New Design for Park Plan Unveiled

Park planners Thursday unveiled the new concept design for the proposed Lindero Canyon Park, implementing changes in response to community suggestions and concerns.

Westlake Village city officials received a list from the Westlake Canyon Oaks Homeowners Assn. in July requesting redesigning of the original concept.

“We went down that list to see how we can mitigate it,” said Councilwoman Betty De Santis at a meeting of the cultural and recreation committee. “I think we met the concerns of all the neighbors.”

Audience members were not so sure. To appease Canyon Oaks residents, planners suggested building an earthen berm on Landino Drive along one side of the neighborhood park, creating an auditory and visual barrier to the baseball diamonds.

Also, a fence would be built to further separate the parks, making it difficult to use the smaller park as an entryway to the new park. “They made their best effort to address the changes the board requested,” said Wanda Gleeson, Westlake Canyon Oaks Homeowners Assn. board member.

Others said the changes were not nearly enough to make them feel better about the project. Thousand Oaks homeowner Valerie Freedman, whose land is just north of the proposed site, said, “They did not make any concessions. It’s all smoke and mirrors. All they did was shift things around.”

In the new plans, the roller hockey/basketball court, the main concern of the Thousand Oaks residents, was moved about 60 feet to the southwest so it is primarily out of line of the homes.