OJAI : Planners OK Only 1 Building Project

Despite heavy lobbying by hopeful builders, the Ojai Planning Commission adhered to the city’s strict growth-control law Wednesday and issued building permits for only one of eight projects.

The city’s ordinance allows it to give out 12 single-family home building permits and four multifamily ones annually. The fifth permit for multiple-unit dwellings issued this year was left over from last year.

Weighing heavily in the commissioners’ decision were the issues of increased residential density and the city’s ordinance to protect oak trees.

Richard and Margaret Young of Ojai were the only couple granted a building permit. They have proposed building a two-bedroom house at 308 N. Signal St. to match a Victorian-style house on the same property that has been converted into two units. All other applicants were denied permits.

Two applicants, John and Peggy Prian of Ojai and Don and Sharon Hamm of Studio City, asked for three allocations each. Prian applied to build three small homes to join two others at 310 and 312 W. Matilija St. The Hamms applied to add three more homes at 402, 404 and 406 N. Ventura St. to join three others. William and Maria Reinhart Rinna asked to build a two-story home with a two-car garage on a lot at 201 W. Eucalyptus St. that already hosts her single-story home and two-car garage.