TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Kelvin Parker, Community Development Director
DATE:June 23, 2026
SUBJECT: Downtown Thousand Oaks Project (CI 5540) located at 2100 E Thousand Oaks Boulevard, and some or all portions of 1868, 1934, 1938, and 1948 E Thousand Oaks Boulevard
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Adopt resolution to certify the Final Environment Impact Report (CEQA-2025- 70002) (SCH# 2025090621), approve Findings of Fact, Statement of Overriding Considerations, and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act CEQA and approve General Plan Amendment (GP-2025-70001), Development Permit (DP-2025- 70015), Tentative Tract Map (TTM-2025-70003), and Protected Tree Permit (PTP- 2025-70093).
2. Adopt resolution to approve Special Use Permit (SUP-2025-70022) to allow the on-site sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages and off-site sale of alcoholic beverages within Subareas B, C, and E of Specific Plan 11.
3. Read ordinance in title only, waive further reading, and if no objection, introduce ordinance approving Specific Plan Amendment to create a new Subarea E in the Civic Arts Plaza Specific Plan (SP-11) to facilitate development of a new pedestrian-oriented downtown, including mixed-use, residential, a hotel, commercial, office, and entertainment uses; partial reconstruction of the existing City Hall; public amenities such as a park plaza and outdoor amphitheater; and supporting infrastructure, including new roadways, reconfigured utilities and stormwater management improvements (SP-2025-70001).
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. The Adopted FY 2025-26 General Fund Budget includes $7,448,411 in CI 5540 (Downtown Thousand Oaks Project) for pre-design costs. The City has also set aside $45 million in reserves towards the
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Downtown Thousand Oaks Project (Project) with an additional $30 million planned from the sale of 401/403 Hillcrest to close by mid-July, 2026. Any future requests for professional services, project delivery, or additional appropriations will be brought to City Council for consideration as part of a subsequent action.
BACKGROUND:
Project Description
The Project proposes to create a pedestrian-oriented downtown, including new construction of mixed-use residential, a hotel, commercial, office, and entertainment uses, partial reconstruction of the existing City Hall, development of public amenities including a park plaza and outdoor amphitheater, as well as supporting infrastructure with new roadways, reconfigured utilities, and stormwater management.
The current entitlement request does not include development of the future program components identified as Building B2 (amphitheatre/bandshell), adaptive reuse of Building C1 (City Hall) with the library outpost, police depot (office), retail, arts incubator (office), public market, and multi-purpose performance venue.
Entitlements for these components will be processed separately and plans for these areas are included for reference only. These components are described in some instances because they were evaluated at a programmatic level in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
Figure 1: Proposed Site Plan
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Requested Entitlements
The project includes the following entitlements:
1.General Plan Amendment GP-2025-70001: To change the land use designation of a 5.33-acre portion of the project area from “Institutional” to “Mixed-Use” and increase the allowed height;
2.Specific Plan Amendment SP-2025-70001: Amend the Civic Arts Plaza Specific Plan (SP-11) to create a new Subarea E to facilitate development of a new pedestrian-oriented downtown, including mixed-use residential, hotel, commercial, office, and entertainment uses; partial reconstruction of the existing City Hall; public amenities such as a park plaza and outdoor amphitheater; and supporting infrastructure, including new roadways, reconfigured utilities, and stormwater management improvements;
3.Development Permit DP-2025-70015: To allow the construction of four new buildings, including a seven-story 142-key hotel totaling approximately 125,675 square-feet; a seven-story 161-unit mixed-use building (26 affordable units) with subterranean garage totaling approximately 258,000 square feet of floor area; a four-story 79-unit building (13 affordable units) with subterranean garage totaling approximately 111,454 square feet; a two-story park restaurant building totaling approximately 6,725 square feet; and a public park with children’s play structure, splash pad, interactive play equipment, informal stages and seating areas, and flexible open space;
4.Tentative Tract Map TTM-2025-70003: To merge 16 existing underlying legal parcels and re-subdivide to create nine new separate legal parcels with the option to further subdivide five of the lots into condominium units;
5.Special Use Permit SUP-2025-70022: To allow the on-site sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages and off-site sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages within subareas B, C, and E of SP-11; and
6.Protected Tree Permit PTP-2025-70093: To allow for the removal of 53 protected trees, to be replaced with 159 protected trees (on- and off-site) as well as the encroachment into the protected zone of 39 protected trees.
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Summary of Application Dates and Planning Commission Hearing
At the June 24, 2025, City Council Study Session, staff received direction from the City Council to formalize the Downtown Project concept presented during the meeting into an entitlement application package. On July 1, 2025, an application for a General Plan Amendment was submitted, together with related entitlement applications for concurrent processing for construction of the Project. On July 8, 2025, City Council approved initiation of the General Plan Amendment and concurrent processing of the entitlements.
