Proposed Westlake Village In-N-Out Burger Topic of Public Hearing on December 11th

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON PROPOSED IN-N-OUT RESTAURANT IN WESTLAKE VILLAGE

After several months of discussions and a number of plan revisions, In-N-Out Burger has filed an application to construct and operate a drive-thru restaurant on Russell Ranch Road along the 101 Freeway (within the Shoppes at Westlake Village retail center).

This application is scheduled to be discussed at a public hearing at the regular City Council meeting on December 11, 2013, 6:30PM.

In-N-Out Burger is proposing to occupy a freestanding building at the west end of the Shoppes at Westlake Village, which is to be anchored by Target. The Shoppes is anticipated to open in Summer 2014. The City Council’s Planning Area C Ad-hoc Committee and staff have carefully reviewed building and design plans and requested a number of changes to ensure that the building reflects the same architectural detail and standards as the rest of the Shoppes center including stonework, roofing tile, and window treatments. Additionally, at the Committee’s request, signs facing the freeway will be halo-lit and bronze colored, rather than the traditional In-N-Out corporate colors, to match the freeway oriented signage for the rest of the center.

In-N-Out Burger currently has 292 locations in five states, including 218 in California as well as locations in Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Utah. You'd think that with all the excitement about In-N-Out Burger that they'd have more locations by now! But this family chain, opened originally in Baldwin Park in 1948, is taking its sweet time!

Other local Ventura County area In-N-Out locations in Newbury Park (only about 8 miles away from this new proposed Westlake Village location), Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Woodland Hills and Goleta. In May 2011 an Agoura Hills In-N-Out Burger location was under consideration but the plans were withdrawn.

Learn more at www.in-n-out.com. For updates, stay tuned here or visit the City of Westlake Village website at www.wlv.org.

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Thousand Oaks Transit to Add Saturday Bus Service on August 17th

Effective August 17, 2013, Thousand Oaks Transit (TOT) will begin Saturday bus service from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the same four routes as weekday service.

Saturday service will be free to all riders though October 12.

The Thousand Oaks Transportation Center at 265 South Rancho Road will be open Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. with ticket sales available between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 

The City was recently awarded a $600,000 Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Grant which help make the addition of Saturday service possible as part of a three year demonstration project.  Saturday bus service is expected to attract up to 400 riders per day.

TOT is the fourth largest transit system in the County with over 150,000 bus riders per year and TOT provides nearly 90,000 Dial-a-Ride trips to seniors and the disabled annually, more than any service provider in Ventura County.

TOT uses clean-burning compressed natural gas buses that are fully accessible to riders with mobility devices and are equipped with free Wi-Fi and easy to use bike racks. For additional information and schedules, please visit www.TOTransit.org or call the bus information line at 805-375-5473.

Source: City of Thousand Oaks website at toaks.org.

Thousand Oaks to Moorpark Metrolink Station Shuttle Service Begins July 15

In response to requests for commuter bus service between the City of Thousand Oaks and the Moorpark Metrolink Station, Thousand Oaks Transit (TOT) is partnering with Metrolink to operate weekday commuter shuttle service beginning July 15. Service is free to all riders from July 15 through August 16 from three convenient locations

• Thousand Oaks Transportation Center - 265 South Rancho Road
• Oaks Mall Bus Stop – Adjacent Mall at 350 West Hillcrest Drive
• California Lutheran University Bus Stops - Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard

The new service is funded in part by a $20,000 Federal Transit Administration grant. Service will operate between Thousand Oaks and the Moorpark Metrolink Train Station six times daily during peak morning and evening hours. The first shuttle departs at 5:15 a.m. from the Thousand Oaks Transportation Center and the last shuttle departs the Moorpark Metrolink Station at 7:55 p.m. Service is scheduled to connect with most Metrolink trains traveling between Moorpark and the Los Angeles area. 

After August 16th, the fare amount is $2.50 each way but service will remain free to Metrolink pass holders and passengers with a same day single-ride Metrolink ticket. Seniors, disabled persons, and Medicare cardholders ride for half of the fare amount. Transfers between the commuter shuttle and local TOT buses are free. The GoVentura Card is not accepted.

The weekday service will be operated by MV Transportation on 14 passenger vans powered by compressed natural gas. Vans are ADA accessible, equipped with bikes racks, and will have free Wi-Fi.  The Metrolink Commuter Shuttle Program schedule and times are available online at www.TOTransit.org. For the most current train schedule, visit www.metrolinktrains.com.

