Agency Drafts Wish List for Open Space

It’s not exactly your typical shopping list: three ridges, one valley, one hillside, a plateau and a meadow.

But those seven parcels of land are what the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency says it would buy if it had some money in its nearly empty coffers. For the first time in the history of the agency--a collaboration between the park district and the city--the board of directors has come up with a prioritized list of the land parcels it wants.

It may not seem particularly logical to make a wish list without available funding, but Thousand Oaks Mayor Andy Fox said he considers the list a crucial step toward getting money to buy land in the future.

The City Council is planning to put an increase in the bedroom tax paid by developers on the November ballot. The additional revenue would be used to acquire open space.

The bedroom tax has been set at a maximum of $200 for each new residence since 1972. Last year, the tax generated $111,800 from developers.

Fox said he did not think voters would approve the ballot item unless they know specifically what they would get in exchange. He wants to include a list of the priority parcels on the ballot so that the electorate will be able to see where the money would be spent.

“That way, everybody knows what it is that we are talking about,” Fox said. “Everything is on the table.”

There are already 12,889 acres of dedicated open space in the Conejo Valley, but in city surveys, residents consistently say they want more land preserved.

The board ranked 19 parcels of land according to a long list of criteria, including their historic and scenic value, the probability of development, whether rare and endangered species live on the land and what the price tag might be.

After holding a public workshop earlier this month, the agency determined that seven of the 19 parcels should be classified as a priority for acquisition. The seven are not ranked in any particular order, but Fox said he would probably place Mt. Clef Ridge at the top of his personal list.

The ridge is a distinctive landmark, looming behind Cal Lutheran University and easily noticed because of the white “CLU” painted on the hillside. The agency recently acquired one piece of land on the ridgeline and hopes to eventually buy the remainder from several private owners.

“Obviously, it is a key piece for our ring of open space,” Fox said.

The other priority parcels include:

* The Western Plateau. A 184-acre parcel slated for development by Shapell Properties. Visible from the far end of Rancho Conejo Boulevard, the plateau is bordered on three sides by land already acquired as open space and is considered an important part of the wildlife corridor.

* Glider Hill Addition. The entire parcel totals 100 acres, but the agency is only considering 11 acres to be a priority for acquisition because it provides equestrian access.

* Skyline Addition. Seventy-five acres of open hillsides above the K mart on Hampshire Road. This is considered important because of its high visibility from the freeway and its historical value as one of the older regions of the city.

* Conejo Ridge. Best seen by motorists swooping onto the Ventura Freeway from the southbound Moorpark Freeway, the parcel includes 200 acres from the top of Conejo Ridge running down into Rolling Oaks Drive.

* Broome Ranch Addition. This 30-acre parcel includes a piece of privately owned land adjacent to Broome Ranch--which the agency already owns--and eight acres set aside by the builders at the Dos Vientos housing development as an equestrian site.

* Southern Ridge. About 250 acres available in many scattered parcels above Ventu Park and running over into Newbury Park.