After meeting late into the night this week, the Ventura City Council failed to act on a proposal that would limit the heights of future buildings along Main Street and Thompson Boulevard.

Buildings on Thompson Boulevard can be up to six stories high under current city rules, while those on nearby Main Street can be three stories tall.

Under new rules proposed by city officials, most future buildings on Main and Thompson would be limited to three stories. Buildings in the Five Points area could go as high as six stories, while those closer to San Jon Road would have a two-story restriction.

The City Council and Planning Commission considered the new rules at a joint meeting Monday night but did not take action as the discussion stretched past midnight. They will again consider the proposal when they meet at 7 p.m. this Monday.

Camille Harris, a retired publisher who lives on Santa Ynez Street in midtown Ventura and who heads a citizens group that wants even lower height limits, said her group will seek a court injunction to stop the city from implementing the plan if it is approved next week.

The group wants the council to approve a 26-foot height restriction, or about two stories, on all new building in the area until voters can decide on a ballot initiative that would create a view resources board. The board would be charged with protecting important public-view corridors. The citizens group has submitted signatures for the initiative and is waiting to see if there are enough to qualify it for the ballot.

"The City Council would have to be blind, deaf and dumb to not see that the community is opposed to this," Harris said Tuesday.

Harris said that, while city officials are calling the plan "infill," it should be named "overfill." She said her group wants to preserve the city's unique charm and history.

Councilwoman Christy Weir said the council values the input of Harris and others. "We are paying attention to what they are saying," Weir said Tuesday.

For example, the proposed new rules would have a two-story height restriction on future buildings that abut bungalows and other homes. The city also would require a 5-foot setback along north-south streets in the area to give people clear views of the hillsides.

"Protecting the viewsheds is something that is very important to me," said Weir, herself a midtown resident.

Mayor Carl Morehouse said that whatever the council decides, the plan will take many years to fully implement. "Any fears that this will create a canyon of tall buildings are wrong," Morehouse said. Instead, the plan would revitalize and inject new life into midtown, he said.