THOUSAND OAKS : Planners Reject 197-Home Project
The Thousand Oaks Planning Commission turned down a proposed development in Newbury Park that would have included 27 houses, 170 condominiums and townhouses, a shopping center and an office complex.
Commissioners listened Monday to hours of testimony given by representatives of applicant Ned Cohan, as well as county officials and residents supporting and opposing the project. The development was denied by a 4-1 vote.
Planning Commissioner Marilyn Carpenter opposed the project because it would exceed pollution levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The developers would have been required to pay $700,000 in fees to offset the emissions, said Greg Smith, a spokesman for the city Planning Department. The land also is included in a natural wetland habitat that the city wants to preserve.
But Mervyn Kopp, the only commissioner to support the project, said the city has an obligation to allow the landowner to develop his land.
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