The City issued a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the EIR on September 11, 2025, and a public scoping meeting was held on September 24, 2025, to receive input from the public and agencies regarding the scope and content of the EIR.
On March 5, 2026, the Draft EIR was circulated for a 45-day public review period from March 5, 2026, through April 21, 2026. On May 13, 2026, the Final EIR was posted on the City’s website. On June 2, 2026, the City Council Notice of Hearing was published, mailed, and posted at the Project site.
Planning Commission Meeting
The proposed Project was presented at the Planning Commission hearing on May 18, 2026 (Attachment #1). During the hearing, 40 speakers commented on the Project:
25 individuals spoke in favor of the Project.
15 individuals spoke in opposition of the Project.
Comments were made regarding several topics including: housing and land use issues such as Regional Housing Needs Allocation, low-income housing calculations, zoning, Measure E, and the relationship between the General Plan and Specific Plan 11; transportation and infrastructure matters including emergency evacuation, levels of service, employee trips, and transportation demand reduction; financial and economic impacts of the project, including property tax and ad valorem revenue to local agencies and the hotel’s economic role, and the public need for the hotel as a complement to the theatre district; preservation of the Jungleland site and historical and commemorative features; project design details such as building height, step backs, street views, parking garage screening, balconies, development obligations including traffic mitigation, impact, and other fees; future ownership and development questions, including future developer, surplus property status and reconfiguration of City-owned lots; possible future naming rights; and environmental review considerations. These issues are addressed in the “Analysis of Comments Presented During Planning Commission Meeting” section of this Staff Report.
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The Planning Commission made a recommendation (4-1) to City Council to certify the EIR and approve the Project as presented by staff.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
A detailed analysis of the Project is contained in the staff report to the Planning Commission (Attachment #1). Project plans are included as Attachment #9.
Environmental Review
In accordance with CEQA, the City (as the Lead Agency), performed a comprehensive evaluation of the potential environmental impacts for this Project.
This evaluation determined that the Project could have a significant impact on the environment without appropriate mitigation measures in place, therefore a Draft EIR was prepared for the Project. The EIR identified mitigation measures necessary to reduce impacts to a less than significant level, and a MMRP is required to ensure implementation. The EIR also identifies significant and unavoidable impacts associated with Air Quality, Cumulative Impact (related to Air Quality and Transportation only), and Transportation (related to Employee Vehicle Miles Traveled only).
A Notice of Availability was posted with a 45-day public review period for the Draft EIR between March 5, 2026, and April 21, 2026. During this review period, comments were received from twenty members of the public, two organizations, and five public agencies. None of the comments received on the Draft EIR for this Project require any substantive change to the environmental analysis or conclusions contained in the Draft EIR. Further, comments requesting to have the Draft EIR recirculated are unsupported by the record. It is therefore recommended that City Council certify and adopt the Final EIR prepared for the Project in accordance with CEQA-2025-70002, and adopt the Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations (SOC), and MMRP.
City Council Goals/Priorities and Community Outreach
In line with the decades-long City Council vision for the area, the primary goal of SP-11, since its 1982 adoption, has been to develop a distinctive, high-quality downtown that serves as a centerpiece for Thousand Oaks and the Conejo Valley, while stimulating economic growth and revitalization in the area, and emphasizing the importance of fostering a dynamic and attractive downtown environment.
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Further advancing that 1982 goal, and to focus on the larger vision for a robust downtown described in the Thousand Oaks Specific Plan SP-20 (adopted in 2011), City Council set a priority to “Begin Development of Downtown Thousand Oaks” on May 9, 2017, and adopted the Downtown Core Master Plan (DCMP) on June 5, 2018. The DCMP, which established a 68-acre planning area along Thousand Oaks Boulevard, served as a policy and strategy framework intended to guide and catalyze public and private investment through implementable actions. The DCMP identified key actions focused on creating an active, people-oriented downtown environment, including enhancing the Civic Arts Plaza frontage, expanding arts and cultural programming, promoting a pedestrian-friendly “park once” environment, and supporting a retail and entertainment destination. In addition, the creation of a downtown has been a formally adopted City Council Goal since 2014.
In 2019, the City initiated a comprehensive update to the General Plan, including an 18-month community engagement and public outreach program. Based on input received through General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) meetings, community workshops, pop-up events, and interactive mapping exercises, the City developed an “Areas of Change Map” to identify where the community supported focused change and what types of change were appropriate. This input consistently indicated that new development should be concentrated along the Highway 101 corridor, in and around the Oaks Mall and Janss Marketplace, and select smaller shopping centers identified as Village Centers.
The subject Project is located within the Area of Change (Figure 2) as identified through that community-led process. The areas delineated for change identified during the General Plan update process were intentionally limited in scope.
