OJAI : Continued Use of Time-Shares Backed

A proposal to continue permitting time-share buildings in the western part of Ojai was approved Wednesday by the Planning Commission and sent to the City Council.

Time-share buildings, in which owners buy the right to occupy a unit for a specified time each year, are already allowed in some areas of the city with a conditional-use permit.

But the city is considering adopting the Maricopa Specific Plan, which would govern land use in the western third of the city. The plan would create a new zone including some property where time-shares are allowed, including the area near the Ojai Valley Inn and Country Club.

The problem is that the existing city ordinance governing time-shares doesn’t refer to the new zone.

Planning Director Bill Prince proposed an amendment to the law to include the new zone, which includes property with a minimum lot size of 40 acres with at least 75% of the area as open space.