THOUSAND OAKS : Comments Sought on Use of Old City Hall
The public will have a chance to tell the Thousand Oaks City Council what it thinks should be done with the abandoned City Hall during a hearing Tuesday night.
City planners are asking for public comment on a draft plan they have developed detailing what might be allowed on the site at 401 W. Hillcrest Drive.
The city left the building in 1988 because of asbestos contamination and never moved back in when the carcinogen was removed.
Since then, the gutted building has been damaged extensively by vandals and the property has become overgrown with vegetation. At one point the 35-acre, two-building site was valued at $13 million, though that figure is questioned when the damage is considered.
It has always been the intent of the city to sell the building, but a flat real estate market made that impossible for several years. In order to put it on the market now, the city needs to establish guidelines for future development.
The draft plan would place restrictions on development, including which hillsides could be graded, and limits on both the height of buildings and overall square footage. It also would set limits on how many oak trees could be transplanted or removed from the property.
The public hearing starts at 7 p.m. in the Forum Theater at the Civic Arts Plaza.
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