Approximately 8 percent of the City was identified for potential change while 92 percent of the City would remain substantially unchanged. The map also reinforced preservation of open space, parks, and public uses, and existing residential neighborhoods, by directing new development to a limited area of infill locations. The subject Project is consistent with the community vision and the growth strategy contemplated through the General Plan update.
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Figure 2: “Refined Areas of Change Map” from GPAC Meeting #13, dated February 2, 2021*
*The final version of this map incorporated into the General Plan Vision Map includes only two Village Centers.
Community outreach specific to the current Project proposal began in January 2025. The applicant team conducted a series of community workshops to solicit input regarding key Project themes including arts and entertainment, landscape, architecture, oak tree preservation, business mix and visitor experience, sustainability, accessibility and disabled access. The outreach program also included two Study Sessions with City Council where the public also provided feedback. In addition, the applicant met with local organizations, stakeholders, and community groups, including but not limited to Kiwanis, Rotary Club, the Council on Aging, Youth Commission, Ventura County Taxpayers Association, Ventura County Leadership Academy, Westlakers Club, Los Robles Hospital, TOArts, and the Wellness Festival. The applicant team also met with County and State elected representatives and dozens of individuals to discuss the Project. A Project website (https://www.downtowntoaks.org/) was established to provide project information and receive public comments and questions. In addition to legal notices to property owners within 500 feet of the Project site, and 6 Notice of Hearing signs posted throughout the Project site, information about the outreach opportunities was distributed through social media, paid advertisements in The Acorn, and the City’s
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CityScene newsletter. In addition, there were more than 20 articles in The Acorn and the VC Star discussing the Project.
Project Objectives
Project objectives were created by balancing the numerous goals and priorities gleaned from a robust community engagement program and also based on feedback from City Council during Study Sessions. They are:
1. Provide a mixed-use community at the Project site, located within the General Plan Downtown Subarea, of sufficient residential and commercial density to generate consistent activity, stimulate economic growth, and catalyze future private reinvestment in the surrounding area, thereby making best economic use of City-owned parcels and increasing tax revenues in support of City services.
2. Provide flexible public spaces for community and cultural events like farmers’ markets, performances, and gatherings throughout the day, which position the Project site as the premier destination for civic, cultural, and entertainment uses.
3. Renovate and rehabilitate the existing City Hall administrative offices in a manner that facilitates improved City service delivery, public wayfinding, governmental transparency, efficiency, accessibility, and encourages public participation in civic life.
4. Provide market-rate and affordable housing to help alleviate the State’s housing crisis and support the City’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) goals.
5. Provide a new hotel use of sufficient scale and density to support the performing arts venues on the site by creating overnight accommodation for visitors and/or performers, increasing daily visitors to support commercial businesses within the downtown area, and to maximize new transient occupancy tax revenue to the City.
6. Incentivize alternative modes of travel such as rideshare, bicycling, and walking to, from, and within the site by consolidating parking, providing pedestrian-focused street design, and including active ground-floor commercial and entertainment uses in all structures.
7. Position new development to screen the existing parking garage from view from Thousand Oaks Boulevard and neighboring properties.
Analysis of Comments Presented During Planning Commission Meeting
The points discussed below represent questions and comments raised by Planning Commissioners and/or public speakers at the May 18, 2026, Planning Commission Public Hearing. These points reflect the majority of the discussion at the meeting.
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1. Housing/Affordable Housing: The Project proposes 240 dwelling units on the mixed-use portion of the site. The residential portion of the Project is subject to the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, the State Density Bonus Law, and the Surplus Land Act. Collectively, these regulations require the project to provide affordable housing and allow additional residential density when qualifying affordable units are included.
Based on the site acreage and the mixed-use land use designation, the base density allows a maximum 160 units. The Project includes 39 deed-restricted low-income units, which equals 24 percent of the base density - the highest affordable housing percentage in the City for this type of residential development. This exceeds the City’s Inclusionary Housing requirement (10%) and qualifies the project for a 50 percent density bonus under State Density Bonus Law, allowing an additional 80 units for a maximum of 240 units.
In addition, portions of the site were previously declared surplus land by the City. As a result, the Surplus Lands Act requires at least 15 percent of the total residential units on those portions of the site be deed-restricted for lower- income households. The proposed 39 low-income units satisfy this requirement.
The low-income affordable units would be secured through an Affordable Housing Agreement to be executed before issuance of building permits. That agreement would establish, among other things, the distribution of affordable units throughout the residential buildings; consistency of unit features and amenities with comparable market-rate units; and the required 55-year affordability term. Upon issuance of building permits, the units would also count toward the City’s 6th cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).
