Planners Support New Simi Valley Mall, With Proviso : Development: A man fears construction of the 1.5-million-square-foot complex will hurt his business.

Simi Valley officials have moved one step closer to realizing their dream of luring a regional shopping mall to the city.

Following a five-hour hearing Thursday night, the city’s Planning Commission agreed to recommend City Council approval of a 1.5-million-square-foot mall and office complex once the developer resolves the concerns of a nearby property owner.

Robert A. Amore, co-owner of the Oakridge Athletic Club, told the commission that his Erringer Road business would be severely hurt during construction of the mall.

The development being proposed by Melvin Simon & Associates would be built on 126 acres north of the Simi Valley Freeway, between 1st Street and Erringer Road. It would include a 981,000-square-foot shopping mall, with five major department stores, and 500,000 square feet of commercial and office space.

Amore said members will have great difficulty getting into his club during the mall’s construction. In addition, he said, the club would temporarily lose 25 parking spaces while an access road connecting the mall to Erringer Road is being built.

“This would put Oakridge out of business,” he said.

The Planning Commission asked the developer to meet with Amore to iron out the problems and report back on Sept. 4. At that time, the commission said, it will pass along its recommendations to the City Council.

The council is expected to review the proposal at its Sept. 16 meeting, said city Planning Manager Wolf Ascher.

Although the commissioners were able to resolve several mall-related issues Thursday night, they decided to let the council decide how much parking the mall should have and the height of the two office buildings.

Commissioners Robert Barrett and Michael Piper agreed with city planners that 4.5 parking spaces be provided for every 1,000 square feet of shopping and office space. But three other planners supported Simon’s request to reduce the number of parking spaces in some areas.

The commission was also divided on height requirements. Barrett and Commissioner Sherida Simmons said the two office buildings should be limited to three stories, while the other commissioners backed the developer’s plan for four-story structures.

Kevin Kudlo, project manager, argued that four-story buildings previously have been approved in the city, so Simon should be allowed to do the same.

But Barrett and Simmons argued that the mall site is different because it sits on a hill.

“I don’t want a mini-city overlooking the city of Simi Valley,” Barrett said.