THOUSAND OAKS : Commission Backs Outdoor Barbecues

Outdoor barbecues should be allowed at Thousand Oaks businesses, the Planning Commission has decided.

The commission recommended at its Monday night meeting that outdoor barbecues be allowed to operate at city businesses and elsewhere.

The proposed city ordinance came in response to complaints from businesses in the Newbury Park Center about smoke from the weekly outdoor barbecues held last summer by the Newbury Park Meat Market, which is also a tenant there.

City codes do not address whether barbecues can be held in commercial areas, so the city asked the market to discontinue holding them, said Michael Sangster, deputy director of planning and community development.

But the Thousand Oaks Meat Locker on Thousand Oaks Boulevard is allowed to hold outdoor barbecues because it was in existence before the city was incorporated, Sangster said.

The proposed ordinance would allow the Newbury Park Meat Market and other businesses or organizations to hold outdoor barbecues anywhere in Thousand Oaks if the city grants a special use permit.