Some comments raised during the Planning Commission questioned the need for additional housing along Thousand Oaks Boulevard and asserted that recent mixed-use projects had significant residential vacancies. Staff has confirmed that 1710 Thousand Oaks Boulevard has no vacancies and the Santal project at 299 Thousand Oaks Boulevard has less than 5 percent vacancy.
2. Emergency Access and Evacuation: The Project was evaluated for potential impacts on emergency access and evacuation as part of the Draft EIR and supporting wildfire analysis. At full buildout, the Project is estimated to add a relatively small amount to the City’s overall population, less than one percent, even using a conservative occupancy assumption. Based on that analysis, the Project’s contribution to evacuation demand would be marginal and would not substantially affect overall evacuation capacity.
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The site is in an urbanized area outside the wildland-urban interface and is immediately served by Thousand Oaks Boulevard, which provides access to the primary evacuation routes, including State Route 23 and Highway 101. The Project also improves site access by providing multiple points of ingress and egress to Thousand Oaks Boulevard compared to existing conditions.
The wildfire and evacuation analysis concluded that the Project would provide adequate fire access, would not require evacuation through wildfire prone- areas, and would not impair implementation of or physically interfere with an emergency response or evacuation plan. The Project has also been designed to allow for sufficient fire access through the site and meet or exceed all Ventura County fire codes related to fire access. The Ventura County Fire Protection District, and staff concluded that the Project, and its emergency access and evacuation characteristics, comply with City, County and State regulations and plans.
3. Traffic: Traffic, circulation, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) were evaluated in technical studies prepared for the Project and reviewed through the CEQA process. Because the project did not qualify for the City’s VMT screening criteria, a project-specific CEQA transportation assessment was prepared.
Under the City’s VMT methodology, the residential and commercial components were evaluated separately against citywide baseline averages for the Project Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ 6018901). This is a conservative way to evaluate a mixed-use project because it tests the residential and employee components independently, rather than crediting the full transportation benefit that would occur when housing, jobs, retail, dining, and public amenities are collocated in a walkable environment.
Applying the City’s methodology, the residential component performs well below the City’s significance threshold. With VMT reduction measures incorporated, the Project would generate 7.04 daily VMT per resident, which is below the citywide residential threshold of 15.33. The employee component, however, exceeds the City’s threshold: the Project TAZ is calculated at 26.37 VMT per employee, compared to the citywide average of 22.62. Importantly, this result reflects an area that already experiences above-average employee VMT today, as existing conditions in the same TAZ are 24.29 VMT per employee, which already exceeds the citywide benchmark.
The higher employee VMT is not because the Project creates an insufficient plan; rather, it reflects the existing regional commute pattern to this job center, where employees are traveling longer distances to reach work. In other words, the CEQA impact finding is driven by the Project’s location within a TAZ that already has above-average work-trip lengths, not by residential trip-making associated with the mixed-use design.
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The Project nevertheless includes transportation demand management and site design measures intended to reduce vehicle trips and VMT, including ridesharing and commute trip reduction programs, higher residential density, unbundled residential parking, pedestrian improvements, bicycle facilities, and affordable housing.
With respect to traffic operations, the Project was also reviewed for consistency with the City’s operational traffic standards. Although Level of Service (LOS) is no longer used as a CEQA significance metric, the City’s Traffic Engineering Division evaluated key intersections, and determined that, with the Project, the intersections would remain consistent with the City’s LOS policy. The future developer would also be required to pay the citywide traffic mitigation fee and install any necessary traffic control signage, striping, and related improvements as conditioned.
The traffic circulation is acceptable, subject to the recommended conditions of approval, payment of applicable fees, and implementation of the required transportation management measures. As disclosed in the EIR, however, the Project would result in a significant and unavoidable employee VMT impact under CEQA because the City’s conservative, component-by-component methodology identifies employee VMT in this TAZ as exceeding the citywide threshold, even though the residential component is well below threshold and the Project’s mixed-use, walkable design would be expected to reduce some trips in ways not fully captured by that methodology.
4. Protected trees: The Project site contains 122 protected trees within the proposed disturbance area, including oaks and other protected trees regulated by the City’s Oak Tree Preservation and Protection and Landmark Tree Preservation and Protection Guidelines. Twenty-eight (28) of these trees would remain in place without encroachment, and 39 would involve some encroachment. Based on the arborist report and the City consultant’s review, staff finds that, with required construction methods, monitoring, and project conditions, these non-severe encroachments are not expected to have a significant detrimental effect on tree health or public safety. Any encroachment that results in decline or creates a public safety risk would be subject to replacement requirements consistent with the City’s ordinance. As an added safeguard, if any of the encroached trees die within five years, they must be replaced at the required 3:1 ratio.
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To accommodate site preparation, grading, building construction, circulation improvements, fire access, sidewalks, parking, and other required public and site improvements, the Project would result in the removal of 53 protected trees, consisting of 45 tree removals and 8 severe encroachments that are treated as removals for mitigation purposes.
