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Ojai council adopts $6M master plan to remake City Hall campus as ecological hub
Summary
The Ojai City Council on July 14 adopted the 2026 City Hall Campus Landscape Master Plan, a community‑built vision emphasizing restoration, native plantings, ADA access and limited new facilities. Council approved the resolution after public testimony and discussion of parking, maintenance and costs.
The Ojai City Council voted July 14 to adopt the 2026 City Hall Campus Landscape Master Plan, a community‑developed blueprint to transform the City Hall campus into an ecological hub featuring restoration areas, demonstration gardens, accessible paths and a modest ‘garden house’ for events. The council approved the resolution by roll call after a presentation by Kathy Nolan of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition and public comment.
The Green Coalition presented the 101‑page plan and said volunteers and partners completed most work for roughly $100,000, while a preliminary, whole‑site cost estimate totaled a little over $6,000,000. The plan prioritizes native plant restoration, creekside habitat, historic‑structure preservation (including the carriage house/Hobson Barn), and a phased approach that would include design development, construction documents and future grant pursuits.
Supporters at the meeting said the plan reflects extensive community outreach — workshops, open houses, site tours and surveys — and would guide the campus’s stewardship for the next 15–25 years. Several residents and commission liaisons urged the council to approve the master plan and applauded the volunteer hours invested in the work.
Council discussion focused on practical next steps: confirming that the Libby Park master plan remains in force, ensuring enough parking during events, evaluating the structural condition of historic buildings and defining maintenance and funding responsibilities. Council members asked staff to consider phased implementation, pursue relevant grants for restoration work and bring structural assessments (for the carriage house and pergola) to the design phase.
Mayor Gilman moved to accept the plan as presented. After a second and roll call, the motion passed unanimously. Staff said adoption authorizes staff to carry the master plan forward into design and implementation phases, with further council review and explicit budget decisions required before construction work begins.
The council framed adoption as a policy step — a guide for future design and funding decisions — rather than a directive to immediately spend on construction. The coalition and staff suggested next steps: engineering reports, targeted grant applications, RFPs for design consultants and careful phasing that considers maintenance and parking impacts. The council also agreed to retain the plan for public record and museum archiving, per presenters’ requests.
The council adjourned the discussion with direction for staff to return with follow‑up items, including structural assessments and proposed phasing/estimated budgets as design development proceeds.
