Council grants temporary patio change for O Mountain Farm, directs staff to seek freezer relocation

The Ojai City Council approved a conditional modification to O Mountain Farm’s outdoor dining area on June 23 while directing staff to pursue removal of an existing outdoor walk‑in freezer from the Arcade plaza.

The action comes after a lengthy appeal hearing over a planning commission denial. Principal planner Mora Maluso reviewed the application, describing a proposal to reorient and modestly expand an existing outdoor dining area at 242 East OHigh Avenue and to formalize the location and screening for a walk‑in freezer. Maluso told council staff recommended findings for a conditional use permit and design review but noted the project raised questions about compatibility with the Arcade Plaza design guidelines and potential environmental (SEQA) exemptions.

Applicant Tony Ano (O Mountain Farm) told council the freezers and screened area were permitted by staff when he sought renovation permits and said he had built to the plans and conditions he was given. “I followed every step that I was directed to follow,” Ano said, describing the patio redesign as necessary to achieve ADA‑compliant access and to orient seating toward the plaza rather than toward service alleys and public restrooms.

Opponents and the Historic Preservation Commission, however, argued the freezer and its screening obstruct the historic brick façade and that staff’s ministerial approvals were piecemeal. Planning‑commission members and several residents testified that the project had been segmented into ministerial and discretionary approvals in a way that should have triggered environmental review. Commissioner Craig Walker and others urged council to treat the cumulative and setting impacts as potentially significant for the historic resource.

Council members discussed competing interests: preserving the Arcade setting and historic façade, protecting the oak tree near the screened area, and supporting a new small, locally owned restaurant that provides jobs and local food.

Council member Lang moved to approve the draft resolution amending the restaurant’s approved outdoor dining area and to allow the existing freezer to remain in place for a limited period while staff works with the applicant and a neighboring business to identify an alternative refrigeration arrangement off‑site. The motion directed staff and the city attorney to return to council with a timeline, scope and options in August and included conditions addressing tree protection, maintenance, and CEQA findings. The motion passed after roll call; a majority of council supported the conditional approval.

What happens next: the city will work with the applicant and a neighboring business that indicated a willingness to explore shared freezer use. Staff will also return in August with an implementation timeline, an estimate of any costs, and recommendations for steps to protect the historic resource and oak tree. If the parties cannot reach a workable alternative, council will revisit the matter as directed by the motion.

The council’s decision attempts to balance the Arcade’s long‑standing design goals, the council’s obligation to ensure appropriate environmental review for historic resources, and the community interest in sustaining local, farm‑to‑table business activity.