Master Plan OKd for Conejo Creek Park

Regional park officials have approved a sweeping master plan for Conejo Creek Park that will transform the site’s 118 acres into a recreational expanse catering to soccer moms, dog lovers, anglers and green-thumbed gardeners.

But one segment not singing the praises of the Conejo Valley Parks and Recreation District is a group of horse owners in the surrounding areas. The horse owners have found equestrian lands cut by nearly 25% to make way for picnic areas, dog runs, public gardens and a fishing pond.

Of the 51 acres that now make up the equestrian element of the park, 40 will remain once its reconfiguration is complete.

More than 100 residents packed the Goebel Senior Adult Center recently as the parks district gave its final approval to the proposal, which was drafted with the help of a residents focus group that met regularly during the past year.

The park’s acreage officially includes the Thousand Oaks Library, Goebel Adult Senior Center and the Thousand Oaks Teen Center, all on Janss Road, as well as the vast area in the southeast quadrant now used by the Conejo Valley Days fair. Park officials have designed the soccer fields to continue to accommodate the event as part of the park’s revamp.