THOUSAND OAKS : Residents Protest Store’s Design Plan

About 100 people jammed Thousand Oaks City Hall Tuesday night in an attempt to alter the design of a Circuit City store under construction at Lynn Road and Hillcrest Drive.

Critics urged a two-member committee of the City Council to tell Circuit City officials that the store’s design is objectionable.

They said residents will boycott the appliance and electronics outlet if it is not changed.

“I would think Circuit City would be a little smarter than to say, ‘We don’t care,’ ” said Manny Ferrara, one of the leaders of a group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Thousand Oaks. He and other leaders called for permits to be revoked and chastised the council for not issuing an order to stop the project after critics came before the council last month.

The group has gathered more than 2,500 signatures from residents who want the city to stop construction. They say the building’s 40-foot-tall cinder-block walls resemble a prison and would block views of the mountains.

City officials say the building meets all city codes and has received the necessary permits. Unlike many Circuit City stores that have red as a dominant color, the Thousand Oaks store will have a sandstone hue and a clay-tile roof.

The 23,800-square-foot building was approved Jan. 6 by the Planning Commission.

When completed, it will have a clay-tile roof and three towers that rise from 40 to 43 feet above the ground.

Mayor Robert E. Lewis said he and Councilwoman Judy Lazar plan to meet Thursday with Circuit City’s architectural design expert, George Pasini, and with leaders of the citizens group.

Lewis said he hopes that Circuit City will decide voluntarily to alter the design.

“Bad public relations is very tough to overcome,” Lewis said.