THOUSAND OAKS : Approval Likely for Auto Dealers’ Sign

Round 3 of the great Thousand Oaks Auto Mall sign debate is scheduled for Tuesday’s City Council meeting--but this time, the outcome is nearly certain.

The Auto Mall dealers have come up with a design that fits the criteria the council outlined in approving a new sign last month. In that 3-2 vote, the council agreed to allow a sign 20 feet high, with a small electronic board indicating time and temperature.

As long as the new blueprints conform to those standards, the council has no choice but to grant permission for the sign, Councilwoman Judy Lazar said.

“We’re sticking to exactly what they asked for,” said Susan Mejia, treasurer of the Auto Mall Assn. “I don’t think it’s tall enough, and having a bigger message board would draw more attention, but what are we going to do? Something is better than nothing, I guess.”

The new design retains the stucco pillars and back-lit metal globe of the Auto Mall’s first proposal, which was rejected as too tall and garish. Although the tip of the globe pokes up 21 feet high, the rest of the sign stands at 19 feet, Mejia said.

At Lazar’s recommendation, the Auto Mall Assn. has added a brass plaque to the sign, advertising that the mall houses 36 dealers.

The new sign will be placed roughly in the same location as the present wooden monument, fulfilling another council requirement, Mejia said.

The council is scheduled to review the design shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday.