Good morning,
You are receiving this email because you signed a paper passed around at the Auto Mall sign meeting last night. If you don't wish to be in communication, please hit reply and say, "Remove me from your list."
I want to get permission from everyone to have their emails listed before we can have a discussion.
I am opposed to the Auto Mall sign as it is currently proposed. I have several reasons; some we might agree on, some we might not. I'd like to hear other people's point of view with more opportunity for back and forth dialogue.
Back in December, I emailed the City and asked them to answer the following questions, but because the item was withdrawn, staff never did answer them. Here they are:
a.) Shouldn't the City, with the assistance of an expert in sign law, develop clear, consistent and legally defensible standards for digital signs before it approves this municipal code amendment? Why not?
b.) How does the proposed Auto Mall sign comply with the City's prohibition against freeway-oriented signs for advertising, beyond identification?
c.) Will messages such as, "Credit Issues? No Problem" be allowed? What about, "Thank you for your patronage" or "Why pay more?" or "Se Habla Espanol"? Would these ads that are more generic in nature comply with the limitations set by the added code section? Why or why not?
d.) Does the City intend to convey a special privilege to the Auto Mall or will it be in the unenviable position of approving a digital sign for the Promenade, or PTS, or Spectrum, or Spinecenter, or Muvico, or the Oaks Mall, or the proposed Lowe's, or any other business with frontage along the 101 Freeway?
e.) What is the allowed spacing of such signs? Does the City have such a standard?
f.) Without a clear and legally defensible sign ordinance, will the legal, non-conforming billboard on Newbury Road be allowed to convert to digital? Why or why not?
g.) What formula is the City using to develop standard allowable sizes of digital signs?
h.) Will the City impose fees or taxes on these signs, and if so, how much?
i.) Why is the mock-up, an otherwise useful tool, displaying time and temperature instead of an ad? Isn't it misleading to the public, who may think that the proposed sign will be the same in nature as the current sign instead of a digital billboard?
j.) What is the visual impact of six ads per minute, 525,600 minutes per year, regardless of their content? How many of those ads will be unique?
k.) Why was it determined that the Copper Curtain was a distraction to drivers, while a "stunning" digital sign is not? (Please refer to this letter published in the Acorn: http://www.toacorn.com/news/
l.) Can the Caltrans sign be relocated so that it would not block the Auto Mall sign?
m.) If a dealer franchise has a coke machine on-site, can the proposed sign display an ad for Coca Cola?
n.) What products and services are available at the Auto Mall currently? What if those are expanded at a future date, would they be allowed to advertise on the proposed sign? Why or why not?
o.) Is Toyota prevented from buying advertising space on the Auto Mall's sign by virtue of its location?
p.) Are other dealers of RVs or other motorized vehicles prevented from buying advertising space on the Auto Mall's sign by virtue of their location?
q.) Given the incremental nature of approvals by the City in the past, (for example, allowing the Janss Mall to install "gateway monuments" that exceeded size limitations for "signs" and subsequently approving adding copy to those structures) what limits are there on future staff or Councils to allow changes to the content of the proposed digital sign?
r.) Given the law of (perhaps) unintended consequences, (for example the easing of prohibitions on temporary signs on public property for purposes of advertising garage sales that allowed the increased display of real estate open house signs on City corners) can the City use its best judgment on what the full consequences are of its approval of the proposed MCA? I'm certain that other members of the community have stated their own doubts about the proposed sign and I include those in this email by reference. Appropriate staff response to these issues is requested.
s.) Who or what owns the land upon which the sign will be located?
t.) What redress is available to citizens who, for a variety of reasons, object to the proposed Auto Mall sign? If you answer no other question, please answer this one. I believe that if this were put to a vote of the people, it would not pass.
Thanks for reading this. I hope we can further discuss this important issue to Thousand Oaks.
Sincerely,
Nora Aidukas
caohara1@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteCommercial Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS)
and Driver Attention – January 11, 2011
The study’s primary focus is the effect of CEVMS on driver visual behavior and the evaluation of their potential risk to safety.
Phase I (complete)
The initial phase began in January 2008, and was completed by the Human Centered Systems Team at the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. This updated an earlier published literature review regarding the distraction potential of CEVMS and reviewed and recommended appropriate research methods and techniques for the second phase. The final report is posted to the FHWA home page at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/realestate/out_ad.htm
Phase II (awaiting final report)
The two chosen sites, Reading, Pennsylvania and Richmond, Virginia, have a number of CEVMS displays, together with standard vinyl billboards and other objects of visual interest, along two driving routes each approximately 30 minutes in duration. The research participants drove an FHWA instrument equipped test vehicle. The instrumentation in the test vehicle measured eye-glances of the participant drivers, which will permit the researchers to determine the frequency of glances away from the roadway, the percentage of time that the participant drivers looked at the roadway ahead, and the time that the drivers looked at the CEVMS advertising displays, at standard vinyl billboards, and other selected objects.
An analysis of the on-road eye-tracking data is complete. The FHWA has received a draft report of the results of the data and the report is currently being reviewed. Upon the completion of the review, the final report will be published and released on the FHWA home page athttp://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ . No date is scheduled for the publication of the report. FHWA will notify individuals that have submitted an inquiry relating to this study, when or after the report is published.
If you have questions on the CEVMS Research, please contact Catherine O’Hara at Catherine.O’Hara@dot.gov or 202-366-9901.
TO Acorn 02102011
ReplyDeleteUse of redevelop dollars ‘a scam’
2011-02-10 / Letters
Someday the people of this city will realize what a scam the redevelopment agency on Thousand Oaks Boulevard is.
The city fought the owner of the Jungleland property for five years, finally getting it away from him at $1 million an acre per the judge’s orders.
Does this sound like blighted land to you?
But you see this gave the City Council a chance to become a redevelopment agency and take all of Thousand Oaks Boulevard off the regular tax rolls.
We can prove this because at the time we asked the city for an accounting of what was going on at the Jungleland site and, although we presented 10,000 signatures of registered voters, we were told by the city fathers (not my word choice) that because this project was redevelopment agency funds, the taxpayers had no say in its use.
When I ran for City Council I tried to point this out at every opportunity.
I was not treated as someone who cared very much for this community.
Now it looks like this city is going to get its ill-gotten gain taken away from it.
What irony. Robert Hughes Thousand Oaks
We should do things differently
ReplyDelete2011-02-10 / Letters
Two weeks ago I attended the auto mall presentation to hear an explanation of the improvements that were being planned.
I support the new angled parking, landscaping and way-finder signage.
For years I have driven past the auto mall on the 101 Freeway and wondered if this was the best we can do.
This section looks rundown and common. Nothing special there. The T.O. council was correct to approve the improvements and to postpone the decision concerning the proposed freeway monument sign.
What sets our community apart from other communities? Do we want to be like the others? The decision regarding the monument sign should be a gut-check moment for us.
Yes, the sign needs to be replaced, but the size and type of the proposed sign is not who we are or who we should want to be. The LED portion of the sign is unlike anything we have in the Conejo Valley.
This would be like every other auto mall in this country. This will define us. We have a choice.
In reading the ad hoc committee recommendations for the monument sign, it states that the sign height should be 35 feet, the same as adjacent building height. The building they refer to is set back so as to not appear as high from the freeway. A 35-foot-sign will appear much larger when moved closer to the roadway.
The installation of an LED reader board would make us common. We are the community that said no to ridge top building and no to billboards, each a visual im- pairment. Why is this any different?
Did the committee consider the possibility of not having an LED sign? I believe that a more creative approach to the landscaping will draw people’s attention to that side of the road and therefore the auto mall.
Let’s be creative, not like everyone else. Ken Bock Westlake Village
Another voice against auto sign
ReplyDelete2011-02-10 / Letters
I want to add my voice to the outcry regarding the obnoxious sign proposed for the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall.
T.O. and Westlake have a tradition of community pride and concern over the quality of life in our hometown.
We care about open space, the environment and lifestyle. We have added several upscale shopping and entertainment facilities— the Westlake Promenade and Civic Arts complex, for example— and have maintained a tasteful image.
However, the sign is blight. The pictures published on the Acorn website show a 300- square-foot LED display that will be an eyesore, to say the least (blinking or not).
I appreciate as much or more than anyone the need for jobs and economic growth in the Conejo Valley. I have lived here since 1980 and started a high-tech business in Westlake Village and subsequently got a Japanese company to locate their R&D office here.
I have commuted for three hours daily to jobs far from T.O./ Westlake because I wanted my family to live in and my daughters to grow up in a great community.
This sign will degrade our city and our principals. I suggest that the city and auto community go about partnering to get dealers such as Chrysler/Dodge back to the auto mall, to create jobs.
I doubt if anyone driving on the 101 Freeway can miss the auto mall.
We know it’s there. Keep the signage to a minimum and let us enjoy the beauty and community lifestyle that most of us moved to the Conejo Valley to enjoy. Robert Lee Westlake Village
Final forum on auto mall sign is tonight
ReplyDelete2011-02-10 / Front Page
The second of two public forums to discuss the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall sign is scheduled for 6 tonight, Feb. 10, in the banquet center of the Los Robles Golf Course, 299 S. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks.
The forum is being hosted by the Auto Mall Association and facilitated by the city of Thousand Oaks.
The meeting is designed to provide project information, solicit feedback, answer questions and note community suggestions about the design of the proposed freeway monument sign, according to a city press release.
In December, the City Council approved a large-scale parking and landscaping improvement plan for the auto mall that excluded the sign, which the auto dealers agreed to pull from consideration in order to seek additional community feedback and input.
The first forum, held Jan. 26, was attended by more than 100 members of the public.
The auto mall sign proposal is tentatively scheduled to be heard by the City Council on Tues., March 8.
Auto Mall Improvement Project http://www.toaks.org/default.asp
ReplyDeleteUpcoming Community Meetings
Location: Los Robles Greens Golf Course – Banquet Center
299 S. Moorpark Road
Thousand Oaks, CA
Dates: 6:00 PM on Thursday, February 10
View the Presentation from the January 26 Meeting
The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall lies on 54 acres along Thousand Oaks Boulevard between Duesenberg Drive, Packard Circle, and the 101 Freeway. The Auto Mall employs approximately 1,000 people, consistently generating almost one-quarter of the City’s annual sales tax revenues. In the past four years, the Auto Mall has generated more than $28 Million in sales tax revenue to the City.
In recent years, the dealerships have been working with the City to improve the appearance and navigability of the Auto Mall. Along with pedestrian amenities and aged streetscaping, the primary concern is the lack of available parking for both customers and employees. In fact, as a Top Priority for FY 2007-2008, the Thousand Oaks City Council directed staff to develop a plan to mitigate parking issues at the Auto Mall.
On January 12, 2010, City Council authorized design for the Auto Mall project. Due to the significance of this undertaking, the City Council formed an Ad Hoc Citizens Auto Mall Advisory Committee. The Ad Hoc Committee met five times between February and June 2010 to review conceptual designs and make recommendations. The final report by the Citizen Ad Hoc Committee contained recommendations on the angled parking, landscaping, way-finder signage, and a new freeway monument sign.
At the December 14, 2010 meeting, City Council approved all the necessary plans and permits for the project to move forward, with the exception the freeway monument sign. At the request of the Auto Mall Association, the monument sign was not considered by City Council at the December 14th meeting, in order to receive additional community feedback and insight regarding the sign before making a decision. After completing additional public outreach and receiving community feedback, the Auto Mall Association will bring the item to City Council on February 22, 2011.
Star ltr 01312011 Last week I attended the auto mall presentation to hear an explanation of the improvements that were being planned. I support the new angled parking, landscaping and way-finder signage.
ReplyDeleteFor years, I have driven past the auto mall on the 101 freeway and wondered if this was the best we can do. This section looks run-down and common. Nothing special there. The T.O. City Council was correct to approve the improvements and to postpone the decision concerning the proposed freeway monument sign.
What sets our community apart from other communities? Do we want to be like the others? The decision regarding the monument sign should be a "gut-check" moment for us. Yes the sign needs to be replaced, but the size and type of the proposed sign is not who we are or who we should want to be. The LED portion of the sign is unlike anything we have in the Conejo Valley. This would be like every other auto mall in this country. This will define us. We have a choice.
In reading the Ad Hoc committee recommendations for the monument sign, it states that the sign height should be 35 feet; the same as adjacent building height. The building they refer to is set back so as to not appear as high from the freeway. A 35-foot sign will appear much larger when moved closer to the roadway. The installation of a LED reader board would make us common. We are the community that said no to ridge top building and no to billboards. Each a visual impairment. Why is this any different?
Did the committee consider the possibility of not having an LED sign? I believe that a more creative approach to the landscaping will draw people's attention to that side of the road and therefore the auto mall. Let's be creative; not like everyone else.
Ken Bock,
Westlake Village
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/31/lets-be-different/#ixzz1Dink6ib4
- vcstar.com
A meeting to gather community input on a proposed freeway sign for the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall was punctuated with anger and frustration Wednesday night as a number of residents lambasted the 35-foot sign with a reader board.
ReplyDeleteSome said they would boycott the Auto Mall if auto dealers continued to push for the sign along northbound Highway 101. About 85 people attended the meeting in the banquet center at Los Robles Greens Golf Course.
Members of the Auto Mall Dealers Association, which hosted the meeting, told residents they wanted their suggestions.
“We are trying to do the right thing,” Susan Murata, vice president of Silver Star Automotive Group and head of the dealers association, told the crowd. “This is a piece of the puzzle that has been missing from the Auto Mall for 40 years, and we are asking to get this tool.”
In the end, 59 comment cards were filled out by attendees, Jay Spurgin, Thousand Oaks’ deputy director of public works, said Thursday.
“That’s exactly what the Auto Mall association was looking for,” Spurgin said. “They received good suggestions and comments and concerns, and that was really one of the primary goals of their meeting.”
The size of the proposed sign and the reader board was the most troubling for the community members.
The freeway sign is part of an $8.6 million project to increase parking at the Auto Mall, improve landscaping and add signs directing motorists to various dealerships. While the auto dealers are paying for the bulk of the project, $2 million in city Redevelopment Agency money has been earmarked for street widening.
Before the project went to the Thousand Oaks City Council in December, auto dealers pulled the sign from consideration in order to conduct two public outreach meetings. The parking, landscaping and “wayfinder” signs were approved by the council.
The project previously was reviewed by an ad hoc committee, consisting of residents, former council members and other community members. The committee reviewed more than 20 designs of the new sign before deciding on one with stone columns and neutral colors with an LED display board that would show images for eight seconds.
It is supposed to replace an existing monument sign that will be removed as part of the street widening.
At Wednesday’s meeting, resident John Fonti asserted the people who served on the committee had friendly ties with the Auto Mall and City Council. He called for a survey of all residents regarding the proposed sign.
Larry Horner, a former mayor who served on the committee, encouraged those in the audience to fill out comment cards and noted the council is well aware of the concerns surrounding the project.
Mary Wiesbrock of the group Save Open Space said the sign would destroy the quality of the scenic corridor.
When one man spoke in favor of the sign, some in the audience asked where he worked and who he was affiliated with.
Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, who represents the Thousand Oaks area, said she also was concerned about the size of the sign. She told the audience she was on the city Planning Commission in 1993, when the existing sign, which also generated controversy, was presented. She lauded those in attendance for getting involved.
A second community meeting is scheduled for Feb. 10 to present the input gathered at Wednesday’s meeting.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/27/audience-at-town-hall-meeting-objects-to-auto/#ixzz1DioIsQYG
- vcstar.com
January 27, 2011
ReplyDeleteJack_Sprat writes:
Used car salesmen, government workers and corrupt politicians all scheming together to hoodwink the public. Gimme a break! Just follow the money.....right to the city council campaign coffers and especially Mayor Andy Fox. If the public is ignored and the proposed sign goes up then Irwin and Glancy will be in trouble next year.
January 27, 2011
11:46 p.m.
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nickeq writes:
what is missing here is that the bogus mall (there seems to be NO mall assoc any more No ads, no chamber membership NOT even a web site) folks wanted to break mtg into small group to corale us like city did EG for comm of 101 But people refused to budge and they had to answer the REAL questions
Angry?? Well since item was pulled why did Susan spend 1/2 her time talking about sign? Why did city mgr who got Muratta fax about pulling @`4pm on Fri emailed his TEAM? of 10 city folk but not inform Press?? It was a FACE Book site that broke the story with NO confirm. from city or the Star!!
Then she had about 20 emps on way home fill out STATEMENT cards
foxy sd there were 40 cards in FAVOR of the MALL but many were only for the parking improve & MOST of the Silver Star emps live outside area like her in SIMI!!!
They do NOT give the other side
Don't they see what happened in the Soviet Union, Tunisia?? You CANNOT suppress the people!!
