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 identified as a Category 1 property in a 2011 historic resources survey and was designed in 1929 by architect Paul Revere Williams. Akins said a phase‑1 historical resources report would allow the Historic Preservation Commission to comment on whether the accessory building’s design would distract from the main historic resource. Staff noted the 2011 survey has not been adopted by council and that the proposed guest house does not alter the main residence; staff concluded the guest house itself did not require the same level of historic review but agreed that the commission could request comments from the Historic Preservation Commission.

Tree protection and construction conditions: commissioners asked detailed questions about tree impacts and septic/wastewater service. The applicant and architect said the guest house would sit near but outside the drip lines of major oaks, that an arborist report and tree‑permit application would be submitted before building permits, and that arborist monitoring during grading and foundation work would be required. The architect confirmed a metal roof and Class X backerboard behind reclaimed wood siding for ember resistance, and the design incorporates a concrete slab‑on‑grade foundation with mitigation measures to protect tree roots during excavation.

Public‑works boilerplate and other conditions: commissioners flagged several standard public‑works conditions as overly broad or inapplicable to a single accessory structure and asked staff to add clarifying language. The commission directed staff to append a parenthetical to the public works conditions indicating "as applicable" and struck one specific boilerplate condition (identified as condition 46 in the staff packet) that commissioners agreed did not apply to this project. The commission also aligned entitlement timelines so the CUP and DRP expire on the same schedule (one year) instead of the 180‑day code default for CUPs.

Fire and sanitary: the commission required that the project meet Ventura County fire authority requirements; staff confirmed the project will be reviewed by county fire and Ventura County Environmental Health for septic compliance if the applicant continues to use the existing on‑site septic system. The commission also left in standard stormwater and public‑works conditions but added the parenthetical "as applicable" to avoid imposing unnecessary requirements for this single accessory structure.

Formal action and conditions: the commission adopted the resolution approving the design review permit and conditional use permit with the modifications noted above: (1) require an arborist report and tree protection plan before building permits and on‑site arborist monitoring during grading; (2) add "as applicable" to public works conditions and strike condition 46; (3) change the CUP entitlement window from 180 days to one year to match the DRP; and (4) require compliance with Ventura County fire and septic requirements. The motion passed in a recorded roll call (4‑0; Commissioner Chesley absent).

What happens next: applicants must submit the arborist documentation and tree permit before the city issues building permits; final public‑works and stormwater requirements will be determined during plan review and will only apply if the project qualifies under those standards. The commission asked staff to coordinate with public works to clarify boilerplate language for future permits.

Votes and roll call: motion carried 4 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain, 1 absent (Chesley).