SIMI VALLEY : City to Protest Thousand Oaks Plan

The Simi Valley City Council voted unanimously Monday to send a letter to Thousand Oaks charging that that city has not properly justified its plan to eliminate a new road between the towns.

At issue is a move by Thousand Oaks to change its General Plan by dropping the link between Sunset Hills Road in that city and First Street, south of the Wood Ranch community in Simi Valley.

Simi Valley Council members said they were angry because their development decisions have been based on the assumption that the new road will be built. They said Thousand Oaks’ action would create traffic congestion elsewhere in Simi Valley.

“To put it nicely, I’d say their actions are deplorable,” Councilwoman Judy Mikels said.

Thousand Oaks initiated the change after Sunset Hills residents complained that the new link would send more traffic through their neighborhood, including many Wood Ranch residents driving a shorter route to and from California 23.

Last month, Thousand Oaks officials released a draft environmental impact report supporting the decision to delete the road.

Simi Valley planners, in turn, prepared a letter describing the study as inadequate. It says the review did not properly assess the impact the loss of the road will have on noise, air quality, land use and emergency services in Simi Valley.