Thirty-three (33) of the proposed removals are required for necessary auto and pedestrian circulation and access improvements, with most of these removals comprising junior trees densely planted in front of the existing 85-foot-tall parking structure in an effort to camouflage the building. Staff and the City’s consultant concluded these impacts are necessary to implement the project design and meet applicable City standards.
One of the primary goals in development of the Project is to preserve and protect as many of the majestic and native trees on site. Fifty-nine (59) of the 66 mature oak trees will be retained on site and serve as a highlighted feature for its visitors.
Figure 3 – Tree Protection, Relocation, and Removals Plan
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Consistent with the Municipal Code, Specific Plan requirements, and proposed Conditions of Approval, all protected tree removals and severe encroachments must be mitigated at a 3:1 replacement ratio, resulting in 159 replacement trees. Of these, 11 replacement trees would be planted on-site, and 148 replacement trees would be planted off-site within the City on public property.
The Project also includes the relocation of 10 protected trees on-site.
Based on the arborist’s analysis, the City consultant’s review, and the proposed Conditions of Approval, staff finds that the proposed protected tree removals and encroachments satisfy the required findings in the Thousand Oaks Municipal Code Section 9-2.4206(b) and Section 9-2.4305(b) and are appropriately mitigated.
5. Building heights: The proposed height and scale of proposed Project buildings should be evaluated in the context of the site’s topography, surrounding built environment, General Plan goals and policies, and the adopted planning framework for the Project. The Project site slopes substantially from south to north/northwest, with elevations ranging from approximately 890 feet along the southern property boundary adjacent to Highway 101 to approximately 814 feet at the northwest corner near Thousand Oaks Boulevard, with average grades of approximately six to nine percent. As a result, the Project, including the proposed buildings, is intentionally stepped upward from north to south, and the apparent height of the buildings vary depending on the vantage point. Existing buildings on the site range in height from 44 feet to 129 feet, with the shorter buildings located along Thousand Oaks Boulevard (northern property boundary), and the taller buildings located closer to the 101 freeway (southern property boundary). The proposed four new buildings on the site, ranging from 34 to 95 feet tall, are sited in the same manner as the existing buildings, with the shorter buildings located along Thousand Oaks Boulevard and the taller buildings located closer to the 101 freeway.
Within the Project site, Building E1 is proposed as a seven-story, 92-foot- tall hotel containing 142 rooms, and Building E2 is proposed as a seven-story mixed-use building, approximately 95 feet in height, containing 161 residential units above commercial space and structured parking. Importantly, due to the site’s sloping grades, their proposed construction into the slope, and upper- floor step-backs, neither building will read uniformly as a seven-story structure from all public viewpoints. From the north along West Main Street, both building E1 and Building E2 will appear as six-story buildings because their top floors are set back, which reduces apparent massing and visual scale. In addition, the middle portion of building E2’s frontage is only three stories, which further breaks up the building wall along the streetscape and reduces the perception of a continuous taller façade. From the south along the Oakwood Drive extension, Building E2 will appear as a five to six-story building. The top floor Downtown Thousand Oaks Project
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setback on Building E2, including the approximately 36-foot setback at the upper level, also creates rooftop amenity space and further reduces its perceived height.
Figure 4: Mainstreet Towards Mixed Use Building E2
The proposed taller buildings are consistent with the broader development pattern and regulatory history in the city, particularly within SP-11. The 2045 General Plan sets forth no height limits for land designated Institutional and 75 feet for land designated Commercial Regional. The Municipal Code also allows buildings up to 75 feet in the C-4 zone and other zones through application of a Height Overlay. The current SP-11 likewise already allowed taller development in this area, as evidenced by existing buildings with heights at 76 (Scherr Forum), 85 (Parking Garage), and 129 (Kavli Theatre) feet. SP-11 contemplates higher structures in this area, particularly existing Subarea C (which includes newly proposed Subarea E). It prohibits any structure from exceeding a height greater than 25 feet higher than the adjacent low point of the road surface of the 101 freeway. None of the proposed buildings will violate this provision.
The Project area sits within a partial bowl, with Highway 101 and the existing parking structure screening the southern portion of Subarea E, and the Civic Arts Plaza screening the eastern portion. The existing Civic Arts Plaza/Kavli Theatre reaches approximately 129 feet in height, and the existing parking structure is 85 feet in height, providing an established context for larger-scale civic and mixed-use buildings on this site. In addition, the hotel and Building E2 are located north of the existing parking structure and setback from Highway
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101, such that they would be largely screened from freeway views and visually integrated into the overall stepped form of the Project.
