Thousand Oaks Puts Annexation Plan for Broome Ranch on Hold : City Council: Officials want the parkland for an equestrian center. But they deadlocked on whether environmental studies should include a golf course.

A plan to annex Broome Ranch into Thousand Oaks was temporarily put on hold Tuesday night after council members deadlocked on whether a golf course should be included in environmental studies to decide future uses for the property.

The city had been expected to move ahead on the annexation in order to gain control over the vast parkland, which would allow it to fulfill a long-held hope to relocate an equestrian center there.

Annexation would also eliminate the potential of a costly tax liability to its open space agency, which will eventually take over ownership of the property, now held in trust by the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority.

Unless Broome Ranch is within city borders, the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency could end up paying taxes of about $40,000 a year on the 326 acres of rolling grassland just outside Newbury Park.

But instead of proceeding with the annexation, frustrated council members voted 3 to 1 to delay the issue until after the June special election, when a fifth council member takes office. Councilwoman Elois Zeanah dissented.

“I feel that putting off a very important council decision until after June 6 is a cop-out,” Zeanah said.

Despite the council’s inability to reach a consensus on whether a golf course should even be considered for the property, a new plan presented by county Supervisor Frank Schillo on Tuesday night could resolve one crucial issue: relocation of the Two Winds Equestrian Center.

Schillo offered an option to have the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority lease the land to the city at a cost of $1 per year. The county would waive any need for permits and Two Winds could move immediately onto the property without waiting for the yearlong annexation process.

“I believe that by providing you with this option I have removed the county barrier,” Schillo said. “We all feel this is a very doable thing if you wish to do it.”

Dozens of horse lovers who jammed the council chambers greeted Schillo’s suggestion with cheers and applause. Even Schillo’s longtime foe Zeanah was enthusiastic about the suggestion.

“You really have pulled a coup here,” she said.

Council members unanimously voted to move ahead on Schillo’s suggestion, pending discussion with the conservation authority.

“Frank has taken away some roadblocks,” said equestrian enthusiast Jeff Alexander. “But all of this was just conversation. Doing something seems to be a difficult task for City Hall.”

During a lengthy discussion of the golf course issue, Zeanah and Mayor Jaime Zukowski said they would not support a motion by Councilman Andy Fox to include a golf course in the environmental review process.

Fox said he is not sure he wants a golf course on Broome Ranch. But he argued that including information about its potential impacts in an environmental study now could save time later when the city begins discussions of where to build another golf course.

All four City Council members agreed during goal setting sessions that the city should build a second public course to boost revenues.

But Zeanah and Zukowski were adamant that Broome Ranch is not a suitable place for a golf course, particularly because it might interfere with horseback riding. Even considering such a use would be a mistake, they said.

“This study would declare an intent,” Zukowski said. “In my experience it has been very rare that once an intent has been declared in this city that it does not come to pass.”