Hilton Headquarters Q&A: Councilman Weber

City councilman Denis Weber has served four terms as Mayor—1997-98, 2001-02, 2005-06 and 2008-09—and currently sits on five committees, including Art in Public Places, City/Schools, Finance, General Plan Advisory, and Public Works. The 17-year councilman weighed in with his insights on the Conrad G. Hilton Foundation's new headquarters in Agoura Hills.

Agoura Hills Patch: As the longest sitting councilman, what do you see as the most significant changes in the landscape in Agoura Hills during your tenure, and where do you see Agoura Hills going?

Denis Weber: I see more growth. It is about balance. We can still have a beautiful environment, and...be responsive to businesses' and the economy's needs. We [on the City Council] always talk about it. We just try to be flexible. Everyone makes fun of me. They call me Mr. Flexible. You know...when you find something out, you adapt.

AH Patch: How do you feel about the Hilton Foundation's headquarters moving to Agoura Hills?

Weber: I think that it's going to be to our benefit to have a Hilton Foundation within our borders. It's a global organization that does wonderful, wonderful work—poverty issues, hunger issues. I'm so glad that they picked us to house their new home. And they're doing it in phases. They're developing different types of buildings, one at a time. They will do it well.

AH Patch: How do you think the existence of the Hilton Foundation will present a net benefit to the local economy and city atmosphere?

Weber: The population that will ultimately be along the corridor will live here or patronize businesses that we already have here—gas stations, restaurants, retail stores, hotels. I don't think this particular project will add very much at all to congestion anyways. For example, right above City Hall, we have Joni and Friends. They own a whole building filled with staff and haven't changed [traffic flow since moving in]. And those folks have spent money locally.

AH Patch: What is your take on the Ladyface Mountain Specific Plan and how will it affect the Hilton project?

Weber: The [Ladyface Mountain] Specific Plan is very stringent—at times, I think too stringent. It's part of our laws and we just revised it to have a minimum [standard for] building. At the end of Agoura Road on Ladyface, we had approval a few years ago for a senior living condo. We want to keep that side of Ladyface Mountain as pristine as possible. We're trying to be sensitive to that 1100-foot elevation [maximum height for developments]. If you look at [Hilton's design] renderings, they're building in phases and each building meets the standards.

AH Patch: What developments have occurred on Ladyface Mountain and what opposition has there been in the past and present toward those developments?  

Weber: We have the Hilton coming along. There's a temple built right above City Hall. There's a series of small homes being built. As far as opposition to development,...I can recall a Mark Scheu project [Development plan to build an office complex at 30200 and 30300 Agoura Road]. It was approved through the Planning Commission, but it took years.  It was one of the City Council members [not any citizen movement] who appealed it.

AH Patch: Do you think Hilton being a nonprofit makes the project more appealing to the city of Agoura Hills?  Should it be important for the city to be a home to non-profits?

Weber: Personally I don't think it should.  A building's a building.  It's going to have the same impact, whether it's for-profit or non-profit. I've met with the Hilton brothers. These gentlemen really take the environment to heart and they really want to do a LEED building. My concern is I don't think we should force other people to do this. 

Interested in finding out more? The City Council will discuss a pre-screen review of the Hilton Foundation's professional office development project at the 7 p.m. meeting on Wednesday.