John C. Prescott

Q: How much open space do we have in Thousand Oaks, and why is this local open space important to our residents?

A: Our extensive publicly owned and managed open space system sets us apart from most other cities in the nation, and is a legacy given us by the citizens who led the incorporation of Thousand Oaks as a city in 1964 and crafted our general plan in 1970.

The general plan is a long-range guide for the physical development of the city and some adjoining areas, roughly corresponding to the Conejo Valley and comprising about 38,000 acres (60 square miles).

The general plan identifies areas that should be developed with different kinds of land uses, the major freeway and road system serving the valley, and the areas we'd like to keep open. A major guiding principle of the general plan is that the basic form of the city, when developed, would include a ring of open space around it. This ring would comprise most of the steeper hillside areas and ridgelines, with development concentrated on the valley floor.

In 1977, the city and the Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD) formed a partnership — the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) — whose purpose is to own and manage open space in the valley.

Today, there are about 15,000 acres of land set aside as permanent natural open space, most of which is owned and managed by COSCA or other public agencies, such as the National Park Service. That's almost 40 percent of all the land in the valley, and that acreage does not include the active parks owned by Park District.

Impressive numbers, but why is open space important at the community planning level? There are many reasons, but I'll give you what I feel are three of the most important.

The first reason is implicit in the description of our general plan vision above — urban form. The open space system frames our city and for the most part separates it from other nearby cities. In my opinion, this fosters community identity and cohesiveness and adds value to the community it surrounds.

Second, our open space provides residents with countless outdoor recreation opportunities, encouraging healthy lifestyles. We have more than 140 miles of local trails and 100 trailhead access points. Hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding are wonderful recreational activities not readily accessible in most communities. These activities promote physical and mental health. When we published our first open space brochure, the cover featured a quote by Paul-Henry Spaak — "Luxury, today, is solitude and silence" Our open space system affords our residents a nearby counterpoint to the hectic side of modern life.

Third, open space protects important natural and cultural resources, such as habitat for plants and animals and cultural resources related to the American Indians who first inhabited this area several thousand years ago. In fact, our open space system helps protect several rare, threatened or endangered plant species that are found only in this small part of the world, including Lyon's pentachaeta.

COSCA asks people to protect and preserve our local open space. Please take care of the trails and don't damage the natural vegetation or other resources. If you live next to open space, be aware of the common property line and do not encroach onto the open space land with any improvements or planting. Open space is a tremendous asset to our community and exists because of the foresight and commitment of people who came before us. It's our job to take care of it.

— John C. Prescott is the community development director for Thousand Oaks.