CALABASAS : Lake Renovations Near Completion

Renovations are nearly complete at Lake Calabasas, a private lake in the city of Calabasas, according to Myra Turek, corresponding secretary of Calabasas Park Homeowners Assn.

“We are 99% done,” she said last week. “I think it’s wonderful. People are thrilled when they see how good it looks.”

The renovations to the 21-acre lake included shoring up retaining walls, she said.

“The lake is approximately 25 years old, and after 25 years there is some erosion,” Turek said. “It was made from dirt and concrete. They replaced that with a concrete tinted to look natural. It looks the same, but it’s stronger.”

The renovations, which cost about $500,000, also involved widening sidewalks around the lake, which is about two miles around, she said.

Funds for the renovations came from a legal settlement with a developer, Baldwin Companies-Village Properties, to offset the impact of a proposed 550-home subdivision at the end of Parkway Calabasas, said Allan Cooper, a past president of the homeowners association.

In a related matter, Calabasas Mayor Karyn Foley said she has heard that someone has offered to adopt 20 of the geese living at the lake. She said she had no further details but planned to look into the matter.

The lake has become home to a large number of geese in recent years, prompting fears that the birds are polluting the lake with droppings. Some residents complain that the geese are also becoming overly aggressive and have even been attacking people, although there have been no reported injuries.