Staff supports the seven-story configuration for Buildings E1 and E2 because their height is mitigated by the site’s topography, reduced apparent massing, setbacks and screening, and their placement within a downtown-specific planning area is intended to accommodate a more urban, mixed-use form. The proposed buildings help implement the vision for a vibrant Downtown Core with a mix of residential, hotel, commercial, and civic uses, while remaining compatible with the physical constraints and visual context of the site.
6. Hotel Use: The project includes a 142-key boutique hotel. Some public comments at the Planning Commission questioned the need for another hotel in the City. Staff analyzed the proposed hotel use and concluded that it is appropriate because it is an integral component of the Project’s mixed-use vision and directly supports the Civic Arts Plaza as a regional civic and entertainment destination. The Project objectives specifically identify the hotel as a use of sufficient scale and density to provide overnight accommodation for visitors and performers of the theatres, support the performing arts venues on the site, and increase activity in the downtown area. The hotel is consistent with General Plan Goal LU-13 and related Downtown policies, which call for a vibrant Downtown Core that integrates civic, entertainment, commercial, and complementary visitor-serving uses in and around the Civic Arts Plaza, and is also consistent with the original SP-11 vision and the 1987 Site Plan to include a hotel use on the site.
7. Commercial Vacancies: The proposed Project will add approximately 28,000 square feet of commercial retail space onto the 17.68 acre Project site (does not include the new hotel for purposes of this discussion). Public testimony was received at Planning Commission expressing concerns related to existing commercial and retail vacancies in the City. Staff’s evaluation of commercial retail uses is limited to whether the Project is consistent with the General Plan, Specific Plan, the Thousand Oaks Municipal Code, CEQA, and the required approval findings. In this case, the Project advances Goal LU-13 and related Downtown policies by introducing a mix of residential, hotel, civic, entertainment, and commercial uses intended to create a vibrant Downtown Core and support local business activity over time. It is also consistent with the purpose of SP-11, which authorized a mixed-use complex that included retail uses. In addition, numerous businesses and the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce provided public comments supporting the project, including the commercial aspects.
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8. Jungleland: SP-11 includes the former Jungleland property -- the site of an African themed amusement park featuring wild animal zoo and carnival attractions. Jungleland closed permanently in 1969. On May 6, 1997, City Council, acting as the Thousand Oaks Cultural Heritage Board, designated Jungleland as a Point of Historical Interest. The designation occurred five years after SP-11 was amended to permit construction of the existing buildings and public improvements. The Jungleland buildings were demolished in order to construct the existing buildings.
There is an existing stone wall located on the Project site, however, that wall is not an original Jungleland-era feature. It was constructed after Jungleland ceased operation using salvaged materials from a former structure on the property, and a commemorative plaque was placed nearby.
Although the former Jungleland site was previously recognized as a Point of Historical Interest, that prior site designation does not automatically extend to the existing stone wall in its current configuration and location. Under the City’s Municipal Code, a certificate of appropriateness is required when a proposal affects a structure, land formation, or other item that has itself been designated as a landmark or point of historic interest. While the wall incorporates stones salvaged from a former Jungleland structure, the wall attached to City Hall has not itself been designated.
In addition, SP-11 already requires the preparation of an inventory of community assets and their locations/planned relocations. It is premature to determine the ultimate relocation site, if any, for the Jungleland wall at this time. The Project will be implemented in multiple phases over time, and the Specific Plan Amendment and conditions of approval contemplate later phase- specific planning, entitlements, sequencing, and site conditions analysis. In that context, the more appropriate time to identify a final relocation site, if any, is prior to the phase in which the wall would actually be affected, when the relevant construction schedule, site design, operational needs, and feasible placement options are known with greater certainty.
9. Utilities and Public Services: At the Planning Commission hearing, questions were raised regarding whether the Project would adversely affect utilities, water service, schools, and medical/public service capacity. The EIR analyzed impacts related to Utilities and Service Systems, and Public Services and Recreation, and concluded that impacts would be less than significant. The review included technical studies, agency outreach, and consultation with relevant providers regarding water, wastewater, solid waste, police, fire, schools, and recreation services. The Project site is served by existing utility and public service providers, and infrastructure will be maintained and/or relocated to support continued operations, and public service agencies have indicated sufficient capacity to serve the project population.
