Ojai council votes to appeal planning commission denial for downtown Mountain Farm project amid historic‑preservation dispute

The Ojai City Council voted on June 9 to initiate a council appeal of the planning commission’s May 20 denial of a project at 242 East Ojai Avenue, which would have added a walk‑in cooler and expanded outdoor dining adjacent to a public plaza and a contributing historic structure. The procedural motion authorizes a future quasi‑judicial hearing; council members were careful not to debate the merits at this meeting to protect due‑process rights for the property owner.

City legal staff explained the narrow scope of the vote: tonight’s decision was only whether council should hear an appeal of the planning commission record and that if the council proceeds it will conduct a formally noticed hearing at which evidence and testimony will be received.

Public comment was strongly divided. Dozens of residents and property owners argued against overturning both the city’s Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission decisions. Concerns included what speakers called the project’s adverse effect on the plaza’s character, an eight‑foot fence around an established tree canopy, added refrigeration equipment, and the perception that the project had been “peacemealed” into smaller approvals without adequate environmental or historic review.

Business representatives and other speakers urged a practical compromise. One speaker recommended considering leases or limited use agreements instead of a perpetual property right created by an expanded conditional‑use approval. A local property owner described a long history of the plaza assessment district and asked the city to redistribute a legal memorandum and continue work to resolve related trash‑service and assessment discrepancies for plaza properties.

Council discussion focused on procedure and process. The city attorney and council majority repeatedly cautioned against substantive discussion of the project’s merits at tonight’s meeting; nevertheless several council members said the difference of interpretation between staff and the commissions warranted a council hearing. The motion to pursue a council appeal carried on roll call (three votes in favor, one abstention, one vote against).

Next steps: If the council's appeal is set for public hearing, the applicant will have notice and the city will accept written and oral testimony on the record; staff also committed to distributing a detailed legal memo on the plaza assessment district to council and the public to clarify historical and legal questions raised during public comment.