City of Port Hueneme Cancels Sand Sculpture Events Due to Beach Erosion

The City of Port Hueneme issued a news release today stating that due to severe beach erosion, the Sand Sculpture Demonstration scheduled for Saturday, August 17 and the Sand Sculpture Contest scheduled for Sunday, August 18 are cancelled. These events have been a popular part of the annual Hueneme Beach Festival the last four years.

See scenes from last year's Sand Sculpture Contest at this link.

In late April, City officials announced they are seeking emergency funding to restore the rapidly eroding Hueneme Beach. According to the City, since January, high winds, abnormally high tides and large waves along the Ventura County coastline have reduced the sand relocated by the Army Corps of Engineers from the Channel Islands Harbor last December.

The erosion is threatening infrastructure and flooding to homes, businesses, the deepwater of Port of Hueneme and Naval Base Ventura County. More information at www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/340.

Simi Valley Public Library to Close June 15-30 As It Transitions to Municipal Library

The City of Simi Valley has announced that the Simi Valley Public Library will be closed from Saturday, June 15, 2013 through Sunday, June 30, 2013 for refurbishment as it transitions from the Ventura County Library System to a municipal city public library. During the closure, patrons may use their Ventura County Library card to check out materials from other Ventura County Libraries, the nearest site being the Oak Park Library.

Beginning July 1, 2013, library patrons will need a new Simi Valley Public Library card to check out materials from the Simi Valley Public Library. Patrons may pre-register for their new library card online at www.simivalleylibrary.org beginning June 15, 2013 and will have the opportunity to select one of three new card designs. Once they have pre-registered, at their first visit to the Library, patrons will be issued their card.

Patrons who wish to obtain their new card prior to July 1 may register for the new card in person from Monday, June 17 through Friday, June 28 at the Simi Valley Senior Center and City Hall. Representatives will be available at the Senior Center Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at City Hall for Library card registration. No appointment is necessary.

The public is invited to attend the Grand Opening of the Simi Valley Public Library on Monday, July 1 at 10:00 a.m. The event will feature a ribbon cutting of the refurbished facility, presentations by local, elected officials, the Summer Reading Program Kick-off by Mr. Nifty’s Balloon Show at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., tours of the refurbished Library that will feature an enhanced collection of materials, new furniture, a refreshed interior, enhanced technology and computers, new signage, the addition of a Teen Lounge, and more.

The Simi Valley Public Library is located at 2969 Tapo Canyon Road, the Simi Valley Senior Center is located at 3900 Avenida Simi, and Simi Valley City Hall is located at 2929 Tapo Canyon Road. For questions, or more information, call (805) 583-6861 or visit www.simivalley.org or www.simivalleylibrary.org.

Parking Lot Renovations at Newbury Park Library During Next Several Months

The parking lot at the Newbury Park Library is over 20 years old and has reached the end of its useful life. Over the next two to three months, the asphalt lot will be replaced with new asphalt and pavers. There will also be water storage tanks installed for stormwater retention and upgrades to landscaping, with more drought tolerant plants and low-flow irrigation.

For more information about the project, visit the City of Thousand Oaks website at www.toaks.org or call 805.449.2225.

The library and businesses (B of A, Burt's Pharmacy, The Alamo, etc.) located at this location, at the west corner of Borchard Road and Michael Drive in Newbury Park, will remain open during renovations. A large portion of the lot is currently fenced off, so do plan for some extra time for parking during these summer months.

The farmers' market that was located here on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm has temporarily been relocated to the nearby King of Glory Church parking lot at 2500 Borchard Road.

Construction on Lynn Road Bike Lanes in Thousand Oaks to Begin on June 18th

The City of Thousand Oaks announced today that construction on the Lynn Road Bike Lanes Project will get underway on June 18, 2013. The project will add bike lanes in both directions along Lynn Road, between Hillcrest Drive and Avenida De Los Arboles. The addition of the bike lanes will connect to existing bike lanes on both ends of the project area, increasing vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian safety.

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Currently, bicyclists share a travel lane with vehicles or share the sidewalk with pedestrians along this 2.5 mile stretch of Lynn Road. The roadway will be expanded by narrowing the median between Camino Manzanas and Avenida de los Arboles and by widening the southbound roadway between Hillcrest Drive and Camino Manzanas. The project does not require the removal of any trees in the median. Vertical curbs and new sidewalks will be constructed in areas where rolled curbs currently exist. Drainage improvements will also be made in the project area. Two vehicle lanes of travel in each direction will remain after the project is completed.

