THOUSAND OAKS : City Welcome-Sign Plans to Be Refined

They liked the colors, they liked the size and they liked the design. But Thousand Oaks council members could not agree on where to place new gateway monument signs welcoming motorists to the city.

And they could not decide exactly what the signs should say.

So, after approving the basic concept of a beige concrete sign adorned with a textured oak tree and mountain ridge, council members sent the proposal to the Planning Commission for further refining.

Among the Planning Commission’s tasks: deciding whether the signs should welcome visitors to the city of Thousand Oaks or to its distinct neighborhoods, such as Newbury Park and Westlake Village.

Councilman Frank Schillo advocated tailoring the signs to each section of the city. “I don’t think you can put up a Thousand Oaks sign (at the intersection of Borchard Road and Michael Drive) without a reference to Newbury Park,” he said. “I don’t think that would fly.”

But Planning Director Phil Gatch argued that such distinctions would work against the signs’ purpose. “I thought the idea was to make this a whole community, with continuity of signs,” he said. “We do not need a more fragmented community.”

Each gateway sign will weigh about two tons and will cost up to $5,000, including installation and soft lighting. The signs are designed for placement in median strips, not along freeways.