Inn estate
approved by Planning
By Jesse Phelps

A palatial estate for the Crown family, owners of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, headlined a number of developments approved by Ojai city planners at Wednesday night's regularly scheduled meeting.

The commission unanimously granted its approval for the 9,750 square-foot estate, which will sit down in a hollow behind the eighth golf tee, 165 feet back from Hermosa Road, which will also serve as the access point.

Commissioner John Mirk lauded the applicant on his choice of location, saying, "It's the perfect site for the building because it's so huge."
Commissioner Paul Blatz agreed and humorously pointed out that the proposed living room "is bigger than most guest houses."

Architect William Mahan said the structure would not intrude upon the landscape, being visible for "about one second at 30 miles per hour driving up Hermosa." In order to keep the natural, country feel of that drive and match the flora from the Villanova property across the street, Mahan assured chair Tucker Adams that he also planned to plant a row of oak trees along the fence line.

Another proprietor's residence also came before the commission, a conceptual proposal for a second-story addition above the Firebird Plaza on East Ojai Avenue. While the commission had some doubts about the project as it was presented, they also said it could help rectify what they considered many mistakes in the original design.
In a show of leniency, the commission also elected not to significantly penalize Rains Department Store owner Alan Rains for building outside of parameters set forth by staff on a recent renovation.

A debate between Rains and community development director Robert Casias showed that city staff feels ignored and manipulated. For his part, Rains said, "Right or wrong, we had an on-site decision to make and we made it."

Said Casias, "It's not that you didn't know, it's just that the rules weren't for you."

The commissioners asked that Rains replace some plants he chose with the original recommended varietals and Adams even offered to donate her skills as a consultant. In addition, the commission will require Rains to augment a stamped concrete ground cover he chose with brick banding matching the rest of the Arcade Plaza.

On a lighter note, the commission granted approval for the replacement of a modular building with a prermanent preschool facility at a church site adjacent to Ojai Valley Community Hospital.
Applicant Jim Perkins said the new building will allow a needed infant-care element for the church community, something the commissions lauded and had no trouble approving unanimously.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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