OJAI : Construction Begins on Park Bandstand
Construction on a controversial bandstand for Libbey Park has finally begun.
After more than a year of vigorous debate with city officials, Ojai resident Sara Beeby broke ground last week on the bandstand.
Beeby began lobbying the Ojai City Council for the 700-square-foot bandstand four years ago after attending an outdoor concert on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The council finally approved the project in January, although some members expressed concern that the park was losing its green space to man-made structures. Construction began last week after the city finally issued a building permit.
The $50,000 bandstand, which replaces a smaller gazebo, will be the new home of the 40-piece Ojai Band. The 16 1/2-foot-high bandstand will be built of wood, mission tile and river rock.
Beeby, who formed the band in 1991, said the project should be completed by early August and celebrated with a concert in the park.
“Finally we’ll have a bandstand that can fit all of us,” Beeby said.
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