THOUSAND OAKS : Parking Fee Backed for Civic Arts Plaza

Citing the need to establish a balanced budget, the Civic Theaters Commission on Wednesday endorsed the idea of charging a parking fee during performances in the Civic Arts Plaza.

A $4 fee for parking in the multilevel garage would bring in annual revenues of roughly $200,000. That sum represents nearly one-quarter of the theaters’ projected operating budget.

A parking fee could generate as much revenue each year as a multimillion-dollar endowment, said Tom Mitze, executive director of the theaters. Money from the parking fee would subsidize tickets for senior citizens and students, he said.

“We’ve been charged with making this thing fly without any subsidy from the city,” said Virginia Davis, who chairs the seven-member theaters commission. “This parking fee is one of the things we have to do” to achieve a balanced budget, she said.

But Mayor Elois Zeanah said she worried that even a nominal parking fee, tacked on to ticket prices that could run up to $50, might deter some Thousand Oaks residents from attending shows when the auditorium opens in the fall.

“I want it to be self-sustaining,” Zeanah said, “yet I want it to be affordable. I don’t want it to be elitist.”

The parking fee would be assessed only for major performances in the 1,800-seat auditorium. Visitors to City Hall would not pay for parking.