THOUSAND OAKS : City Moves to Curb Building’s Vandalism

Empty for seven years, the former Thousand Oaks City Hall at 401 W. Hillcrest Drive is about to be officially declared a “dangerous building.”

At tonight’s meeting, City Council members will decide whether to issue a notice stating that the building is unsafe to occupy--a move designed to stop vandalism there.

Building and Safety Director Barry Branagan said a “Notice and Order” would give sheriff’s deputies a new means to keep trespassers out of the building. Anyone caught entering the building once it has been declared unsafe to occupy could be charged with a misdemeanor.

City officials want to clean up the building and sell it, but damage by vandals in recent years has made it embarrassing to show to potential buyers.

Vandals have spray-painted the walls and broken nearly all the windows in the old City Hall, situated on a hill overlooking The Oaks mall.

“I think they’re [vandals] kids,” Branagan said. “They keep getting in there and wrecking it. We want to try and dress it up a bit.”

In its state of disrepair, portions of the building could become dislodged or collapse, Branagan said.

“I don’t know if anybody would get killed, but you could possibly get injured,” he said.