COUNTYWIDE : County Faces Suit on Hillside Restrictions
A Ventu Park couple Friday sued the Ventura County Board of Supervisors over a decision to restrict development on the hillsides south of Thousand Oaks.
The suit filed in Ventura County Superior Court by Harman and Eleanor Rasnow names the city of Thousand Oaks and Ventura County.
Attorney Tina L. Rasnow, who filed the suit on behalf of her parents, said they are seeking damages of $10 million, based on the value of 2,000 lots that they purchased from the county more than 25 years ago.
“They have damaged us significantly,” Rasnow said.
The suit also asks a judge to throw out county development rules that the Rasnows believe severely restrict them from building on most of their property.
The County Board of Supervisors in March approved new building rules for Ventu Park and created a special zone that restricts grading on hilly areas around the city.
But the Rasnows, who own 200 acres of property in Ventu Park, say the ordinance is unfair to landowners because it puts too many restrictions on building.
Thousand Oaks and county officials were not available for comment, but they have defended the rules as necessary measures to prevent scenic hills around the city from being destroyed.
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