City Dedicates $26.2M Community Park

Twenty years in the making, the newly-completed, $26.2 million Westlake Village Community Park will be dedicated Sunday.

Located about 100 feet above Thousand Oaks Boulevard on an 18-acre site that offers spectacular views of the Conejo Valley, the park features eight acres of lighted, synthetic turf athletic fields for soccer, football, baseball, softball and other sports year-round. The park's other amenities include a walking/jogging trail, a skate park, picnic areas, outdoor volleyball and basketball courts, fitness equipment, restroom/concession facilities and children's play areas.

It is the largest of the city's six parks.

Adjacent to it on the same site is the under-construction Yarrow Family YMCA. YMCA officials announced last month that the final construction phase of the 55,000-square-foot facility is slated to begin in February, thanks to a $2.5 million donation from a former Westlake Village mayor, Doug Yarrow and his wife, Penny.

Some of the park's amenities have been open to the public since May 2015, said Brianne Anderson, the city's community services manager. They include the skate park and two of the athletic fields, which have been rented by such youth teams as Westlake Agoura Girls Softball, Westlake Pony Baseball and YMCA flag football, and which have also been used by individuals and families without cost, she said.

The rest of the park's features will open Sunday, she said. A trailhead that leads into the neighboring hills will be built by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency sometime after the grand opening, she said.

"This is an amazing, state-of-the-art facility for all ages to enjoy," Anderson said. "It has taken years with the full support of our community. Everyone's so excited for it to be open and have all those things in one location for our residents to use, with, of course, the best view in town.

"The city looks forward to seeing our residents and fellow community members on Sunday and throughout the year enjoying the unique amenities that this park has to offer," she said.

The park, and the YMCA, when completed, will complement each other, she said.

"Absolutely," she said. "Once the Y does open, this regional facility is really going to be able to offer everything in one location and will add to the value of the park for everyone's use."

YMCA officials are shooting to open the Yarrow Family YMCA early next year.

The park was built with funds from various sources, Anderson said. They include Measure R, a Los Angeles County half-cent sales tax; the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District; the California Department of Parks and Recreation; and capital campaign donations from foundations, businesses and individuals, she said.

The park was designed with considerable input from residents, she said.

"There were multiple community workshops attended by everybody from children to teens to adults to seniors about what uses they wanted up there," she said. "And those uses were built around the community input. So, the city was able to build this facility for our residents with the help of our residents."

The park is located at 31107 Thousand Oaks Boulevard. A single steep entrance road leads from Thousand Oaks Boulevard to the site and its park-and-ride lot. A single steep exit road leads back to the boulevard.

Sunday's dedication ceremony starts at noon and lasts until 4 p.m.

There will be youth sports demonstrations, fitness equipment instruction, games and prizes and free food available for the first 1,000 guests. Former Dodger Ron Cey will be one of the speakers and will be available for photo opportunities until 1 p.m.

The city's five other, smaller neighborhood parks are Berniece Bennett, Canyon Oaks, Foxfield, Russell Ranch and Three Springs. A dog park is under construction and is expected to open late spring.

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