Arts Plaza Ledge Raises Safety, Cost Concerns

The $64-million price tag on the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza is creeping higher as city officials discover problem areas, the latest being a design feature that was intended to add to the open, airy qualities of the building, but instead poses a hazard to the public.

On the top level of the plaza, directly in front of the entrance to the performing arts center, is a 100-foot-long opening that allows light to reach down into the offices 30 feet below.

Technically it has a railing: a wall about two feet thick that rises just above waist height for most adults. But like the rest of the building, the railing is minimalist--so minimalist it looks more like an inviting place to sit than a preventive measure.

“It’s just kind of an attractive nuisance,” said Ed Johnduff, who oversees the building for the city.

“The problem is that people seem to want to climb on it,” he said. “They like to jump up on it and see what’s in the hole.”

Members of the public have complained to city officials about this huge light well, including many parents who worry about the safety of children attending performances at the plaza. During matinees and shows geared toward children, the theater posts an usher outside to keep an eye on the ledge.

Faced with a dangerous situation, the City Council was scheduled to debate Tuesday night whether to approve spending $45,000 from the general fund to fix the problem.

As of late Tuesday, the council had not formally made a decision, but members seemed inclined to spend the money.

“It’s a deficiency long overdue,” Mayor Jaime Zukowski said.

“It needs help,” said Councilwoman Judy Lazar. “I think we have to fix it.

“I’ve seen kids climbing on it and that’s kind of distressing,” she added.

Walking around on the third level of the Civic Arts Plaza for the first time Tuesday afternoon, 10-year-old Pamma Tahan made a beeline for the restraining wall. She propped her elbows up on the ledge and peered over.

“It’s a bit scary,” Tahan said.

The alternatives discussed include putting up a stainless-steel railing along the opening or reconstructing the wall to make it slanted. The problem with the first option, Johnduff said, is that a metal railing might actually make it easier to climb the barrier. As for slanting the wall, the edge would then be that much more dangerous for anyone who attempted to climb it.

The third option--the one most favored by the city--is to construct a planter that would add about two to three feet of height along the two exposed sides of the railing, bringing it up to chest height and making it undesirable to sit on the ledge.

Although none of the council members were overjoyed at the prospect of spending $45,000 for what amounts to a large flowerpot, they were in agreement on Lazar’s viewpoint.

“I’d rather spend the money now than spend it later to pay damages done to somebody,” she said.

Zukowski said she hopes the city may be able to recoup some of the money from the architect.

“It is clearly an architectural design defect,” she said. “Isn’t there a responsibility when you pay that kind of money for a design? I hope that we will pursue that.”