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10. Measure E: A Planning Commissioner questioned whether the General Plan Amendment is subject to Measure E’s voting requirements. Staff advised that it is exempt from the voting requirements as set forth in the voter-approved Measure E. Appendix D of the 2045 General Plan and the Thousand Oaks Municipal Code set forth the requirements. Pertinent to this Project, TOMC Sec. 9-2.203(d)(3) exempts certain general plan amendments from requiring voter approval when they are (1) ”necessary for a viable use of publicly owned land,” (2) ”which has been determined by the owner to be, and is declared surplus,” and (3) is “no longer needed for a public purpose.” City Council declared the subject properties designated (none are currently designated as parks, golf course and open space) “as surplus” on June 18, 2024, and July 8, 2025, in compliance with the Surplus Lands Act. The proposed General Plan Amendment will modify the land use designation in Subarea E from Institutional to Mixed-Use for the viable use of this publicly owned land, which is consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan 2045, including General Plan Goal LU-13 to ”Create a Downtown Core that is a vibrant and welcoming place that serves as the ’heart of the City’, and General Plan Policy LU-13.8 to ”Create a vibrant and captive market to support local businesses by promoting mixed-use with housing, retail and dining, hotels, and a diversity of housing types (in terms of size of units, affordability, and tenure) in and around the Downtown Core area.”
11.Economic Benefits: As of May 27, 2026, the California State Department of Finance released population estimates for each California city as of January 2026. For the tenth consecutive year, Thousand Oaks experienced a population decline, decreasing from an estimated 122,468 residents in January 2025 to 121,286 residents in January 2026. This represents a decrease of 1,182 residents, or 0.97 percent population decline. Over a ten-year period, the City’s population has decreased over 10,000 residents, or over 8 percent population decline.
The population of a city directly and indirectly affects certain revenue and service drivers. For example, revenue from Highway Users Tax Account, which is used to maintain City roads, is allocated based on population. Population levels and growth rates can affect per-capita allocations, consumer activity that supports sales and fuel-related revenues, and demand for housing and local services. Over time, declining population growth negatively impacts the City’s financial capacity to maintain infrastructure and sustain service levels.
Decreases in population may also result in school closures.
Jurisdictions have used jobs-to-housing ratios as an overall indicator of both availability of jobs in the area, providing residents with an opportunity to work locally, and availability of housing, providing employees with adequate housing opportunities. Thousand Oaks has an estimated 60,800 jobs and an Downtown Thousand Oaks Project
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unemployment rate of 4.6 percent as of December 2025, with a jobs/housing ratio of approximately 1.25. This means the community provides adequate employment opportunities. However, by 2050, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) projects that the City’s jobs/housing ratio is anticipated to increase to 1.69. This is due to a higher forecasted increase in jobs and a lower forecasted increase in housing, which indicates that adequate housing may be unaffordable or unavailable to employees in the City. This imbalance leads to issues such as housing unaffordability and traffic congestion from workers commuting from outside the area.
One of the City’s economic drivers is its theatres. The City’s box office processes more than 170,000 tickets and averages $8.5 million in ticket sales each year with approximately 200,000 patrons attending performances. The Arts and Cultural Element of the General Plan notes the desire to reimagine the Civic Arts Plaza campus into an active pedestrian environment that incorporates an outdoor amphitheater and other features to maximize use and enjoyment of residents and visitors. General Plan Goal AC-1 directs the City to embrace arts and culture as a key partner to the City’s economic development.
Policies AC-1:1.3 and AC-1:1.4 recommend that the City support and enhance the Civic Arts Plaza Campus Master Plan goals to develop arts and culture spaces and programming for the new Plaza, and to take steps to incorporate the arts and cultural vibrancy and vitality of Thousand Oaks as a distinct competitive advantage for the City as a place to live, work, and recreate. The Project as a whole will provide public spaces for community and cultural events like farmers’ markets, artistic performances, and gatherings throughout the day, which position the Project site as the premier destination for civic, cultural, and entertainment uses.
12.Clarification: A suggestion was made to update one of the Land Use Element policies to reflect that if the SPA is approved, there is no longer a Subarea C- 1, and a newly created Subarea E. Staff agrees with this change. Specifically, General Plan Land Use Element Goal 13.2 would be revised from “Civic Arts Specific Plan” to Civic Arts Plaza Specific Plan,” and the first sentence would be updated to read: “… (Subarea E, Civic Arts Plaza Specific Plan).
CEQA Supporting Documents
To certify the Final EIR and approve the project, City Council must adopt a Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations (SOC), (Attachment 5) because the Project will have environmental impacts that remain significant after implementation of mitigation measures. Pursuant to CEQA, the SOC sets forth Findings to approve the Project, and the specific reasons why the Project’s benefits outweigh its significant and unavoidable environmental impacts.
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The Project would provide several important public benefits that support adoption of the SOC, including but not limited to, the following:
1.Contribution toward the City’s housing goals and RHNA obligations.
The Project would provide up to 240 new dwelling units in a mixed-use, infill location within the Downtown. Of those units, 39 would be deed-restricted for lower-income households, which exceeds the City’s inclusionary requirement and supports both local and State housing objectives. Once building permits are issued, the units would count toward the City’s 6th cycle RHNA obligations, thereby helping the City address its housing need across income levels. The Project would also advance General Plan and housing policy objectives by increasing the supply of housing in a centrally located area with access to jobs, services, and civic amenities.
