OJAI : Arcade May Allow 2-Story Additions

A decision to allow two-story buildings in the downtown Arcade, one of Ojai’s most distinctive landmarks, faces the Planning Commission on Wednesday in the form of a proposal some find attractive and others call grandiose.

Larry Wilde’s project is the one being reviewed but another is waiting in the wings. Yvonne Preston is considering an addition at 246 E. Ojai Ave.

Built in 1917, the Spanish-style Arcade was renovated last year at a cost of $1.7 million. The city’s Redevelopment Agency passed $775,000 of that cost on to the dozen Arcade property owners who are now seeking ways to recoup higher tax assessments.

Planning Commissioner Marc Whitman, an architect, designed the proposed retail-office complex at 250 and 254 E. Ojai Ave. for Wilde and his partners. The plans call for more than doubling the size of the buildings and adding balconies over the Arcade Plaza.

The Ojai Redevelopment Commission recommended the project on a 4 to 2 vote last week. Commissioner Richard Hultgen called it grandiose.

The Historical Preservation Commission gave the project a reluctant 2-1 nod Oct. 1 with members voicing concerns of a precedent, but noting the design is attractive and complements the Arcade.

Issues before the planners include whether there is enough parking for more commercial development in a slow-growth city, if a potential historical landmark will be irreversibly altered, and whether other merchants will be able to feel the sun or see the post office tower across the street.