Road Truce Paves Way for Dialogue

The city and the school district declared a truce Wednesday, temporarily stalling threats of a lawsuit over traffic congestion in a semirural neighborhood.

“We didn’t give up the option of taking legal action,” said Mildred Lynch, board president of the Conejo Valley Unified School District. However, the district will put aside that option for the time being while the two agencies try to work out another plan.

Supt. Jerry Gross issued a news release following a 90-minute morning meeting with Mayor Judy Lazar and City Manager Grant Brimhall, stating that the school district will “reserve and defer for three to four months its legal options to the city’s decision . . . to place the barricade.”

The barricade, a temporary orange plastic fence, is scheduled to be placed about 50 feet in front of one of the two Conejo Valley Adult School entrances next week, thereby preventing vehicles from reaching the school from Waverly Heights Drive. Students will be forced to use the other entrance off Montgomery Road, on the other side of the campus.

“It will be clear to anyone who goes [to the school], that there is an interim problem, with a long-term solution being sought,” Brimhall said. Last month, the City Council voted to put up the barricade, following nearly five years of complaints from Waverly Heights residents who say traffic generated by the adult school disrupts their semirural, equestrian lifestyle.

On Aug. 11, the school district sent a letter to the city, threatening to sue over the barricade. Admitting that no one is thrilled with the idea, the superintendent and the mayor said they hope to work together in coming up with a new solution--although they weren’t sure what that would be.

So they agreed to call on the powers of the Conejo Recreation and Park District in search of answers.

As the park district gears up to develop Conejo Creek Park, city and school officials hope that park leaders will consider building a road through the park, which drivers could use to get to the school.

Park District General Manager Tex Ward said he was willing to “come to the table,” but added that the park district should not be entirely responsible for the road-building tab. Earlier this summer, the park district heard proposals on building a road from Old Farm Road, where the school sits, to either Janss Road or Avenida de Las Flores, but took no action.

Estimates made in July by the park district put the cost of a 2,800-foot road at $250,000 to $360,000.

Problems also arise with a park road, as equestrians have voiced concern over horses crossing the street in the middle of a park and whether a Little League baseball field would have to be moved.

Sal Terrusa, one of the most vocal and anti-traffic of the Waverly Heights Drive residents, said he had hoped the city-imposed barricade would force the school district to take the issue to court.

“We think we have a very good case,” said Terrusa, a retired schoolteacher. “This is a residential equestrian area and the thousands of cars that come by is incompatible to our lifestyle. There are laws that disallow this.”

Terrusa said he is not opposed to the adult school. But he believes the 12,000 registered students should find a more commercial area to take classes.

Dave Woodruff, the adult school’s principal, said the barricade is a step back from progress. In fact, he said, a fence on one end of the parking lot, which holds a maximum of 350 cars, simply will force a traffic surge on the other end of the neighborhood.

“It’s unfortunate when community needs conflict with special interest groups,” he said. “We’re a city, not a country. Closing the school would be absolutely wrong.”