2.Contribution to economic development. The Project would support economic activity in the Downtown by introducing new residential, commercial, hotel, restaurant, and civic uses in a coordinated mixed-use setting. The addition of residents, visitors, and employees would expand the customer base for local businesses, support ongoing activity in the Downtown Core, and reinforce the City’s long-term vision for Downtown as a more active mixed-use district. The Project would also represent a substantial public and private investment in the area, with the potential to generate construction activity, ongoing employment opportunities, and broader fiscal and economic benefits associated with revitalization of this prominent civic site.
3.Provision of open space and recreational amenities in an underserved area. The Project would provide a newly redesigned park space and recreational amenities as part of the redevelopment of the site, including a public park, outdoor gathering areas, farmers market, and an amphitheater component. These improvements would add usable park space and community-serving amenities in the Downtown area, where opportunities for new park and recreational resources are limited. In addition to serving Project residents, employees, and visitors, these improvements would create new civic and recreational destinations for the broader community and would enhance the public realm through landscaped open areas, pedestrian connections, and spaces intended for everyday use as well as community events and programming.
Financial Aspects of the Project
The Project contemplates a public-private partnership development. This development would occur in multiple phases over a number of years. Some portions of the Project will be funded by the City, while other portions of the Project Downtown Thousand Oaks Project
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will be funded by private investment. The City currently has $45.0 million in General Fund reserves, $5.0 million in Enterprise Fund, and $4.0 million in Public, Educational, and Government Fund dollars. Upon close of escrow for 401/403 Hillcrest, the City will have an additional $30.4 million for a total of $84.4 million in available cash towards the Project. The City will also utilize a combination of grants, naming rights, debt, and Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District revenue to fund the public portions of the Project. The initial phase of the Project funded by the City includes enabling infrastructure, such as streets, sidewalks, traffic signal, utilities, and culvert realignment, as well as the public park. This phase is estimated at $55.7 million, well below the City’s available cash of $84.4 million. Completion of these public improvements will enable the private development phase of the Project (Mixed Use and hotel buildings) to move forward.
Correspondence
Following the Planning Commission hearing on May 18, 2026, staff received written correspondence regarding the Project, which is included as Attachment #11. Should any correspondence be received after publication of this report, it will be provided to City Council via a supplemental packet.
Conclusion
The proposed Project represents the culmination of decades of Council directed City planning to create a true downtown that serves as the civic, cultural, and economic heart of the community. Staff finds that the Project is consistent with the City’s long-range policy direction and with the recommended conditions of approval, provides substantial public benefits, including new housing with a meaningful affordable housing component, new public spaces and community amenities, improved connectivity and downtown activation, and long-term fiscal and economic value to the City. Although the Final EIR identifies significant and unavoidable impacts related to air quality and employee VMT, those impacts have been fully evaluated, all feasible mitigation measures have been incorporated, and the project’s overriding benefits support approval. Accordingly, staff recommends that City Council certify the Final EIR, adopt the required findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations, and approve the requested entitlements. .
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
G. Continue City's commitment to community and cultural programs and services (such as Performing Arts/Theatres, Libraries, TOTV, Visual Arts, Youth and Senior Programs).
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H. Participate in public-private and multi-jurisdictional opportunities to ensure residents have access to high levels of parks, recreation, education and leisure programs and services.
I. Maintain a strong local employment base geared toward retaining high quality businesses; sustain a healthy business community; and, diversify the local economy, with a specific emphasis on small businesses and high technology/biomedical jobs.
J. Implement high quality revitalization projects within Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Newbury Road Areas; develop a pedestrian-oriented, viable, and self- sustaining "Downtown;” and, continue to support production of long-term affordable housing.
PREPARED BY: Krystin Rice, Planning Division Manager
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – Planning Commission Packet of May 18, 2026 Attachment #2 – Resolution (CEQA-2025-70002, GP-2025-70001, DP- 2025-70015, TTM-2025-70003, PTP-2025-70093)
Attachment #3 – Exhibit A of Resolution – Revision to General Plan Language
Attachment #4 – Exhibit B of Resolution – Change to General Plan Land Use Map
Attachment #5 – Exhibit C of Resolution – CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations
Attachment #6 – Ordinance (SP-2025-70001)
Attachment #7 – Exhibit A – Amended Specific Plan No. 11 Attachment #8 – Resolution (SUP-2025-70022)
Attachment #9 – Project Plan Set
Attachment #10 – Final EIR Attachments 1-3
Attachment #11 – Public Correspondence
cdd:420-46\kr\H:COMMON\ City Council/Agenda Packet/2026/2026-06-23/Downtown Project/DTTO DP-2025-70015 Staff Report.docx\pz [GP-2025-70001, DP-2025-70015, CEQA-2025-70002, et al])