Historic Preservation Commission pulls Arbelada rocks item after debate; commissioner who did outreach objects

The Ojai City Historic Preservation Commission voted Thursday to pull an agenda item about the Arbelada rock features after a lengthy discussion over whether commissioners should undertake research or simply inform property owners about how to nominate features as landmarks.

Vice Chair Laurel Sims moved to remove the item from the commission’s agenda; the motion passed on a roll call vote, with Commissioner Akins voting no. Chair McCatton, Vice Chair Sims, Commissioner Bisaccia, Commissioner Walker and Commissioner Moore voted in favor.

Commissioners said the commission’s earlier, separate action had been to decline to take on the Arbelada rocks as an HPC-led project and instead to tell residents how to file a nomination if they wished. Maura (staff) said the commission’s direction at the prior meeting was to have a commissioner inform residents “of the process,” including that a nomination requires an application, a fee and a historic resources report prepared by a historian, not for a commissioner to conduct research.

Commissioner Akins, who reported he had spoken with several residents and others in the area, urged the commission to allow him to present what he had learned. Akins said he contacted property owners and community members and consulted the city attorney when questions arose. "I have talked to individuals, council members, the city attorney," Akins said during the meeting. He argued his outreach was in keeping with the earlier direction to inform the community about the nomination process.

Staff and other commissioners countered that the commission had voted not to make the nomination an HPC project and that formal research would be done only if the property owners initiated a nomination and hired a historian. Maura told the commission that the handbook permits a commissioner to inform community members about process but does not convert that outreach into an HPC project.

After discussion about procedure and minutes wording (members noted a wording error in the draft minutes where “not” had been omitted), the commission took the vote to pull the item. The formal motion to remove item 7 from tonight’s agenda passed by a 5–1 vote. The commission chair said members could still be informed if community members file nominations and follow the city’s application process.

The commission did not take any further action tonight to initiate landmark nomination or research; commissioners repeatedly said only property owners or nominators can initiate the formal nomination process and that staff will accept applications for consideration.

Provenance: The first discussion of this item appears when commissioners debated removing the Arbelada item from the agenda and the prior motion to not nominate the rock features (transcript excerpt: "the motion was that chair McCatton moved and vice chair Sims seconded the motion to not nominate the Arbel Rock Curves as a landmark"). The final vote to pull the item appears later in the meeting (transcript excerpt: "McCannon? Yes. Sims? Yes. Akins? No. Miss Sasha? Yes. Walker? Yes. Moore? Yes.").