Westlake moves forward on park planning

The city of Westlake Village Parks Advisory Committee recently met for the last time to review recommendations from Steve Lang, a consultant from Purkiss Rose-RSI, (Recreation Systems, Inc.), a landscape, architecture, recreation and park-planning firm in Fullerton. Lang and his company are advising the city on adding more sports parks.

Led by City Councilwoman Betty deSantis, the 27-member committee decided to build parks on two sites and enhance four existing city parks.

In addition to deSantis, the committee, formed in October 1999, included City Councilman Chris Mann, one representative from each of the homeowner associations in the city, three youth representatives and an at-large representative appointed by each city councilmember.

Lang provided the group with a summary report of his evaluation

study that included a recap of previous park advisory committee meetings since January.

At this first meeting, Lang provided background information that included national standards, based on three parkland acres per 1,000 residents.

According to these national standards, Westlake Village should have 25 acres of parkland, but the city currently has four parks with a total acreage of 17.2 acres or two acres per 1,000 residents.

City Manager Ray Taylor commented that the 17.2 number is misleading. "Three Springs has half of the acreage mentioned in the report at best," Taylor said.

In a discussion after the meeting, deSantis agreed with Taylor’s comment. "Not all of the acreage is useable," deSantis said.

According to Lang’s park site evaluation study of adjacent city park acreage, Moorpark has five acres per 1,000; Agoura Hills has 3.69 acres per 1,000 and Calabasas has 1.89 acres per 1,000 residents.

Results from the community recreation study were folded into the evaluation report that went into detail on all existing and potential park sites using 22 criteria ranked from strong/positive impact (+3) to significant negative impact (-2).

The park sites included seven areas: Bennett Park, Canyon Oaks Park, Russell Ranch Park, Three Springs Park, the Foxfield Site, Lot 79 West and the Ridgeford site.

Based on Lang’s ranking system, the top three sites turned out to be Lot 79 West, Ridgeford and Foxfield.

Lang also included in the evaluation process the National Recreation and Park Association’s (NRPA) suggested facility development standards, committee member needs, local organized sports representatives needs and results from a community survey to develop a report on recreation deficiencies in the Westlake Village community.

Neighborhood parks was the No. 1 priority, according to the community survey.

Second in importance was children’s play areas, of which the city has four existing, but no NRPA standards.

Third in importance was a youth recreation center for which there are none.

Fourth in importance was an adult/senior recreation center (there is none).

Community center/parks ranked fifth in importance.

Off-road hiking and biking trails were ranked sixth.

Tennis courts ranked seventh in importance (with five required, according to NRPA standards). The city has none.

Basketball courts ranked eighth in importance and the city currently has four existing and four lighted. NRPA standards require only two.

Soccer fields ranked ninth in importance, and while Westlake Village has two existing fields, neither is lighted. The NRPA standard is two.

Softball fields ranked 10th in importance. The city has two and two are required by NRPA standards.

Baseball fields ranked 11th. Two are required by NRPA standards, but the city has none and Westlake Pony Baseball is currently running out of ballfields.

deSantis believes that results from the community survey are also misleading. Of 840 responses to the survey, 520 people said baseball fields were something important or very important to them, she said.

"A family with three kids who want baseball and soccer fields gets only one vote, and adults, which are the majority, may want tennis courts and get a vote. This is skewed," she said.

Each of the seven sites were discussed in detail and deSantis made the point several times during the meeting that it’s the responsibility of each committee member to share information from these meetings with their neighborhoods.

"Take information back to your respective HOAs (homeowner associations) to make sure there are no concerns or situations that should be brought to the council," deSantis said.

When Lot 79 West came up, Steve Hessick from Westlake Canyon Oaks said that Lot 79 was supposed to be deeded to their HOA as common area.

"A former mayor bought the property. It’s our neighborhood and it’s our land. It’s open space and open space has just as much value as a park," Hessick said.

By far, the Ridgeford site received the most attention.

Among public comments, Susan Lawrence read a letter prepared by her and her husband, Allen.

"We know you want to improve the quality of life for your residents. Sometimes to improve the quality of life is to leave it alone," she said.

Michael Edelstein who lives on Ridgeford Drive said that he felt the community survey misled him. "Nobody told me that they were thinking about putting in a baseball field, and if I had known, I would have put baseball as a low priority," he said.

Edelstein said that he conducted his own survey and spoke to 25 of 32 of his neighbors who for a lot of reasons voiced strong opposition to a park, or a baseball or football field.

Another Ridgeford resident, Eric Taub, said that the whole area has an idyllic look and feel that people can use.

"Developing that area would negatively impact what now is a very tranquil, serene open space. It’s literally a few hundred feet away from the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy," Taub said.

After hearing committee member concerns and those voiced from the general public, a vote was taken.

A recommendation will be presented to the city council on July 31 that will include moving forward on the necessary steps to acquire Lot 79 West and use the Foxfield site, which the city already owns, to build additional parks.

In addition, they recommended enhancing and making improvements to the city’s four existing parks.

Also included in the committee’s recommendations is the need to pursue discussions with surrounding cities, recreation and school districts and special districts for collaborative development, operation and/or use of shared park facilities.

DeSantis reminded the group that Prop. 12 money would be available by the state to help funding.

After the meeting, Mann said he wanted to see more specific recommendations, but other council members wanted a broader view. "It’s just a recommendation. The committee has no decision-making power in and of itself," Mann said.

deSantis said she believed the committee did exactly what it was supposed to do.

"The committee gave an appropriate direction to the city, but we will need a consultant to actually decide what is the best use of each site," deSantis said.

Mann cited the fundamental dilemma. "There’s an overwhelming need for youth recreation and there’s an overwhelming desire for a certain quality of life in this area," he said.