THOUSAND OAKS : Developer Donates 10.7 Acres to City

The Shapell development company has donated 10.7 acres of hilltop land to the city of Thousand Oaks, which will soon turn the parcel over to the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

The school district will use the land--located off Lawrence Drive in Newbury Park--for a new supplies warehouse, maintenance yard and bus storage site. Eventually, district officials hope to acquire title to a nearby parcel as well, where they want to build a new continuation school.

But before the district can develop the site, it has to come up with money.

Assistant Supt. Sarah Hart could not estimate the price tag for building new facilities. She said the district hopes to cover the cost by renting out its current warehouse, service yard and continuation school. All three facilities now stand on Newbury Road.

“We don’t have any funds available,” Hart said. “We want to get a revenue stream before we begin building. But the land there (on Newbury Road) is not much in demand.”

Shapell turned its property over to the city under terms of a development agreement negotiated back in 1989. After receiving approval for a housing tract and industrial park development, Shapell agreed to pay the city $8.5 million and donate the hilltop parcel.

The company turned the deed over to Councilman Alex Fiore on Tuesday. Fiore than passed the document to City Atty. Mark Sellers, who will arrange to transfer the land to the school district.

“Under the development agreement, we insisted they donate certain lands for community benefit,” Councilman Frank Schillo said. “It’s a magnificent piece of property. The view is just mind-boggling.”