Scenic Status Is Again Denied for Stretch of Ventura Freeway : Highways: Thousand Oaks and two other cities had sought recognition for developed stretches that retain natural charm. State says no.

For the second time in four years, state transportation officials have foiled efforts by Thousand Oaks and two other Conejo Valley cities seeking scenic vista status for a segment of freeway dotted with gas stations, shopping malls and occasional billboards.

Seeking to honor the 16-mile stretch of the Ventura Freeway, the cities of Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village had asked the state Department of Transportation to create a new “urban vista” category to recognize developed roadways that retain some of their natural charm.

City officials had hoped that the views of the Santa Monica Mountains from the freeway segment, which winds through all three cities, would qualify it for scenic status under the proposed new category.

But Caltrans Senior Transportation Planner Bill Felts said the agency’s attorneys decided that a new state law would have to be enacted to create a category allowing for urban development.

“We had hoped to do this administratively,” Felts said. “But it looks like it’s not going to be that easy.”

The cities pushed for creation of an urban vista category after a 1990 application by Agoura Hills for scenic highway status was denied.

Despite that rejection and the new setback, Thousand Oaks City Councilman Frank Schillo said the cities will reapply for the existing scenic highway designation. He said the makeup of Caltrans’ advisory committee on such matters has changed, improving the cities’ prospects.

“I think we have a good chance because I don’t know that there are that many scenic urban corridors,” Schillo said. “There’s a different kind of beauty here that we’ve worked hard to preserve.”

Schillo, who also serves on the Ventura County Transportation Commission, said the scenic status would help the cities get state funds to remove billboards and maintain views, and would encourage other cities to keep their freeways free of clutter.

If the application fails, the cities will seek passage of a new law creating a special urban vista category, Schillo said.