OJAI : Residents Oppose Commercial Project

About 10 Ojai residents told the Planning Commission on Wednesday that a 7,000-square-foot office complex and restaurant proposed for the corner of Ojai Avenue and Fairway Lane would pose serious traffic problems and spoil the area’s rural calm.

Several opponents urged the commission to rezone the lot from commercial to residential use, while others suggested that the restaurant be dropped from the proposal.

Most of those speaking against the project live in a residential area next to the planned office complex and had opposed similar plans in 1990.

Dr. Masoud Malek, who owns the property, said improvements have been made in the design of the project, including a reduction in size and the inclusion of a horse trail.

Helene Brough, a 20-year resident of the area, told the commission that the project should be smaller and the restaurant should be eliminated to reduce traffic.

“My first concern is for the safety of the kids riding horses in the area,” she said.

At the end of the project’s review, the commissioners told Malek that they would support a single-story office building on the site but would be unlikely to back a restaurant in the project.

Commissioner Marc Whitman, who owns Whitman Architectural Design and worked on the project, removed himself from the discussion of the proposed complex.

Whitman said his firm mailed notices to local residents to involve the community in the project.

“The idea of this hearing was to get more input before we go into the final design stage,” Whitman said before the hearing.