The Thousand Oaks city council agreed to compromise on a plan to develop Broome Ranch (aka Rancho Potrero) due to a stunning and eloquent community outcry. The original Broome Ranch development plan called for a 200 person plus pavilion to be developed in land that adjoins the Santa Monica National Park system, in addition to smaller structures and parking lots. This plan was met with strong disapproval from the community, which like many other communities in California have seen their national wild lands whittled down over the last twenty years for residential and commercial building projects.
A final stand was made the evening of December 5, where community members from all professions and walks of life voiced their concerns in front of a focus group, related agencies and city representatives. In a truly moving and eloquent display of environmental stewardship, members of the community pleaded with city officials to consider the short and long-term impacts of disrupting one of the last untouched ecosystems in the state of California. Biologists warned of ecological disruption on endangered and declining species in the region. Parents begged to keep Broome Ranch wild. Children stood up and spoke about their love for the area.
And, it appears, the city council listened. A compromise was reached and will go before the Thousand Oaks City Council, Conejo Recreation and Parks District and the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency.
“In wildness lies the preservation of mankind.” Henry David Thoreau
Allie - Reporting Green at We Can Live Green
