Local meetings held for downtown T.O. plans
The City of Thousand Oaks has started the journey of creating a downtown area, beginning with community input. Five interactive sessions were held, where residents, business owners and stakeholders were encouraged to attend. These sessions focused on key aspects of the downtown area: visioning, amenities & attractions, connectivity & accessibility, economic development and community identity. The City team for this project came together on Feb. 19 to discuss an overview of the previous community conversations.
The Arts and Entertainment: The first meeting took place on Jan. 15, discussing how the entire downtown plan stems from the existing Civic Arts Plaza site, and the two theaters within. To find inspiration, community members spoke about several downtowns that they have visited, and what aspects of art, culture and entertainment they would be able to implement into Thousand Oaks. Jonathan Serret, the Cultural & Community Services Director for the City of Thousand Oaks, presented a summary of their previous discussion, emphasizing the community’s desire for a place where people can naturally gather.
Landscape Architecture and Oak Tree Preservation: As a part of the city’s name, oak trees are an important aspect of Thousand Oaks. For the development of the downtown, one of the main discussions was how to best celebrate existing oak trees, along with how to use native plants. The Jan. 22 meeting also considered walkability and connection to the outdoors.
Business Mix and Visitor Experience: The ideas explored in this meeting stemmed from the elements required to support growth in downtown businesses, while also having a differentiation between the downtown and other areas in Thousand Oaks.
Sustainability: During the Feb. 5 meeting, there was a large emphasis on accessibility, as it aligns with the sustainability aspect of the project. This meeting also focused on the future of this project, not only for the current residents but also for future generations. This brought forth ideas surrounding minimizing waste, ensuring that the space is flexible and looking at the carbon footprint and green spaces. Community members were asked about the importance of different parts of the American Institute of Architects Design Excellence Framework, which allowed the team to see the priorities.
Accessibility and Disabled Access: Creating inclusive spaces and being a place for all residents, no matter their physical ability, continues to be a large aspect of the downtown plan. Along with physical accessibility, economic and social accessibility were considered in this meeting, creating a public space that can provide for a spectrum of activity.
The next meeting will take place on May 13, where the city council will converse about the information that has come from the five interactive sessions previously held. Environmental Review will take place between the summer of 2025 and winter of 2025. The team then plans to come back in front of the City Council and Planning Commission in spring of 2026 for Entitlement Hearings.