Glancy may be out in 2012 after the Al Adam massacre These guys never learn See the self serving comments by Linda Parks!!
January 28, 2011
11:02 a.m.
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saneinsimi writes:
I grew up in T.O and moved out due to the ever increasing traffic from all the new construction such as the super ugly Civic Arts Plaza, etc. To complain about 1 sign replacing another along this "scenic corridor" after that is just ridiculous to me. Especially since the auto mall is the single biggest tax generator for the area. I would think the time would be better spent offering constructive suggestions on what type of tasteful signage you would reccomend to replace the existing sign. But to think that no sign should be there is naive at best.
January 28, 2011
11:47 a.m.
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anyonecansee writes:
What greets you from the westbound 118 freeway at the entrance to Simi is that fugly McDonalds and Shell pole sign.
How 'bout what happens in Simi, stays in Simi?
January 28, 2011
11:59 a.m.
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Jack_Sprat writes:
saneinsimi should not comment on things he knows nothing about. no one is against a sign. the main issue is that no one wants a 3-1/2 story sign and with an LED reader board. a non-LED sign of the same size that's there now is fine. got it now, stupidinsimi?
January 28, 2011
12:31 p.m.
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skip747#361268 writes:
We've lived in Thousand Oaks for almost 30 years, coming from the San Fernando Valley. It is largely because of the strong community standards that our area has remained as lovely as it has. Sure - there are more people and cars, but the basic beauty of our city has been constant.
comments continued
ReplyDeleteThe proposed Auto Mall sign; large, garish and distracting, is completely inappropriate. Shopping for a car is not a impulse driven event. People who are going to be spending tens of thousands of dollars do not do so because they see a flashing ad along the freeway. They (hopefully) do due diligence and visit several dealerships after investigating on the internet and/or through consumer based reviews.
When we have shopped for cars, we have never had any problem finding a dealership... even in the days when you had to use the ol' yellow pages!
The previous sign was more than sufficient, in fact even that was probably larger than it needed to be... but it was at least tasteful and NOT a distraction to passing motorists. Don't we have enough accidents occurring already from cell phone use, and texting?
January 28, 2011
scenic corridor??? lets see here.. big ugly wall at dole, big gaudy glowing cross at oaks christian, random ugly baxter sign at baxter... auto mall, shoty low income house, weeds, big ugly civic arts plaza "art". and the south bound side... are you kidding me? theres nothng scenic about that area at all. the sign would fit right in and probably improve the scenery.
January 28, 2011
wowza writes:
tokeone - The cross at Oaks Christian is gaudy? But a blinking billboard will improve the scenery? You have obviously toked one too many.
01/21 star ltr $2 mill 4 sign Laughable!! What happens when you mix too much in project
ReplyDeleteThe Thousand Oaks City Council is not looking out for the taxpayers, but instead the auto mall’s special interest group. Why is the council wasting taxpayer dollars toward a $2 million mega Thousand Oaks Auto Mall sign? Currently, the auto mall is clearly visible between Westlake Boulevard and Hampshire Road exits on Highway 101. We do not need a Las Vegas-type sign to distract drivers and cheapen our city.
This will be another eyesore and distraction that mirrors the rusty artwork on the Civic Arts Plaza building. Our council members should be looking for ways to reduce spending and not just spend recklessly.
- Joseph S. Pagano,
Thousand Oaks
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/21/reckless-spending/#ixzz1DipnBnLO
- vcstar.com
may 11 2008 ventura auto mall Proposed development off Johnson Drive in Ventura is the subject of a City Council workshop Wednesday that could help determine what mix of housing, offices or stores should go on a vacant piece of property.
ReplyDeleteA plan for the property at the corner of Johnson Drive and North Bank Drive, which went before the council in early April, suggested building 306 apartments and 11,400 square feet of retail space.
The Ventura City Council determined, through a 4-3 vote, that the plan would demand a land use change from "commerce" to "high-density residential."
This week's workshop was scheduled after there was debate over whether more business or housing would best suit that location.
Some important Johnson Drive retailers don't appear to be performing very well and the loss of those retailers could seriously hurt the area's shopping centers, according to a report by Community Development Director Nelson Hernandez.
He also raised concern about new competition from Oxnard's RiverPark development — two highway exits south across the Santa Clara River bridge — saying stores there would put pressure on retailers along Johnson Drive.
The 700-acre RiverPark development will include 2,500 housing units, schools, parks, retail stores, restaurants and a movie theater. Plans call for an upscale mall called The Collections.
The shopping center could draw away business and sales tax dollars from Ventura, though there hasn't been a market study done, said Alex Schneider, assistant planner in Ventura's economic development division.
There have been rumors that the Century 16 movie theater on Johnson Drive might pack up when a new cinema opens at RiverPark, though local merchants and city officials haven't heard anything to substantiate the talk.
Still, Schneider acknowledged that the theater was a "flight risk," and a serious one since so many other businesses rely on it for generating traffic.
Cinemark, owner of the Century 16, didn't return calls for this story.
While Ventura has created visions for other parts of the city, there has been little discussion on the future of Johnson Drive, Hernandez said.
"We haven't put that much thought to that area and that's a fact," he said, adding that the city doesn't have the time or people right now.
One proposal is for the City Council to allow more time to develop a plan for that area, perhaps considering it as part of the 2009-10 budget.
What's good for Johnson Drive is also good for the nearby Ventura Auto Center, the city's top sales tax generator, Schneider said, so it is important to use that land so it complements the auto center.
Traffic concerns
Johnson Drive business owners have various ideas for developing the property in question.
Some would like some sort of mixed-use project, with homes and shops. Others would like to see just homes. Still others would rather it be left alone.
Homes or businesses could lure more customers to their stores and restaurants. But at the same time merchants worry about traffic congestion if added demand isn't met with proper planning.
A representative with Casden Corp., which put forth the development plan discussed in April, went from business to business last week talking with owners about its proposed development and informing people about the City Council workshop.
Vern Morseman, owner of Ventura Hobbies, said he would rather see a residential-only development. Ventura already has too much vacant commercial space and building more doesn't make sense, he said.
contd from above
ReplyDeleteHousing would mean more customers, though it's not a good time for those trying to sell homes and the area wouldn't be able to handle the additional cars on the road each day, he said.
"I wouldn't put any money into that property at this point in time," he said.
Morseman noted that there also is the challenge of building on a flood plain.
After running through all the hurdles for the development, he added: "They would almost be better off turning it into a park."
Cindy Mahamongkol, co-owner of Sawasdee Thai Cuisine, said mixed use seems to be the best plan.
"On Johnson Drive, we need some grocery stores like on Victoria," she said. "On Victoria, they have so many. On Johnson Drive, we don't have even one."
She said the down economy is hurting everybody, and new development could help draw more people to the location. She said too many investors aren't willing to take a risk right now, so she supports any plan that would bring more life to Johnson Drive.
She laughed at the suggestion that the opening of RiverPark's businesses could pull away customers.
"It depends on your quality, performance and service," she said.
Kimberly Kellington, owner of Journey Home, said she would like to see a development that included stores along the street and homes above so she could purchase a place and run her business downstairs. It would beat renting her shop, she said.
"It's already developed around here," she said. "A little more development's not going to hurt."
Helping existing businesses
Dave Cabel, operations manager at Performance Bicycle, said more could be done for the businesses already on the street.
He said he'd like to see a sign visible from the freeway.
"What's lacking is people even knowing we're here," he said.
Cabel said homes wouldn't hurt and a big business might lure more people to shop in the area, but he also worries about traffic. With the dealerships and motel it can already get pretty congested at times, he said.
Hernandez said it is important that plans for Johnson Drive don't hurt plans already in place for other parts of the city.
"What we don't want to do is damage the areas we've established visions for," he said. "So that's really what the discussion is all about."
In his report, he put forth an "urban village" idea that would bring in residential and local retail, suggesting it could be a starting place for discussion if the council wants to do something different.
He said he hoped property owners and the public would attend the workshop, even though it is only the first step in what could be a long process.
mtg info agenda If you go
ReplyDeleteWhat: Ventura City Council meeting.
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Where: Council chambers, 501 Poli St., Ventura.
Topic: The City Council will conduct a workshop to review the current land use designation along Johnson Drive and plans for the site.
Public: People can address the council on the agenda item by filling out a green “speaker form.” Those who don’t want to speak can fill out a pink “comment form.” Both will be available.
For more information: Visit http://www.cityofventura.net
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2008/may/13/johnson-drive-subject-of-meeting/#ixzz1Diujlsca
- vcstar.com
FEB 14 2009 STAR Employees of Westoaks Chrysler Dodge in Thousand Oaks were greeted with layoff notices Friday, three days after being showered with praise at a summit held by the owner, Rusnak Auto Group.
ReplyDelete“They made us go to that summit,” said Reyna Smith, who spent 11 years working in accounting at the dealership. “They were getting everyone excited about what we’re going to do for Rusnak and then three days later you’re fired.”
The new car dealership, which Rusnak purchased from John Woodward III in April 2008, is being shuttered after 33 years to make way for a pre-owned vehicle store to be called Rusnak Auto Outlet.
The business will reopen after a conversion in a matter of days, said Tom Valasek, director of marketing for Rusnak Auto Group, a Los Angeles company that operates 12 dealerships.
A Web site for the pre-owned vehicle store was up and running by late Friday, supplanting the site for Westoaks Chrysler Dodge.
There are about 50 employees at the dealership at 3839 Auto Mall Drive, according to the city of Thousand Oaks.
Valasek said he doesn’t know how many people worked there and could not say how many are losing their jobs. He said some employees will be retained.
“I can’t say because I don’t know the real number,” he said. “We’re trying to keep as many people as we can.”
As signs were taken down outside, employees inside the dealership cried, packed their bags and said good byes while waiting for their final paychecks.
The employee summit was held Tuesday at Rusnak’s new BMW dealership, which also is in the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall. Thousand Oaks city spokesman Andrew Powers said “the city was not given the customary advance notice of impending closure” but said the economic development staff will work closely with the owners to ensure a smooth transition.
Valasek apologized on behalf of the company for the behavior of Rusnak BMW Westlake General Manager Ken Christ, who refused to provide his full name or answer questions about the abrupt closure Friday, then escorted a reporter from the property.
Thousand Oaks City Councilwoman Jacqui Irwin was notified of the closure by The Star.
“I heard it from you,” she said. “We weren’t told ahead of time.”
Irwin’s son drives a Dodge Charger purchased from Westoaks, so, she said, the closure hits home for her. But she expressed particular remorse for the employees who lost their jobs.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking,” she said.
Last year, 137 dealerships closed statewide and there have been 19 statewide so far in 2009, according to Peter Welch, president of the California New Car Dealers Association.
“We sold 433,000 fewer cars in 2008 in California than we did in 2008,” he said. “That’s 1,200 cars a day.”
WESTOAKS STORY CONTD. The drop in sales and the credit crunch are the two primary causes of dealer closures, Welch said.
ReplyDelete“Our access to credit markets has been dramatically restrained,” he said. “Many of our traditional lenders, such as GMAC and Chrysler Financial, in particular, are in economic distress.”
But Valasek said the issues straining the rest of the industry have not taken a toll on Rusnak, which, he said, is “a very strong certified business.”
Rusnak is simply going in a different direction “so we’re discontinuing the franchise agreements with Chrysler and Dodge,” he said.
Powers said the city remains optimistic that the Chrysler and Chevy brands will return.
“Our economic development staff will remain in close contact with the auto dealers association and offer any support that we can give,” he said.
Westoaks Chrysler Dodge is the second new car dealer to close this year in Ventura County.
The other, Courtesy Chevrolet, closed earlier this month and was also in the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall.
Last year, five dealerships shut down: Ventura Volvo, Ford of Santa Paula, Crown Kia, Bunnin of Ventura, and Schaiers Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Fillmore.
Auto dealerships are the biggest source of sales tax revenue — more than $6 million annually — for the city of Thousand Oaks, so the loss of two dealers in a matter of weeks is a setback that the city has yet to quantify, according to Powers.
Back at Westoaks Chrysler Dodge, Smith embraced her co-workers and said she’s done with the automotive industry.
“I’m going to go to school,” she said, “to Moorpark College and try to go into the nursing program.”
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/feb/14/westoaks-chrysler-dodge-in-thousand-oaks-shuts-a/#ixzz1DivnQML3
- vcstar.com
pHOTOS ON MY FACE BOOK PAGE
ReplyDeletePhotos by Chuck Kirman / Star staff The new car dealership that Rusnak Auto Group bought from John Woodward III in April 2008, closes after 33 years to make way for a pre-owned vehicle store called Rusnak Auto Outlet.
On Friday, the sign 3839 Auto Mall Drive no longer says Westoaks Chrysler Dodge. A Web site for the pre-owned vehicle store is up.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/feb/14/westoaks-chrysler-dodge-in-thousand-oaks-shuts-a/#ixzz1DiwEf3ju
- vcstar.com
STAR NOV 16 2009 Plans for upgrading and improving parking and other amenities at the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall will go before the Thousand Oaks City Council at its regular meeting tonight.
ReplyDeleteThe council is being asked to approve the preliminary design to create additional street parking at the Auto Mall and to authorize the city’s staff to move ahead with the final design phase, which should be completed by September.
The face-lift is needed, city staff members say, because while some of the dealerships have updated or built new facilities over the years, the general appearance of the area has become dated and tired. Insufficient parking for Auto Mall employees and customers has long been an issue, the staff noted in a written report to the council.
In 2008, improvements were approved in principle by the council.
During the preliminary design phase, “four alternatives for improving on-street parking in the Auto Mall were developed,” City Engineer Jay Spurgin stated in the report.
“The parking alternatives studied ranged in cost from $5 million to $12.5 million, providing 234 to 421 additional parking spaces, respectively. Ultimately the Auto Mall felt most comfortable with Alternative 4, which will cost $8.5 million and provide 364 additional parking spaces,” Spurgin reports.
The design plan favored by the Auto Mall includes widening the interior streets between Thousand Oaks Boulevard and the Highway 101 frontage road and providing 60-degree angled parking stalls. The first phase of work, which would create 190 parking spaces, is estimated to cost $5 million with a later phase increasing the parking spaces to 364.
In the city’s current Capital Improvement Program budget, $2 million has already been set aside to pay for the street parking modifications, with the city and the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall association splitting the design engineering costs estimated to be $655,000. Auto Mall dealers will tax themselves for their share of the construction costs through the establishment of a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District.
The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall, which was originally developed in the 1960s, sits on several blocks between Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Highway 101. It is the city’s largest single source of revenue, generating, officials say, about 25 percent of the City’s General Fund recurring Sales Tax revenue.
City staff also is recommending the council approve the creation of an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee composed of members of the public, representatives of homeowners associations and area business leaders to discuss other improvements sought by the auto dealers. Those improvements include more user-friendly pedestrian amenities, improved landscaping, more effective way finding and directional signage and an updated monument sign along Highway 101.
The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. today in the Council Chambers at 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. The agenda is available online at http://www.toaks.org in the City Government section.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/nov/16/city-council-to-discuss-upgrades-to-to-auto/#ixzz1Dixi0VOu
- vcstar.com
COMMENST ABOVE STORY STAR November 16, 2009
ReplyDelete12:27 p.m.
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mp3andy (Inactive) writes:
You could turn the old Chevy place their into parking at no cost to the taxpayers....but that isn't the way the City operates...they will find the most exepnsive way....so some of the city insiders can make some bucks....
November 16, 2009
12:27 p.m.
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SonofaBeach writes:
Are you kidding me. How many millions to paint some white lines.
November 16, 2009
3:55 p.m.
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Dagnabbit writes:
Good idea mpandy but the property owner might have something to say about it.
November 16, 2009
5:08 p.m.
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NoOneNeedsToKnow writes:
Look at it this way....
If the City spends a couple million in upgrades to the infrastructure to make it easier for customers to get in and out, it may...MAY...make the T.O. auto mall more attractive to residents of the surrounding communities to come to T.O. to buy their new vehicle.
Lets not forget that the T.O. Auto Mall is a large contributor to sales tax revenue for the City. The purchase of new autos in the City was only second to Amgen sales in 2008 with several of the individual dealers making the top 25 earners for the City.
Of course the City is going to go to bat, bend some rules and spend some cash on the Auto Mall....what do you want them to do??? Say No ???
November 17, 2009
11:29 a.m.
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nickeq writes:
Amgen does not bring hardly ANY sales tax as its products are made in Puerto Rico etc + Sold to distributors etc and sales tax generated else where
The Star says money is coming from the city's capital budget when it is coming from the REDEVELOPMENT agencies which is a phantom agency According to them the Mall & all of TO Blvd is BLIGHTED
This kind of wa$te of tax funds is what is WRONG with GOVT
The Star also chose to IGNORE agenda item 10A Results of the $91K Lakes consultant report which says to build a theatre and loose another $13 million
Who will come to the meeting tonight to tell them the AVERAGE citizen needs help in these times!!
