Ojai planners continue review of ‘Cabin Village’ supportive‑housing project amid soil, access and fire‑hardening concerns

The Ojai Planning Commission continued its review Feb. 19 of the “Cabin Village,” a proposed permanent supportive housing project on a 1.74‑acre parcel currently used as the city Public Works yard, with discussion focused on a lot‑line adjustment, design details and community concerns about soil contamination, access and wildfire hardening.

Staff and the project design team told the commission the proposal is for a 30‑unit, single‑story building arranged around a central courtyard with shared dining and service spaces; the city is the applicant and the developer is Dignity Moves. Lucas Seibert, the city’s community development director, said the lot‑line adjustment is a survey cleanup that increases square footage by more than 10% on two smaller lots and therefore requires Planning Commission review before City Council consideration. “My name is Lucas Seibert. I’m the community development director here for the city of Ojai,” Seibert said during the presentation.

Staff said the site is zoned PL (Public/Quasi‑Public) with a General Plan designation of Public, and that permanent supportive housing does not appear verbatim in the city use chart. Seibert said staff is justifying the proposal as a government‑services use because the project will be funded through state grants and the city—rather than a private nonprofit—is the applicant and landowner. Seibert also outlined a set of CEQA exemptions staff believes apply, including the Class 32 infill exemption and provisions for qualified affordable housing and recent statutory provisions that affect local approval of projects to house people experiencing homelessness.

Caitlin Bush, the civil engineer with Jensen Design, described grading, utilities and access: “This driveway is also, fire department accessible and is compliant with fire code,” she said, adding the plan routes stormwater to match existing patterns and that the project is “going full electric.” Architect Dylan Johnson described the program: “30 units arranged around a courtyard,” with 28 single units of about 80 square feet and two double units, all on one level and designed for accessibility. Landscape architect Kathy Nolan said the team will preserve mature on‑site trees where feasible, add drought‑tolerant native plantings and design a courtyard with dining, raised…