Ojai commission approves work permit for three new outbuildings at Westways with Mills Act condition

The Ojai Historic Preservation Commission on Dec. 12 approved a major work permit allowing construction of a hay barn, a horse barn and a three-car garage at Westways, a city-designated historic landmark at 700 San Antonio Road.

Maura Macaluso, principal planner for the City of Ojai, told commissioners the city retained a historic resources consultant to assess the proposal and concluded the new, detached structures would have a “less than significant impact on the historic resource” under the California Environmental Quality Act and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. “The application that you have in your packet includes a full scope of work, for the 3 detached structures,” Macaluso said. She told commissioners the buildings would use composite shingle siding and asphalt roofing to match the main house’s color and scale.

The nut of the commission’s review was whether the new buildings would remain visually compatible with the landmark while still being distinguishable as new, a requirement the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards addresses. Architect/applicant Chris Denzel described the structures as modest in size: “The buildings each are 4 to 500 square feet, and the garage a little bit larger at about 900 square feet,” and said they were designed to “reflect and, work with the different materials, ideas, aesthetics of the bill of most of the buildings on the property.” Malcolm Kutner, the owner’s representative, added the project team intentionally kept the new buildings small and dispersed: the owner has a herd of miniature horses and prefers smaller, separated shelters rather than a single large barn.

Tim Hazeltine, the historic consultant retained for the review, told the commission the report concluded the new structures were “compatible, but subtly differentiated” from the historic buildings. Hazeltine said the difference would come from slightly different shingle profiles and window/trim details rather than from radically different cladding materials. “We were not really supportive of cladding the buildings in stucco or a material that was so different from the historic property materials,” Hazeltine said, adding that the new buildings’ distance from the primary historic cluster reduces the risk of visual confusion.

Commissioners pressed the applicants and staff on restoration of original shingle siding on several existing outbuildings and on the Mills Act status. Commissioner Craig Walker asked whether the older outbuildings would be returned to historic wooden shingle siding, noting post-World War-era stucco had replaced some original shingle surfaces. The applicant said replacing stucco with wood shingles was a possible future project but is not part of the current scope. Macaluso confirmed the city has begun a separate outreach to Mills Act holders for periodic updates on their maintenance obligations.

Commissioner Randy Levitt moved to approve the major work permit with an explicit condition making clear that the land under the new structures remains part of the property’s Mills Act designation while the newly constructed buildings themselves are not conveyed as part of the Mills Act tax benefit. (The city staff advised that new construction typically is not automatically enrolled in an existing Mills Act agreement.) The motion passed unanimously in a roll call vote: Akins, McCanton, Levitt, Moore, Sims and Walker all voted yes.

The commission’s approval rests on the consultant’s finding that the proposed designs meet the city’s standard referencing the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and that the project would not cause a significant environmental impact under CEQA. Staff said building permits and any future proposals to alter the primary historic buildings would be subject to separate review and any requirements of the Mills Act agreement.

The project team said they will continue coordination with staff and the historic consultant through building permit review and welcomed further site visits by commission members or staff as permits proceed.