Commission seeks council support to celebrate state historic district, and backs survey update to guide preservation

The Historic Preservation Commission on March 13 agreed to ask City Council for support to celebrate the downtown State Historic District and to pursue an update to the city’s historic resources inventory.

Commissioners said the downtown state district — identified in earlier Caltrans/consultant work and now on state records — has not previously been widely publicized in Ojai. Commissioners and staff proposed installing a plaque and conducting public outreach timed with Ojai Day and related events. The commission authorized the chair and staff to discuss a plaque and an outreach plan and formed an ad hoc group to develop a proposal for the commission and for the Planning/City staff to review.

Separately, commission members discussed the city’s 2011 historic resources survey (a windshield‑style inventory that evaluated thousands of properties and assigned 1/2/3 levels of significance). Staff and commissioners noted the survey is more than a decade old and recommended an update to stay in compliance with preservation best practices and to provide a tool the Planning Department and property owners can use for project review.

The commission instructed staff to pursue a formal update process and, by commission vote, supported issuing a request for proposals (RFP) so a qualified historic consultant can prepare an updated inventory. Commissioners said a more thorough, city‑adopted inventory would strengthen decisionmaking, support the Planning Department and property owners, and clarify expectations about when more study (for example, a historic resources report) will be required under CEQA.

Commissioners also agreed to two short‑term ad‑hoc groups: one focused on a plaque and celebration tied to the State Historic District and Ojai Day; another to assemble outreach materials that explain benefits available to property owners (including the historic building code and possible fee reductions or incentives). Staff said the city manager and community development staff support education and targeted outreach to property owners and that the commission will remain involved as a review and advisory body.

Next steps: staff will prepare materials and a brief agenda report for the joint meeting with City Council; the commission will return recommended plaque wording, outreach plans and proposed RFP scope to the commission for review in upcoming meetings.

Provenance: discussion and direction appear in the March 13 meeting transcript and in staff remarks about ad‑hoc assignments and survey timing.

Outcome: commission consensus to pursue a plaque and outreach and to ask Council to authorize a consultant‑led update to the historic resources inventory (RFP process).