THOUSAND OAKS : Rancher Backed in Dispute With City

A group of citizens that advises the Ventura County Local Agency Formation Commission has sided with a landowner who wants to remove his property from Thousand Oaks’ control, officials said Thursday.

The Countywide Planning Program advisory group on Wednesday voted 15 to 6 to support an application filed by landowner Harman Rasnow.

“There seemed to be a consensus that the city was too restrictive, that we’re not urban,” Rasnow said Thursday.

Rasnow asked the county to remove his 200-acre ridge-top ranch in an unincorporated community called Ventu Park near Thousand Oaks from the city’s control by removing it from the city’s sphere of influence.

A sphere of influence is set by the county to represent the general boundaries designated for future growth.

The county has control over development in unincorporated areas, but cities can advise the county about projects within their sphere of influence.

Rasnow said he wants to be removed from the city’s control because he believes his vacant land should not belong in an urbanized community. The committee’s recommendation on Rasnow’s request will be included in a report to the LAFCO board when it meets May 20, said Executive Director Stanley A. Eisner. Eisner has not yet issued a recommendation.

Thousand Oaks has fought to keep Rasnow’s property within the city’s sphere because it is situated on one of the most visible ridgelines in the Conejo Valley, city officials have said.

At the city’s request, the County Board of Supervisors last month approved guidelines that require Ventu Park landowners to follow strict building standards set by neighboring Thousand Oaks.