Concerned Citz T Oaks
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/nov/16/city-council-to-discuss-upgrades-to-to-auto/#ixzz1Diy6FoYL
- vcstar.com
NOV 18 2009 STAR The Thousand Oaks City Council approved a tentative plan to add more street parking surrounding the city’s Auto Mall to ease a shortage of spaces that has plagued customers and vexed dealers for nearly a decade.
ReplyDeleteThe council voted 5 to 0 at its meeting Tuesday on an $8.5 million conceptual plan that would create 364 additional parking spaces by widening city streets and providing angled parking stalls within the Auto Mall.
The council also approved creating an ad hoc citizens group to give input on improving the appearance of the 40-year-old mall, which dealers described as dated and tired. Improvements could include landscaping, signs and pedestrian amenities.
Plans to increase parking at the 54-acre Auto Mall were born out of several years of discussion between car dealers and city officials.
Dubbed the world’s largest Auto Mall because of the number of brands sold there, the mall also generates about 25 percent of the sales tax revenue that feeds into the city’s general fund budget.
Councilman Dennis Gillette said the council should “do whatever we can to assist this phenomenal resource the city has.”
The cost of the project will be split between the city and auto dealers who have agreed to tax themselves to cover their share through the creation of a community facilities district.
One dealership declined to sign the petition creating the district, citing a concern over how the burden would be split among dealers. City officials said they would continue to work with dealer to reach a solution.
Auto dealers have already paid $80,000 to cover half the cost for preliminary design work for the improvements. The city paid the other half, following an earlier council decision.
The council previously earmarked $2 million in redevelopment money for the public parking component of the project.
Auto dealers thanked the council on Tuesday for moving forward with the plan and said parking had long been an issue for both customers and employees.
In 2008, about 1,200 people were employed by mall dealerships but there are about 600 street parking spaces ad about 300 spaces available at the dealerships. The parking spaces don’t include the limited number of customer parking spaces available.
“The Auto Mall Drive is dangerous,” Scott Stanley said. “At times you can’t see.”
Chris Shaver, general manager of Shaver Automotive Group, said that customers have to circle the Auto Mall in search of parking and that it some cases the dealership has lost clients because of the dearth of spaces.
“That’s a shame,” he said. “That should never happen.”
Other dealers talked about the need to improve the appearance of the Auto Mall, with one likening it to old shag carpet in need of replacement.
Councilwoman Claudia Bill-de la Pena said she was concerned about the composition of the ad hoc committee that will tackle aesthetic improvements. City staff said the group would include a variety of people.
“Given the current climate of the economy it makes perfect sense to me to go forward with this project,” Bill-de la Pena said, after saying she was initially ambivalent and skeptical about the project. The open and varied composition of the ad hoc committee gave her peace of mind she said.
The final design phase for the parking improvements will take place between January and September of next year, followed by the construction of the bid project going out to bid.
Construction of the project will be phased, with the first phase of work taking place along Auto Mall Drive, which will cost about $5 million and provide about 190 parking spaces. Work on phase 1 is expected to start in April 2011.
Editor's Note: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 10 a.m.- This story has been updated to insert a missing decimal point. The correct figure is $8.5 million, as The Star has previously reported -- not $85 million. We regret the error.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/nov/18/tentative-plan-approved-for-more-parking-around/#ixzz1DiynIsUF
- vcstar.com
COMMENTS TO STORY ABOVE November 18, 2009
ReplyDelete8:22 a.m.
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mp3andy (Inactive) writes:
T.O. city council crackheads rip off the taxpayers again....why should the taxpayers have to cough up $44 million for parking at the auto mall....let the mall owner pay for it....isn't the auto mall owned by one person?
The T.O. taxpayers are being ripped by the City again, last time they gave the property next to the city hall and ten million in cash to caruso to build the Lakes strip mall....they gave him a no-payment lease and allowed no one else to bid on the property...
What do you expect when you have fireman Fox and retired cop Gillette running the city council
November 18, 2009
8:35 a.m.
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Dagnabbit writes:
Wow. $85 million for 364 parking spaces? That's
$1,328,125 per parking space!
November 18, 2009
9:02 a.m.
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northwestprincess writes:
declining car sales, declining employees - now is a great time to pay for more customer parking. most of the cars parked are DEALER cars - why not let the dealers park their cars on their properties, they can even lease properties. Heck, if they are GM or Chrysler the govt will pay for it, sweet. If they don't have enough space, they can lease space as they do at the hyatt. Limit on street parking to four hours, problem solved. Big city TO council morons, oh wait, they get sweet deals on their cars!
November 18, 2009
9:03 a.m.
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mama805 writes:
mp3andy - I think you missed a couple points of this article.
Dealerships ARE going to be charged for HALF of the project.
With 25% of the sales tax revenue coming from this auto mall ALONE its not coming out of YOUR pocket.
November 18, 2009
9:11 a.m.
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TheRevWillyD writes:
Actually, 85million for 364 spaces is $233516 per. But that is still ridiculous. Im with NWPrincess, let the dealers lease land for employee parking somewhere and run shuttles.
Yes, they have lost business because of the parking. I hate going anywhere near there because there is no customer parking. Mazda was the worst.
November 18, 2009
9:25 a.m.
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GuideDog writes:
Let's see if I get this:
1.) The city minimized parking requirements in this business area. This had the benefit for the neighboring businesses of minimizing tax assessment for streets and improvements.
2.) As their businesses have grown, this is now creating a safety problem for their customers and others driving, parking or walking in the area. So, now the taxpayer will subsidize the businesses for the cost of providing improvements that their past city leaders should have made at the expense of those businesses initially.
Is that it?
COMMS CONT
ReplyDeleteNovember 18, 2009
9:36 a.m.
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Comments1 writes:
I think that this is absolutely ridiculous. I cannot believe that the city would consider spending a penny on something like this during the current economic climate. I agree that the auto mall could use a face lift. However, that's up the owner(s) and individual dealers to handle. I have browsed and shopped at the mall plenty over the years, and have never had a hard time parking. My husband and I each got new cars this Spring, and we spent quite a few weekends prior to purchasing doing our due diligence. We always found parking quite easily.
I agree that auto mall drive can be dangerous, especially when you're turning onto the drive. However, most of the dangers are generated by dealers taking potential customers out for test drives - the drivers are distracted.
I agree that the city should work with the dealers/owners to help find a solution, but I do not think that the city should bear 50% of the cost. Does the city pay 50% of the costs of other businesses in the city? I just think that spending $85 million on a project like this is just inane right now.
November 18, 2009
10:44 a.m.
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Comments1 writes:
Geez Star! Well. 8.5 million dollars is certainly a lot more palatable than the 85 million originally reported. That said, I still feel that this is a cost that should be mostly borne by the car dealers themselves. I like the suggestion of having offsite parking for the dealership employees.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/nov/18/tentative-plan-approved-for-more-parking-around/#ixzz1DizAOfaI
- vcstar.com
STAR NO 5TH 2010 At 8:25 a.m. Friday, Auto Mall Drive in Thousand Oaks was lined with cars, just as it is most mornings.
ReplyDeleteMotorists drove down the road, slowing at the sight of potential parking spots and speeding up when it was clear there weren’t any.
“It’s horrible,” said Susan Muratta, vice president of Silver Star Automotive Group, as she stood in the lobby of the Silver Star’s Mercedes-Benz dealership in the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall.
For years, dealers in the Auto Mall bandied about ideas to ease the parking problems that have scared away customers and frustrated employees. Multilevel parking structures, off-site parking and shuttles were considered and dismissed as too cost-prohibitive, before a consultant hired by the dealerships hit upon an idea that will go before the city’s Planning Commission tonight for deliberation.
The proposal calls for widening streets in the Auto Mall to make room for angled parking on both sides of the streets, which would add about 364 parking spaces to the 600 street spaces that exist.
The project also calls for uniform landscaping, signs pointing drivers to specific dealerships and a new 35-foot Auto Mall sign along northbound Highway 101, which already has generated concern.
“I hope this is something the city approves,” Muratta said. “We desperately, desperately need the parking and it is time for a new sign.”
The project carries an estimated $8.5 million price tag. The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall Association will bear the bulk of the costs and will tax themselves through the creation of a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District. The Thousand Oaks City Council earmarked $2 million in redevelopment money for the project in 2007 that has been carried over in subsequent budgets. Muratta called the city’s assistance critical. Jay Spurgin, the city’s deputy public works director, said the city’s financial commitment is acknowledgement of the Auto Mall’s revenue generating power.
“Council and staff do recognize the importance of that sector of our business community, in fact they do generate about 25 percent of the city’s sales tax revenue,” he said.
$4.2 million in tax funds
The Auto Mall accounts for between 2.5 and three times what any other local retail provides in sales taxes, said Gary Watik, the city’s economic development director. Last year, the Auto Mall generated $4.2 million in sales tax revenue, representing 20 percent of what the city received. The previous year, 16 percent of the city’s sales tax revenue stream came from the Auto Mall.
The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall was developed in the 1960s when three auto dealers opened between Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Highway 101. Additional dealerships opened later, making it one of the largest auto malls in the country. But with its success came the parking crunch.
In 2008, about 1,200 people worked for the auto dealers, surpassing the available street parking spaces and roughly 300 on-site spaces available. Even with the auto dealers’ work force shrinking during the industry downturn, the problem has continued to grow, Muratta said.
STAR STORY CONTD A number of options were reviewed that ranged in price from $5 million to $12.5 million, with the potential to add 234 to 421 spaces. Auto dealers opted to go with the angled parking that is expected to create 364 parking spaces on Auto Mall Drive and the side streets.
ReplyDeleteResident Nick Quidwai, who served on a citizen’s committee authorized by the City Council to work on the project with auto dealers and city officials, questions if there are enough parking spaces.
Quidwai, who spearheads the group Concerned Citizens Thousand Oaks, said the city’s redevelopment agency should use its dollars to create more spaces than proposed.
‘This is just overkill’
The Newbury Park man also was critical of the proposed new freeway sign, which would stand 35 feet high and 40 feet wide and include a 12-by-25-foot color LED reader board. The board would feature a picture and text that would stay on the screen for a certain amount of time before changing to a different image, with no animation. The sign, which would be 42 percent larger than the existing one, would be made of natural stone materials and earth-tone colors.
“This is just overkill and we do not need to kowtow to the car dealers for the sales tax revenue,” said Quidwai, who was concerned about potential safety issues highway drivers might face. Instead of the sign, he suggested a low wall along the highway with the dealers’ logos.
Louis Goldsman, co-chair of the citizen’s committee, also was concerned about aesthetics. The sign complies with rules set out by the Federal Highway Administration.
“Our goal was to say how can we protect what Thousand Oaks is in terms of its nature, its background,” said Goldsman, who serves on the Dos Vientos Ranch Community Association.
The Planning Commission will be asked to deliberate on the project’s environmental analysis, an oak tree permit and an amendment to the municipal code for the Auto Mall overlay zone and make a recommendation to the City Council.
The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Forum Theatre at the Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. To learn more about the project, go to http://www.toaks.org.
© 2010 Ventura County Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/07/city-council-to-discuss-to-auto-mall-parking/#ixzz1Dj0E94Gi
- vcstar.com
COMMS ON ABOVE STORY November 7, 2010
ReplyDelete4:19 p.m.
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opi writes:
After they discuss the parking crisis, the Inquisition of Fox, Gillette, Glancy, Caruso, Lemmo, Mitnick and the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Association should begin.
After they are declared guilty of crimes against the citizenry, sentenced, paraded down the boulevard, publicly flogged, humiliated and stripped of all worldly possessions, there will be relief and hope.
immediately following execution of sentence the party shall commence , the retaking and resurrection of this once lovely and independent will follow and we shall all live in peace and tranquility beneath the beautiful oaks forever more.
And tomorrow when you wake please follow the link to the Ventura County Grand Juries website, download a complaint form, fill it out and ask them to investigate the strange, highly unusual relationship and City of BELL like relationship between FOX, GILLETTE, GLANCY, Billionaire Big City Developer RICK CARUSO, RICK LEMMO, SCOTT MITNICK and the THOUSAND OAKS BOULEVARD ASSOCIATION.
http://portal.countyofventura.org/por...
Thousand Oaks must return to local control.
November 7, 2010
4:25 p.m.
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opi writes:
That should have read,
After they discuss the parking crisis, the Inquisition of Fox, Gillette, Glancy, Caruso, Lemmo, Mitnick and the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Association should begin.
After they are declared guilty of crimes against the citizenry, sentenced, paraded down the boulevard, publicly flogged, humiliated and stripped of all worldly possessions, there will be relief and hope.
immediately following execution of sentence the party shall commence , the retaking and resurrection of this once lovely and independent city will follow and we shall all live in peace and tranquility beneath the beautiful oaks forever more.
And tomorrow when you wake please follow the link to the Ventura County Grand Juries website, download a complaint form, fill it out and ask them to investigate the strange, highly unusual and City of BELL like relationship between FOX, GILLETTE, GLANCY, Billionaire Big City Developer RICK CARUSO, RICK LEMMO, SCOTT MITNICK and the THOUSAND OAKS BOULEVARD ASSOCIATION.
http://portal.countyofventura.org/por...
Thousand Oaks must return to local control.
November 7, 2010
7:04 p.m.
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CaptainHindSight writes:
This parking problem could have been avoided if there were more parking spots built the first time!!!!
November 7, 2010
8:26 p.m.
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nickeq writes:
CaptainHindsight, Strange u should say that I had almost all dealers as customers in 1977 and several times afterwards with other companies Who could ever guess that Courtesy Chev (which had a great wholesale parts/cars/body shop business as well) would go under The dealer died 6 months later.
We never knew that there would be an explosion of cars kinda like at the high schools; easy to say that the lot for Ruznak or the dealers by former WestOaks could have had a parking structure But these things cost million, should withstand earthquakes.
Even now the solution is a band aid.
The SIGN is NOT needed and RUINS our scenic corridor + the TV signs work and I do NOT want to hear of a fatality b4 they are taken down like the restrictions now on smoking, lead in paint, etc.
In fact in 1972 in my college speech class we debated and lost about putting air bags in cars; argument COST TO MUCH!!
FOLKS IF U R READING THIS PLEASE COME TO THE MEETING AND SPEAK OR SUBMIT A STATEMENT CARD @ A MINIMUM WRITE A SHORT COMPLAINT TO mtowne@toaks.org
God Bless TO ( and OPI) lol
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/07/city-council-to-discuss-to-auto-mall-parking/#ixzz1Dj0hEjWb
- vcstar.com
STAR oCT 11 2010 More than $100,000 has been pumped into the campaigns of candidates vying for three open seats on the Thousand Oaks City Council, according to recent campaign finance disclosure statements.
ReplyDeleteTwelve of 13 candidates, including three incumbents, have raised funds for the Nov. 2 election.
Contributors range from retirees and Ventura County supervisors to auto dealers and family members. The money is being spent on political consultants, mailers, invitations and fundraisers, the reports show.
In all, candidate campaigns have brought in $101,899 in direct contributions, loans and nonmonetary contributions from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30. The most recent reporting period was for July 1 to Sept. 30.
All but three of the candidates — Deborah Birenbaum, Ernest LeGault and Michael Wurtzel — have loaned their money to their campaigns.
Councilman Dennis Gillette, who is seeking his fourth term on the five-member panel, loaned his campaign $5,000. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Al Adam, who is making his second attempt at a council seat, had given his campaign $500 as of Sept. 30. Adam said he expected to contribute more of his own money to his campaign before the election.
Councilman Andy Fox, who is seeking his fifth term, pulled in the most money from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, $23,820.03, records show. Fox loaned himself $1,000 and took in $2,567.23 in nonmonetary contributions that included website design, food, two gift certificates, and a $300 black Coach purse donated for a fundraiser auction.
Auto dealers in the city, who have been working with the city on plans to improve the Auto Mall, contributed a total of $2,160 to Fox’s campaign. Fox said that he knew discussions were going on but that he would not get information on the project until it goes to City Council.
“I’ve been fortunate to get contributions from the Auto Mall since I first ran for office,” Fox said. “I cannot take contributions from every business in town, so singling out the Auto Mall any different from another business, to me just doesn’t make any sense. I do not take money from developers.”
Fox said the city’s campaign contribution limit of $360 per donor combined with the fact he does not take money from developers “puts a good firewall for the voters to see that I am not beholden to any single special interest.”
Records show the councilman returned a $360 contribution from Silagi Development Management.
Gillette raised $23,327.67 during the first nine months of the year. Among his contributors were county Supervisor John Zaragoza, $100; Rober Biery, finance director of Westlake Village, $100; and Gary Lysik, chief financial officer for Calabasas, $360.
