Synopsis

The property that held the former Westlake Hospital property has been sold to the owners of Warner Pacific — local residents John and David and John Nelson (brothers). Warner Pacific, an insurance brokerage, is located on the corner of Lakeview Canyon and Agoura Road — a property adjacent to the 6+ acres previously owned by HCA. Escrow has now closed on the property.

The property has been on the market for many years, but due to deed restrictions on the property preventing a hospital from returning, the value the owner (HCA) placed on the property (reportedly $8-10 million), combined with the significant limitations of the “public institutional” zoning the property falls under, deals kept falling through. This included two attempts by different developers for senior living facilities.

In recent years, and despite being fenced off, the property has become an increasing issue for neighbors as an “eye sore” but also a number of unsafe, inappropriate, and even reportedly illegal activities.

There are no announced plans for the use of the property, but the new owners state that they are cleaning it up and making it safer.

Future Use

There are not a lot of facts yet on the deal or the future of this property. The new owners have already reached out Westminster Presbyterian Church and some of the neighbors, and are currently in the process of reaching out to others and community leaders. For the general public, they have made a few comments as follows.

“We see that property every day. It has been the view from our windows for years and it is one that we’ve grown tired of looking at.” said John Nelson. “This plus the value of owning the land next to our office and our need for more parking compelled us to follow our gut and acquire it.

When asked what the future holds for the property, Nelson continued “we’re going to start with expanding the fence, beefing up security, cleaning things up, trimming back the hedges, etc… Ultimately, this land needs to be more than a parking lot, or vacant field. What does this look like? We’re not sure — we do not have a specific concept in mind. We need to look at things, hear from the community, and develop concepts.”

Nelson continued with “This property matters a lot to us, personally. Most of our kids were born there. It’s a special place. Whatever we do, it needs to be consistent with community standards. We love the green belts. Love the trees. We want people to see the property, and feel good about it — something that everyone can be proud of. At the same time, it needs to also make economic sense. We’re literally in an exploratory stage.”