Oak Creek: housing begins with creativity.

The story of Oak Creek in Agoura Hills is a casebook study of public officials and a private developer figuring out together what makes the most sense for a community.

The zoning of the 40-acre site near the Kanan Road exit of the 101 Freeway called for office development. That designation dated from the late 1990s, when city planners expected the booming hightech and dot-com market to expand into Agoura Hills, a city located along a "technology corridor" stretching between Woodland Hills and Camarillo.

The collapse of the dot-coms, however, saddled the city with an unbuilt and unproductive site. "There was no market for office or technology," said Milt Swimmer. "What made the most sense for the site?"

Clearly, both the company and city officials needed to exercise creativity. Jerry Snyder and his partners determined that the best solution was rental housing.

Although the idea was new for the local city council, which was surprised initially by the suggestion of building a multifamily complex on the site, city officials quickly came around. Agoura Hills, an affluent bedroom community, had comparatively little rental housing.

The J.H. Snyder Company had further negotiations to complete with the city, however. The company's acquisition of the site included a land-exchange agreement for a new city library, along with the dedication of 2.4 acres of land for the Kanan Road/101 Freeway interchange project, saving the city an estimated $2 million. The firm also designated 14 acres of land as open space and funded a $70,000 oak tree habitat replacement to preserve oak trees.

Celebrating the completion this past summer, the project known as Oak Creek is a mixed-use development straddling Medea Creek.

Rather than bulldozing hills, the apartments are nestled among 40-acres of rolling hills and oak trees, in 24 separate buildings, each containing 14 apartments. In an unconventional twist, each unit has its own private outdoor entrance.

Part of the development is a nine-acre commercial site with a 124-unit hotel, upscale restaurants, informal dining and a coffee house.

Oak Creek is "a testament," said Snyder, "to what can be accomplished to address the needs of the community, as they relate to housing, transportation and overall quality of life."