THOUSAND OAKS : Council to Vote on Wetlands Proposal

The Thousand Oaks City Council will vote Tuesday on a fiercely debated ordinance aimed at prohibiting development near the city’s wetlands.

The proposal, narrowly approved by the Planning Commission earlier this month after seven hours of debate, includes steps to protect a handful of known wetland areas. Opponents of the ordinance plan to take their case to the City Council on Tuesday.

“The real issue that should be before the council is whether this ordinance is necessary at all,” said Ellen Michiel, vice president of Raznik & Sons, a property holder that would be prevented by the ordinance from building on part of its property. “I’m not sure this ordinance accomplishes anything other than to put into place a very bad law.”

At the Planning Commission meeting, property owners argued that the plan duplicated existing state and federal regulations. They also said the ordinance constituted a partial taking of their land, and they threatened to sue the city if the plan became law.

But the three commissioners who supported the ordinance said that protecting a pristine wetlands environment was their overriding goal.

Mayor Elois Zeanah said that would be her goal as well.

“This ordinance is long overdue given the state of our wetlands,” Zeanah said. “This city prides itself on its conservation policy, and I think this ordinance just brings us up to date on maintaining pristine land that is fast disappearing.”