Ojai Explores Land Pact With County

The Ojai City Council is pressing forward with plans for a greenbelt ordinance that would further protect farmland and open space surrounding the Ojai Valley.

Council members voted unanimously this week to schedule public meetings on the proposed greenbelt. But they stopped short of asking the city attorney to draft an ordinance, saying they wanted to hear from property owners and farmers first.

“My biggest concern is not wanting to rush this,” said Councilwoman Sue Horgan.

Under the plan, Ojai would agree not to try to annex farmland or open space outside its city limits for development. In turn, Ventura County officials, who have jurisdiction over those areas, are expected to pass a complementary ordinance agreeing not to build in the greenbelt area.

“The county wanted us to take the lead in this,” City Manager Dan Singer said.

As proposed, the protected area would cover farmland and open space from Lake Casitas east to Dennison Grade and from Los Padres National Forest south to the Sulphur Mountain ridgeline.

The area is already protected by a countywide anti-sprawl initiative overwhelmingly approved by voters in 1998. The measure prevents farmland and open space outside cities from being rezoned for development without voter approval.

Ventura, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Oxnard, Santa Paula and Moorpark have all approved complementary measures to block development outside their borders. Last fall, the Fillmore council approved a greenbelt agreement with the county to protect farmland in the Santa Clara Valley.

Although the rural boundaries outside Ojai, a small town known for its slow-growth politics, are protected by the countywide Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources initiative, the measure expires in 2020.

City planners say the proposed greenbelt agreement would establish a long-term policy to protect open space and farmland ringing the Ojai Valley.

“All we really are committing to is that we will not attempt to annex it,” City Atty. Monte Widders said.

During their regular meeting Tuesday night, council members said they support the greenbelt concept but are concerned about tying the hands of individual landowners.

Meanwhile, City Planner William Prince said that discussions are ongoing between him and planners in Ventura over a possible greenbelt ordinance between the two cities.

In 1998, the same year voters approved the countywide SOAR initiative, voters approved an advisory measure initiated by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. It recommended that the county and its 10 cities adopt ordinances to prohibit changes to exiting urban boundaries.