Developers Tout Plan for Giant Mall, Center : Newbury Park: Architects explain project for Adventist property. Some council members express reservations.

Developers of the elaborate Seventh-day Adventist project in Newbury Park took advantage of a public forum to present--in glowing terms but with little detail--their plans for a huge new shopping mall and entertainment center.

With slides, sketches and a model the size of a banquet table, local architects Francisco Behr and Dale Ortmann explained to the Thousand Oaks City Council on Tuesday their vision of a massive commercial center on the Adventist Church’s 400-acre property.

Located on one of the city’s largest remaining undeveloped parcels, the center would bristle with places to spend money, from discount warehouses to upscale restaurants to mom-and-pop hardware stores.

The design would blend nostalgic elements, such as an old-fashioned outdoor plaza, with futuristic touches, like electric outlets to plug in high-tech cars. When complete, the complex would contain a 12-screen movie theater and a courtyard for farmers’ markets.

“The Adventists want this project to be something they can be proud of and show off to the community,” Behr said.

But several council members weren’t so easily convinced.

Although they asked few questions at the study session, Mayor Elois Zeanah and Councilwoman Jaime Zukowski afterward expressed concern that the mega-mall could strip business from stores elsewhere in the city.

“We don’t want to spread ourselves too thin,” Zukowski said Wednesday. “There are many ramifications to creating something of this scale, especially when we’re already trying to make Thousand Oaks Boulevard the center of our city and enhance the small businesses there.”

Zukowski also worried aloud that the development might carry hidden costs for the city, such as the expense of hiring more police officers to patrol the sprawling shopping center. To address neighbors’ security concerns, the council may consider opening a small police station in Newbury Park.

“We have to be very careful that we’re not overloading,” Zeanah said, “that we’re not developing more than that area can handle.”

While agreeing that traffic, environmental and economic impacts should be carefully studied, other council members on Tuesday expressed qualified support for the project.

“The model looks wonderful,” Councilwoman Judy Lazar said. “I’m really impressed.”

Noting the plans to bring in several chain restaurants, such as California Pizza Kitchen, Olive Garden and Red Lobster, Lazar added jokingly: “If this thing gets built, all we’ll ever do there is eat.”

The project remains months away from public hearings, as the environmental and economic impact studies will take weeks to complete. But Behr and Ortmann wanted to gauge public reaction now, while they have time to modify their design.

At Tuesday’s study session, they received several thumbs-up.

Three residents stepped to the microphone to endorse the project and praise the architects for working closely with neighbors. Complaining that they must now travel to Camarillo or Oxnard to shop at discount warehouses, they urged the developers to bring a Price/Costco, Mervyn’s or similar stores to the Adventist property.

A Target store would be built in the first phase of construction and could be ready to open by late 1995, the architects said.

To handle the increased traffic, the developers plan to reconfigure the Wendy Drive off-ramp if state transportation officials approve.

Between the road work, grading and utilities, the project’s infrastructure costs could reach $50 million. On top of that, each merchant would have to pay to build a chunk of the commercial center.

The plan also involves relocating the Adventist church, school and senior housing that stand in the path of the proposed Target store and parking lot. Officials would also have to raze the Two Winds equestrian center to make room for the mall.

At Tuesday’s study session, Lazar urged the developers to find a new site for the stables and riding rings, “not necessarily because everyone uses them but because of the flavor and ambience they lend to the community.”

Proposed Development The Seventh-day Adventist Church has proposed building a huge commercial center-including movie theaters, discount stores and restaurants-on part of its 400-acre parcel adjacent to the Rancho Conejo Industrial Park. The church would relocate its school, sanctuary and senior citizen bungalows to another section of the property. Source: Francico Behr, Architect