Living on Westlake Village's Lake (apartments, rental, insurance)

[SoChi1]

Has anyone out there experienced living on the lake in Westlake Village? We are considering buying a home and wonder about smells, noise, etc. Also, do you get a lot of those spiders by the docks, etc. that are common with natural lakes? What is it like to live there?

[nightlysparrow]

A good friend lives on Westlake Island, which has always been considered primo, although in recent years big mansions have appeared up high in the hills and look down on the lake. Most of the area was built in the 1960's, but has experienced a lot of renovation. There are also a number of rental apartments farther out from the lake. As you know, it is a man-made lake from a dam up at Lake Sherwood. The dam is not maintained by the State, but by the Sherwood Valley Homeowner's Association. The joke is (some joke!) that if the dam breaks, Westlake lake would rise by 4 feet and that would wipe out the area. I don't know if they have flood insurance. There are a number of homeowner's associations in Westlake, depending on the tract. They are very "active" and any changes to your house must be reviewed. LaVenta (i.e., LA/Ventura) is the dividing line between the two counties, in fact the island is divided in two, so regulations, property taxes, etc. are different, depending.

There are a lot of ducks on the lake, which to most people are a pain when they poop everywhere, and this can be smelly, but they do take care of a lot of bugs. The lake has to be dredged regularly, and the homeowners who have lakeside property pay for this. The lake only allows for non-motorized watercraft, so there's no loud jet skis or boats. It's very peaceful, overall.

The small commercial area on the lake has a few restaurants and boutiques, the Yacht Club, and offices to rent. One can walk partway around the lake, but the vast majority is unwalkable and private. Overall, a nice place to live.