Council to Oppose Plan for Road

The City Council has decided to oppose a county plan to carve a new route for Moorpark Road south of the city limits, fearing it would mean more traffic and hurt agriculture.

The council, in a 4-1 vote Wednesday, agreed to send a letter to the county expressing the city’s displeasure with the plan.

“I don’t think you can show a direct benefit” for Moorpark residents, said Mayor Pat Hunter.

County officials said they are considering the plan because the hilly two-mile stretch of Moorpark Road between Moorpark and Thousand Oaks has one of the highest accident rates in the county.

Although other proposals have been floated, the cheapest and most environmentally acceptable plan is to cut a new straight course for the road so it directly links Santa Rosa Road and Tierra Rejada Road, creating a four-way intersection at Spring Road.

Council members argued that Moorpark Road is used mainly by commuters who travel between Simi Valley and Camarillo and that a new road to connect with Spring Road would result in more traffic into the city.

In addition, cutting through agricultural land would make it difficult to farm the area if slow farming trucks have to cross a road where cars are going 55 mph, council members said.

Casting the dissenting vote, Councilwoman Debbie Teasley agreed the project would mean more traffic, but said this would benefit the city by bringing more business.