THOUSAND OAKS : City Should Pay Expenses, Simi Says

The city of Thousand Oaks should be accountable to the city of Simi Valley for up to $2 million in expenses if it decides not to build a road that would connect the two cities, Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton said.

If Thousand Oaks takes its staff’s advice and decides against an extension of Sunset Hills Boulevard, city officials should be prepared to pay the $2-million cost of improving Simi Valley’s Madera Road to handle increased traffic, Stratton said.

“If you do something that causes us problems, you should be prepared to mitigate what you cause,� he said.

Simi Valley officials will attend a Thousand Oaks Planning Commission meeting tonight to argue against a proposal to cancel the Sunset Hills Boulevard extension.

Lawrence Marquart, senior Thousand Oaks planner, has said that lower population projections for Thousand Oaks, combined with lower housing densities in the area of the boulevard, have eliminated the need for the new road.

The matter will go before the Thousand Oaks City Council on Oct. 20.

Thousand Oaks residents along Sunset Hills Boulevard have complained that traffic will more than triple by the year 2010 if it is extended. The road was originally envisioned as linking up with a planned extension of 1st Street in Simi Valley to serve the Wood Ranch development. Simi Valley officials contend that their city’s General Plan assumes that the extension will be built. Because the extension has been part of Thousand Oaks’ General Plan for 23 years, Simi Valley officials say that it is unfair for Thousand Oaks to change its plan now.

Stratton has asked that Thousand Oaks delay action on the proposal until the interchange between the Moorpark and Simi Valley freeways is completed. He said traffic patterns could change dramatically, making current traffic studies outdated.