OJAI : Panel Moves to Bar Rental of Addition

The Ojai Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a local couple’s request to build a small recreation room behind their West Oak Street home, but went to great lengths to ensure that the structure can never become an illegal rental property.

Sal Lucido told commissioners that the 390-square-foot building will be used as extra space when the couple’s first child is born this summer. “Right now, we’re living in an 860-square-foot home, and we just really need some more room,” Lucido said.

The commission said the room may not have a kitchen and may only have a half bath, however, and insisted that the Lucidos agree to make no improvements that would allow future owners to rent the building.

Last summer, the Ojai City Council enacted an emergency moratorium on guest houses after it came to members’ attention that many were being used as illegal rental units, city officials said.

The city is drafting a proposal that would mandate inspections of all real estate before sales become final to ferret out illegal rental units, they added.