Patricia Jones, the recently retired executive director of Alliance for the Arts, contributed $100 each to the campaigns of Fox and Gillette. Former council members Judy Lazar and Frances Prince also contributed to the two incumbents’ campaigns, as did former city attorney Mark Sellers.
Adam has raised $15,292.09 so far, while spending $8,628.29. Among his contributors are Supervisors Linda Parks and Steve Bennett, who each gave him $360. About $2,100 came from unitemized contributions of less than $100.
CONTD ABOVE note sAYS fOX RECEIVED $2150 sURE LIMIT IS $360 BUT TIMES EMPLS ETC
ReplyDelete“What it says about our campaign is we have a broad basis of support,” Adam said, but added that he will likely have to self-fund a portion of his campaign. “We don’t have any special interest money in there. We don’t accept developer dollars. Our support is grass roots.”
Councilwoman Claudia Bill-de la Peña — running on a slate with Adam, her appointee to the Planning Commission — has raised $19,458.38. The two-term incumbent loaned her campaign $3,000. She also received contributions from Parks, as well as Philip Gatch, former Thousand Oaks city manager.
Other candidates in the race have raised significantly less than the three incumbents and Adam. LeGault did not submit a campaign finance disclosure statement.
At a recent candidate forum, Frank Akrey said he was offended by the amount of money he was told he’d have to raise to run an effective campaign. He has relied on his own funds, contributing $2,000 to his campaign for filing fees and to design a website.
Candidate Billy Martin has raised $2,494, the bulk of which — $1,859 — was a loan to his campaign. Financial adviser Brandon Millan has $10,467.77 in his war chest. The candidate loaned his campaign $1,057.99 and brought in $9,410 in contributions.
Wurtzel has raised $720 in contributions, with $600 used for a deposit on lawn signs. Birenbaum, a special education paraprofessional, has raised $1,115, nearly half of which came from unitemized contributions.
Geoffrey Bride loaned his campaign $500 and took in $105 in unitemized contributions. He has not spent any of it, according to his disclosure statement. Thomas Scott Adams loaned his campaign $1,100 and has obtained $200 in contributions, while Todd Press has $800 in his campaign.
On the Net:
http://www.toaks.org
Campaign contributions
Candidates seeking three seats on the Thousand Oaks City Council have raised varying amounts from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30.
- Al Adam: $15,792.09.
- Thomas Scott Adams: $1,300.
- Frank Akrey: $2,000.
- Councilwoman Claudia Bill-de la Peña: $19,458.38.
- Deborah Birenbaum: $1,115.
- Geoffrey Bride: $605.
- Councilman Andy Fox: $23,820.03.
- Councilman Dennis Gillette: $23,327.67.
- Ernest LeGault: No campaign finance disclosure statement.
- Billy Martin: $2,494.
- Brandon Millan: $10,467.77.
- Todd Press: $800.
- Michael Wurtzel: $720.
© 2010 Ventura County Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/11/thousand-oaks-council-race-brings-in-100000/#ixzz1Dj1Cmh52
- vcstar.com
COMMS ON ABOVE OCT 2010 October 11, 2010
ReplyDelete10:20 p.m. the sign hearing was moved till after election to avoid the heat now even feb 22 nd is not enough nick
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anyonecansee writes:
The Auto Mall is getting 500 to 1 return on its investment in Andy Fox. Count up the tens of thousands of dollars from dealers, managers, their spouses over the years and you can see that they trust Andy to approve their electric billboard sign, their diagonal parking spaces paid for by the taxpayers, and whatever else they can think of.
The Auto Mall is singled out because they expect and get goodies from Fox, get real!
October 11, 2010
10:41 p.m.
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nickeq writes:
TO City Council Campaign Statements from City 09/30/2010 ROUND out many numbers 4 simplicity!! ty
collected 2010 collected 2006
Denny Gillette 20000 14000
SPENT 21000 21000 TOTAL
andy foxy 22000 56000 $44,000 Pro Business Incumbants Ca$h
SPENT 21000 61000 TOTAL
Claudia 20000 14000 $36,000 Fraud Sloow Growthers
SPENT 11000 5000
CHALLENGERS (8) Total $ 9/30
Bride $805
Wurtzel $720
Birenbaum $1,115
Legault ZERO $ave your Vote
Press $800
Milan $10,500 Spent $2500 Political Consultant Use ROBO calls
Martin $2,500 Wont spend More or walk! NEVER heard Audra LOOSING/Here people HATE 'em MORE than rest Nation
Akrey $2,000 Has $$ But naively says wont use more than $10K??
Adam $15,800
Tom AdamS $1,400 $9,300 Challengers LESS Milan
$20,000 ALL Challengers
October 12, 2010
5:19 p.m.
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AAAA writes:
You have to give active duty fireman Fox and retired cop Gillette credit for one thing....the sewage treatment plant runs very well under their direction
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/11/thousand-oaks-council-race-brings-in-100000/#ixzz1Dj1vNTAn
- vcstar.com
09212010 star ltr Posted September 21, 2010 at 8:08 p.m.
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What makes Thousand Oaks an oasis of beauty in an otherwise overdeveloped Southern California desert is its lack of billboards, electronic or otherwise.
If the auto mall's darlings, Council members Dennis Gillette and Andy Fox, are re-elected, approval for the new giant TV screen monument sign is assured, and the view of our rolling hills will be blocked by life-size images of Hummers for sale, three stories up the air.
Gillette and Fox have been in office for so long, they still think Thousand Oaks is some backwater instead of a place that is desired for its unspoiled views. Let's elect new representatives who will protect our property values, not those of the the dealerships. Let's vote for Al Adam and Claudia Bill-de la Peña.
- Olga Belyansky
Newbury Park
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/sep/21/preserve-tos-beauty/#ixzz1Dj2tVIVS
- vcstar.com
The fact that 10 candidates are running for the Thousand Oaks City Council in addition to the three incumbents says one thing. Residents are dissatisfied with longtime incumbents Andy Fox and Dennis Gillette, who together will combine for 36 years on the council if elected.
We need term limits, and I support planning commissioner and candidate Al Adam, who is also spearheading a term-limits initiative. It's the only way to throw out incumbents who get too corrupt and manipulative over the years. Longtime officials know how to work the system, benefiting themselves and friends rather than the community at large. California legislators and the Ventura County Supervisors have term limits. Now is the time for the Thousand Oaks City Council.
Did you know that the City Council wastes our taxes by paying City Manager Scott Mitnick $350,000 a year? Good work if you can get it. Our longtime council members are also beholden to the auto mall dealers and real estate developers, such as Rick Caruso, for campaign contributions and whatever other perks they must get behind the scenes. There is no other way to explain the giveaways of our tax dollars such as $400,000 for an extra 10 parking spaces for The Lakes shopping center next to City Hall.
Be on the lookout, conveniently after the election in November, for Fox and Gillette to approve the proposed huge lighted TV screen sign for the auto mall on Highway 101. They may as well add some parking spaces there, too, because it will be like the old drive-in movies. Drivers will need sunglasses when they pass through Thousand Oaks at night.
What happened to the standards our city founders set?
- John Fonti,
Thousand Oaks
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/aug/30/to-city-council/#ixzz1Dj3CPdMv
- vcstar.com 08302010
nov 2009 star A proposal to expand parking and improve landscaping at the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall was unanimously approved Monday night by the city Planning Commission.
ReplyDeleteAn accompanying 35-foot-tall freeway sign with a reader board also got the go-ahead but commissioners were divided over the issue.
The commission’s action serves as a recommendation to the City Council, which likely will review the estimated $8.5 million project in December.
Plans call for adding 364 parking spaces, new trees, walkways and directional signs.
“It’s obvious to me the Auto Mall needs a face-lift,” Commissioner Mark Lunn said. “I think the plan is outstanding.”
The sign was a different matter. Commissioners split 3-2, with Al Adam and Tina Grumney opposed.
“This sign doesn’t comply with our sign ordinance,” Adam said. “The Auto Mall is great for the city however, as far as the sign goes we have to take a step back.”
The proposed sign was incorporated into the project to replace an existing sign approved in 1993, which dealers described as outdated.
The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall Dealers Association has partnered with the city on the project that will be constructed in phases if it is approved by the City Council.
The city has budgeted $2 million in redevelopment money for the project. The rest will be covered by the auto dealers association, which will tax themselves through the creation of a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District.
For years, auto dealers at the mall that sits along northbound Highway 101 have looked for ways to improve the tight parking situation.
A consultant hired by the auto dealers proposed widening the streets at the mall to add 364 angled parking spaces to the existing 600 street spaces.
The proposed sign is about 42 percent larger than the existing one and would be made of natural stone and earth tones. It would show images for up to eight seconds at a time.
A citizens committee, which was set up by the City Council to provide input on the project, approved the sign.
Committee co-chair Judy Lazar, a former councilwoman, said the panel looked at about 20 variations of the sign.
“None of us want one of those big, overbearing signs to represent who we are,” said Susan Muratta, vice president of Silver Star Automotive Group and head of the auto dealer association. “We want to attract customers to the Auto Mall in an intelligent, sophisticated way.”
But a number of residents at Monday night’s meeting complained the sign was too big, potentially dangerous and could set a precedent.
“The concern is not of aesthetics but the safety aspect,” Kenneth Marks said. “It’s really out of character.”
He urged commissioners to not recommend approving the sign, or wait for the release of a federal study on freeway signs and driver safety. Commissioners did agree to recommend the council consider the study that will be published by the Federal Highway Administration.
“The sign will cheapen us,” Carolyn Guillot said. “It will cheapen our appearance.”
Debbie Gregory described the sign as scenic blight.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/09/auto-mall-upgrade-approved-by-to-planning/#ixzz1Dj44cgX6
- vcstar.com
comms to above story anyonecansee writes:
ReplyDeleteAuto dealers in the city, who have been working with the city on plans to improve the Auto Mall, contributed a total of $2,160 to Fox’s campaign. Fox said that he knew discussions were going on but that he would not get information on the project until it goes to City Council.
“I’ve been fortunate to get contributions from the Auto Mall since I first ran for office,” Fox said. “I cannot take contributions from every business in town, so singling out the Auto Mall any different from another business, to me just doesn’t make any sense. I do not take money from developers.”
Fox said the city’s campaign contribution limit of $360 per donor combined with the fact he does not take money from developers “puts a good firewall for the voters to see that I am not beholden to any single special interest.”
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/1...
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November 9, 2010
2:24 p.m.
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nickeq writes:
What was forgotten is that Mello Roos saves them TAXES which in the end have to be made for by RESIDENTS
It was shameful that Lunn/Fisher tried an end game of saying yes but adding conditions known as "Having your cake and eating it too"
It does to Council on Dec 14th UNLESS things change?
The motion by Daaryl was horrible and should NO regard for citizens!!
November 9, 2010
9:15 p.m.
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Whattheheck writes:
in response to anyonecansee:
Auto dealers in the city, who have been working with the city on plans to improve the Auto Mall, contributed a total of $2,160 to Fox’s campaign. Fox said that he knew discussions were going on but that he would not get information on the project until it goes to City Council.
“I’ve been fortunate to get contributions from the Auto Mall since I first ran for office,” Fox said. “I cannot take contributions from every business in town, so singling out the Auto Mall any different from another business, to me just doesn’t make any sense. I do not take money from developers.”
Fox said the city’s campaign contribution limit of $360 per donor combined with the fact he does not take money from developers “puts a good firewall for the voters to see that I am not beholden to any single special interest.”
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/1...
- vcstar.com
Considering that Thousand Oaks is built out it is no surprise that Fox isn't taking developers' money - they're probably not offering any.
And it's interesting that a person on the advisory committee is rumored to be collecting lifelong health insurance benefits courtesy of the city. Of course that blacked out document Gillette presented on the insurance issue kept such personal information confidential… ah, the power of redact!
November 10, 2010
4:43 a.m.
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midst23109 (Inactive) writes:
"A consultant hired by the auto dealers proposed widening the streets at the mall to add 364 angled parking spaces to the existing 600 street spaces."
Angled parking! TO's answer to everything!
November 10, 2010
4:52 a.m.
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justpassingthru writes:
LOOK!! the double dipping elected county clerk, MARK LUNN, is still on the T.O. planning commission...he is a triple dipper:
$155,000 CHP pension
$200,000 county clerk compensation
T.O. planning commission compensation
This is an outrage!! Kick him off the commission!
He is suppose to be counting ballots and he is at this meeting.....!!
Why is Mark at the council meeting and not doing his elected job of county ballots??
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/09/auto-mall-upgrade-approved-by-to-planning/#ixzz1Dj4PHfVD
- vcstar.com
star nov 12th 2010 There are many reasons why the 35 foot-high auto mall sign with a “reader board” should not be put up. It is part of a costly project that city tax dollars will support. It will “uglify” our beautiful, quiet, suburban family friendly bedroom community. It will not facilitate more people to spend more money they don’t have on new vehicles.
ReplyDeleteThe vice president of Silver Star Automotive Group and head of the auto dealers’ association stated, “None of us want those big overbearing signs to represent who we are.” What is of more importance is that the city of Los Angeles is trying to get rid of large “reader board” signs that distract drivers. Do we need more accidents at the Hampshire off-ramp?
- Kenneth Baum,
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/12/to-auto-mall-sign-danger/#ixzz1Dj4hcuec
- vcstar.com November 12, 2010
10:18 a.m.
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nickeq writes:
well said Now write to council "DENNIS GILLETTE" or come to Dec 14th hearing
Did u see the irony that she does not think that big signs are appropriate but thinks this monstrosity is not that!
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/12/to-auto-mall-sign-danger/#ixzz1Dj5ELHpe
- vcstar.com
star Nov 15th 2010 Auto sales up 5%
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) - A surge in auto purchases helped lift retail sales in October by the largest amount in seven months. But excluding autos, retail sales rose more modestly.
October marked the fourth straight increase in retail sales after declines in May and June. Those drops had raised fears about the economic recovery. Still, economists say consumers probably aren't spending enough to lift sales growth above the lackluster pace of the past six months.
Consumers are still struggling with scant income gains, high debts and painfully high unemployment, which remains stuck at 9.6 percent even though the recession ended more than a year ago.
Paul Dales, U.S. economist at Capital Economics, interpreted October's retail sales as a sign that consumption growth is improving. He cautioned that spending remains too tepid to drive economic growth higher in the current quarter. Consumer spending is closely watched because it accounts for 70 percent of U.S. economic activity.
Overall retail sales rose 1.2 percent in October, the Commerce Department said Monday. That was nearly double the gain that had been expected and the largest increase since March. But excluding autos, sales rose 0.4 percent.
In a second report, the government said inventories held by businesses grew 0.9 percent in September. It was the ninth straight monthly gain. And total business sales rose 0.5 percent, the best showing since July.
Steadily higher inventories and sales are seen as signs that the economic recovery will continue. Inventory rebuilding has provided support for the economy.
For October, sales at auto dealerships rose 5 percent. That gain had been expected because of reports from automakers that October auto sales rose to an annual rate of 12.3 million units. That increase was the best monthly showing since the government's Cash for Clunkers program sent sales surging in August 2009.
Outside of autos, sales at general merchandise stores, a category that includes department stores and big chains such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., rose 0.2 percent in October after a slight 0.1 percent rise in September. Sales at specialty clothing stores fared better: They rose 0.7 percent after having fallen 0.4 percent in September.
The nation's big retailers had reported lackluster sales in October. Analysts ascribed some of the blame to an unusually warm October that lured shoppers to other activities and away from the malls. The International Council of Shopping Centers said its index of sales turned in its poorest showing in October since last April.
Sales at hardware stores increased a solid 1.9 percent in October. Sales at gasoline stations rose 0.8 percent, an increase that partly reflected higher prices at the pump. Sales at furniture stores and electronics stores both posted 0.7 percent drops.
Lowe's Cos. on Monday reported that its third-quarter profit rose 19 percent but said shoppers remained guarded in their spending. CEO Robert Niblock said uncertainty about the housing and job markets is pressuring the home-improvement industry.
Still, some analysts noted that unlike low- and moderate-income Americans, many higher-income consumers are spending freely. Upscale department store chain Nordstrom Inc., for instance, on Monday reported a 43 percent rise in third-quarter net income and raised its earnings outlook.
"The wealthy are back and willing to spend conspicuously, while the majority of households continue to stick to necessities and shop for deals," Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial, wrote in a research note.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/15/october-retail-sales-post-best-showing-02/#ixzz1Dj5YGudt
- vcstar.com
star ltr nov 27th 2010 The proposed Thousand Oaks Auto Dealers Freeway Monument sign design is an example of lazy design work. I would hope the City Council would send this design back to the drawing board and maybe consider brushed aluminium and redwood paneling (think Apple store meets high-image sustainable corporate headquarters) with non-exposed LED lighting on dealer storefront facades; and freestanding 3D lettering for the freeway monument sign. This design would create a modern image that blends well with the woodsy heritage of Thousand Oaks.
