THOUSAND OAKS : Vote Postponed on Auto Mall Sign

Reluctant to schedule a controversial vote during Christmas week, the Thousand Oaks City Council has postponed debate on a new auto mall sign until January.

The council has already approved a 20-foot-high sign with a small electronic message board to flash the time and temperature. Before granting final permission, however, the council must review the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall dealers’ new design.

If the design conforms to the council’s conditions, the mall will receive automatic approval to proceed with the project.

Some council members said the discussion should be limited to one question--whether the design matches the council’s criteria--but Mayor Elois Zeanah said she intends to take public testimony on all aspects of the sign. More than 70 residents signed up to speak during last week’s six-hour hearing, which culminated in a 3-2 vote for a scaled-down sign.

The auto mall dealers had requested a vote on their new design at next Tuesday’s meeting. The council, however, decided to hold off until January in an effort to keep their pre-Christmas meeting short.

When the issue does return to the agenda, the public will be invited to testify--but their comments may be irrelevant.

“Certainly, the public can speak,” Councilman Alex Fiore said, “but they may be wasting their time. If the auto mall dealers come back with a redesign that fits our criteria, it’s a 3-2 vote in favor of it.”