Grazing into the future for a new park

Goats and sheep will play a role in helping Westlake Village and the Triunfo YMCA get started on their new 30-acre park.

On Dec. 10, the City Council voted 31 to approve an agreement with the California Department of Fish and Game for preliminary site clearing of the proposed Westlake Village Community Park.

Planned for the north side of Thousand Oaks Boulevard between Lindero Canyon Road and La Baya Drive, the park will include a YMCA building with indoor pools, basketball courts and gyms.

The city park will have baseball, soccer, skateboard, hockey and sand volleyball facilities.

Construction and maintenance costs are being shared by the city and the YMCA.

To prevent animals from nesting on the site before the anticipated April groundbreaking, grazing goats and sheep will be brought in next month to keep the grass short, making the property less inviting for would-be animal nesters. The grazing strategy is common for the state Department of Fish and Game, said Westlake Village Assistant City Engineer Roxanne Hughes. There are no animals nesting on the property now, but that picture could change starting next month, Hughes said.

"Historically there's no evidence of nesting, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen," she said. "This protects the project so we won't have delays."

Although supportive of the park project, Mayor Bob Slavin was the lone dissenter on the grazing plan. Councilmember Sue McSweeney was absent.

Slavin voted against the plan, primarily because the city would have to pay the cost of a fence. A livestock herder said he would provide animals to perform the grazing chores for free as long as the city constructs adequate fencing.

But Slavin said, "I resent the fact that the state of California is essentially forcing us to spend $18,000 to $30,000 to deal with an issue that there is no evidence that we even have."

The city will erect a perimeter fence on Jan. 1. The herder will build pens to protect his animals from predators.

In a related issue, the council approved an agreement with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District which will cover the cost of installing a reclaimedwater line to provide water to the park site, saving the city $100,000. The 900foot line begins on Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Lindero Canyon Road. City officials expressed appreciation to the district.