old legal dispute with the owner of the 20-acre Jungleland property by agreeing to pay $17.9 million. The decision cleared the way for construction of a civic arts center near Conejo School Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

In contrast to Zeanah’s one-week tenure on the council, three other members have attended at least 21 public meetings on the civic center project during the last two years.

Councilman Robert Lewis, a private business attorney, said Zeanah’s call for public review of the agreement with Lowe could jeopardize a pact that took three years to negotiate.

“I am not going to put the city at risk to breach a contract,” he said. “This matter’s settled. It’s done.”

Councilwoman Judy Lazar, also elected in November, smiled as Zeanah read from her statement, but later said Zeanah misstated Lazar’s views on the Jungleland project.

Lazar said she supports the civic arts center but has reservations about lending Lowe $2 million. Lazar said she met for several hours with city officials to prepare herself for future discussions on the project.

Still, Lazar came to Zeanah’s defense.

“Elois has raised some questions that, while some of them are erroneous . . . are nevertheless questions being asked by the general public,” Lazar said. “I would like to see council member Zeanah’s questions answered.”