Foes of PriceCostco Project Sue to Block Development

Opponents of a planned PriceCostco store in Westlake Village have filed a lawsuit to block the controversial project, which was approved by the City Council last month.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that an environmental impact report for the project is flawed and asks the city to prepare a new report.

It names as defendants the city of Westlake Village, the City Council, PriceCostco Inc. and Richland Properties Limited, a Florida-based developer. “We don’t believe this is over by any means,” said Jim Shaw, a member of United Communities Against PriceCostco Inc., which filed the suit. “We’ll take this as far as we have to.”

An amended suit is being prepared that would invalidate permits for the project on the grounds that the City Council denied Westlake Village residents due process, said Frank Angel, the group’s attorney.

That complaint stems from a packed hearing April 5, during which many people had to watch the proceedings on TV monitors outside the council chambers. The council approved the project in the early morning hours, after a long, stormy hearing at which many spoke against the project.

PriceCostco officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday. But Mayor Kenneth Rufener disagreed that people were denied due process. “We let everybody into City Hall that the Fire Department will allow in,” he said. “We didn’t exclude anybody.”

PriceCostco wants to build a 136,000-square-foot store as part of a 296,000-square-foot shopping center at Lindero Canyon Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard.