The Island Life in the Suburbs

Alan and Patricia Cordover’s spare time revolves around the lake surrounding their home on Westlake Island.

When not fishing or watching the ducks, the couple are out on their boat playing board games. Sometimes they’ll bring their two schnauzers, who like to sit on the bow and act as lookouts.

“We find it to be a great place to just go and relax and unwind,” said former middle school teacher Pat Cordover, 56, who grew up on a lake in Minnesota. “It makes me feel at home and comfortable.”

The Cordovers are hardly alone.

Westlake Lake, straddling the line between Ventura and Los Angeles counties, is the main draw to the area. Created by the damming of Malibu Creek in the mid-1960s, the lake covers roughly 157 acres and has become one of the area’s most exclusive neighborhoods.

Residents enjoy the herons and Canada geese, and the chance to catch bluegill, catfish and largemouth bass not far from their backyards. Like the Cordovers, many island homeowners like to tool around on their electric boats. Others prefer to sail.

But this lifestyle comes at a price.

The lake is privately owned and managed, which means the cost of maintaining it falls on the 322 homeowners who live on the island and the lake’s outer shore. Residents pay annual association fees of $500 to $600, which covers everything from erosion control to stocking the lake with fish.

The island needs frequent dredging to control weed growth and prevent boats from becoming stuck on the bottom. The next dredging project, which could begin this fall, is expected to cost $2 million. It will involve removing 80,000 cubic yards of sediment, including areas that have never been dredged. The project will be financed through bank loans and the association’s reserve.

“It will keep the lake healthy,” said resident Lenny Targon, 55, president of Westlake Lake Management Assn. “The weeds grow as fast as 1 foot a day. We took out 17 tons of weeds in a two-week period about a month ago.”

Residents say the dredging expense is just part of living on what they call “Fantasy Island.”

Home Prices Begin at $850,000

Westlake Island is governed by two municipalities and counties--the boundary being the bridge that connects it to the outer shore.

The north end of the island is in Thousand Oaks, which is in Ventura County. The south portion is in Westlake Village, a city in Los Angeles County.

The island is three-quarters of a mile long and only 1,000 feet across at its widest point. It has roughly seven miles of shoreline, running up and down the nine coves where residents keep their boats docked.

Not surprisingly, water is the focal point of this community, because each backyard faces either the lake or one of its many fingers. Because of such views and the neighborhood’s exclusivity, prices range from $850,000 for a two-bedroom home to $2.2 million for a four-bedroom residence.

Island residents are governed by two homeowner associations, and the community’s rules discourage fences, tall hedges or anything that obstructs a neighbor’s view of the water. To preserve the lake’s tranquillity, only electric boats and sailboats are permitted.

“When you come home and cross over the bridge, you have water on both sides. You have weeping willows. There is something very calming about the swaying of the trees,” said Carol Kirschbaum, a 10-year island resident. “It’s almost like a cocoon feeling.”

Lack of Privacy Sometimes a Concern

There are some drawbacks. Because of the home prices and potential dangers associated with living near so much water, there aren’t many couples with young children.

Also, some residents are put off by needing permission from the island’s architectural committee to make major changes to the outside of their homes.

Then there are privacy concerns because of the proximity of the homes. The lots range from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet, with some of the homes approaching the property line.

And because the island is fully developed, except for a vacant lot or two, buyers must wait months and sometimes years for a specific house to come on the market. Right now, there are 10 properties listed for sale, or 3% of the island’s residences. This availability rate is about half as much as in Westlake proper and the neighboring communities of Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and Agoura.

“If you’re looking for a particular location, you might have to wait,” said Joanie Young, owner of Young Realtors in Westlake. “If you are looking for a new home, you might not get it. You might have to buy it and remodel it.”

Francis X. Maguire, who has lived on the island for two years with his wife, Carmel, said he feels like he has entered another world whenever he crosses the lake’s bridge. The couple often take early morning strolls, or walks late into the evening, without any fear of crime.

But his moment of “total bliss” occurs when sitting on his deck, gazing on the water.

“It’s so beautiful,” said Maguire. “Every place you look, you see birds. You see ducks. You see cranes. You don’t even think you’re in Los Angeles. It’s a state of mind.”