THOUSAND OAKS : Council to Rule on Service Station Plan

The Thousand Oaks City Council will vote Tuesday on proposed renovations to a Texaco service station at Moorpark Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

The gas station’s owners hope to expand an existing snack shop and convert a service bay into a drive-through carwash. But two owners of existing carwashes have written letters to the city protesting the plans.

Both Jack Galley, owner of the Janss Mall Car Wash, and Edward Drogmund, owner of the Conejo Car Wash, argued in their letters that a carwash at the Texaco station would be unsightly and create traffic problems at a key intersection.

Siding with the carwash owners, the city’s planning staff is recommending that the City Council deny Texaco’s application.

“The project does not represent a sensitive design” for an intersection that has been designated as one of the city’s scenic gateways, senior planner Johnathon Shepherd wrote.

Councilwoman Judy Lazar, while reserving comment on the project itself, agreed that “it is certainly a very visible and very critical intersection, and there’s a lot to be evaluated.”

The Planning Commission turned down the renovations proposal on a 2-2 vote, and Texaco Refining Co. appealed to the City Council. The public hearing will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.