THOUSAND OAKS : Schillo, Loh Back Lake Restoration

Ventura County supervisorial candidates Frank Schillo and Trudi Loh have vowed to ensure that developer David Murdock follows through with an agreement he struck with the county years ago to fully restore Lake Sherwood for recreational use.

Speaking before members of the Lake Sherwood Homeowners Assn. on Monday night, Schillo and Loh promised to put pressure on Murdock to speed up plans to develop a comprehensive lake management program.

Murdock acquired the nearly dry lake and surrounding Lake Sherwood property in 1985. In exchange for residents’ support of a luxury housing development, the developer agreed to restore the lake and put together a long-term plan to keep it clean.

Although Murdock has hired maintenance workers to clean the lake regularly, he has yet to develop a full-scale restoration plan, which some estimate would cost more than $200,000.

Murdock has said in the past that such a plan is in the works, although residents have grown frustrated with his promises. The lake can now be used for boating, but not for fishing or swimming.

To move things along, Schillo said he would schedule regular meetings with Murdock to discuss the developer’s progress in developing a permanent maintenance plan.

But Loh said the county needed to be more forceful with Murdock by demanding that he stick to his original agreement.

“We need to send a very clear signal to Mr. Murdock that the quality of the lake and the lake management plan was part and parcel of the agreement in which he got the right to develop,” she said.

Schillo, a Thousand Oaks City Council member, and Loh, a local attorney, are competing for the 2nd Supervisorial District seat that represents Thousand Oaks, Oak Park and Port Hueneme.