Council to Reconsider Radio Tower Approval : Thousand Oaks: An official contends that the Cal Lutheran project violates a hillside protection ordinance.

The Thousand Oaks City Council on Tuesday night unanimously agreed to reconsider Cal Lutheran University’s plan to build a 150-foot-tall radio tower that has drawn organized opposition from neighboring homeowners.

Councilwoman Elois Zeanah said she asked for the council’s review because she believes the tower that Cal Lutheran plans to build on Mt. Clef ridge violates a city ordinance that protects scenic hillsides from development.

“It goes against the General Plan and, in particular, the ridgeline ordinance,” Zeanah said.

Under the City Charter, the council has an automatic right to review any project approved by the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission. Last week, the commission voted 3 to 1 to approve the project after 300 neighbors jammed City Hall to protest the tower that they say would despoil their hillside view.

The council had tentatively scheduled a hearing on May 5 to discuss the tower in the event that opponents filed an appeal to overturn the commission’s ruling, assistant planner Edwin Rinke said.

In granting Cal Lutheran’s request, planning commissioners said they believe that the tower would benefit the city by allowing the campus to establish a public broadcasting station. The station has been endorsed by business leaders and school officials.

The proposed public broadcasting station, to be named KCLU-FM and broadcast at a frequency of 88.3, would reach an audience of about 400,000 people in the county, campus officials said.

The university must establish its station before July 19, when a license from the Federal Communications Commission expires, said Dennis Gillette, Cal Lutheran vice president of institutional advancement.

Gillette said the campus has already been given a six-month extension to establish the station, and it is unclear whether the FCC would grant Cal Lutheran additional time to erect the tower.

“There has been in the past considerable competition for this frequency,” Gillette said. “It’s imperative from our standpoint that we obtain the approval.”

Homeowners said they were jubilant that they have one more shot to stop the university from going forward with its plan.

“A lot of people have been calling different council people to let them know how concerned we are about the Planning Commission’s decision,” said Denise Filz, a spokeswoman for Friends of Mt. Clef Ridge, a group of tower opponents. “We hope that they will really give it serious consideration.”

Neighbors of Cal Lutheran have criticized the tower as an eyesore and say its signals would interfere with their television and radio reception.

A few other residents have said they are concerned that radio waves emitted from the tower would damage their health.