Man Sues Over City’s Rejection of Project

A man whose plans to build a gas station in eastern Moorpark were rejected by the City Council in August is suing the city, claiming that council members made their decision behind closed doors.

In a suit filed Sept. 25, Ali Z. Boukhari accuses council members of violating state law by making their decision on his plans in private meetings, not in the public hearings held on the project. He asked the court to nullify the council’s vote, order another public hearing on his gas station plans and approve the project. Boukhari is also seeking payment for attorney’s fees and court costs.

Councilwoman Eloise Brown, who voted with the rest of the council against the project, denied the accusations.

“No, we held no secret meetings,” she said. “I’m not going to discuss a lawsuit, except to say that some of the charges are ridiculous.”

Boukhari’s attorney could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The proposed gas station, located in an industrial park near the 118 Freeway, won approval of the city’s Planning Commission in April. But several companies in the industrial park objected to the project, claiming that the gas station would clog traffic and lead to vandalism by bringing people into the area late at night.

Those companies, including Kavlico Corp. and Teledyne Laars, appealed the Planning Commission decision to the City Council. In July, council members deadlocked over the appeal, with Mayor Paul Lawrason and Councilman Bernardo Perez voting in favor of the gas station and Brown and Councilman Pat Hunter opposing it. Councilman John Wozniak was absent.

When the full council took up the issue again in August, all five members voted against the project, citing concerns about traffic.