THOUSAND OAKS : Council Won’t Fight School Building Plan

Recognizing the school district’s power to control classroom construction, Thousand Oaks council members have decided not to challenge the building of a $1.7-million multipurpose room at Cypress Elementary School.

Two irate residents had complained to the council that the multipurpose room, which will be two stories tall, will completely obscure the view from their back yards.

But under state law, school districts have the authority to override city officials when constructing classrooms or related facilities.

“We will ask them to consider if there’s any feasible way to alter the design or move the building,” City Atty. Mark Sellers said, after meeting with the council in closed session Tuesday night. “But any litigation filed (by the city) would be futile.”

In response to the city’s request, the Conejo Valley Unified School District will hold an emergency board meeting next week, Assistant Supt. Sarah Hart said.

The school board will invite testimony from neighbors and will consider changing the landscaping outside the multipurpose room to satisfy the neighbors, Hart said.

The board could even decide to scrap the project altogether, or move the two-story room elsewhere on the campus. But Hart predicted that the district staff would discourage such an action. Redesigning the project could cost up to $500,000, she said.

“Staff’s recommendation will be that we continue with the project, meet with the neighbors and do anything we can to mitigate their concern, short of stopping construction,” Hart said.