OJAI : Proposed Design Law to Be Reviewed

The Ojai City Council will review a proposed ordinance tonight that would require business owners on Ojai Avenue to submit to an architectural review when making certain changes to their buildings.

Currently, a review of proposed changes is needed only when a building permit is required, said Bill Prince, the city’s planning director.

Permits are required when an owner is adding to an existing building.

The proposed ordinance would prevent business owners from making changes that would alter the look of a building and make it incompatible with surrounding buildings.

Business owners who repaint their buildings in the original colors, or who change a building’s color but keep the choice within a particular range, would be exempt from a review, Prince said.

“We are currently working on which colors are acceptable, but it might be better to determine the colors that can’t be used, “ Prince said.

The city drew up the proposal from architectural guidelines for the Arcade businesses.

Fears that businesses beyond the Arcade area might change their facades prompted the city to include all businesses along Ojai Avenue, Prince said.

“The ordinance would be a legal way to keep the aesthetic value of Ojai,” he said.

Margaret Westrom, executive director of the Ojai Chamber of Commerce, said she could not comment because she had not seen the plan.

Wendy LaBraque, owner of the Ojai Indian Shop in the Arcade, said the plan “seems fair.”

She added, “I hate to see restrictions. But in this day and age, I guess there has to be.”

The ordinance would also exempt a review of remodeling single-family houses on multifamily-zoned lots, as long as building permits are not required.

Currently, only houses on single-family-zoned lots are exempted.