ReplyDeleteThe proposed sign appears out of scale and context with the surrounding area. I've always been particularly pleased by the transition for northbound drivers to the Conejo Valley as they pass the former GTE (current Baxter) building, which is so well contoured into a hillside. The proposed sign would be an opportunity lost to create a true sense of uniqueness and a visual break from the San Fernando Valley for those arriving from Los Angeles to Thousand Oaks.
Omar Masry,
Thousand Oaks
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/29/proposed-to-auto-mall-sign/#ixzz1Dj5ynESi
- vcstar.com
dec 1st 2010 star In last month’s Thousand Oak’s City Council election, 70 percent of the vote went to Claudia Bill-de la Pena and the 10 challengers. Because of vote dilution, incumbents Andy Fox and Dennis Gillette squeaked out victories. So it’s business as usual again at City Hall with corruption, favoritism, and the good ol’ boys club.
The latest snooker is the upcoming taxpayer giveaway to the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall dealers and its chief beggar, Susan Muratta. Let me explain.
There is a well-known parking problem at the auto mall that needs fixing along with landscaping improvements. The $8 million plan also includes a three-story TV-screen sign on Highway 101. These cheapskate car dealers want you and I to chip in to the tune of $2 million.
Does the auto mall need public assistance? Is the auto mall more important than other suffering businesses and even our own residents? The obvious answer is no, but in Thousand Oaks it only matters who you know. With friends like Andy Fox, who’s eager to hand out public money to his campaign contributors, the auto mall just has to ask for it under the guise that it’s a joint project benefiting everyone.
The council should approve the parking and landscaping improvements plan but only at the auto mall’s own expense. There are more worthwhile uses for our hard-earned tax dollars than rewarding used car salesmen. The council should also deny the monster sign. There is no reason whatsoever to reject our city founders’ fight against sign blight. The public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m., Dec. 14, at City Hall. If we don’t attend the meeting, write letters or emails, then we’ll have no right to complain later.
- John Fonti,
Thousand Oaks
dec 3rd 2010
ReplyDeleteRead more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/01/auto-mall-improvements/#ixzz1Dj6JbKn2
- vcstar.com
dec 3rd 2010 Those of a certain age who grew up in this area may have forgotten how the Highway 101 corridor was once known as “Billboard Alley.” During the '60s, numerous signs hawking cigarettes, hamburgers and housing developments lined the roadway. Then, Thousand Oaks leaders said, enough. Billboard owners were notified that they needed to remove their signs and comply with new standards. Most did. Crews were sent to dismantle the few that remained.
Thousand Oaks grew in the '70s and '80s, but its strict sign standards maintained its uncluttered look. In 1993, the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall proposed a 28-foot high electronic message board sign, saying that it was needed to compete with dealers in Oxnard and Ventura. Then-council member Judy Lazar championed a lower sign, saying, "We can stand out by being different rather than being the same with an electronic reader board."
Fast forward to today. The T.O. Auto Mall is back with an even bigger proposal, a 35-foot-high, 40-foot-wide sign with a 12-foot by 25-foot color LED reader board. Lazar, who was voted out of office in 1998, heads the committee recommending the massive sign. The City Council shouldn't approve it.
It's ironic that a state-of-the-art digital sign will turn back the clock to those days when billboards competed for drivers' attention, and the town looked ticky-tacky. The Internet makes car-shopping different than it was 17 years ago, so the sign's true purpose is to sell ad space. It's worth noting that Los Angeles has banned new digital billboards, but cannot stop the conversion of existing signs.
Look at the bright side, sleepless residents of Westlake Village can count ads instead of sheep. Six ads a minute, 1,440 minutes of every day.
- Nora Aidukas
Thousand Oaks
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/03/to-auto-mall-sign/#ixzz1Dj6jGaTx
- vcstar.com
dec 13th 2010 A controversial highway sign has been pulled from a proposed Thousand Oaks Auto Mall improvement project that is going before the City Council on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteThe Auto Mall Dealers Association decided to remove the 35-foot-tall sign from the proposal Friday to give the public more opportunity to comment on it, association president Susan Murata said Monday.
“There are so many questions out there from the public,” Murata said. “We care about that and we have been listening. We want to take that portion of it back to the public and get some more input.”
Murata said she had a lengthy discussion on the sign issue with Mayor Andy Fox, who noted the public’s concern. Fox could not immediately be reached for comment.
The sign, which would be made of natural stone and earth tones and feature a reader board that would show images for up to eight seconds at a time, is expected go before the council at a later date. The auto mall fronts Highway 101, where thousands of motorists pass daily.
Several weeks ago, scaffolding went up next to an existing sign to illustrate the proposed size difference — 42 percent larger — in response to a growing number of community complaints about the idea.
With the sign off the table for the time being, the City Council on Tuesday will focus on a street-widening plan to accommodate angled parking on both sides of the street, adding 364 parking spaces to the existing 600. The project also calls for a uniform landscaping plan for the area along the auto mall with meandering sidewalks and benches. Signs pointing motorists in the direction of different dealerships also are part of the plan.
“The project is a lot more than just the sign,” Murata said. “We need the additional parking, too. So we want the process to keep moving forward.”
Auto Mall dealers have considered various means of alleviating the parking crunch surrounding the mall for years. A consultant they hired suggested widening the streets and putting in the angled parking.
The project will cost about $8.5 million. In 2007, the City Council voted to earmark $2 million in redevelopment money for the parking portion of the project and the funds have been carried over in subsequent budgets. The association will pay the bulk of the costs by taxing themselves through the creation of a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District.
Last month, the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend the expanded parking and landscaping proposal to the City Council. The commission split on the subject of the proposed sign. While three members recommended it be approved, Chair Tina Grumney and Commissioner Al Adam cast dissenting votes.
“I felt the sign was a departure from the traditional signage we’ve had in the past,” Grumney said, adding that she felt it was more of a policy decision for the council to tackle. “I felt what it was doing was marketing a product.”
The sign, which is about 42 percent larger than the existing one, was borne out of a citizen’s ad hoc committee organized at the direction of the council to work with the association and city on the auto mall project. Committee members reviewed multiple versions of the sign before signing off on the one that was to go before the council.
The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. in the Forum Theatre at the Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. For more information, visit http://www.toaks.org.
© 2010 Ventura County Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/13/to-auto-dealers-pursue-improvements-but-hold-off/#ixzz1Dj8mQLWI
- vcstar.com
5rar writes: comms above story
ReplyDelete" ... Grumney said, adding that she felt it was more of a policy decision for the council to tackle. “I felt what it was doing was marketing a product.”
Perhaps I am missing something but is that not the purpose of ALL billboards, even the political ones are "marketing a product."
December 13, 2010
3:11 p.m.
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anyonecansee writes:
Billboards aren't allowed in Thousand Oaks.
December 13, 2010
3:18 p.m.
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TheTallOne writes:
Yeah just what we need another Go SEE CAL type of gawdy sign.The original sign is plenty big enough. We all know its a friggen auto mall! The light polution at night will be tremendous. I would hate to live near that lighted sign at night.
December 13, 2010
3:31 p.m.
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ssminnow writes:
Thousand Oaks: The New Oxnard.
December 13, 2010
3:40 p.m.
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MicheleinCA writes:
And, yet, the iron curtain remains hanging on the Civic Center...
December 13, 2010
4:15 p.m.
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5rar writes:
in response to anyonecansee:
Billboards aren't allowed in Thousand Oaks.
Okay, but my point is still the same, just replace "billboard" with "sign."
What is non sensensical to me is that she was complaining not of a "sign" but that it was "marketing a product." That is the purpose of the sign, is it not? Even if the "product" was a service, a dealership, a wiget, whatever.
There may be many valid reasons for objecting to the sign but because it is "marketing a product" does not make sense to me nor would it be a persuasive argument if presented to me.
December 13, 2010
4:34 p.m.
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anyonecansee writes:
5rar - Thousand Oaks doesn't have billboards. A sign is not a billboard. There's a difference.
December 13, 2010
5:13 p.m.
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Lets_Be_Truthful writes:
in response to ssminnow:
Thousand Oaks: The New Oxnard.
Not even close. In the Oaks, the cops get to beat the lil gangbangers without reprisal which is the way it should be. Keep em honest and out of the Oaks. Now in the Ox, they run the city so not much you can do other than level the place and start over.
December 13, 2010
5:19 p.m.
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rshackleford writes:
Long gone are the good ol' days where everything had to be within a certain height limit. Buildings, billboards (signs...whatever) had to be limited in height. These days, the only thing that is limited is how much money it will take to grease city council...case in point, the mega dealership that was recently built in Westlake now obstructs the views of the hills behind Hillcrest.
I lived in Agoura back in the 90s and it's embarrassing to see what it has become. Westlake will soon be the same way. I'm curious...who votes for these council members that are pro-urban blight (like Agoura)?
December 13, 2010
5:47 p.m.
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jimmyd2 writes:
in response to 5rar:
Okay, but my point is still the same, just replace "billboard" with "sign."
What is non sensensical to me is that she was complaining not of a "sign" but that it was "marketing a product." That is the purpose of the sign, is it not? Even if the "product" was a service, a dealership, a wiget, whatever.
There may be many valid reasons for objecting to the sign but because it is "marketing a product" does not make sense to me nor would it be a persuasive argument if presented to me.
December 13, 2010 comments contd.
ReplyDelete7:30 p.m.
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AAA writes:
the city wants the tax money the auto business generates...but they have no idea where money comes from....they think it comes from taxes
December 13, 2010
9:11 p.m.
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liberty writes:
in response to rshackleford:
Long gone are the good ol' days where everything had to be within a certain height limit. Buildings, billboards (signs...whatever) had to be limited in height. These days, the only thing that is limited is how much money it will take to grease city council...case in point, the mega dealership that was recently built in Westlake now obstructs the views of the hills behind Hillcrest.
I lived in Agoura back in the 90s and it's embarrassing to see what it has become. Westlake will soon be the same way. I'm curious...who votes for these council members that are pro-urban blight (like Agoura)?
There were billboards in Agoura in the 70's.
December 13, 2010
9:37 p.m.
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Der_Bubi writes:
I have driven by the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall while on the 101 Freeway about 10 times in the last week.Every time the sign had the wrong time and temperature. And it is way too large and the colors are not very attractive either!
December 13, 2010
11:22 p.m.
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I_am_just_saying writes:
What's wrong with advertising a collection of car businesses? There are so many people in society that hate business earning a living. Yet, they expect the government to subsidize the slackers in society.
December 14, 2010
7:51 a.m.
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catmando writes:
Why do you need a sign, it so blatantly obvious. you can't miss seeing the car dealerships.
December 14, 2010
11:39 a.m.
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ShowStop writes:
12:00pm
84° F
December 14, 2010
12:50 p.m.
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porchlight writes:
Der Bubi - are you serious? Maybe you are being sarcastic and I missed it, but can you not see that it always says the same (therefore 'wrong') time and temp because it is a sample plastic cloth banner of what the sign would look like when installed and operational?
December 14, 2010
4:28 p.m.
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FUWS writes:
Parking "yes". Larger sign "no". New sign same size "maybe".
December 14, 2010
4:57 p.m.
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kommonsense writes:
Good! They put up that structure outline and it was HUGE! We all know there is an automall there, we can see it from the freeway. A bigger sign in useless. I agree - more parking.
December 15, 2010
8:29 a.m.
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wynegum writes:
How many of you live on the freeway? Yet you reap the rewards of the income the dollars the City takes in from the Dealerships. It's a sign, so what? People are complaining about light pollution, etc. Until your home is on the 101, you really have nothing to complain about. You live in a great manicured City with awesome programs. Where do you think some of the money for these services comes from?
December 15, 2010
1:40 p.m.
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cherchez_la_femme writes:
in response to kommonsense:
Good! They put up that structure outline and it was HUGE! We all know there is an automall there, we can see it from the freeway. A bigger sign in useless. I agree - more parking.
that thing is GINORMOUS!
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/13/to-auto-dealers-pursue-improvements-but-hold-off/#ixzz1Dj9jdxPf
- vcstar.com
star dec 15th 2010 A solution to relieve a parking headache on streets surrounding the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall cleared a final hurdle Tuesday as did plans to spruce up the area that has been described as “dated and tired.”
ReplyDeleteThe Thousand Oaks City Council unanimously approved a $8.6 million renovation that includes widening the streets around the 25 dealerships adjacent to Highway 101, which would create 364 more parking spaces. Currently, there are about 600 street spaces that often are snapped up by the 1,100 employees of the various auto dealers.
A landscaping plan that calls for the use of several types of trees to create a uniform look for the auto mall, which was formed south of Thousand Oaks Boulevard in the 1960s. Liquidamber, Chinese pistache and crepe myrtle trees will be used throughout the auto mall area, which also will feature meandering walkways and benches.
Motorists on the hunt for particular dealerships will be aided by signs pointing the way to different auto lots.
“There’s just not enough parking out there,” said Jay Spurgin, the city’s engineer and deputy director of Public Works. “The landscaping is dated and tired and in need of updating. Even with the downturn if you go out there today, last year, two years ago, it’s hard to find a parking space.”
The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall Dealers Association has worked for years to find solutions to the parking problem. A consultant recommended widening the streets and creating angled parking.
The City Council has earmarked $2 million in redevelopment funds for the parking portion of the project. The association will cover the rest of the $6.6 million with a self-imposed tax through the creation of a Mello-Roos Facilities District.
“I believe we are all trying to work our way up and out of the economic downturn,” Jack Kemp, of Kemp Ford, told the City Council. “The improvements at the auto mall are important for the growth of our businesses and our ability to compete.”
One controversial component of the project, a 35-foot-tall sign to replace the existing sign on Highway 101, was pulled from the agenda by the auto dealers last week.
The current sign, which shows the time and the temperature, will be removed as part of the street-widening project. The proposed sign, which would be about 42 percent larger and was approved by a citizens ad hoc committee, will be the subject of several community meetings following an outcry of opposition from some residents. The issue likely will go before the City Council in late February.
Despite its removal from the agenda, a number of residents turned out to speak against it. Richard Odom of Thousand Oaks said the sign would be garish and he would take his business elsewhere if it went up.
Debbie Gregory said the auto mall needs a face-lift but the “the sign is vulgar.”
George Webb, who works at the auto mall, said he was able to find a job at one dealership after being laid off from another. He said the proposed sign and improvements affects workers.
“If we do this right, we can keep jobs and grow jobs,” he said.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/15/thousand-oaks-approves-86-million-renovation-for/#ixzz1DjCV9pyv
- vcstar.com
Re: your Dec. 16 article, “T.O. approves auto mall renovation”:
ReplyDeleteIn these days of hard-boiled politics, it is unusual and refreshing for a government to accede to the clear wishes of the governed, rather than arrogantly pressing its own agenda.
A case in point is the decision of the Thousand Oaks City Council to postpone a vote on whether to erect a large electronic message board on the site of the auto mall and in direct view of the adjacent Highway 101. The citizens have vocally expressed their displeasure with the plan to install an unsightly sign, using public funds, that would provide questionable economic benefits for the auto dealerships.
Admittedly the council acted only to delay the decison, not to scuttle the plan but it's a small, though hopeful, victory just the same. Let's hope the council does not have an ulterior motive for the delay, i.e. to use the extra time to mobilize a vocal opposition to counter the people's will.
- Guido (Gino) Pipia,
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/16/hopeful-victory/#ixzz1DjCyfv48
- vcstar.com dec 19th 2010 nickeq writes:
I do NOT know if you watched the hearing It was a sick joke as EVERY ONE was talking about the sign when that should NOT have been allowed by Mayor or city atty
"install an unsightly sign, using public funds,"
This is one of the reasons as they are paying $2 mill for the parking only I wrote the following to them as a committee of the citz member which has been ignored!!
==============================================
December 14, 2010
Mayor Andy Fox COPY: email Auto Mall Committee co-chairs
City of T Oaks Via Fax 805-449-2150
RE: Auto Mall Sign
It was your suggestion to expand the committee and be more transparent. I don’t think you nor the committee members want to have our work done for naught.
You need to reconvene the committee in Jan and we should have a work shop to may be then have a hearing in the Council chamber like the Rental Commission to let the community from either side speak for 5 minutes; 3 minutes if more than say 50 people want to speak. We can bring down the temperature of the community so that when a proposal is brought to council we do not have a divisive hearing.
Since Mr. Lemmo has said that there are 4-5 divisive people behind this; If you are going to ignore the committee then I am going to use our people to GATHER SIGNATURES at grocery stores etc. starting ASAP.
