Agoura Hills office boom continues
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer
Need office space?

There should be plenty in Agoura Hills, if plans go accordingly.

The city’s planning commission gave approval last week to a pair of new office buildings on Ladyface Circle between the Renaissance Hotel and the new city hall, south of the 101 Freeway.

The rustic, Mediterranean-style complex, known as Centerpointe, will have a 33,700 square-foot, two-story building and a 27,300 square-foot, three-story building.

Parking will be shared between the offices and the hotel.

Centerpointe is part of planned commercial subdivision at Ladyface Circle that was approved in 1987, but never got off the ground.

"I’d like to get this project started," said developer Ed Ball of Westlake Village. "I’ve been working on it so long it’s tiring."

The office complex continues a pattern of growth along Agoura Road, which includes the existing Warmington Homes building, also a Ball development, the new city hall/library, the new Temple Beth Haverim and the recently renamed Renaissance Hotel.

"[The offices] will be consistent with the character of the surrounding area," said Ray Shackelford, a planning commissioner.

Ball’s partner at Centerpointe is Westlake Village developer Dan Selleck, who currently has the rights to develop 24 acres of retail space on the north side of Agoura Road.

City planners said the offices would cause a spike in afternoon traffic at the Reyes Adobe freeway interchange. The developers agreed to pay a $378,000 fee to mitigate those traffic problems.

"Certainly the Reyes Adobe interchange is almost the forgotten major problem in the city," said Planning Commissioner Phil Ramuno, but he added, "I think the traffic issue has been met."

Commissioners were pleased to hear that none of the 11 oak trees on the site, which is located in the shadow of Ladyface Mountain, would be removed.

"I’m glad to hear there are no major oak trees that are going to be ripped out, because on many of these projects we do, and it sort of tears at my heart," said Planning Commissioner Harry Schwarz.

Construction on the offices will begin next year.

Awaiting construction on the north side of the freeway is the 400,000 square-foot Pointe Campus office complex at Canwood Street and Kanan Road, next to Denny’s Restaurant. That 40-acre development will consist of six two-story office buildings. Jerry Snyder of Los Angeles is the developer.

Also in the works is a second office building adjacent the recently built Canwood Corporate Center at the Canwood Street/Kanan Road intersection. Thousand Oaks developer Moshe Silagi received approval to add a third office building on Canwood Street, east of the Agoura Hills Medical Plaza.

Silagi also plans to build offices south of the 101 Freeway on Roadside Drive. The 100,000 square-foot office complex is slated to be one of the largest centers in the Conejo Valley, but Silagi said he needs major tenant commitments before proceeding.

The planning commission postponed until next month a hearing on a proposed 60,000 square foot office building on the north side of Agoura Road, east of Chesebro Road.

Newhall developer Larry Rasmussen is still preparing his final plans.