THOUSAND OAKS : Officials Fear More Library Traffic

Traffic on Thousand Oaks roads could increase if former President Ronald Reagan is buried at his presidential library near Simi Valley, city officials said Tuesday night.

“The biggest concern from the city’s perspective would be on a traffic or air-quality basis and what impact the burial site would have,” city staff member Joe Hinsberg said.

The Environmental Coalition of Ventura County has appealed a decision by the county Planning Commission to approve Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s request to be buried at the library. A hearing on the plan is scheduled July 30 before the Board of Supervisors.

The commission also approved a plan to have food served at the library and civic meetings to be held in the evening.

The City Council asked Hinsberg to monitor the board’s actions and report back.

County officials estimate that 250,000 to 300,000 visitors are expected at the library each year, Hinsberg said. But an environmental report on the project did not estimate how much traffic would increase if the Reagans were buried there.

Visitors are expected to take the Moorpark Freeway and Olsen Road to get to the library from Thousand Oaks, Mayor Frank Schillo said. He said the impact of increased traffic may not be negative.

Any increase in visitors could be an economic windfall to Thousand Oaks businesses, Schillo said. The library is one of several tourist attractions that city officials hope will generate business for local hotels and restaurants, he said.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is scheduled to open Nov. 4. In addition to the burial site, the 153,000-square-foot complex will include a museum and an archive for presidential papers.