The dangers of T.O. expansion
It’s a warm Saturday evening in December here in Thousand Oaks. People are dining out, holiday shopping, walking along the new Main Street, or attending performances in the Kavli and Forum theaters. The warm breeze has picked up and now it is a Santa Ana wind event which sparks a small brush fire in the Kevington area (the hills above Erbes Road).
Emergency services are notified and a warning goes out to the residents south of the rapidly expanding fire. In just minutes the warning changes to an evacuation order that affects everyone south of the fire, all the way to the 101 Freeway. Heeding the order, people quickly gather pets, a few belongings, and important papers and attempt to leave the area.
Now, imagine what T.O. Boulevard will look like
as people flee the theaters, the new hotel, everyone shopping or dining along Main Street and those living in the apartments above the shops. Traffic along T.O. Blvd. comes to a standstill, the freeway on-ramps are jammed shut, and there are already a few traffic accidents as people panic. Emergency vehicles are unable to get to people who are injured or are having a medical emergency.
The people who tell us we must plan for the future and accept the massive expansion east of the Civic Arts Plaza that they have proposed are only focusing on “creating a downtown.” I, too, look to the future but I see the very real possibility of the event I just described.
Please, members of the city council and planners, rethink this plan and either greatly reduce the size or abandon it all together. How about moving the concept of a town center to the Janss Mall, as one letter writer suggested, or to the Oaks Mall?
Sue C. Hostetler, Thousand Oaks
Running out of room in Simi Valley
Re: your Aug. 5 story, “Lost Canyons project moves closer to reality”:
I am disappointed in the Simi Planning Commission and its approval of the Lost Canyons Golf club area. Why would the commission approve more giant expensive houses without including any smaller more affordable options?
We are running out of buildable areas in our city. There are incentives from the federal government and from the state for affordable housing, yet our planning commission just approves giant expensive developments. Many people who have grown up in the community want to stay and start families here, yet they are being forced to move away to find housing.
Soon we will have nothing but old people who can’t watch their grandchildren grow up nearby. There was a lot of groaning about how the four-story apartment building on Tapo and Alamo was designed and built. The city council couldn’t have any input on that building because we were so behind on affordable housing that their hands were tied.
Now they are shooting themselves in the foot again by allowing this Lost Canyons development to go through without any affordable units at all. They didn’t even need to approve low-income housing. They could have insisted on a percentage of smaller houses or condos, but they didn’t do anything. I hope voters remember this in November when it is time to elect a new city council. Council members each choose a planning commissioner to represent their interests. We need new representation.
Leanna Brand, Simi Valley
The benefits of being a scout
I am a Life Scout in Troop 128 in Ventura. As I am nearing the end of my scouting career, I am writing this letter to illustrate the benefits and skills I learned in scouts to hopefully inspire others to join the wonderful scouting organization.
Throughout my time in scouts, starting in 2021, I have accumulated multiple examples of when the skills that I have been taught in scouting have benefited my life. One example is the progression of my leadership skills. When first joining scouts, I remember being quiet and nervous, not sure what was happening at my troops weekly meetings and events. Through learning and motivation from older scouts, I found my confidence and started my first leadership position as an assistant patrol leader. Currently, I am the assistant senior patrol leader for my entire troop and give active speeches to the troop about our monthly topic each meeting.
While likely the most stereotypical, I have undoubtedly learned a magnitude of camping and outdoor skills ranging from as simple as setting up a tent and starting a fire, to performing first aid and navigating with a map and compass. These skills allow me to be confident in outdoor activities, and the principle of learning new skills from scouts has translated into my life in school, sports and other extracurricular activities I attend.
While there are numerous other beneficial qualities to joining scouts that I have not mentioned, I hope the few personal experiences I have shared will convince you to consider joining scouts. I believe that not only will you learn many helpful qualities including leadership, outdoor skills, cooking, teamwork, and communication skills, but you will also have a lot of fun and amazing experiences making new friends and memories.
Evan Barker, Oxnard
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Troubled over T.O. plan, no more room in Simi, and more | Letters