Major project improvements will be completed in two phases:

Phase 1

Southbound Lynn Road - Hillcrest to Camino Manzanas (June 18 – Late August)

Northbound Lynn Road - Camino Manzanas to Arboles (June 18 – Mid September)

Phase 2

Southbound Lynn Road - Camino Manzanas to Arboles (Late August – Late November)

Northbound Lynn Road - Hillcrest to Camino Manzanas (Mid November – Late November)

Single-lane closures will be necessary to perform construction work throughout each phase of the project.

Additional information about the Lynn Road Bike Lanes Project, including funding sources, project background and history, construction timelines, lane closures, renderings, and answers to frequently asked questions can be found online at www.toaks.org/lynnroad.

Wendy Drive NB 101 Freeway On-Ramp Closure in Newbury Park for 6 Weeks

The northbound on-ramp along the 101 Freeway at Wendy Drive will be closed for up to six weeks beginning Thursday, March 28th to allow for the next phase of construction on the Wendy/101 Interchange Improvement Project. The onramp is expected to re-open in May.

Currently, the only bike and pedestrian access on the Wendy overpass is along the north side. To maintain a safe passage of travel for pedestrians, bicyclists, and the contractor, Caltrans and City staff agreed a six-week full on-ramp closure is needed. The closure will provide ample space for the contractor as well as pedestrians and bicyclists crossing.

During the six-week closure, motorists traveling south on Wendy Drive wishing to go northbound, will be directed southbound on the 101 Freeway to Borchard Road for the Borchard Road northbound 101 Freeway on-ramp. City staff has notified Caltrans, law enforcement, and emergency responders of the planned closure.

View of the Wendy overpass from down below (southbound 101 Wendy offramp).

Motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists are requested to use caution when traveling though the construction zone for their own safety and the safety of construction workers, and allow extra time due to the temporary construction congestion.

The Wendy/101 Interchange Improvement Project is scheduled to be completed on-time in September 2013. To learn more about the project, view detour maps and road closures please visit www.toaks.org/wendy101.

Preliminary Ventura County / Conejo Valley Election Results as of Early This Morning

The Ventura County Clerk & Recorder website has a nicely organized election results section at recorder.countyofventura.org/elections that provides easy to access, up to date election results.

With all 630 Ventura County precincts reporting, there were 426,948 registered voters and 256,927 votes cast, or a 60.18% voter turnout. While these numbers reflect many of the Vote by Mail ballots received before election day, the numbers will certainly change to some degree to reflect Vote by Mail ballots received at polling locations on Election Day.

Here are some selected (with a focus towards Conejo Valley elections) unofficial Ventura County only results posted on that site updated just after 2 AM this morning.

President (255,107 votes)

• Barack Obama (Dem) 51.16% (130,512 votes)
• Mitt Romney (Rep) 46.32% (118,156 votes)
• Gary Johnson (Lib) 1.09% (2,784 votes)
• Others 1.43% (3,655 votes)

There were 1,820 ballots that did not place a vote for President.

U.S Senator (245,932 votes)

• Dianne Feinstein (Dem) 53.57% (131,742 votes)
• Elizabeth Emken (Rep) 46.43% (114,190 votes)

Overall preliminary vote in California is Feinstein 61.4% vs Emken 38.6%.

26th Congressional District

• Julia Brownley (Dem) 51.85% (104,225 votes)
• Tony Strickland (Rep) 48.15% (96,774 votes)

State Senator District 27 (Ventura County only)

• Todd Zink (Rep) 56.45% (64,146 votes)
• Fran Pavley (Dem) 43.55% (49,486 votes)

Districtwide (Ventura/LA counties, Pavley has 52.6% vs Zink's 47.4%).

Member of the Assembly 44th District

• Jeff Gorrell (Rep) 53.53% (66,830 votes)
• Eileen Macenery (Dem) 46.47% (58,009 votes)

Conejo Valley USD Board Member (Vote for 2)

• Betsy Connolly 37.86% (24,120 votes)
• Peggy Buckles 32.78% (20,886 votes)
• Tony Dolz 29.15% (18,572 votes)

Thousand Oaks City Council (Vote for 2)

• Jacqui Irwin 24.20% (18,044 votes)
• Al Adam 15.83% (11,802 votes)
• Ed Jones 14.34% (10,694 votes)
• Jim Bruno 13.69% (10,206 votes)
• Mic Farris 12.32% (9,187 votes)
• Deborah Birenbaum 9.03% (6,737 votes)
• Others 7,903 votes

Conejo Recreation and Park District (Vote for 2)

• George Lange 44.22% (26,797 votes)
• Charles B. Huffer 25.08% (15,199 votes)
• Dennis Anderson 18.10% (10,970 votes)
• Clint R. Matkovich 12.36% (7,488 vote)

For updates and results of other local races, visit recorder.countyofventura.org/elections.