Councilman Suggests Changes on Borchard

Hoping to alleviate residents’ concerns about a proposed extension of Borchard Road, Thousand Oaks Councilman Andy Fox has proposed a number of safety modifications.

On Friday, Fox said he would ask his colleagues to endorse a plan that would narrow the steep road from four lanes to two as it descends from the massive Dos Vientos Ranch project into other residential neighborhoods of Newbury Park.

Another way to discourage residents from speeding down the road--which will have a 12% grade--would be to add a wide, landscaped median and a few gentle curves as it descends, he believes.

“The issue is not the slope so much, but the speed the traffic will be going as it travels into a residential neighborhood,” he said. “I believe this will address the concerns of the people living in adjacent areas.”

Fox made the suggestions after visiting the already graded extension site.

Residents have been gearing up to fight the slope--which is steeper than the Conejo Grade--with a petition drive. The road is twice as steep as the city usually allows for four-lane streets.

The problem is that the grade was endorsed on a 3-2 vote by the City Council two years ago. The developer says that vote is final, but city staffers believe lawmakers could change it if they have concerns about the health and safety of residents.

Regrading the road would cause too much of a scar in the hillside, Fox argues, and would require the removal of much more earth.

The slope of the road will be the subject of a City Council public hearing July 7.