Residents fear Westlake tank construction




Regarding the proposed 5-million gallon water storage tank by the LVMWD, there is another important aspect for all residents of Westlake Village and customers of the water district to consider. While it certainly is the role and responsibility of the LVMWD board to decide if the tank is needed and where it might be built, is not a good decision to use a residential neighborhood (Three Springs) for construction traffic.

According to the plans, a multitude of heavy construction vehicles will use Three Springs Drive and Torchwood Place daily as a staging area for a more than two-year period.

Several concerned residents of Three Springs have given legal notice to the LVMWD Board and Westlake Village City Council regarding the potential risk of personal injury and property damage if a LVMWD construction vehicle has an accident. That’s where every LVMWD customer and Westlake taxpayer would be involved. Both entities would face severe liability in such a lawsuit if it were proven the residents’ safety concerns were not addressed.

Just as in your neighborhood, Three Springs families use their streets for walking, biking, jogging and skateboarding, and children play on them. As a father of four, I know the quickest way to make sure your child does something is to tell them not to do it. Warning children to stay off Three Springs streets during the construction period is not reasonable or prudent.

Construction trucks use pneumatic brakes, which have failed in the past. Consider the potential water rate increase and tax revenues wasted if such a disaster occurred.

The solution: visit a Westlake village City Council meeting or write and request them to enact California DMV Code section 35701(a). Many cities have used this law to place a weight limit on vehicle traffic through residential neighborhoods for safety.

Frank Bonvino

Westlake Village



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