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Commission approves mixed-use conversion at 302 El Paseo with window/door condition
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a design review permit and minor conditional use permit to convert part of 302 El Paseo Road from administrative offices to mixed retail and restaurant uses with outdoor dining, subject to a condition requiring the applicant to return to the community development director and Commissioner Chesley for detailed review of door and window schedules.
The City of Ojai Planning Commission on Feb. 18 approved a project at 302 El Paseo Road that changes a single-use administrative office building to a mixed-use property including retail, a cafe with outdoor seating and retained limited office space on the second floor.
Staff described the proposal as a reconfiguration of the first floor into a roughly 1,300-square-foot retail space and a 1,591-square-foot cafe with outdoor dining, while limiting second-floor office area to the reported 1,270 square feet. The existing parking lot will be reconfigured: staff said the lot currently provides 20 spaces and will be modified to accommodate 18 spaces; the municipal code requires 16 for the proposed uses under the applicant’s shared-parking approach. Planning staff and the community development director emphasized that the shared-use parking standard allows a reduced parking requirement because different uses peak at different times.
Applicant Kevin Cohen, representing the property owner Bijan Cohen, said the family has been in the community for more than 30 years and thanked staff for assistance. Public commenter Larry Steingold told the commission he supported mixed use but urged caution about neighborhood parking impacts. Commissioners probed circulation, sightlines at the nearby intersection, door and glazing details and asked that applicant provide a door/window schedule during building permit review. Commissioner Stewart proposed — and the commission adopted — a condition that the applicant return to the community development director with Commissioner Chesley to finalize door and window schedules, rather than delegating that approval to an individual commissioner.
The commission’s resolution to approve the design review permit and the director-referred minor conditional use permit passed on a roll call vote. The resolution includes standard conditions of approval; staff will incorporate the door/window-schedule condition into final permit paperwork.
Why it matters: the conversion adds daytime retail and evening dining options to a downtown corner while relying on shared parking rules to meet municipal-code standards. The commission attached a condition to ensure building openings and glazing are consistent with downtown character and public-safety sightlines.
