Group to Tell City: ‘Hands Off Boulevard’

Charging that a small group of city advisors is dictating what’s best for Thousand Oaks Boulevard, the owners of a building supplies store announced Wednesday the establishment of a group to counter current plans for revitalizing the commercial strip.

Dennis and Tina Carlson, the owners of Carlson Building Materials on the boulevard, said the Thousand Oaks Organization of Businesses Against Debt--”TOO BAD”--would protest efforts to use government money to assist local businesses.

The Mayor’s Business Roundtable, a group that advises city officials, recently issued a report stating business owners on Thousand Oaks Boulevard need to organize and ask the city for help, because small stores on the downtown corridor are in a state of decline.

Among the steps suggested is the creation of an economic development corporation, which committee members say the city could form to help fix up boulevard storefronts.

The Carlsons say the situation on the boulevard is not nearly as bad as members of the round-table think, and that an economic development corporation would waste taxpayer money--hence the name of their organization.

“They want to arrange us so we can stand in line for government money . . .,” Tina Carlson said. “We’re not interested.”

In a letter sent this week to City Council members, the Carlsons stated some business owners on Thousand Oaks Boulevard “have expressed a united wish to be left alone to conduct their businesses as they see fit.”

The couple said a loose-knit group of merchants has expressed these concerns and the couple hope to enlist them in their new group.

Dennis Carlson said TOO BAD would encourage small businesses to promote the boulevard without government assistance

Russ Goodenough, chairman of the Mayor’s Business Roundtable, said the Carlsons’ criticisms are “a little premature,” because committee members might revise the report before submitting it to city officials. He said more business owners on Thousand Oaks Boulevard should join the round-table.

Mayor Judy Lazar said she wants to hear from merchants on the boulevard.

“There are business owners on the boulevard who do want to see change,” Lazar said. “We need to listen to them as well.”