Ventura County planning commission approves Camp Ramah permit modification, grants unlimited term and raises overnight cap to 1,040

The Ventura County Planning Commission on May 1 approved a suite of permit changes for Camp Ramah, an established nonprofit camp at 385 Fairview Road in unincorporated Ojai, including a modification to its conditional use permit (CUP), adoption of a mitigated negative declaration under CEQA, authorization to remove four protected coast live oak trees (with construction encroachment into the root protection zone for four others), and a variance allowing higher overnight summer populations. The commission approved the motion, including an unlimited CUP term and an amended overnight limit of 1,040, by a 4-0 vote with one commissioner noting concerns on the record.

The action clears the way for construction of the proposed Goldstein Mahone Village, a cluster of new cabins, a central gathering structure and related site improvements on about 1.7 acres inside the larger camp property, while incorporating approximately 348 acres of adjacent open‑space parcels into the CUP boundary for permanent protection. County staff recommended a 50‑year CUP term but the commission granted the unlimited term requested by the applicant.

Staff said the project avoids significant environmental impacts after mitigation. Planning Director Dave Ward told commissioners the project’s mitigations include 14 measures summarized in the staff report—nine biological protections, one cultural resource condition and four noise controls—and that the county recirculated the mitigated negative declaration following comments from the California Department of Fish and Game. "We have identified mitigation measures that reduce impacts to less‑than‑significant levels," Ward said during the hearing.

Under the approved permit, Camp Ramah may build a…