Development leads to cars

I, along with many others, continue to be saddened, upset and frustrated when we see new office parks, strip malls, stores, etc. emerging in our city. Why is this?

The zoning laws are the problem. It isn't that land is being developed, but rather the type of projects that are being built. Instead of charming mixeduse centers that are built to human scale, we keep getting buildings that are good for only one thing. These single-use projects are built for a car culture, and with gas and energy prices rising with no end in sight, this is a mindset that must change.

Traditional mixed-use projects are more environmentally friendly, more economical, and in the end will help our home values become higher. With our current zoning laws it is against the law to have lovely traditional public places. People are leaving the suburbs and rediscovering traditional towns and cities.

Examples of projects currently in progress are 10 acres of seven one-story "light industrial" buildings and the shops at Oak Creek, both of which will increase traffic without the benefits of being charming and walkable. The office buildings along Canwood would have been a great area for traditional development; instead, we continue to get office buildings that one must drive to and from.

The zoning laws in Agoura Hills must change and honestly they should have changed years ago. These changes are already being done in many suburban cities. It is not too late to bring back traditional development. We need development that our community can be proud of and boast about instead of complain about.

The reality is that Agoura Hills is no longer rural. Development continues. We realize that there will always be NIMBYs who will want no development. Let's make development that we can be proud of. David Lebowitz Agoura Hills