ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

“Ojai is a little Shangri-La that depends on tourism,” explains resident and former Chair of the Ojai Chamber of Commerce Howard Smith. “But if all of a sudden you’ve got 600 gravel trucks rolling through town every day, you don’t have much of a tourist town anymore….”

Continue reading at the SB Independent...

Ventura County 1st District Supervisor Steve Bennett, right, confers with Ojai Mayor Carol Smith and Stop the Trucks committee chair Michael Shapiro outside the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission hearing in Santa Maria on Wednesday.

From the Ojai Valley News:

“It was another marathon five-hour meeting before the Santa Barbara Planning Commission Wednesday in an attempt to clarify issues and make a final decision on the Troesh Diamond Rock Mine Conditional Use Permit.

An Ojai crowd of about 80 again filled the meeting room alongside residents of the Cuyama region to hear the Commission vote 4-to-1 in favor of approving the mine’s C.U.P. after attaching two new restrictive measures. However, the project still holds the potential of sending 80,000-pound gravel trucks down scenic Highway 33 through one of the Ojai’s busiest intersections…”

“…Michael Shapiro, one of the leaders of the Ojai-based Stop the Trucks organization, had a guarded reaction. “Even though the Planning Commission said there is a ban in effect, there is no teeth in it,” Shapiro said. According to Shapiro there is too much flexibility and the ban can be ignored in case of an emergency. “Emergency was not defined,” continued Shapiro. “I’m not feeling comfortable that there really is a ban...”

“…Shapiro took issue with the Caltrans traffic study, alleging, “The Caltrans report wasn‘t a study; it was a six-page conclusion with no real study involved. We want an independent study…”

“…Cuyama speakers included pistachio rancher Gene Zannon, who echoed concerns of other area residents saying the mine would have major negative impacts on his largely rural farming and ranching community as well as sending traffic to Ojai. “This is the biggest vote facing us since oil was discovered in terms of development and how it will transform our valley,” said Zannon. “They’re planning on drilling to 90 feet and the aquifer is at 40. Our wells are not that deep and I don’t have that much to play with.”

”…Representing the city, Ojai Mayor Carol Smith acknowledged the commission’s tough role but urged them to not approve the C.U.P. Jeff Kuyper of Los Padres Forest Watch, and Gordon Hensley of CoastKeepers, both representatives of nonprofit environmental groups, attacked the EIR and Caltrans study…”

“…After the meeting ended Bennett said he felt the truck controversy was an important and complicated issue. “That still needed to be worked out.” “It’s time for the valley to roll up our sleeves, contribute, and get serious,” said Shapiro. “The city needs to get involved and contribute too if we want to keep the trucks out of Ojai. It’s going to be an uphill struggle and I think it’s going to end in litigation…”

From the Ventura County Star:

“…A campaign to stop gravel trucks from rumbling down Highway 33 and through the Ojai Valley lost a small skirmish this week…”

“…Most of the Diamond Rock trucks are supposed to use routes through Santa Barbara County, but there is nothing guaranteeing that, Shapiro said…”

"…It gets back to this political rationale that completely avoids the real issue about whether the 33, with its tunnels and hairpin turns, was ever designed for this kind of traffic," said Shapiro…”

Stop the Trucks was formed in response to the three large gravel-mining operations. They are clustered near each other in remote corners of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties off Highway 33. According to the group, the cumulative impact from the three operations could mean as many as 600 big semi-trucks laden with gravel jack-braking down Highway 33. One of the other mines, Ozena, wants to expand its existing operation. It has a permit to run about 100 trucks down the route each day…”

From The Santa Maria Times:

Opponents vow to appeal mine decision

“…Numerous speakers, almost all from the Ojai area - including that town's mayor and school superintendent - urged denial of the project. “I think approval of this mine will open the floodgates for hundreds of gravel trucks going through our valley,” Ojai resident Jackie Kuehn worried aloud.

“There are already too many trucks on Highway 33,” added Jeff Kuyper, spokesman for the Los Padres Forest Watch environmental group. He said he opposes “even one additional truck trip down scenic Highway 33….”

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