Mr. Gillette is talking about misleading emails; I have not seen it but I want to let you know that Mz. Murratta claimed @ the Plann Comm that Oxnard sign was 90 feet when it is 75 ft; We were not (May be at final meeting which I could not attend) told that sign had to be moved due to road widening. We were told that auto mall assoc OWNS the land where the sign is; I have been approached by some one who is LEASING the land to the assoc; Mr. Fox you sd in Dec 2009 and again tonite that sign is outdated. Well NO giant sign has popped up except the 2 that were there in 1993; They are asking us NOT to become another San Fernando Valley but an Inglewood or Monrovia as the Valley is CLEAN of these signs; Small sign Calabasas Acura; in fact the assoc has gone BACKWARDS; they used to advertize
co-operatively; They don’t and are not even chamber members! I had talked with Mz. Muratta in Feb. or so about their web site, which was supposed to be up soon; NONE yet.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/16/hopeful-victory/#ixzz1DjD9xnUb
- vcstar.com
nickeq writes:
ReplyDeletecontd due to size limitations
There is basically Silver Star AND 7 dealers!!
The other two issues are that the additional 300+ parking spaces are a BANDAID & I can guaranty you when the economy turns around they will be back; right now we have Courtesy Chev. vacant and former Westoaks UNDER UTILIZED. One or 2 parking structures need to be built which could ALSO be used for vehicle storage! More RDA money needs to be spent!
The other point which was ignored is that Courtesy went out almost 2 yrs ago and Silver Star has RE-OPENED it at a much smaller Saturn location.
We need to look at allowing OTHER RETAIL uses so that other DOORS are opened NOW and we can have PRODUCTIVE use of the properties ASAP. I think you know about what has happened to the Ventura Mall. Here is a link http://www.vcstar.com/search/?q=ventu...
I think there are no hard feelings and I think we can come together in the committee and use this time as a learning tool. I hope that my suggestions will be given careful consideration by you, council, dealers and staff.
HAPPY Holidays
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/16/hopeful-victory/#ixzz1DjDI7ddZ
- vcstar.com dec 19th 2010
=============================================
EDITORIAL Star The association representing car dealers at the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall acted wisely this month by delaying its request for city approval of an electronic billboard alongside Highway 101.
By postponing the sign issue, the association made it possible for the Thousand Oaks City Council on Tuesday to unanimously approve the rest of the planned $8.6 million renovation of the aging auto center.
The proposed renovation is significant for a number of reasons. The auto mall is a major economic engine for the region, providing more than 1,000 jobs at more than two dozen dealerships. Even during this bad economy, the dealerships generate a hefty portion of the city’s sales tax revenue.
Thus it was beneficial that the city’s Planning Commission and City Council, in separate actions a month apart, both unanimously approved the auto mall’s plans for wider streets, more parking, new landscaping and other overdue improvements that will help attract car buyers and aid the dealerships and their employees, too.
The Planning Commission, however, was deeply divided over the proposed 35-foot-tall advertising sign, which officials say would be approximately 42 percent larger than the existing monument-style sign near the freeway.
To many in the community, more troubling than the size of the proposed sign is its electronic display panel that would attempt to entice passing drivers with ever-changing images of the auto dealers’ products and services. That’s a throwback to the roadside clutter which Thousand Oaks’ founders said they wanted no part of.
Safety questions also arise. One issue is whether an animated electronic display board would needlessly distract drivers along this heavily traveled stretch of Highway 101, where top freeway speeds are the norm even as cars merge in from Westlake Boulevard and others jockey for position approaching the Highway 23 interchange and the Rancho Road and Hampshire Road exits.
The city’s decision makers must carefully weigh these and other factors, and that process requires some additional time and public comment.
And there’s another nagging question about the alleged need for a big sign.
What’s the point of the auto mall’s freeway-frontage location if not the priceless visibility it already enjoys as millions of potential customers drive past it? Those rows upon rows of shiny new models are an eye-catching, powerful enticement in themselves.
Editorial: T.O. auto mall sees a caution sign
Posted December 16, 2010 at 6:17 p.m.
contd.
ReplyDeleteRead more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/16/to-auto-mall-sees-a-caution-sign/#ixzz1DjDmKuIA
- vcstar.com December 17, 2010
10:45 a.m.
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1OOOaksLover writes:
I can't find anything objectionable with this editorial. Right on. The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall should spend their marketing dollars building business in Thousand Oaks. A quick look at license plate frames around town will show how many local buyers are going elsewhere to buy their cars. Today car buying is all about price. How about using the electronic sign funds to market locally and offer residents a $500 discount? That would incentivize buyers and perhaps convert them to maintenance customers and keep T.O. dollars in T.O.
Billy Martin, former City Council candidate
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/16/to-auto-mall-sees-a-caution-sign/#ixzz1DjDukOKB
- vcstar.com
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/16/to-auto-mall-sees-a-caution-sign/#ixzz1DjDfbsFx
- vcstar.com
Meeting about Auto Mall sign planned
ReplyDeleteTHOUSAND OAKS — A community meeting to discuss a proposed freeway sign for the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall will be hosted by the Auto Mall Association, with assistance by Thousand Oaks city staff, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Los Robles Golf Course Banquet Center.
The public forum is designed to provide project information, solicit feedback, answer questions and hear community suggestions.
The association has worked with the city to improve the appearance and accessibility of the Auto Mall in recent years.
In December the council approved the project except for the freeway sign, which the Auto Mall Association had pulled before council consideration in order to seek additional community input. The item is tentatively scheduled to go before the council Feb. 22. A second community meeting will be held in early February to follow up on input from the January forum.
The Los Robles Golf course is at 299 S. Moorpark Road.
More information about the Auto Mall sign can be found at http://www.toaks.org/automall.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/09/in-brief/#ixzz1DjET3G5i
- vcstar.com
Jan 10th 2010 The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall dealers are again proposing a monster-sized electronic billboard along Highway 101. So, what else is new? Back in 1993, they proposed the same garish Las Vegas-style sign.
In 1993, the Planning Commission and the City Council rejected the bright lighted sign as being out of character with our fair city but allowed the smaller sign you see today.
So, why are the auto dealers trying again? What’s the difference between 1993 and today? One thing. There is a different City Council majority that is more receptive to ruining our scenic highway to help its campaign contributors. Andy Fox, Dennis Gillette, Jacqui Irwin and Tom Glancy all have received thousands in campaign contributions from the auto dealers.
History has proved that the proposed monster electronic billboard is unnecessary for auto-mall success. Like typical car salesmen they are trying to squeeze out every last buck of profit. The sign will give them a cheaper way to advertise than the newspapers. It will be at all our expense.
Please tell the council not to cheapen our fair city and scenic highway. We are not Las Vegas. The current sign size of 20 feet is ok, but the lighted billboard is not. Email city@toaks.org, CityClerk@toaks.org, or both to ensure receipt. Also, be on the lookout for the upcoming council meeting when the sign will be deliberated.
However, with these council members I suspect they’ll try to sneak it through in the middle of the night with minimal notice. They know the public doesn’t support it.
With sufficient public outcry maybe the council can be shamed into letting the 1993 council decision stand.
- John Fonti,
Thousand Oaks
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/10/proposed-to-auto-mall-sign/#ixzz1DjEfSFhh
- vcstar.com
comms on ltr Fonti January 10, 2011
ReplyDelete12:39 p.m.
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nickeq writes:
Well it may NOT be that UGLY They have FIRED the committee I think we could have been a good moderator They will hold may be 2 outreach meetings per staff " Explain NEED for a new sign" How disgraceful that staff are the new Car salesmen!!
I also do NOT agree that the car dealers have given TOO MUCH $$$ The campaign ordin. was enacted because in 90s they gave $10K a pop They are just ANOTHER special interest like the Do It Center and friends who give to Claudia /Parts et al!!
Stay vigilant friends!!
January 10, 2011
5:44 p.m.
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wowza writes:
nickeq - I don't think you understand how many managers and employees - and their spouses - have given in aggregate. Any one can give money, but when you have dozens or more backing a candidate, the campaign ordinance means next to nothing.
It doesn't help that you seem to be pathological against Claudia Bill De La Pena - she is the only one who is independent of these dealers.
January 10, 2011
9:06 p.m.
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nickeq writes:
Hiding behind Wowza? I have looked and studied ALL contributions to all TOCC candidates since 1992
I stand by my comments and you very conveniently do NOT answer that Claudia & company got lots $$ from Mr. Ruff?? & other chickens who are scared of competition. In fact may be that BAAAD decision about Home Depot will be reversed Tues on a 5-0??? LOL
If Claudia is such an angel why does she NOT ask to repeal the sign ordin which protects HER & the other incumbents!! Why does she NOT bring up issues and leave it to Denny to bring up council insurance issue.
In fact why is her family on the dole for health insurance especially when her hubby is a physician & she gets free insurance from work?? So much so that the Star research shows that she costs tax payers $55k yr while Denny comes in at $44k
NO INCUMBENTS please!!
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/10/proposed-to-auto-mall-sign/#ixzz1DjEuptDO
- vcstar.com
Jan 14th 2010 PA Ventura says To Thousand Oaks
ReplyDeleteIf your beautiful city permits a proposed commercial electronic-screen display at the auto mall alongside Highway 101, can Burma Shave signs and billboards be far behind?
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/14/pa-ventura-jan-15/#ixzz1DjFHIGyW
- vcstar.com At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 26, the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall Association will be hosting a community meeting at the Los Robles Golf Course Banquet Center to discuss its proposed freeway sign. I sincerely thank the Association for welcoming our input!
The last design proposal the public saw met most folks’ disapproval for being of monumental proportions compared to the existing sign and for being too flashy and garish to fit into our scenic suburban landscape.
I’m not only concerned with what the sign will do to the view of our beautiful city and the impression it will make on our visitors, but also with the consequences of our City Council authorizing this gross change to our current signage ordinances.
We’d have to know this wouldn’t stop with one special permit, despite what city officials may say now. One allowance for a large, round-the-clock-, flashing, LED sign would inevitably pave the way for similar requests from businesses along the Highway 101 corridor in the future. How about Thousand Oaks Boulevard businesses that may ask permission to erect oversize or glaring signage? How soon before our lovely city resembles the San Fernando Valley or downtown Los Angeles?
The Auto Mall has other options. It can replace the current sign, said to be in disrepair, with a similarly tasteful, low-profile sign, without an LED screen to announce what is already obvious to 101 commuters: the unmistakable presence our city’s 54-acre stretch of 25 well-marked dealerships. Along with the customer parking and landscape improvements already planned, this ought to be sufficient to further the auto mall’s success/profitability, continue the infusion of tax revenues to Thousand Oaks and, in the process, honor our community’s efforts to preserve the attractive landscape that has enchanted and drawn us to the Conejo Valley throughout the years.
-Diane Hawkins,
Newbury Park
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/18/auto-mall-proposal/#ixzz1DjFaumiq
- vcstar.com
Folks it is NOT $6 mill in Sales tax as claimed by dealers with support from staff
ReplyDeleteAlso they use the outdated 2008 yr for 1000 employees B4 the loss off WestOaks Courtesy & lay offs??
Sales tax revenue
Here is a comparison of sales taxes collected from auto dealerships for the first two quarters.
Oxnard
2007: $2,250,000.
2008: $1,874,000.
17 percent decline.
Thousand Oaks
2007: $3,574,896.
2008: $3,029,672.
15 percent decline.
Ventura
2007: $1,920,107.
2008: $1,422,160.
26 percent decline.
Simi Valley
2007: $902,800.
2008: $809,500.
10 percent decline.
The cities of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai and Santa Paula did not provide information because they either don't have a dealership or there is only one, in which case sales tax revenue is considered confidential for competitive reasons.
Sources: Cities of Oxnard, Ventura, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2008/oct/12/downturn-is-hurting-cities-car-dealerships-auto/#ixzz1DjGmPxBX
- vcstar.com
Oct 12 2008 Ventura County auto dealerships are reeling from the spillover of a nationwide economic collapse that is forcing them to consolidate or close.
ReplyDeleteBusiness has fallen off so severely that cities — the ones that rely heavily on sales taxes generated by new- and used-vehicle purchases — are bracing for reduced revenue.
A grim picture emerged last week from the auto dealerships in Thousand Oaks, said Gary Wartik, the city's economic development manager.
"I had a conversation with some of the major dealers in the auto mall, and sales were down to levels not seen in at least a dozen years," he said.
Thousand Oaks revised its sales tax projection in July, slashing it by $2.4 million, and is adjusting expenditures accordingly.
"We're hoping to be OK," said Thousand Oaks Deputy Finance Director John Adams. "We have a minimum of 25 percent in reserves, and that certainly would be enough to get us through a significant period of time with any significant downturn."
For Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai and Santa Paula, there are few, if any, dealerships pumping money into their budgets, so they won't feel the wallop of the auto industry downturn. But it will hit home in Ventura, Oxnard, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.
Oxnard and Ventura appear to be on budget because they both forecast for the drop-off.
Since January, at least five dealerships have closed countywide: Ventura Volvo; Ford of Santa Paula; Crown Kia; Bunnin of Ventura; and Schaiers Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Fillmore.
GM provided more gloom last week when its share price lost nearly half its value, plunging to the lowest level in more than 58 years. And there are reports that General Motors Corp. has held preliminary talks about a merger or an acquisition of Chrysler by GM.
Loan approvals are down
Leo Bunnin, owner of Bunnin Automotive Group and one of the county's leading auto dealers, said local dealership consolidation began during the last year.
Some dealers are closing because they just can't make it financially at a time when lease constrictions are in place and lending is tight, he said.
For the year through Sept. 20, about 52 percent of auto loan applications were approved in California, down from 89 percent for the same period last year, according to CNW Marketing Research Inc., a research firm based in Bandon, Ore.
Approvals of subprime auto loan applications in California fell dramatically during the same period, to 20 percent from more than 71 percent a year ago.
Rumors that Courtesy Chevrolet in Thousand Oaks might be closing were flatly denied by owner John McClure. At the same time, he indicated the outlook is grim.
"Everybody's struggling," he said. "Everybody's down. And we're cutting every expense we can. In the last two years we have gone from 104 employees down to 66, basically almost half."
When gas prices shot up to more than $4 this summer, McClure's dealership went into a tailspin because it was selling gas-guzzling trucks.
"The value of the SUVs and pickup trucks is absolutely terrible," McClure said.
He is working to shift his inventory from trucks to more fuel-efficient cars, even as gas mileage is now taking a back seat to more pressing challenges.
"People are losing their jobs," he said. "They're getting cuts in pay. It's more expensive to live now, and if your car is not broke, you're not going to get rid of it."
Bunnin suggested some dealers might close because the land they sit on is of such great value.
"Even with the drop in real estate prices, they still have fabulous equity and they can sell the property," he said. "And they don't have to deal with the day-to-day business problems." But the biggest reason for the closures, he believes, is that areas have been "over-dealershipped."
contd above He said auto manufacturers pushed for more and more representation, and eager entrepreneurs were taking them up on it.
ReplyDelete"The manufacturer felt the more representation, the more cars that would be sold," Bunnin said. "And indeed, you had aggressive car dealers that agreed. But as time went on, there were not enough customers to be able to have multiple locations flourish."
Still, Bunnin's outlook is optimistic because of the government's $700 billion bailout plan.
"I'd say in the 21- to 45-day range you'll start seeing some traction," he said.
Bunnin believes banks have put the brakes on extending credit, but they will ease up once they take inventory and evaluate their finances.
"The auto industry generates too much wonderful revenue for the banks," he said. "They need to be in the automotive game."
Spending less than projected
In Ventura, the city took proactive steps in preparing its 2008-09 budget and is doing fine, with spending slightly less than projected, Senior Financial Analyst Everette Garmon said.
"You can better gauge what's going on and meet adjustments before the ship falls off the edge of the earth," he said.
Ventura provided a snapshot of the decline in auto sales taxes with its first two quarterly reports this year — the city has collected $1.4 million, down 26 percent from $1.9 million for the same period in 2007. A similar pattern has emerged in Thousand Oaks, which took in 15 percent less in the first two quarters of 2008.
Thousand Oaks depends on the auto dealerships for more than $6 million in sales taxes, or about 30 percent to 33 percent of its annual revenue. That's about three times more than the sales taxes generated by The Oaks mall.
"It's no doubt going to take a bit of time for auto sales to recover," Wartik said. "We have a general feeling that it won't be perhaps until the end of 2009, and part of that, too, is not only just the vehicles themselves, but the issue of credit availability and increases in job layoffs."
Events called 'perfect storm'
John Masterson, a former car dealer and editor of the Western Automotive Consultants Report in Ventura, described what's happening as the "perfect storm."
Masterson said available wholesale credit is lacking, financing is strained by additional requirements, vehicle leasing programs are being canceled, and business costs are rising.
If industry analysts are correct and things don't improve until 2010, he said, "there will be a dramatic reshuffling of how cars and trucks are retailed to the public."
