Issues with Westlake park


While the new Westlake Village Community Park is quite beautiful, there are some major flaws that need to be fixed.

Some type of bathroom facility is needed at the skate park, even if it is just a porta-potty. And I have personally witnessed people allowing their dogs to urinate and defecate on the fields. Since there are no signs posted, this will keep happening.

I am not sure why but the netting alongside the Thousand Oaks Boulevard side of the soccer field has about a foot-and-a-half gap between the turf and netting at the bottom. It wouldn’t be so bad, but it is a long way around the netting to retrieve a ball that goes under the netting, and it happens.

I am sure this one will never be corrected and is a major design flaw: The artsy screens above the baseball bleachers and two play areas do absolutely nothing.

When function loses out to someone’s idea of a “pretty-looking” design, everyone loses. It is actually sad to have a great facility and then have to watch people throwing up canopy tents and giant umbrellas in the bleachers.

Even worse, they added no protection against the hot summer sun for the tables adjacent to the big park. It is bad enough every table and seat in the park is black and hot to the touch when the sun is shining, but not having any shade, at least to the ones next to the park, is just crazy.

The easiest fix of all needs to be to the actual Westlake Village Community Park sign. The letters and background are the same colors making it difficult to read.

They have posted signs on the brand new baseball field that also need to be posted at the two older fields. These signs state the obvious: that these are kids, not professionals, and umpires are human. Maybe parents will think before booing calls or plays.

Kudos do need to go out to Bright View Landscape Service. They do an outstanding job of keeping this new park clean and beautiful. Their crews are friendly, hard-working and deserve a big thank you for their service.

Brian Martin
Westlake Village