Planners OK renovations for Ojai landmarks
By Jesse Phelps

The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa and The Oaks at Ojai, two landmark hotels and fitness centers of the valley, will undergo some beautifications of their own in the coming months, per the decisions of Ojai planners at their regular meeting Wednesday night.

Representatives for the inn presented plans detailing architectural and landscaping ideas for several functional buildings that, though part of the massive structural overhaul of the establishment, won't be a part of the guest's experience.

Meanwhile, architect David Bury came before the commission to introduce plans he drew up at the request of Oaks owners Don and Sheila Cluff to overhaul their landmark building, retrofitting it for earthquake safety and evoking the character of the original mission-style construction.

Commissioner Craig Brown was the lone dissenter as the commission voted 5-1 (Tucker Adams was absent) to allow Bury to go forward with his renovations.

Brown was concerned because "eyebrow"-like window shades previously discussed for the south-facing façade of the building were not included as part of the presented plans.

Cluff backed up Bury's preference for leaving the shades off. "Our opinion is that it became overwhelming," he said. "It was our opinion that it looked cleaner and simpler without."

Brown, however, was adamant that without the ability to view plans with eyebrows, he couldn't vote yes. "There are two more important buildings in the downtown," said Brown. "The post office and the pergola and the arcade."

The remodel, as approved, will include the removal of the current window surrounds, a covered patio area on the east end of building and the extensive post and beam balcony system on the southern second floor, which faces Ojai Avenue. Bury said all these elements were added sometime after the original construction, without a lot of respect to the historical significance of the building.

Also due for surgery is the porte cochere (carport) in the driveway. Bury said it would be remodeled to harmonize as much as possible with the mission revival style of the building. The new carport will include a series of arches and the name of the establishment in inset lettering on the upper facing.

The exterior plaster will be removed from the building entirely, said Bury, and plywood sheathing will be added to reinforce the building in the event of seismic activity.

A pergola element will also be added and interior cosmetic improvement is in the works. In addition, a row of small balconies along the south side on the second floor will replace the current, non-harmonious balconies.

A covered handicap ramp will exist along the front of the building and a wall along the southern property line will be restored, in accordance with wishes of Historic Preservation Committee, shielding, conveniently, the parking lot. The wall, Bury said, will match the wall in front of the museum just down the block, except for height.

Other minor improvements are included in the plans and Bury said the process may evolve some as they begin to tear out the non-desirable elements.

"Every time we get into this building, we find new things," he said. "As we strip this building down, we'll learn a lot."

The project aims not to restore the original building but to match the style as closely as possible. Said Bury, "We're restoring the character of the building. We're going to evoke the original structure. We're not being limited by what was there before but we're inspired by it."

At the inn, meanwhile, previous plans were scrapped and new ones implemented for some functional structures, necessitating a new environmental impact restudy. The metal-frame and concrete-block buildings will be shielded from public view by trees and serve as maintenance and storage facilities.

"It's not a facility that's going to be visible from Highway 33 or anyplace unless you have permission to enter the site," said senior architect Bill Mahan. "It's a little enclave of functional buildings that serve the Inn. They will all be compatible with one another."

Engineers and traffic impact personnel agreed that the new plans reduce environmental impacts and the commission voted unanimously to approve the new layout.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

Back to the news