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Council initiates general-plan amendment and declares surplus land to advance Downtown Thousand Oaks project
Summary
The City Council voted 5–0 to initiate a general-plan amendment and allow concurrent processing of entitlements for the proposed Downtown Thousand Oaks mixed-use project, and to declare city parcels as surplus lands (both nonexempt and an exempt small parcel) so the project can proceed to environmental review and Planning Commission hearings.
The Thousand Oaks City Council on July 8 voted 5–0 to begin formal review of a General Plan amendment and to declare certain city-owned parcels surplus land as the next procedural steps for the proposed Downtown Thousand Oaks redevelopment.
Senior planner Justine Kendall summarized the request: the project envisions mixed-use residential buildings, adaptive reuse and reconstruction of portions of the Civic Arts Plaza, an outdoor amphitheater, public plaza, a restaurant and a hotel. Because the property is currently designated "institutional" in the General Plan, certain proposed uses (housing, hotel, mixed commercial) would require a legislative change of land-use designation. The council voted to initiate that general-plan amendment and to authorize concurrent processing of the related entitlement applications — specific-plan amendment (SP 11, the Civic Arts Plaza specific plan), development permits and parcel/tentative maps — so the city can evaluate the concept comprehensively rather than in sequence.
Deputy city manager and staff also brought before council the State Surplus Lands Act steps required for pieces of the site that would be classified as nonexempt surplus land (approximately 74,000 square feet — about 1.7 acres, across multiple APNs) and an exempt small parcel (building D, about 7,300 square feet or 0.17 acres). Staff explained the surplus-land process: after a council declaration of nonexempt surplus, the city must issue a notice of availability and allow 60 days for interested housing sponsors to respond; the city may negotiate in good faith but is not obligated to transact and must pursue fair market value if it proceeds.
Kendall and staff stressed that the action taken July 8 is procedural: initiation authorizes staff to accept and process formal entitlement applications and to begin the environmental review required under CEQA. It does not change land-use designations today; those would be considered later as part of the specific-plan and environmental review and after public hearings before the Planning Commission and return to the council for legislative action.
Action: Councilmember Adam moved to initiate the General Plan amendment process, authorize concurrent processing of entitlements, and adopt resolutions declaring the listed parcels nonexempt surplus land and the small restaurant parcel exempt surplus land; the motion carried 5–0.
Ending: Staff will accept formal entitlement applications, prepare CEQA analysis and return to the Planning Commission and council with environmental review and recommendations.
