2014-05-15 / Letters
PrintAssisted-living on McCloud A-OK
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News Bayou
News Bayou
As a resident of Oaknoll Villas I would like to correct certain misconceptions about the proposed assisted-living facility at 250 Mc- Cloud Ave. advanced in a previous letter (Acorn, May 8).
The property is currently occupied by a church. The pastor stated that they have to move to larger quarters and sell the property. He also commented that he wanted to sell to the most compatible occupant he could find for us at Oaknoll, which I thought was very generous of him.
The property is zoned commercial and could just as easily be sold to an office building or other commercial structure that would be disruptive to the neighborhood.
Oaknoll Villas is a community for active seniors 55 and over, many of whom are still pursuing careers in the business world.
We have 419 units at Oaknoll and approximately 800 residents on the property, hundreds of whom travel on and off the property every day without creating any traffic problems.
Charter Oaks Apartments and St. Charles Oaks Apartments on St. Charles Drive, which adjoins McCloud Avenue, have over 400 units between them and also have hundreds of residents coming and going with no appreciable diffi culty. I know; I worked there for over six years.
It should be obvious that an assisted-living facility where most residents seldom leave and with no more than 35 people working on a shift is not likely to cause traffi c problems. We have more of a problem with shoppers using St. Charles Drive/McCloud Avenue as a shortcut to The Oaks mall.
The developer has assured us that they will limit the amount of grading and earth moving and will not be trucking dirt off the property. Likewise, the vegetation of the property will not be disturbed, and there will be significant new planting of trees.
The area is surrounded by open land owned by the city, and wildlife will still have a large area in which to roam.
All in all, an assisted-living facility across the street from an active senior complex seems like a sure winner for everyone involved, especially where real estate values are concerned. Bob Paone Thousand Oaks
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Zoning change is needed
Where's the story?2 Points Mentioned
In the May 8 edition of the Acorn, the article “Developer scraps plan for assisted living on Hillcrest” contained inaccurate information in the last paragraph.
The information pertains to two different development projects— one on Hillcrest Drive and one on McCloud Avenue. Some readers thought that both building projects had been scrapped, which is not true.
The statement that’s inaccurate refers to the Hunter Development Company and its proposal of building an assisted-living facility on McCloud.
The statement was as follows: “The property is zoned for commercial office use, which allows an assisted-living facility to be built there with a special-use permit.” The reader is given the impression that Hunter Development Company is able to build at the site on McCloud without a zoning change. That is incorrect.
Hunter has proposed to build a three-story facility with basement level parking. The zoning standards summary issued by the Community Development Department here in Thousand Oaksstates that in a C-O Commercial Office zone the maximum height for a building is 25 feet, two-story max.
Public records show the Hunter Development Company has made application for a change in zoning from C-O Commercial to Public Lands and has also applied for a special-use permit.
This information is important to readers in Thousand Oaks, especially those interested in protecting the integrity of our residential neighborhood. Penny Sprissler Thousand Oaks
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Facility no ‘loss’ to the community
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1 Points Mentioned
1 Points Mentioned
I’d like to respond to comments made by Mohammad Esa of Hydam Enterprises, including his statement in the story “Developer scraps plan for assisted living on Hillcrest” in last week’s Acorn.
Esa says, “It’s a loss to the city. Placing an assisted-living facility near residential areas and creating that integrated development, where old and young live together, was our goal.”
In another story, Esa says, “Not integrating neighborhoods leads to segregation.”
First of all, Esa’s project is not a loss to our city. Our group called the assisted-living businesses in Thousand Oaks, and most all of them have vacancies. The businesses that don’t have vacancies have very short waitlists.
I personally called Belmont, built three years ago with 131 units, and found that they are only at 80 percent capacity. Plus, the newly approved “Grande Vista” will have 111 available units upon completion. I’m sure more facilities will be built in appropriate and properly zoned places.
I also found that the cost of living in one of these facilities runs over $4,000 per month, and $6,000 to $8,000 for various levels of memory care. That’s more than most in our neighborhood could afford, yet one of the selling points Esa’s group gave us in the beginning was that we could have our parents live there where we could visit them often.
Second, our city has many policies in place to protect our hillsides, and according to city documents, “Assisted-living facilities are not an approved use on properties with HPD zoning.” Our hillside had the HPD zoning, and it also had some special stipulations regarding the singlefamily homes that could be built there. Esa knew good and well what these stipulations were before he purchased the property.
