Thousand Oaks Panel Approves Neighboring Mall

In less than a year, the dry weed patch at the corner of Westlake and Thousand Oaks boulevards--used in the past for Christmas tree and pumpkin sales during the holidays--will give way to a new, carefully landscaped upscale shopping center.

After a six-hour hearing, the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission gave the go-ahead early Tuesday to Northgate Plaza, a proposed $15-million, 100,000-square-foot mall with manicured walkways snaking around oaks, sycamores and ornamental fountains on the southwest corner of the busy intersection just north of the Ventura Freeway.

Northgate Plaza will be built across Westlake Boulevard from the Promenade at Westlake, another large upscale shopping center, which is under construction.

“When you come off the freeway you will be greeted by one of the most beautiful intersections in Southern California,” said Forrest Frields, chairman of the Planning Commission. “This project exceeded the development standards and that is always a pleasure.”

The mall, which received unanimous approval from the Planning Commission at 1:30 a.m., is considered a low-density retail center and therefore will have twice the amount of landscaping required by city codes, Frields said.

To mitigate traffic congestion, the busy intersection will be modified to accommodate additional lanes. Developers and city staff are considering using colored pavement and placing an image of the city’s seal at the center of the intersection.

The mall’s developer, Dave Dollinger of Dollinger Properties, which is based in Burlingame, told commissioners that he has lined up several tenants, including home furnishing retailers such as Ethan Allen and Bed, Bath and Beyond, a juice bar, and Piatti, an Italian restaurant he described as one of the most exclusive in California.

At Monday night’s Planning Commission meeting, Dollinger was praised by several local homeowners for his cooperation with the community.

“We congratulate Mr. Dollinger for coming to the community with an open mind,” said Rickie Whitman, vice president of the Westlake Hills Property Owners Assn., which has been meeting with Dollinger since November. “Every legitimate concern we had, he took care of.”

If there is a downside to the project, it is the increased traffic it will create, Commissioner Linda Parks said. Parks unsuccessfully tried to have the commission close the mall’s proposed driveway onto Westlake Boulevard. But Parks said that the overall project was good.

“I was happy there was so much collaboration between staff, homeowners and the people across the street,” Parks said. “The type of tenants will complement and not compete with the development across the street.”

The $35-million mall under construction on the opposite side of Westlake Boulevard, which is twice as large as the one approved Tuesday, includes an eight-screen movie theater, bookstores and a high-end grocery store. The Promenade at Westlake is scheduled to open in October.

The driveways for Northgate Plaza, which require a city variance, still need to be approved by the City Council, Frields said.

Dollinger said he hoped to begin construction in September and have the mall open in March.