THOUSAND OAKS : Residence Plan Meets Opposition

Plans for a home in the Conejo Valley for three mentally ill men have met with opposition from more than 200 community members, prompting a town meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

The meeting was organized by Supervisor Maria VanderKolk in response to a petition that objects to the men living in a residence leased by the county Mental Health Department.

The residence will be one of 10 in the county in which patients live as roommates and pay some or all of their rent, VanderKolk said.

“These are not people who require 24-hour supervision or a nurse,” she said.

A county Mental Health Department employee visits each residence once or twice a week, VanderKolk said.

“These are good people. They’re good neighbors,” VanderKolk said. The department has had no other complaints in the 10 years it has run the facilities, she said.

“The fact that there is no supervision is really frightening,” said Julie Ziemann, a resident who signed the petition. Ziemann is worried about the safety of children who must walk by the house on the way to school.

“I think mental illness is tragic in that it is so little understood,” Ziemann said. “Who knows when you’re going to say or do the wrong thing.”

Usually, neighbors are not informed of the nature of the residences. “Frankly, it’s none of their business,” VanderKolk said.

In this case, the property owner told some of the neighbors that the department had leased the house and what it would be used for, VanderKolk said.

“There is a fear that these are mentally deranged, ill people moving in next door,” she said, adding that she hopes this misconception will be settled at the town meeting.

“I’m not absolutely certain that I am 100% against this,” said Elizabeth Pullin, another petition signer. “I realize that these people need a place to live, but we know absolutely nothing about these people.”

But VanderKolk stressed that this “is not a meeting to explore other options.” The housing program is required by the state. This will be the first such home in the Conejo Valley.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Thousand Oaks Council Chamber, 2150 W. Hillcrest Drive.