THOUSAND OAKS : Session Focuses on Boulevard

Surrounded by photos of Thousand Oaks Boulevard past and present, Mayor Judy Lazar urged residents to envision a future that would turn the 3.5-mile corridor into a vibrant downtown.

About 70 business owners, environmentalists, architects and affordable-housing advocates responded enthusiastically, queuing up to articulate their dreams during a lively three-hour study session Thursday.

After viewing slides of potential role models--from centuries-old cobblestone streets in Europe to the pastel-tone Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica--most residents agreed that the bedraggled Thousand Oaks Boulevard needs a face lift.

But their ideas varied wildly, from creating a pedestrian-only outdoor mall to building low-priced apartments on top of existing stores to transplanting oak trees along the street to movable pots. Business owners stressed the need for parking, access and efficient traffic flow, while the leisure-loving crowd lobbied for wider bike lanes, parks and outdoor cafes.

One concept that won widespread approval: a Thousand Oaks trolley or electric bus that would shuttle shoppers quickly along the boulevard from The Oaks mall to the North Ranch plaza in Westlake.

Lazar, Councilwoman Elois Zeanah and Planning Commissioners Marilyn Carpenter and Irv Wasserman plan to study the recommendations, draft a report and hold another open forum in May. Thursday’s study session was the last in a series of four public reviews of the city’s 20-year-old general development plan.

“Maybe we can bring little parts and pieces of these ideas together so in the end everyone can say, ‘Yes, this is where we want to go,’ ” Lazar said. “There’s a saying, ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.’ Well, we’re going to Thousand Oaks Boulevard. We’ve got to have a goal.”