CITY TO BE HEALTHY-LIFESTYLE MECCA HOTEL, SPA TO OPEN LATER THIS YEAR.

Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer

WESTLAKE VILLAGE - As Susan McSweeney listened to the words of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and billionaire David Murdock at the groundbreaking two years ago for Murdock's hotel and health institute, a light went on in her head.

``I looked around and thought, 'I'll probably be mayor when the hotel opens, and I really want to get on board with this,''' she said, explaining how she was inspired to lose 60 pounds and become a model for residents of her city who are also becoming more health-conscious.

She and other city officials hope the opening later this year of Murdock's multimillion-dollar project will help put Westlake Village on the map as a city where people can come to live healthier, longer lives.

They proudly point out that the city of 9,300 just inside the Los Angeles County line is already ranked No. 1 on the list of county cities with the lowest rate of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease, in a study released by the county Public Health Department last month.

And a survey of what Westlake Village residents want to see over the next 10 years shows healthy living, recreation opportunities and clean air among the top priorities.

``We want to become known as a wellness community,'' McSweeney said. ``I think concern about more healthy living is kind of a pervasive thing for people of all ages.''

Westlake Village logos traditionally have shown horses, sailboats and other elements of the city's affluent and physically active lifestyle, but residents have also been known to spend hours sipping margaritas and cruising the lake on their party boats.

``In the past, people have been resigned to all the complications of aging and disease, but they are now realizing we are sort of in charge of our own health through exercise,'' said McSweeney, who walks around the lake every day for exercise. ``There is a focus now that you don't just get out for enjoyment but to be healthy.''

Fellow City Council member Philippa Klessig said McSweeney ``looks fantastic'' and has inspired her to go walking around the lake, too.

``The community can look to her to get ideas of what you can accomplish,'' Klessig said. ``The City Council wants to encourage more of a focus on a healthy lifestyle, more walking, more biking, more family-oriented outdoor activities. The citizens want not only more cultural events but more health-related events.''

Klessig said she hopes the new hotel and health institute will be on the cutting edge of longevity research and that attitude will spill over into the entire community.

``It all falls into a more healthy lifestyle. The whole package there, the lodging and health facilities, will attract people who are looking to make changes in their lives to increase longevity. It's a resource for the community. We don't have to stay overnight in the hotel, but we can certainly take advantage of the day spa, the lectures and the clinics.''

Developers say the California Wellbeing Institute at the Four Seasons Hotel will be the first facility of its kind and is expected to draw people from all over the world, mixing luxurious spa facilities and science to help people live better and longer.

The six-story project under construction across from Dole Foods headquarters, northwest of the Ventura Freeway and Lindero Canyon Road, will combine an on-site medical clinic and diagnostic facility with dietary programs designed to slow the aging process.

The 267-room luxury hotel and spa is being built on the 20-acre site by Murdock, the owner of Dole Foods, the largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables in the world.

``There are tens of millions of people who want to know about how to live better,'' Murdock said in July. ``The Dole Nutrition Institute and our Wellness Center will help feed the world with that knowledge.''

Several years ago, Murdock established the Dole Nutrition Institute in Westlake Village to gather research on what people need to look their best and stay healthy.

The institute is also developing a new ``School Salad Days'' pilot program to set up salad bars at public schools to encourage healthy eating habits and promote daily fruit and vegetable consumption by California students.

Westlake Village City Council member Mark Rutherford said walking, jogging and riding bicycles around the lake has been a favorite pastime for years in this city, drawing people from surrounding cities like Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills.

``Living healthy lives is an overriding concern by a lot of our residents,'' he said. ``The new hotel should fit into the image the city wants to promote and foster.''

Eric Leach, [phone]

eric.leach(at)dailynews.com

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Westlake Village Mayor Susan McSweeney looks over Westlake Lake, which she walks around daily.

(2) Westlake Village Mayor Susan McSweeney, right, walks around Westlake Lake with friends Wendy Lee and Kathy Hannafin.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer