Dog Park Slated for Westlake Village in Spring 2018

Update 9/30/17:  Slated opening date is late Spring 2018.

Update 7/2/17: Final plans in place for the new dog park. It will open in late fall 2017. On-street parking along Oak Crest Drive will be available for approximately 25 cars. More details at www.wlv.org/index.aspx?nid=420.

Posted 9/2/16: In April 2016, the City of Westlake Village City Council approved a plan to design and construct a dog park on a 1.19 acre city-owned parcel at the southwest corner of Oak Crest Drive and Agoura Road.

Oak Crest Drive and Agoura Road actually happens twice. This intersection is the one closer to Lindero Canyon (the other one is at City Hall).

Dog park is slated to go in at the southwest corner of Agoura Road and Oak Creek Drive in 2017.

Dog park is slated to go in at the southwest corner of Agoura Road and Oak Creek Drive in 2017.

The plan is for a 14,160 sq ft small dog area and 18,120 sq ft large dog area with separate entrances. Other features include natural turf, pet washing stations, seating, drinking fountains, trash and pet waste receptacles and security lighting.

The total budget is $830,300 and the project is scheduled to begin in February 2017.

Lowe's and LA Fitness Makes Progress Toward Opening in Newbury Park

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Those driving in the vicinity of Wendy Drive and Academy Drive in Newbury Park will see the grading taking place at the northwest corner of Grande Vista Drive and Academy Drive. This will be the home of a Lowe's and an LA Fitness when the dust has settled and the construction is complete, sometime late next year (actually, we're talking sometime in early 2019 at this point).

Urban Pizza in Thousand Oaks Has Closed Its Doors

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Urban Pizza, one of the many newer "design your own" pizza places* that have opened in the Conejo Valley in recent years, has closed its doors. This local eatery near Trader Joe's in the North Ranch Mall originally opened in April 2015. The Simi Valley location has also closed its doors.

* Lot and lots of new pizza places in recent years...Pieology, MOD Pizza, PizzaRev, Pitfire Pizza, Blaze Pizza. Battle of the make your own pizzas!

Dickey's BBQ Pit Locations in Westlake Village and Simi Valley Have Closed

Looking quite empty today in this former Dickey's BBQ Pit location in WLV.

Looking quite empty today in this former Dickey's BBQ Pit location in WLV.

Dickey's BBQ Pit locations in Westlake Village and Simi Valley have closed their doors, leaving us with just one Ventura County location - the original one in Ventura. The Westlake Village location originally opened in July 2015. The Simi Valley location originally opened in January 2014.

The Natural Cafe in Newbury Park Has Closed Its Doors

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Jennifer Brecker was looking forward to dining at The Natural Cafe in Newbury Park today, only to find that it was closed. And closed it is indeed, about a week or so ago at 1714 Newbury Road, as confirmed by a call to the still open Westlake Village location and as evidenced by its absence from The Natural Cafe website at thenaturalcafe.com/locations. Sorry to see this local eatery closed.

County of Ventura Food Facility Closures in August 2017

The County of Ventura Environmental Health Division (EHD) protects public health and the environment by ensuring conformance with State laws and County ordinances pertaining to food protection, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, individual sewage disposal systems, land use, medical waste, ocean water quality monitoring, recreational health, solid waste, underground fuel tanks and vector control.

The EHD publishes food facility closures at www.ventura.org/rma/envhealth/community-services/consumer-food/closures.html.

The following facility closures (exclusive of mobile facilities) were noted in August 2017. Keep in mind when reviewing this that there are many possible reasons for the closures, most of which are very temporary issues.

Corner Pocket 7th & A St Billiards, 658 S. A Street, Oxnard;

Rodent infestation; unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 08/31/17; Date reopened - 09/01/17

The Galloping Hen, 305 Borchard Dr., Ventura;

Sewage overflowing inside the facility;

Date closed - 08/28/17; Date reopened - 08/28/17

Ranchero Restaurant, 131 W. 2nd Street, Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 08/24/17; No reopen date

Barrera's Restaurant & Bakery, 644 S. C Street, Oxnard;

Equipment is inoperable resulting in food temperature violations, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 08/21/17; Date reopened - 08/23/17

Ameci's Pizza, 151 Ventura Street, Suite A, Fillmore;

Sewage overflowing outside of the facility; not able to use sinks in order to not generate more wastewater and prevent further sewage discharge;

Date closed - 08/21/17; Date reopened - 08/22/17

Veggie Grill, 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks;

Inoperable refrigeration resulting in unsafe food temperatures;

Date closed - 08/18/17; Date reopened - 08/21/17

Happy Place Pizza, 1255 Saviers Rd., Oxnard;

No valid permit to operate;

Date closed - 08/18/17; No reopen date

Chinaland, 543 S. Ventura Rd., Oxnard;

No water available for hand and utensil washing;

Date closed - 08/17/17; Date reopened - 08/17/17

Big Z, 2428 Stearns Street, Simi Valley;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 08/17/17; Date reopened - 08/25/17

La Central Bakery, 600 Meta St., Oxnard;

Rodent and cockroach infestation resulting in unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 08/16/17; Date reopened - 08/17/17

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant, 601 S. Oxnard Blvd., Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 08/15/17; Date reopened - 08/16/17

Casa de Lago, 715 E. Ojai Avenue, Ojai;

Sewage overflowing outside the facility;

Date closed - 08/11/17; Date reopened - 08/14/17

Lombardo's Deli & Meats, 695 Mobile Ave., Camarillo;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 08/10/17; Date reopened - 08/11/17

Tillie's Hot Dog's & Snacks, 921 Richmond Ave., Oxnard;

Operating beyound the permit limitation;

Date closed - 08/05/17; Date reopened - 08/07/17

Saigon Express, 437 S. C St., Oxnard;

Operating without a valid permit to operate, no plans submitted for changes in menu and equipment;

Date closed - 08/02/17; Date reopened - 08/04/17

Apple Store at Simi Valley Town Center to Close Its Doors on Friday, September 15th

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The Apple Store at the Simi Valley Town Center, which has been in operation for 10 years, has announced that it will be closing its doors at the close of business on Friday, September 15th.

As a result, Ventura County will be back down to one Apple store. The Apple Store at The Oaks Mall was expanded and remodeled in 2016.

The Apple Store at the Topanga Plaza in Canoga Park has been closed for renovations and will re-open on Saturday, September 16th at 10am according to Apple at www.apple.com/retail/topanga.