Ojai City Council and Planning Commission Joint Meeting

Objective Design Standards

• State law dictates density and parking metrics for qualifying affordable housing projects.
• Local control remains over measurable design standards such as height and materials.
• Staff will draft objective criteria specifically for the Ojai Avenue corridor.
• The body will review the drafted standards at a future date.

General Design Guidelines

• Discussion focused on the lack of specific design guidelines for the Westside area.
• Attendees considered Mission Revival styles versus transitional rural-to-urban forms.
• Staff proposed issuing an RFP to a third party to develop a framework.
• Council members supported the proposal for hiring external expertise.

Parking

• Discussion addressed parking management and circulation issues within the downtown core.
• Staff suggested an RFP to hire a consultant for parking solutions and code review.
• The group agreed to explore a Traffic and Safety Commission incorporating parking duties.
• Concerns were raised regarding consistency in applying parking waivers.

Fire Hardening

• Topics included updating building codes, undergrounding utilities, and defensible space.
• Staff noted undergrounding utilities is a complex process requiring utility cooperation.
• The Building Official is mapping existing fire hardening codes for review.
• Further discussion on fire hardening will occur at a future joint meeting.

• On Tuesday, June 24th, a joint meeting was held between the Ojai City Council and the Planning Commission. The session commenced with roll call, which confirmed the presence of Mayor Gilman, Council Mayor Pro Tem Lange, Council Member Rule, Council Member Whitman, Council Member Mang, and other staff and commission members. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Council Member Rule moved to approve the agenda. The motion was approved without objection.

Presentations and Overview

• Planning Commission member Trent and City Staff representative Lucas Seibert provided an overview of four primary discussion topics: 1. Objective Design Standards: Required by the state Housing Element for multifamily and mixed-use affordable housing projects. Standards must be measurable rather than subjective to comply with state law. 2. General Design Guidelines: A need was identified for guidelines for the Westside of the city, currently lacking specific design requirements unlike the Downtown and Eastside. 3. Parking: Discussion centered on circulation, existing studies indicating no downtown shortage, and potential policy changes. 4. Fire Hardening: Topics included code updates, defensible space, and undergrounding utilities.

Public Comment

• Five individuals provided public comment:
• Bill Miley: Discussed East Ojai Avenue guidelines, sidewalk and bike lane deficiencies, parking needs at the Libby Bowl and downtown, fuel reduction via goat grazing, and noise ordinance enforcement.
• Larry Steingold: Requested clarification of design standard nomenclature, proposed a parking commission to vet information, suggested identifying unused parking spaces, and advocated for using the Ojai Fire Committee Council proposal for fire hardening.
• Renee Roth: Supported a parking commission, emphasized enforcing defensible space requirements for existing homes in high-fire hazard areas, and cited California Fire Code Chapter 29 and Ventura County Fire Standard 515.
• Starchild (Online): Advocated for the elimination of parking minimums to promote affordable housing, reduce traffic, and improve environmental outcomes, citing Minneapolis as a case study.
• Teal (Online): Commented on fire hardening, urging tangible actions over administrative procedures, and requested the comment be recorded for the subsequent City Council meeting.

Discussion and Action Items

Objective Design Standards

• The group discussed the constraints imposed by state law regarding affordable housing. Staff noted that density and parking standards for qualifying projects are dictated by the state, limiting local control over those specific metrics. However, design standards (height, materials, setbacks) remain within local control provided they are objective and measurable.
• Ojai Avenue: Discussion occurred regarding applying specific objective criteria to the Ojai Avenue corridor to maintain a cohesive aesthetic.
• Thresholds: The percentage of affordable units required to trigger state protections (5% very low income, etc.) was reviewed.
• Decision: City Staff will continue working on drafting objective design standards. The body will review these standards at a future date.

General Design Guidelines (Westside)

• Discussion focused on the lack of design guidelines for the Westside area (from the Y to Signal Street/Bristol). Attendees considered whether this area should follow Mission Revival styles similar to the Downtown or reflect a transitional rural-to-urban form.
• Action Item: Staff proposed issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to a third party to develop a framework for design guidelines. Council Member Graham supported this approach.

Parking

• The discussion addressed parking management, circulation issues in the downtown core, and the idea of forming a commission.
• Action Item: Staff suggested an RFP to hire a consultant for parking solutions and code review. Council Member Rule suggested revisiting this topic and the commission idea after the Goals and Priorities agenda item. Council Member Whitman noted concerns regarding consistency in applying parking waivers.
• Action Item: The group agreed to explore a Traffic and Safety Commission, potentially incorporating parking duties, as recommended by the City Manager.

Fire Hardening

• Topics included updating building codes (Title IX), undergrounding utilities, and defensible space.
• Utilities: Staff noted that undergrounding is a complex, expensive process (approx. $5 million per mile) requiring private property cooperation. City Manager Harvey noted that Rule 20 funds from the state are available but require coordination with the utility provider (SoCal Edison).
• Action Item: The Building Official is mapping existing fire hardening codes. The Planning Commission is to determine their role in looking at code updates for future projects.
• Decision: Further discussion on fire hardening will occur at a future joint meeting.

Conclusion

• The joint session was adjourned with a decision to convene another meeting soon to continue discussion on the remaining topics. The participants took a 10-minute break before convening for the regular City Council meeting. The Council meeting opened with roll call, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a moment of silence.