Conejo Mountain land set to become COSCA open space

COSCA Board Approves Historic Land Transfer

The Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency board voted unanimously May 20 to accept a 245-acre parcel of Conejo Mountain for permanent open space preservation, marking the end of a decades-long process to convert privately-held land into public habitat.

The property, owned by the Southern California Association of Seventh-day Adventists since 1956, sits north of Highway 101 near Wendy Drive and the Conejo Grade. After environmental restoration that lasted from 2020 through 2025, COSCA's board determined the land is ready for public transfer.

"The ability to lock that in forever as a bridge for wildlife migration and all the good things that go with that is great," said Councilmember Bob Engler, who serves on the COSCA board, according to the Thousand Oaks Acorn.

Complex Development History Led to Open Space Deal

The land transfer stems from a complex agreement that began in 1995, when the Seventh-day Adventist church began working with COSCA on development plans for what was then called the Academy Business Park project. The city later approved the proposal as Specific Plan 13, which guides future development of the site.

Following public hearings and an environmental review in 2011, the parties amended the plan to require protected open space as a condition of any development. Under this agreement, the church could either construct trails and open space improvements itself or provide a cash payment and transfer 245 acres to COSCA in lieu of improvements. The church chose the latter option.

Environmental Restoration Complete

As part of the agreement, the church was required to restore damaged portions of the property, including removing illegal roads, clearing trash and restoring native vegetation. Environmental monitoring and restoration review continued from 2020 through 2025, with COSCA approving the final inspection in January.

COSCA currently owns and manages more than 12,700 acres of open space and maintains over 150 miles of trails throughout the Conejo Valley. The agency was created in 1977 through a joint powers agreement between the City of Thousand Oaks and the Conejo Recreation and Park District.

Trail Development Timeline Spans Years

While the land will be preserved permanently, public access remains years away. "There is a plan for a trail to run through the property; that's likely a one- to three- or four-year process," said Brian Stark, COSCA administrator.

"Creating a big trail creates a big maintenance responsibility, and we're playing catch-up on deferred maintenance on existing trails, but we do hope that we will be able to open the property sometime here in the next few years," Stark told the Acorn.

Critical Wildlife Corridor Preserved

The preserved acreage will serve as vital migration corridors for wildlife to access other open space areas, helping offset urban heat island impacts while maintaining air quality and controlling water runoff. Open space areas provide valuable habitat for native wildlife and plant species including threatened and endangered species.

COSCA and the church are expected to finalize the deed transfer and open escrow within the next several months, according to Stark. The addition will bring Thousand Oaks closer to its General Plan goal of preserving nearly 16,000 acres as permanent open space.