Planning commission recommends historic landmark designation for Scholey Farmhouse in Springville development

The Camarillo Landmark Committee on May 6 voted to recommend that City Council designate the Scholey Farmhouse at 650 Edward Scholley Drive as a city historic landmark, a condition of mitigation for the Lennar Homes RPD-195 development.

Rachel Bridal of Rincon Consultants described the farmhouse as a late-19th-century Italianate cottage eligible for landmarking because of its association with Ventura County's agricultural history and its architectural rarity in Camarillo. The committee voted unanimously to forward Resolution PC2025-4 recommending the designation.

The recommendation matters because the Scholey Farmhouse is identified in the project environmental review as an historic resource; the supplemental environmental impact report required mitigation that includes preparing a historic structures report (HSR), rehabilitating the house to Secretary of the Interior standards and landmarking the structure.

Bridal told commissioners the HSR, completed in 2024 by Page & Turnbull, assessed the farmhouse's condition, identified character-defining exterior features and recommended rehabilitation rather than strict preservation to allow upgrades for contemporary use. "The historic structures report determined that rehabilitation in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior standards is the appropriate treatment method for the Scholey Farmhouse," Bridal said.

As presented, mitigation measures require that rehabilitation be completed, that interpretive signage be installed, and that occupancy permits for the final Lennar phases not be issued until the rehabilitation and required documentation are complete. Bridal said Page & Turnbull will provide weekly updates to the city during rehabilitation to confirm compliance with the Secretary of the Interior standards.

Dennis Hardgrave, representing the property owners, told the committee the project team has prepared plan-check-ready rehabilitation drawings and has spent more than $250,000 to date on reports and plans. "To date, over $250,000 have been spent on reports, plans, and even the earlier reports that went into the EIR," he said. Hardgrave said the team intends to secure the exterior and complete exterior rehabilitation in the coming dry season and then proceed through plan check and finishing steps.

Commissioners and public commenters asked about archival photographs and access. Bridal and the applicant said that pre- and post-rehabilitation photographs will be provided to the Camarillo Public Library and that some historic photographs are held by the Pleasant Valley Historical Society. A public commenter urged expedited exterior weatherproofing to prevent further deterioration.

The committee found the project categorically exempt from CEQA on the basis that designation and rehabilitation serve to preserve the structure; staff clarified that the building is treated as a historic resource in the CEQA analysis for the Lennar project and that the two resolutions (CEQA finding and landmark designation) are presented concurrently for commission recommendation.

The committee approved Resolution PC2025-4 recommending landmark designation for the Scholey Farmhouse; the recommendation will go to City Council for final action. The consultant and applicant said rehabilitation and documentation will be archived with the public library and local historical organizations; weekly progress reports will be provided to planning staff during the work.

What happens next: the planning commission's landmark recommendation and the CEQA finding will be transmitted to the City Council; the property owner/developer will pursue building plan check and staged rehabilitation consistent with the HSR and the Secretary of the Interior standards.