Commission approves 640‑sq‑ft guest house at 906 Foothill with arborist and fire conditions

The Ojai Planning Commission on March 5 approved a conditional use permit and design review permit for a 640‑square‑foot detached guest house at 906 Foothill Road, subject to conditions addressing tree protection and fire‑safety measures and with a handful of public‑works boilerplate conditions clarified or struck.

Staff planner Brian (presenting) described the proposal as a 640‑square‑foot studio accessory dwelling with no cooking facilities (a wet bar only), located at the southeastern base of a large, wooded 72,309‑square‑foot lot whose primary residence is a Spanish hacienda‑style five‑bedroom house. The guest house would be tucked near existing olive and oak canopy and screened from the main house; materials on the proposal include reclaimed barnwood, free‑form stone and a corrugated or standing‑seam metal roof. Principal points in staff’s recommendation included code compliance with RO‑1 zoning standards for setbacks, height, off‑street parking and guest‑house limits.

Historic preservation concerns: Brian Akins, chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, asked the planning commission to solicit a historic resources review because 906 Foothill is…