North County Issue Affordable Housing :...
Katie Fellows, Ojai resident and president of the League of Women Voters in Ventura County
The League of Women Voters has attended all the City Council and Planning Commission meetings and has supported the low-income housing project all the way. There is an overriding need for low-income housing in Ojai. The high-cost housing needs have been met, but the low-cost housing is lagging far behind. Since it is not economically feasible for the private sector to build low-income housing, it is necessary for the public sector to get involved. The city’s environmental impact report for the project has received positive responses from the Ojai Unified School District and the relevant transportation agencies, who say there are no problems with building the project. If there is a danger to pedestrians, like some residents say, we will need to do something about it. We need to put up traffic lights and hire crossing guards--anything to protect the children. That would be a No. 1 priority for the community.
Darrell Pilcher, a member of Citizens Against the Montgomery Oaks Project
I am not against affordable housing, but I am against it being built in this particular site. It is the right project, but in the wrong place. It is a population density nightmare. The existing population density in the area is an environmentally sensitive issue and it was completely omitted from the environmental impact report. The traffic study that was done was questioned by all, including members of the City Council, yet there was no action taken to look at it closer or address it in any manner. There was also very little attention given to other sites that could have easily absorbed the density. There were other sites that were environmentally superior that were passed up. We question what the urgency was in choosing this site. For some reason, the Planning Commission and the City Council ran through a lot of stop signs to pick this site. They did not give enough consideration to the alternative sites.
Steve Olsen, Ojai city councilman, the only one to vote against the site chosen for the project
I realize that the city of Ojai has a need for low-cost housing. The project, as presented, was good-looking and handsome, and the development company in charge of the project is very reputable. The City Council had to determine the overriding considerations concerning the project and its impact on the area. There is no doubt that the site chosen will be impacted by the project, and I felt the benefits of the project did not outweigh the effects it would have on the quality of life, traffic and the existing high density in the area. There is a state mandate that says the city must provide low-cost housing, and we are required to grant at least a 25% density bonus over local zoning laws. That means in an area zoned for only 17 units, 25 low-cost units can be built. We have lost local control of our own density. There is a need for low-cost housing, but the high-density area chosen is not the right place. There should have been further investigation of sites on the south side of Ojai Avenue.
Rene Ellis, Co-President of Topa Topa Elementary School PTA
The issue is that the site for the project was selected without regard to alternative areas or the impact it will have on the city’s schools. I think the City Council was ill advised by school administrators who said that the nearby schools could handle the extra students brought in by the project. It wasn’t until after their decision that the council was informed by school officials that more teachers, classrooms and a larger cafeteria would be needed to accommodate the additional students. Those things cost money, and the council approved the site without allocating funds to the schools to help accommodate the extra students brought in by the project. There are some disturbing inequalities here, and I don’t think the council took the time to look at all the alternatives. There are other places in the city, including the open spaces in the outlying areas of the city, that would be more appropriate. I don’t know why the council only considered the downtown area. The area is incredibly busy with traffic and it is not well maintained. It just isn’t the best place for it.
Joe Devito, Ojai city councilman and principal at San Antonio Elementary School
I feel the project should be built because there is a need for low-cost housing in Ojai. In past years, the city has been looking for someone to come forth with a housing project that would be practical, and Cabrillo Corp. had one. Some people looked at the environment and were concerned about the impact the project will have on it, but one of the things we did was look at the environmental impact report and listen to what our consultants and the experts had to say. The superintendents and their assistants said there would not be any significant impact on local schools. It is a question of who to believe. If the city hadn’t approved the project, then the state was going to come in and do it for us. It was better for us to do instead of losing control to an outside force. What makes Ojai are the people, and we are building this project for the people of Ojai. I know people have expressed concern about the type of people the project may draw from outside the city, and we are looking into possible legal ways that we can make sure that the project benefits Ojai residents.