U.S. auto sales are down 13 percent through September compared with the same period of 2007, and J.D. Power and Associates, a market research company in Westlake Village, this week reduced its sales projections. It now expects U.S. new-vehicle sales to total 13.6 million this year and 13.2 million in 2009, down from 16.1 million units in 2007.
While National Automobile Dealers Association chief economist Paul Taylor is projecting "a little more strength in the second half of the year," NADA Chairwoman Annette Sykora is projecting a loss of up to 700 dealerships nationwide this year.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2008/oct/12/downturn-is-hurting-cities-car-dealerships-auto/#ixzz1DjHltoiW
- vcstar.com
comms to stories October 12, 2008
ReplyDelete10:11 p.m.
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StayInSchool writes:
Check blue book (trade in) value if you plan on trading your current vehicle in. They dealers will get you there also. One dealer wanted to give me 2k trade in on my 2004 Sebring, 80k mi, in good condition. Blue book was 4k trade in, 8k retail. They were going to make 6k of my trade in. After I mentioned I knew the blue book, they upped it to 3k. I left.
October 13, 2008
11 a.m.
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VCNative writes:
butchwax,
Car dealers, especially used ones ARE sleaze. Everytime I've bought a new/used car (5 so far) from one of these jokers I was lied to, ripped off and the insulated. I've had dealers promise me a price and when I show up the next day they say it's no longer good (even though I was paying cash), try and tell me my trade-in car is only worth 1/2 the kelly blue book price (and then phone me 2 weeks after to offer me a better deal), lie about my credit score and then try and sell me a high APR loan (saying I'm a credit risk even though my FICO was 760), promise to through in options and then reneg after the sale. Give me a break. Your guys reputation speaks for itself. The reason so many people don't trust you is becuase of your history of ripping people off, BIGTIME. I know old ladies who went to the dealership to buy a car and come home with overpriced options they didn't need, financing that was overpriced and tacked on fees everywhere. I've even had sales people BRAG to me how much they rip off naive customers. The reason for this is pure and simple greed, because every overprice option/financing/fees they can tack on a car is more bonus money for them. Hmmm.... sounds like another industry I know of...HOUSING! I usually don't generalize but I know of very few people who have high regards to car sales people.
October 13, 2008
11:24 a.m.
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vcsexplorer11 writes:
butchwax,
"Most of them are honest"
I don't know what planet your from but when the salesman leaves the room to "talk to the manager" that is when honesty walks out the door with them. It's all a game.
October 13, 2008
2:44 p.m.
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Prodigy writes:
I agree with butchwax. I think people have this hate for dealers because of lack of knowledge. The general public is so quick to go on the defensive about anything they know little about. Instead of going in and buying into the haggle game, go online and do your homework. Find out what a reasonable price is for the car you want and walk in with that in hand.
Now keep in mind it's hard to negotiate if you don't have a position to do so. Have your finances in order before you head to the dealership. Negotiate on the price before you show your cards, as far as they need to know you are paying cash.
It has nothing to do with "out smarting the dealer". It has to do with just being smart. A car purchase is often times the second largest purchase in a persons life. any decent person would do some homework on a buy if they thought about it that way. Remember; stupidity is not an excuse.
ReplyDeleteOctober 13, 2008
3:49 p.m.
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VCNative writes:
Its not about stupidy, its about being honest. What kind of salesperson promises you something and then when you come back they reneg. Or how they quote you one price and then in the final out-the-door price there's $800 tacked on somewhere. When you ask them to itemize the purchase they say not today. Only after I threaten to walk out did they final come around and apologized for the "mistake". Its so bad my wife refuses to deal with these jokers. No other industry is ripe with such deceit.
October 15, 2008
10:34 a.m.
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TeamG writes:
Car dealers like everyone else have to change with the times. I have purchased three cars in the last 24 months only one did I deal with a salesman and only once did I pay $200.00 above dealer cost, the others were well below, how? Internet! Wanted a Honda Civic then checked the research pages on Cars.com checked the forums. Then wrote a bid and emailed it to the sales manager of dealerships around the area. Did it work? Yes I asked $1500.00 below dealer cost and exactly the options and color I wanted. Dealers responded with come in a talk - I responded with please respond to the bid with pricing. Ventura Honda gave me the price so I headed over but it was the bait and switch didn't have the car but could up sell me (ah No). Keyes in Van Nuys did the deal. Right car at the price I made it clear before I when in that this is a fixed price and I have 60 min to complete paper work.
Dealers are using a business model from the 60 or 70's build large monuments to excess that make customers wonder - they don't build these by selling cars cheaply to customers. Too many Dealerships! does Ventura County really need 5 or six dealers of the same major brand? Car makers are driving customers to the internet to see there new models build it with the options and colors you want hit a button and get multiple quotes. Dealer ships will continue to close.
October 17, 2008
11:45 a.m.
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Legs writes:
So what I take from this is that these auto sales people are going to become the equivalent of a bartender during Prohibition.
October 17, 2008
2:05 p.m.
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Legs writes:
Say, I have an idea: these sales professionals should go into Real Estate!
...uh, I just turned the page. Never mind!
Maybe they should learn how to DO something.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2008/oct/12/downturn-is-hurting-cities-car-dealerships-auto/#ixzz1DjI9MBzI
- vcstar.com
star feb 6 2009 Courtesy Chevrolet in Thousand Oaks is closing, earning the unwanted distinction of being the first auto dealership of the year to shut down in Ventura County.
ReplyDeleteThe news should be of little surprise, considering auto sales have collapsed industrywide. Major automakers reported this week that U.S. car and truck sales fell 37 percent in January. General Motors, parent company of Chevrolet, saw its sales plunge 49 percent from January 2007.
Courtesy is the latest auto dealer to fall victim to the massive economic downturn. Five dealers in Ventura County went under last year: Ventura Volvo, Ford of Santa Paula, Crown Kia, Bunnin of Ventura and Schaiers Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Fillmore.
Courtesy, in the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall, got its license to do business 40 years ago and had about 66 employees. The owners are John McClure and Syd Hamilton.
McClure confirmed the business is closing but declined to discuss the matter further.
In October, he seemed discouraged about the economic climate, saying the business was struggling. “The value of SUVs and pickup trucks is absolutely terrible,” he said at the time.
When Courtesy closes for good at 6 p.m. Monday, Thousand Oaks will be left with 25 auto dealers.
Losing Courtesy will be a blow to the city of Thousand Oaks, which relies on the auto dealerships for its biggest source of sales tax revenue — more than $6 million a year.
“We are hopeful that another automotive operator will be willing to take on the dealership,” said Gary Wartik, the city’s economic development manager.
“It’s kind of a complicated process because in this case it will involve the approval of General Motors Corp.”
But Wartik said the city is willing to make the process “as smooth as possible” for potential buyers.
Thousand Oaks City Councilwoman Jacqui Irwin also is hopeful the space will be filled.
“Obviously, we really do rely on the auto mall for sales tax, and I really feel for the families of all the people who are going to be affected by that,” she said. “It’s really very sad.”
Courtesy’s service and parts department will be closing today, but its sales department will be open through the weekend. Warrantied and regular service will be available to former Courtesy customers at other GM franchises in the county, according to the dealership.
Courtesy Body Shop Inc., a separate company on the same property, is not closing.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/feb/06/courtesy-chevrolet-to-close-doors/#ixzz1DjIoc4cT
- vcstar.com
vcreader101 writes:
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised. My husband and I actually were going to buy a full-size SUV last month, and went to THREE dealerships: Vista Ford, Bunnin Oxnard, and Courtesy, and ALL were SO greedy with their negotiations and redicuouls with their trade in offers that we ended up at Neftin VW. We love our VW-the craftsmanship is excellent, and the price reasonable. Its no wonder these greedy American dealers are losing so much money. Notice how German and Japanese vehicles are holding their value MUCH better....
February 6, 2009
9:53 a.m.
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805reader805 writes:
That is very narrow minded. My family has been affected by this closure and as I agree foreign cars are holding their value better, there are many reasons and greed is not one of them. All the true reasons have already been stated over the last few months so there is no reason to rehash them. Even with a cut in pay a few months ago they still could not make it work. I expect many more dealerships are on the brink as well. Lets hope this gets better rather than placing the blame on greed. These are all independent little dealerships NOT GM facilities! They are all struggling!
February 6, 2009
10:55 a.m.
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hotwildflower#294468 writes:
Actually, when I was car shopping I had a similar experience with the Thousand Oaks dealerships. I ended up Runnin' to Bunnin' and had a far better experience with them.
Regardless, this is sad news whenever we read of a business closure because it ultimately means loss of jobs.
February 6, 2009
1:15 p.m.
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FIRSTCOLLISION writes:
It's sad to see such a wonderful dealership in our area close down. This dealership has been a fixture in our community for 41 years, employing top notch people. Some of them for decades. It's refreshing to know that the Courtesy Body Shop will continue on with serving our community. Our hearts are with those that will have to endeavour hardship from this economy and wish them all the best. Remember, these are our family, friends, co-workers, and need our support.
February 6, 2009
2:36 p.m.
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KARDEEL writes:
VCREADER....People like yourself is the reason the U.S. is in a recesssion because just by listening to your dumb a** comments about the local American U.S Made dealers I can see why you didn't get a real vehicle and got the advertised special..1 at this price mooch deal. You are a typical want everything for my trade and want to pay nothing for a new vehicle mooch. GOD BLESS THE U.S. You should move to Germany or Japan if you don't want to help the U.S.
February 6, 2009
3:03 p.m.
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hotwildflower#294468 writes:
There are foreign car companies that create US jobs. Doesn't Toyota have a plant in Detroit?
I mean, I buy US cars because I prefer them and would have a very hard time signing my name to any other, but heck...the people selling the foreign cars here are Americans making money too.
February 6, 2009
3:42 p.m.
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vcreader101 writes:
Thank you hotwildflower :)
I buy what is fair market value, and get the most for my dollar. I am not driving a gas-guzzling SUV. I have had the pleasure of owning four German imports, none of which have ever had any mechanical problems. I have owned two American cars (GMC & Saturn) both were pieces of junk that were in the shop constantly. I thought of going back to American for just your reason- to support our economy, but had such poor customer service with all three dealerships that I ended up back where I started-Neftin. They treated me with courtesy and respect, and didn't hose me on my new vehicle, and gave me a fair trade on my old. And no, FYI, it wasn't a one-at-this-price deal-in fact, I had to special order my vehicle and wait two days for it. Poor customer service from the local American dealerships is just the reason I will return to Neftin again for my 5th. :)
February 6, 2009
ReplyDelete5:18 p.m.
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noduh writes:
If American car companies cared more about a quality product, than ripping people off they would not be in this situation.
The simple fact is that if you build a quality product, people will buy your product.
I have purchased two new american cars, and they were the biggest waste of metal.
I will only purchase Hondas from now on.
February 6, 2009
6:42 p.m.
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hotwildflower#294468 writes:
Come on now, I own a beautiful GM and my husband has a great Ford truck and we haven't had a bit of trouble with them. Both about 4-5 years old and running strong. I only buy American but my husband bought a Toyota truck a while back and the truck felt..light and tinny.
It's all a personal choice.
February 6, 2009
8:56 p.m.
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PackFan4Life writes:
American car dealership goes down? We will never catch up to the Japanese. As long as the UAW is around we Americans will never build a superior product. GM is wishing that W could have had more time in office to help them and big oil. Good by American greed. The party is over!!!
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/feb/06/courtesy-chevrolet-to-close-doors/#ixzz1DjJ3UP3r
- vcstar.com
Feb 9th 2009 star Dealership will be missed
ReplyDeleteRe: your Feb. 6 article, “Courtesy Chevrolet to close doors”:
It has been a pleasure to live in the beautiful Conejo Valley area for more than 40 years.
During all of those years, I have been. Its closure, announced in The Star on Friday, is like a death in the family.
From the management, to the sales staff, service writers, mechanics, parts department, et al., Courtesy Chevrolet was like a home away from home. They have all been extraordinary neighbors.
I was privileged to be the personal voice of Courtesy’s radio commercials in the 1980s.
Farewell, good friends. Thank you for being a vital part of our community for all these years. We mourn Courtesy’s “passing” and wish you all well.
— Harvey Kern, Oak Park
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/feb/09/oa13monletts09/#ixzz1DjJPlLIi
- vcstar.com
star March 14 2009 Sydney B. Hamilton, well-known as the co-owner of Courtesy Chevrolet in Thousand Oaks, died of heart failure Monday at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center, according to a family spokesman. He was 81.
ReplyDeleteSon-in-law Bill Oliver said family members were gathered at Hamilton’s bedside when he died. Hamilton had a “weak heart,” Oliver said, and the recent closing of Courtesy Chevrolet because of the economic downturn was not a factor.
“Although the plight of the car business wasn’t enjoyable, Syd’s primary concern when the business slowed down was for his employees,” said Oliver. “They had depended on him, and, through no fault of his or theirs, when the business closed all were out of a job.
“Mr. Hamilton’s concern was for his people, not GM or Chevrolet. He is now and will be missed in the future. An anchor has been removed from our community, and his presence will not be easily replaced or quickly filled.”
Oliver said Hamilton was a supporter of people’s dreams, a man of integrity, and a “true Christian who loved God.”
Hamilton was born Dec. 30, 1927, in Cole Camp, Mo. He worked for Sears & Roebuck selling awnings before moving to California in 1956 to join his brother, Bob, in the Chevrolet auto business.
The family lived in San Jose for several years, working at a McClure family Chevrolet dealership before partnering with John McClure and moving to Thousand Oaks to open Courtesy Chevrolet in 1967.
Friends said Hamilton never met a stranger, traveled the world, loved his family dearly, loved his employees and loved his friends.
Harvey Kern, a local radio personality for 20 years and the voice of Courtesy Chevrolet commercials, said Hamilton was an “honest, decent person with lots of integrity.”
He said Hamilton cared so much about his customers he refused to allow the coffee vending machine in the waiting room to charge more than a quarter.
“It was probably the last quarter coffee machine,” said Kern. “Courtesy was his life. He was always concerned about his customers. Syd was always there, whether for a purchase, service or going to buy parts. It was really a family. All his kids worked there.”
Fred Raio, a fellow member of the Rotary Club of Westlake Village, was Hamilton’s business banker when he arrived in Los Angeles. Later, Raio opened a United California Bank branch in Thousand Oaks.
“I’ve known him since 1956, when he was working for Courtesy in L.A.,” said Raio. “I moved here about the same time they came down from San Jose in 1966. Syd was always very active in Rotary, very congenial, very fair and a nice individual. He was always that way.”
Oliver said his father-in-law always found ways — big and small — to help others, and that he did so without fanfare or seeking recognition.
“He wished only that his contributions reflected his faith in Jesus Christ,” said Oliver. “He was a true Christian who loved God. We will all miss him dearly.”
Hamilton is survived by daughter Karen Oliver, 55; twin sons Mark and Steve, 50; and son John, 48. His four grandchildren are Faith Beckham, John Hamilton, Leann Dewick and Logan Hamilton. Great-grandchildren are Deanna Ballough-Beckham, Shayna Beckham, Kaitlyn Dewick and Andrew Dewick.
A memorial service and reception will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Under One Roof, Senior Concerns or Rotary International.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/mar/14/sydney-b-hamilton-to-auto-dealer/#ixzz1DjKbK05j
- vcstar.com
dec acorn next week
ReplyDelete2010-12-09 / Front Page
Freeway sign remains big point of contention
VISUAL—A mock version of the proposed Thousand Oaks Auto Mall sign went up last Friday. The blue banner represents the size of the LED screen. It will stay up until Dec. 14, when the City Council meets to discuss the proposal for the 35-foot-tall sign.RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers
A plan to improve parking and landscaping at the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall is drawing a lot of attention these days. Fittingly, it’s due to a large sign.
The 35-foot-tall sign is part of a proposal to increase the economic viability of the auto dealership center—the city’s largest source of sales tax revenue—that will go before the City Council on Tuesday. The 54-acre site next to the 101 Freeway is currently home to 25 franchises and employs around 1,000 people.
Though the proposal includes several improvements— adding 364 parking spaces, updating landscaping and erecting new wayfinder signs to help drivers locate each dealership— the public’s attention has been squarely on the sign, which is 15 feet taller than the current auto mall sign built in 1993 and features a 12-by-21- foot LED screen for displaying car advertisements.
Last Friday, a steel-framed mock version of the sign, known as a story pole, was erected next to the old sign it is set to replace along the freeway. The job was done by Signature Signs Inc. of Newbury Park at the request of a City Council member who wanted the public to see a visual representation before Tuesday’s meeting, said Jay Spurgin, the city’s deputy public works director.
