Hill Canyon Project Teed Up

Gone are the plans for fake lakes, replaced by politically correct artificial wetlands.

More horse- and bicycle-friendly trails could be included, as well as barriers to keep out illegal four-wheeling intruders, who have trampled the environment for years.

These are among the details the City Council and the Conejo Recreation and Park District board will mull over tonight at a joint meeting on their plan to build an 18-hole public golf course at Hill Canyon.

The two agencies--which have formed a joint powers authority to build the golf course, along with a nature center and trails network--must also decide whether they want the project to undergo the scrutiny of a city Planning Commission hearing.

Dubbed the Hill Canyon Regional Recreational Facility, the project is expected to cost $17.4 million and open by February 1999. It was initially expected to cost $20.2 million, but the executive committee shepherding the proposal trimmed costs by scrapping a pricey sprinkler system and replacing artificial lakes with wetlands in the golf course design, among other things.

Building the wetlands should also help preserve the pristine area’s wildlife, perhaps the biggest challenge the city and park district face in building the golf course, said Councilman Mike Markey.

“We’re looking at more of a wetlands-type environment, to keep it more consistent with the area,” said Markey, who sits on the executive committee with Mayor Judy Lazar and park district directors Dennis Gillette and Susan Holt. “One of the concerns with this whole project has been its impact on the environment, and after talking with some state and federal agencies, we feel wetlands are a better way to go.”

A draft environmental analysis of the golf course plan released in August said it would require the removal of 39 oak trees and that it could significantly affect several fragile plant and animal species. The Conejo Creek passes through Hill Canyon, and development of the course is expected to result in the filling or alteration of three of the 28 acres of wetlands in the area.

However, the report concluded that most adverse impacts stemming from the project could be minimized with measures such as building artificial wetlands. It also noted that three oaks would be planted for every tree removed, as called for in the city’s oak tree protection ordinance.

To ensure the Hill Canyon environment is preserved as much as possible, the council and park board have hired Michael Hurdzan, a golf course architect renowned for his nature-friendly designs.

But according to Councilwoman Linda Parks, building a golf course in Hill Canyon can only hurt plant and animal life, regardless of the precautionary measures taken.

“I have nothing against golf courses, but I have a concern for the wildlife in the area,” Parks said. “These are probably the last wetlands in Thousand Oaks that have not been affected by development.

“You’re talking about the most environmentally sensitive area possible,” she added. “It’s a very hard place to put it. You can’t help but impact the wildlife.”

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The entire golf course and recreation center would lie in a 284-acre area bounded by Santa Rosa Road to the north, Rancho Conejo Boulevard to the south, Wildwood Park to the east and city and county open space to the west. The golf course clubhouse would be on a hill overlooking the canyon just off Rancho Conejo Boulevard, and a shuttle path would connect it to the canyon floor.

At a recent council meeting, Parks proposed that the city send the golf course project to the city’s Planning Commission, arguing that extra analysis could only make it better. Council members decided to postpone that decision until tonight’s meeting, saying it would not be fair to make such a decision without the park district board.

“Some council members are making an issue of this, but this is not a city project,” Markey said. “We have a partnership with another government body, and they need to be involved.”

Now the project’s executive committee has recommended that the golf course go before the Planning Commission, but only in the context of its compliance with the city’s General Plan--something it was required to do anyway.

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Parks said she is hoping for a full hearing.

“I think someone other than the people proposing the project--the council and the park board--should look at it,” Parks said. “I think that’s only fair.”

The council and park district will also discuss tonight whether to spend up to $25,000 to erect a series of gates around Hill Canyon barring all but emergency vehicles from entering the area.

People, it seems, have been riding roughshod through Hill Canyon for years, and that cannot continue through construction, Markey said.

“We think people go back there quite a bit, even discharging weapons, and we want to provide more security,” Markey said. “Right now, there are a lot of access points, and unfortunately, some people have been driving through these environmentally sensitive areas for years.”

And the two agencies will look into a plan to take a small existing trail and expand it into a multipurpose bike- and horse-friendly trail leading from the western part of the canyon to the proposed nature center.

The trail improvements would also link the area with trail systems in Wildwood Park, the Conejo Creek area, the Rancho Conejo open space and the Seventh-day Adventist open space, which leads to Camarillo Springs and ultimately across the Ventura Freeway to Dos Vientos Ranch.