VENTURA : City Council Rejects Housing Plan Again

It’s back to the drawing board again for a developer who has been trying for more than a year to build a condominium complex in the 400 block of Poli Street in downtown Ventura.

The Ventura City Council rejected Monday plans for a three-unit, flat-roofed, Southwest-style condominium project proposed by Michael Wooten, president of Darrick Marten Development Co.

“The design must be one that is more consistent with the neighboring bungalows and Victorian styles, including pitched roof elements,” Councilman Todd Collart said.

“I can’t imagine a more radical departure in design from the neighborhood than what they came up with,” Acting Mayor Donald Villeneuve said.

But the council, which rejected Wooten’s plans once before, did not reject the project outright. Instead, council members asked Wooten to come up with a new plan by Aug. 1.

Collart suggested the height of the condos remain at 124 feet and that the garage be lowered about two feet. He also said there should be 10 feet between the condominiums and the property line, rather than five feet.

Wooten appeared to take the council’s decision in stride, saying that he would begin work with his architect within the week and hoped to have a new plan by the end of the month. “We’ll make every attempt to fall within the council’s guidelines,” he said.

Gisela Baida, owner of La Mer Bed and Breakfast Inn, next door to the proposed condos, said she was disgusted with the council’s decision.

The two have clashed on the issue before, most recently at the City Council meeting two weeks ago when Baida questioned the accuracy of Wooten’s measurements and the council asked city staff to survey the properties.