Elected officials should respect the opinions of all residents of Conejo Valley and Las Virgenes In response to a letter from Agoura Hills City Councilmember Reinhardt:




Elected officials should respect the opinions of all residents of Conejo Valley
and Las Virgenes
In response to a letter from Agoura Hills City Councilmember Reinhardt:


I find it interesting that your response to my comments begins by you stating how I do not reside in Agoura Hills and that it is so "troubling" to see outsiders "dictate" what is best for the city.


For your information, I do reside in Agoura Hills as well as Thousand Oaks. My comments were in support of The Acorn newspaper opinion that asked the city to spend more time fixing traffic problems before buying designated open space. You failed to mention The Acorn response to me in your response to my letter. Why and what is your position?


I have the misfortune of using Reyes Adobe almost every day and I am often using Kanan Road as well as Canwood Street, which is badly congested and poorly maintained. Perhaps lack of available parking for businesses on Clareton Drive or Derry Avenue during the day is not a problem that can be fixed overnight, but approving additional development without addressing an existing problem does not help.


I have lived in various places throughout the Conejo Valley for 20 years and if I want to comment on issues that will impact me regardless of where I live, I will do just that. My concerns have nothing to do with "getting through an intersection more quickly" as you asserted in your response.


Traffic problems throughout the Conejo Valley have worsened over the years and the prospect of a Home Depot coming to Agoura Hills, unless properly and severely mitigated, only worsens the existing traffic nightmare.


As a councilmember, you have many responsibilities, one of which is to have an open mind and address problems that your residents and business owners raise.


If you choose to ignore my concerns because you think I am an "outsider," that’s your choice.


The problem with that position is that we all live, work and play in the Conejo Valley, and in order for regional issues to be resolved, public agencies need to stop worrying about a boundary line between cities or the two counties.


People just want things fixed!


Stop pointing fingers and start working with neighboring cities on issues that affect all of us regardless of what the official city we reside in. Think about that the next time you go shopping at the Oaks Mall or visit Conejo Creek Park––in Thousand Oaks.


On another note, I was pleased to hear of your efforts to secure funding for roads that should have been repaired years ago.


Best of luck with that effort and I look forward to visiting the new city hall and library in the near future.


Grahame Watts


Thousand Oaks



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