Third, our neighborhood is well-integrated with families of all nationalities, ages, disabilities and income levels (from rock-bottom poor to pretty darn wealthy), and we welcome everyone.
We opposed Esa’s high-density 24-hour business project because it violated the zoning and it would have devastated our property values, pure and simple.
Esa’s false notion of “segregation” is laughable. Kay Sikra Thousand Oaks
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Conflicting messages
Where's the story?1 Points Mentioned
Let me start by saying, I’m not an expert on oak trees. I’m just a resident of Thousand Oaks.
As a resident, I’ve been told to reduce my use of water in order to conserve. Now I’m being told to look for evidence that my oak tree, if I have one on my property, is suffering for lack of water due to the three-year drought.
If that tree is showing these signs, I’m supposed to soak that tree somewhere within its drip line. All this information comes from experts ranging from governmental agencies to independent arborists.
Again, I’m not an expert, but does that make sense? Maybe these experts need to consider a little common logic.
In oak history, have there never been times when we have had three-year droughts in Southern California? Have oak trees survived past droughts of similar lengths of time? In fact, oak trees have evolved in such a manner that many oak trees have died as a result of being watered during times that are not traditionally the rainy season.
An argument was made in this article that an oak tree in your yard can increase the value of your property ranging from $5,000 to $30,000. I know that a green lawn can also increase the value of my property, but I’ve been told to conserve water.
Does anyone else see the confl ict of opinion here besides me? William “Bill” Hicks Newbury Park
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Strangers offer kindness
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I’m writing to express my sincere thanks and gratitude for the outstanding customer service I received recently as well as to share a heartwarming gesture bestowed upon me by a stranger. On April 18, I was taking a shuttle to LAX for a late-morning flight. As we were getting closer to the airport, I began getting my papers ready for check-in and realized I had left my wallet and identification on my table at home.
Panicked, I immediately notified the driver and he told me not to worry, he would contact dispatch to see if another driver was en route and could bring my items to me. They were able to coordinate with my daughter to pick up my wallet and identification and met me outside the Southwest terminal in time to catch my flight.
The shuttle arrived at LAX and, as I was getting off to sit in front of the terminal, a lovely woman passenger who was on the same shuttle overheard my predicament and handed me a $20 bill, saying, “I don’t want you to be without any money while you are waiting.”
Thank you, thank you to the very kind and caring people I was lucky enough to come in contact with that day. All of you made a stressful situation manageable, and your kindness is very much appreciated. I will continue to pay it forward. Jean Larson Thousand Oaks
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Traffic light needs to be reset
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Something must be done about the northbound off-ramp light at Wendy Drive.
As I sit and wait for the light, 355 babies will be born, 150 people will die and I just might have another birthday.
The sensors are not responsive, so while the off-ramp creates its own traffic of 25 cars deep in each lane, just a few cars dribble on by on Wendy. It’s not right.
I have timed my wait at 100 seconds, and it’s very frustrating late at night when there are no cars on Wendy and you have to wait at that light forever. Is anyone with me here? Jerry Schwartzberg Newbury Park
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Current assessor misinterprets law
Where's the story?1 Points Mentioned
Ventura County Assessor Dan Goodwin is billing museums, churches and affordable housing projects for back property taxes despite a California law on the books for 70 years that states that charitable organizations are exempt from property tax. Goodwin’s policy could force county nonprofits into bankruptcy.
Goodwin is claiming that when museums, churches and charitable organizations attempt to cover overhead costs by renting out space or selling refreshments, they are, in theory, engaging in for-profit activities outside of their primary purpose, invalidating their nonprofi t status.
He’s misinterpreting the socalled welfare exemption, whereby organizations are exempt from property taxes when the IRS determines they operate for religious, charitable, scientific or hospital purposes.
In the case of affordable housing projects, Goodwin is claiming that since there are fees that cities request in lieu of county property taxes, the county can assess taxes as well. This position has been refuted by the State Board of Equalization, yet Goodwin continues to assess.
The low-income seniors and disabled adults who live in affordable housing projects facing bankruptcy because of back-tax liabilities already have enough worries about surviving from day to day. The last thing they ought to have to fret about is losing their homes to foreclosure.
The only good news in this story is that after 16 years Ventura County has an alternative to Goodwin. John Griffin of Thousand Oaks opposes Goodwin’s actions and is on the ballot for the June 3 election.
John has helped uncover the actions by Goodwin. He is a Cal State University business and ethics professor, has been a real estate lawyer and a computer software business owner. Please take some time to research this issue.Larry Potischman Thousand Oaks
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