Officials to Consider Hiring of Consultant to Design Links in Santa Rosa Valley : Thousand Oaks: But the idea of a golf course in the remote area has environmentalists lined up against recreation enthusiasts.

The Thousand Oaks City Council tonight will consider hiring a consultant to design a public golf course in Hill Canyon, a remote expanse of arid mountains in the Santa Rosa Valley.

The notion of laying down neat fairways and tidy greens in the midst of the craggy, sun-baked backcountry alarms some environmentalists, who cherish the 300-acre swath of city and county land, situated on the western fringes of Thousand Oaks.

But an equally vocal group--including golfers, hikers, bikers and equestrians--has long demanded new recreational facilities within the city. Teaming up to demand new grounds for their pursuits, they have pushed Hill Canyon as a perfect site for multiuse trails and a challenging golf course.

Even the enthusiasts, however, readily concede that developing Hill Canyon raises some serious questions, including environmental impact and accessibility. Motorists can reach the mountains only from narrow Santa Rosa Road, off the beaten path for most Thousand Oaks residents and much more convenient for Camarillo residents.

“I think Hill Canyon makes a great golf course--for people from Camarillo,” said Newbury Park resident Ross Blasman, who attended a February study session on the proposed links.

At tonight’s meeting, the last before a monthlong recess, the council will vote on a consultant’s proposal to resolve those concerns--through traffic studies, environmental analysis, engineering reports and a site plan--for a sum not to exceed $91,325.

The same consultant, Cal-Muni Golf, last year issued a 200-page economic feasibility study indicating that playing fees on a Hill Canyon course could generate $3.6 million a year. If achieved, that revenue would easily cover the course’s operating budget and leave $2 million remaining--money that could be set aside to purchase new parkland, City Council members said.

But despite the rosy numbers, some worry that the city has settled too quickly on Hill Canyon.

Another possible site, the sprawling Broome Ranch in Newbury Park, has not yet been seriously considered, though the city has expressed interest in purchasing some acreage from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

With the Broome Ranch option still unexplored, Councilwoman Elois Zeanah said she would urge her colleagues to delay the second consultant study. “We should receive recommendations from a citizens’ group before we move ahead and start narrowing our options,” Zeanah said. “I think this project is premature.”

But Councilman Frank Schillo said the idea of a championship course in Hill Canyon has been kicked around for nearly two decades. “The golf community is long overdue for a second course,” he said. “Nobody’s said this is a lousy place for one.”

At Los Robles Professional Golf Course, the city’s lone public links, harried first-tee starter Ron Robinson agreed that Thousand Oaks “desperately needs a new golf course and has for 10 years.”

Booked solid a week in advance, the course sends out foursomes every seven minutes, starting at 5:52 a.m. “We’re very, very busy here,” Robinson said.

But relief for those crowded out of Los Robles will very likely remain years away, regardless of tonight’s vote. Before actually approving development, the council would have to issue an environmental impact report, hold public hearings--and come up with about $15 million to build the course.