1st Bids Expected on Borchard Road Work

Residents of Borchard Road near Los Vientos Drive could learn today what will happen to the controversial road, which some say is too steep--a 12% slope in one segment.

Thousand Oaks officials expect the first round of bids for $338,000 in safety improvements to the road, which will act as a second access to the 2,350-home Dos Vientos Ranch housing development. The City Council in January approved spending more than $500,000 in overall improvements.

The council, which will meet at 6 tonight at City Hall, will vote on authorizing the city manager to award the bids.

By late July, city officials hope to see a median dividing Borchard Road, a lighted crosswalk at San Antonio Drive and a traffic signal at Los Vientos Drive. Soon after, a long-awaited extension to Borchard should open.

Although Borchard Road figures in a $661-million lawsuit against developers, Mayor Dennis Gillette said he didn’t think that will scare away bidders.

“That’s part of doing business,” Gillette said. “They design these systems for roads all over. There has been a tremendous amount of litigation swirling around this road for years, but these people are professionals.”

But there’s still a chance the contractors for the safety improvements could become embroiled in the lawsuits if they install the safety measures improperly, said Mark Uyeno, an attorney with Westlake Village-based firm Masry & Vititoe. The firm represents a coalition of residents suing Dos Vientos Ranch developers, alleging developers were dishonest about the road’s safety when presenting their project to the city.