VENTURA : Historic Designation for Street Is Debated

About 65 people appeared at the Ventura City Council meeting Monday to debate whether South Dunning Street should be designated a historic district.

Some residents argued that the neighborhood near Buenaventura Mall has architectural and historic significance, and should be preserved. Others said the historic status would make it harder to remodel their homes or sell them.

“It’s important to preserve the heritage of Ventura,” said Karen Mayer, a Dunning Street resident. “It’s so easy for things to change. If we don’t try to preserve our history, we will end up with urban sprawl.”

Ventura city planners said the neighborhood is not worthy of historic designation because of the conflicting architectural styles on the street. The historic value of the area is also marginal, said Monica Nolan, associate planner for the city.

The designation would establish architectural guidelines and require residents to get approval from the city before doing any remodeling or building on the street.

The proposed district comprises 45 single-family, one-story houses on south Dunning Street. The only business, which is closed, is the 63-year-old Mission Bell motel, the oldest existing motel in Ventura.

Because Dunning Street is next to the Buenaventura Mall, city planners say they suspect Dunning Street residents are hoping the historic designation would stop or influence the mall’s plans to expand to nearly twice its size in the next few years. Residents denied seeking the status as a ploy to stop the expansion.

A historic district would not affect the mall’s expansion, city officials said. Mall officials said they have no plans to expand beyond their property boundaries.