“It’s become evident it would be a good idea to put it up to really give City Council members and the public a real sense of what the new sign will look like in relation to the existing sign,” Spurgin said.
The auto mall sign has been the source of intense public debate since the project went before the planning commission Nov. 8. At that meeting, three out of five commissioners said they were in favor of the parking and landscaping plans but were concerned about the sign, including Commissioner Al Adam.
Adam told the Acorn this week that the proposed sign’s conceptual design, which was agreed upon by an ad hoc committee in June, is against the city’s scenic highway element and its freeway guidelines, two documents that are supposed to guide development along the 101 corridor.
“(The freeway guideline) states our freeway corridor should be distinct from surrounding communities. If we’re going to put up a big auto mall sign, that’s making us more like surrounding communities, more like the Oxnards and San Fernando Valleys of the world.”
Susan Murata, vice president of Silver Star Automotive Group and president of the Auto Mall Association, disagrees. She said the modernized sign, which she compared to the new sign in front of the Civic Arts Plaza, will help give the Thousand Oaks dealers a “competitive edge” against those to the north, south and east.
She said there’s nothing “flashy,” “glaring” or “in-yourface” about it.
“We’re not the gaudy downtown L.A. dealers. That’s not our M.O. here at all. We try to do things in a classy, customer-friendly way,” she said. “We just want a sign that’s worthy of ‘The World’s Largest Auto Mall.’”
Murata said she’s been frustrated by some of the statements made by the sign’s opponents, including those who say that the auto dealers intend to use the electronic screen to sell advertising.
“We want to use it for our advertising,” she said. “We have 10 separate owners, 25 franchises in the auto mall that need to be advertised. We don’t have time to advertise anything else. We’re paying for the sign; we want to use it for our advertising.”
Murata said another big misconception about the sign is that it’s being paid for with taxpayer money. Though the proposal calls for the city of Thousand Oaks to contribute $2 million worth of redevelopment money, that portion is for the improvements to the streets necessary to increase parking, not for the sign, she said. The total estimated cost of the parking and landscaping improvements are $8.5 million.
ReplyDeleteSpurgin said Murata’s statements are accurate: Taxpayer dollars are only going to street improvements, a common and appropriate use for redevelopment funds.
“The auto mall association will be paying for the sign; they will own and operate it,” he said.
Spurgin pointed out that since the auto dealers fall within the redevelopment zone, they’ve been paying into the redevelopment pot for years with their property taxes.
“The city’s contribution has come partly from the auto dealers themselves,” he said.
Adam said that while he’d like to help the auto mall attract more business, he has safety concerns with the sign. Along those lines, he said the City Council should take into account a federal highway study that is coming out “momentarily” regarding the impact of having electronic readerboards along the sides of freeways.
“At the planning commission meeting, that was the missing piece of the whole puzzle. I’m very curious to see what the results are of that report,” he said. “I hope that council takes that into consideration.”
Murata sign that whether or not this particular sign design is approved by the council on Tuesday, the auto mall needs a new sign
“Since we’re widening the street, where the sign is currently at it’s not in the best place, so we’ll have to move it anyway, and it’s too old to do so without being replaced,” she said.
“We have to have a new sign one way or another, I’m just praying that the City Council will see that as well.”
Avoid a return to Billboard Alley
ReplyDelete2010-12-09 / Letters
Those who are of a certain age and who grew up in this area may have forgotten how the 101 Freeway corridor used to be known as Billboard Alley.
During the 1960s, numerous outdoor advertising displays hawking cigarettes, liquor, hamburgers and housing developments lined the roadway. Then city leaders said, “Enough.”
In Thousand Oaks, billboard owners were notified that they needed to take down their signs and comply with new standards, and most did. City crews were sent out to dismantle the few strays that remained.
Thousand Oaks grew tremendously in the ’70s and ’80s, but its strict sign standards maintained the uncluttered look of the city. In 1993, the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall proposed a 28-foothigh electronic message board sign, saying that a big, flashy sign was needed to compete with dealers in Oxnard and Ventura. Then- Councilmember Judy Lazar championed a 20-foot-high sign instead, saying, “We can stand out by being different rather than being the same with an electronic reader board.”
Fast-forward to today. The auto mall is back with an even bigger proposal, a 35-foot-high, 40-foot-wide sign with a 12-by- 25-foot color LED reader board. Even though Lazar was voted out of office by the people in 1998, she heads the committee that is recommending the massive sign. The City Council shouldn’t approve it.
It’s ironic that a state-of-theart, changeable electronic variable message sign will turn back the clock to those days when billboards competed for drivers’ attention and the town looked tickytacky to passers-by.
The Internet makes car shopping completely different than it was 17 years ago, so the sign’s true purpose is to sell ad space. It’s important to note that the city of Los Angeles has banned new digital billboards but is powerless to stop the conversion of existing ones, which peddle bankruptcy attorneys, hydroponics and casinos along with Coca-Cola and McDonalds.
But look at the bright side: Sleepless residents of Westlake Village can count the ads instead of sheep. Six ads a minute, 1,440 minutes of every day, every day of the year. Nora Aidukas Thousand Oaks
Auto mall doesn’t need to be ID’d
2010-12-09 / Letters
Does the proposed new auto mall sign project meet the city’s goals of reducing our carbon footprint, of “going green” and being financially responsible? I say no.
So taxpayer money is going to help fund a large sign (used by private enterprises) that uses a lot of electricity purchased from the electric company?
Okay, I see the logic. Perhaps Ms. Perez, facilities manager, can support another boondoggle solar project for this sign like the one for the N.P. Library that’s filled with misinformation and spurious assumptions.
And is Andy Fox being hypocritical when he says he wants to go green but supports blasting all those bright lights in the new sign while I drive along the 101?
Here are some additional thoughts:
Can travelers see the auto mall right off the freeway when they drive by without the big sign?
People are price shoppers and research papers and the Internet for competitive deals and good services. My personal experiences weren’t very good when I shopped in T.O., so I bought my last two cars from Calabasas and Oxnard dealers.
Distraction for drivers? Accidents? Aesthetically not attractive? The building codes don’t seem to hold any weight if we would change the code every time the special interests want to deviate from it. When would this end?
Wasting tax dollars. It is my money. Someone has to pay for it, either the residents or buyers and for sure not the dealers.
Thousand Oaks would no longer hold a bedroom community reputation as it claimed to be. Should I say more?
I realize that the collective auto dealers contribute the largest tax revenue to the city, but so do collective homeowners.
Stop this big ugly sign and wasting my tax dollars. Do it on your own dime. Naree Sukumoljan Newbury Park
Spending on auto mall is unjustified
ReplyDelete2010-12-09 / Letters
Regarding the proposed auto mall sign and parking lot/landscape construction in Thousand Oaks off the 101 Freeway, some questions come to mind. Why has our City Council agreed to contribute $2 million of taxpayer money to the project?
Are we to believe the auto mall is justified in receiving these funds on the basis of being a large taxpayer in our city and therefore deserving of compensation?
If they are, then where’s the funding for every other company in T.O. that’s trying to overcome the recession and expand their business? Are these others just too small to contribute to City Council members’ reelection campaigns or make other attractive offerings in exchange for a generous gift?
Speaking of gifts, not only are taxpayers (individuals and businesses of every size) footing the $2-million bill, but we’re also expected to tolerate, or maybe ignore, that the City Council is strongly considering making an exception to T.O. ordinance and tradition by authorizing the building of a huge, electronic, 24-hour flashing auto mall sign in our beautiful city.
If you’re thinking, “What’s the big deal about having one eyesore in town—I’ll just look the other way,” then ask yourself how parts of Las Vegas, Los Angeles or the San Fernando Valley became bastions of bad taste.
It starts with one precedent, just one. If you moved to Thousand Oaks for its handsome and peaceful scenery and care about how your hard-earned tax dollars are being spent, best show up at the next City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Tues., Dec. 14 at city hall in the Civic Arts Plaza to tell our elected officials what kind of city you want to live in.Diane Hawkins
Property values could be affected
ReplyDelete2010-12-09 / Letters
Taste or no taste? Class or no class?
Will property values be affected by a massive auto mall TV billboard sign on the 101 Freeway?
Residents of Westlake, North Ranch, Lang Ranch and Lake Sherwood, how will the auto mall Gateway sign look to your friends and families?
If you don’t want to be like Carson, Monrovia and Oxnard, you need to attend the Dec. 14 Thousand Oaks City Council meeting to sign a statement card.
The rest of Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park will be watching to see what you people have: Taste or no taste? Class or no class? Suzanne Duckett Thousand Oaks
Voters paying for failure to change
2010-12-09 / Letters
We can only blame ourselves.
Thousand Oaks owes a heartfelt thanks to Al Adam, Deborah Birenbaum and the other candidates who tried to unseat City Council members Andy Fox and Dennis Gillette in the recent election.
Their efforts to wrest the government of Thousand Oaks from developers and return it to its residents illuminated our path. We failed to follow their lead. Please don’t give up the fight.
A visit to the San Fernando Valley reminds us why we moved to the Conejo. When we arrived three decades ago, magnificent oak trees and serene landscapes were unmarred by bright lights and excessive commercialism. The communities of Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks were a dream, hamlets, not cities, and certainly not the metropolis its residents would come to dread.
Let’s put our City Council on notice. This is not the city of Bell. Slam on the brakes. Protect the native landscape, rolling hills and majestic trees. Reignite our commitment to dreams and the passion for tranquility in the town we call home. Stamp out concrete, noise, congestion and political favoritism.
The “Good Ol’ Boys” of the City Council have defaced our semirural ambiance from natural green to fiscal green. Council members Gillette and Fox are looking the other way to sign violations, succumbing to the business demands of the corporate establishment who put them in office.
They are now poised to approve the monster auto mall sign, caving to select interests, not the people who live here. Claudia Billde la Peña is the only council member representing the residents.
In addition to the proposed giant sign, Rick Caruso’s Promenade mall erected two billboards (recently removed) in violation of city sign codes. They aren’t alone. Offensive signs are popping up throughout.
Soon Thousand Oaks will become the Valley, with flashing neon lights, traffic, noise pollution and crime.
Who’s to blame? We are. Our collective conscience must take action to remedy the problem.
Resume the fight by voicing your opinion to the City Council. Send the message to special interests and puppet politicians that Thousand Oaks is our city, not theirs. Jeffrey L. Wissot Westlake Village
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Dealers defend proposed sign
ReplyDelete2010-12-09 / Letters
It’s disturbing and quite heartbreaking to see the fabricated negative rhetoric that has been submitted recently about the proposed auto mall sign.
First of all, the sign is just one component of a wonderful master plan to revamp the landscaping and streets surrounding the auto mall. The landscaping, street layout and existing sign are severely outdated and unattractive.
There are compelling reasons the existing sign must be replaced: the time and temperature board is obsolete and it is impossible to find replacement parts to repair it. The master plan includes widening the streets, and the existing sign is not in an ideal spot and needs to be relocated.
The proposed sign is not going to be a “flashy, 45-foot tasteless” sign. At its highest point (the arch at the top) it is 35 feet, not 45 feet.
The new LED automated dimming systems can respond to the visibility needs of the public, increasing safety and conspicuity day and night and offer stunning, colorful displays.
Studies show that reader board advertising is not only safe, the Small Business Association studies show that it increases business 15 to 150 percent. It also found that it is “the best and most cost-effective form of paid advertising.”
If this sign helps to promote business at the auto mall, it is a win-win for everyone. More business means more sales tax dollars for the city and that translates into more services for the community.
The master plan will address the severely congested parking problems at the auto mall and will bring a cohesive, attractive, treelined landscaping pallet to passers-by on the 101 Freeway. The new sign will be constructed of natural earth tone stone material and will complement the new landscaping.
Please take the time to review the facts and true statistics of the entire plan before dismissing it.
It is a worthy, appropriate, sensible, well-thought-out, attractive plan that will enhance the beauty and appeal of our endearing Thousand Oaks. Susan Murata Simi Valley
Don’t degrade the city with ugly sign
ReplyDelete2010-12-09 / Letters
I’m concerned about the proposed humongous auto mall sign. Not only is it ugly, it won’t bring more business to the auto mall.
People shop for the best car deals on the Internet, not by stopping at a dealer they see from the freeway.
So why are we allowing this huge TV screen, on pillars taller than a three-story building, showing auto ads 24 hours a day, to be constructed in the gateway to our beautiful community?
My other concern is that $2 million of our tax money is going toward this project.
Sure, the city may claim it is only paying for landscaping and additional parking, but that is obviously a ploy to try to discount our complaints about our money being spent on the ugly sign. Two million is going to this project, no matter which bookkeeping column it goes into.
Everyone who drives the 101 Freeway should call the City Council at (805) 449-2121 to say don’t degrade our city with this ugly sign. Peggy Burns Newbury Park
Murata is vice president of Silver Star Automotive Group and the director of the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall Association.
Keep in mind who votes for sign
2010-12-09 / Letters
Remember the City Council representatives who favor wasting your tax dollars on the auto mall sign.
We need to know who on our City Council is voting in favor of such an eyesore and wasting the community’s tax dollars.
Any member of this council who would vote favoring such a ridiculous waste of money obviously lied to the community when they ran for election or reelection and won.
Any member of the City Council that would go against community beautification plans and limited growth, then vote in favor of wasting $2 million of our tax dollars on an auto mall sign such as this should have never been elected.
This alone should show our community citizens that they are the wrong people for the job.
Such support for issues of this nature would fall into the category of suspecting a potential underthe table payoff by special interest groups. Such items as support for the auto mall sign should be kept on record and brought up during any reelection campaign. Robert Nighthawk Vann Thousand Oaks
Sign would ruin freeway corridor
2010-12-09 / Letters
What’s going on? Thousand Oaks residents don’t let this happen: A monstrous three-story TV screen auto mall sign.
What about the letter sent by the former Thousand Oaks Mayor Lee Laxdal which said: “Through the combined implementation of our cities’ General Plan policies, and sign regulations, as well as the acquisition of open space, the 101 Freeway corridor will reflect the true image of a Scenic Highway.”
The 101 Freeway needs to be kept scenic so that our unique Santa Monica Mountains Area can become a wonderful recreational destination for tourists and fill up our hotels and restaurants.
The auto mall dealerships need to rethink this massive sign which will bring blight to our scenic highway. If this gets approved, there is no way that I will shop there for a new car. Mary E. Wiesbrock Agoura Hills
Wiesbrock is chair of Save Open Space
The proposed Thousand Oaks Auto Mall sign is dead, at least the version that prompted a bitter public outcry.
ReplyDeleteBut the plan for a presence along Highway 101 lives on.
Several sign companies have been given the challenge to come up with a highway marker for the auto mall based on "outside-of-the-box" ideas proposed by the public, said Susan Murata, who heads the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall Dealers Association.
She hopes to be able to present some concepts Tuesday at City Council study session on the sign issue. The initial proposal for a 35-foot natural stone sign with electronic reader board triggered impassioned opposition speeches at meetings and letters and e-mails to local newspapers and City Hall.
"We got it," Murata said of the negative reaction. "Why not make our sign a statement in itself? Obviously, we need a sign that is an effective marketing tool. Why not make the sign an artistic piece? ... Why not make our sign totally out of the box?"
At two recent community outreach meetings hosted by the auto dealers association some in attendance submitted ideas — a globe, a waterfall or even an oak tree with a sign. It was the type of input the association was hoping for, Murata said.
The sign that generated the firestorm of criticism was developed by a citizens ad hoc committee that was assigned the task by the City Council. The new signage is part of a renovation project that involves widening streets and re-landscaping the area surrounding the Auto Mall.
The committee gave its blessing to the proposed sign after reviewing about 20 designs, but it was quickly criticized.
In response, the association pulled the sign from the council's deliberations on the rest of the project in December, with the hope of coming up with a concept that would appease the community.
The study session will provide people another opportunity to weigh in on the sign.
The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Forum Theatre at the Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. For more information, visit http://www.toaks.org.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/feb/20/to-council-to-hold-auto-mall-sign-study-session/#ixzz1EZ9BzvSS
- vcstar.com
nickeq writes:
so far I have seen NOTHING to allay my fears Seems to be designed to TIRE us into submission
The summaries of the 2 meetings are NOT accurate the citizen comments are in their POLITICAL green packet and it is NOT on the web Go to the library IF you can find it open The Boorowccrats are OFF for FOUR days
The Comm. Did NOT approve the design It was shoved down our throats and meetings moved to 430 pm from 6 pm so as to make it difficult to attend.
This should have been heard in Sept Then Dec Now March??
Want to read the letters , reports, see pics go to blog/ face book NO reg. required
http://cctoaks.blogspot.com/2011/01/o...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=...
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note...
http://www.toaks.org/government/depts...
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/feb/20/to-council-to-hold-auto-mall-sign-study-session/#ixzz1EZ8rwVhM
- vcstar.com