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City votes to limit downtown condos
Noise and complaints cited
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More from Local NewsThe Ventura City Council would like to see more people living in downtown, but not in the midst of Main Street's growing entertainment hub.
The council voted 5-1 Monday to prohibit residences from directly facing Main Street in the noisy five-block stretch between Figueroa and Fir streets. Upstairs units should be reserved for offices rather than condos, said Councilwoman Christy Weir, who along with Councilman Brian Brennan, proposed the change.
"Right now, there is a real demand for offices downtown," Weir said.
Councilman Jim Monahan cast the lone no vote, saying the proposal was too restrictive. Ed Summers was absent.
The rules would not apply to hotel uses. A formal ordinance must still come back to the full council for approval.
According to Weir and Brennan, the Police Department is fielding increased calls from residents
disturbed by late-night noise and activity from bars and nightclubs. Adding more condos facing Main Street would only exacerbate the problem, the pair said, particularly as the city continues to promote the area as a vibrant commercial and entertainment district. Instead, residential units should face side streets or alleys. The pair also felt variances may be appropriate for penthouse units with patios fronting Main and living area set back.
Local architect David Ferrin said the proposed changes were heavy-handed. Ferrin told the council he has a client who wants to build a handful of apartments above a clothing store at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets, next to the Ventura Theater.
He argued that some people are drawn to the nightlife scene and wouldn't be bothered by living near the expected noise, some of which could be canceled out by good design and noise-detention materials.
"There is already so much regulation," he said, adding that many of the buildings in the downtown core are historic and would be difficult to dramatically alter. Weir encouraged the architect to talk to his client about considering office space at the busy corner.
In other action, the council agreed to transfer its cable franchise from Wave Broadband to Charter Communications, the nation's third-largest publicly traded cable operator, serving more than 5.7 million customers in 29 states, according to its Web site (www.charter.com). Based in St. Louis, Charter is in the process of buying Wave's local cable system and would serve about 7,200 subscribers. Time Warner, the city's other cable provider, currently serves 13,000 homes.
As part of the transfer from Wave to Charter, which is expected to take six months, Charter agreed to hire a local ombudsman to resolve customer service complaints and post a $50,000 bond if it fails to meet minimum federal customer service standards, Assistant City Attorney Sonia Hehir said.
The City Council also instructed the city attorney to research if it's possible to amend a city subdivision ordinance to protect mobile home residents. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this month vetoed legislation that would have closed what Mayor Carl Morehouse calls a loophole in existing state law that allows owners to convert parks to condominiums. The park owner is then freed from local rent-control ordinances as soon as a single lot is sold. Ventura has about 1,500 residences in mobile home parks under rent control.
Posted by fpecar4525 on October 24, 2007 at 5:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Let's see, Ventura already has a noise ordinance but rather than enforce the current law, "Wispy Christy" and business failure Brian Brennan choose their favorite approach and that is to further restrict developers. Christy Weir for Queen and absolute authority! Brian Brennan for Court Jester!
Posted by danp on October 24, 2007 at 7:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a probable senario, "Ya I'd like to file a complaint on this place called Ventura Theater I live directly above. Apparently they are trying to have some sort of rock concert." I think people understand what they are getting into when moving to an area like this. Lets give developers the chance to make some decisions as whether or not this could work. Apparently they feel people would want to live in this environment, being as they are willing to put up tons of money as investment. Christy Weir and Brian Brennan are afraid the police might get a noise complaint or two. Who has more to lose here?
Posted by heyniceart on October 24, 2007 at 8:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A noise complaint? Are you kidding me? This entire town has been ruined by noise and no one seems to be doing a thing about it. My family and I are constantly awakened in the middle of the night by motorcycles with illegal exhaust systems and vehicles with loud thumping bass. Instead of worrying about a condo with a Main St. facing window, why doesn't someone in the city council decide to enforce existing noise laws? And by the way, in case you're wondering if I took this issue up with the police, the answer is yes. Here's what they said: "That's a nice idea but we are very understaffed". Nice idea? No, it's called enforcing the law and if we are indeed understaffed of police, which I'm sure we are, then we should start by fixing THAT problem.
Posted by schlederdecopan on October 24, 2007 at 9:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
DO NOT re-elect Christy Weir to the City Council.
Posted by jake425 on October 24, 2007 at 8:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
All this developer has to do is turn the project into quality office space rather than living quarters. There is a demand for office space downtown, but I am wondering if all these condos they are building here lately will be sold.
Who the heck would want to live next to the Ventura Theatre anyway? Between the loud concerts, the raucous fans and the nefarious patrons of the bar across the street, I sure wouldn't want to.
Posted by juandeveras on October 24, 2007 at 10:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
'Rookies' and 'Dargans' are both owned by fellow Irishman and friend Brendan Searls, who also has free parking, as do other businesses in the downtown zone. I thought the City had a new program [ and $140,000.00 of city taxpayer funds ] whereby they hired an additional cop to educate bar and restaurant owners as to how to control customer behavior. Maybe it's not working. Perhaps the concept of allowing any applicant for a liquor license anywhere on downtown Main St. should be reviewed. There will be almost 200 new residences in new condos at the Renaissance project alone, just a couple of blocks from the Mission, and they have already broken ground. That will create a built-in backlash. The WAV, whose developers are the ones wanting the private rooftop condos
will be making a lot of noise as well. Will there need to be a substation at those locations ?
Posted by otiscampbell on October 24, 2007 at 10:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
oh my god!!!!
now we are worried about the scum sucking, pimping, thieving, criminal element of nighttime entertainment, in downtown !!!
Should we allow smoking in bars again for the sorry pimps?
How about making it legal to over serve?
Take all of the drinkers money and have them arrested.
Its a win win for buisness and the county.
Fire these jerks next election!!!
YOU have the power!!!
no on p6
Posted by danp on October 25, 2007 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Between the gang problem and writing tickets, I don't think the police have the time for noise complaints. They make too much money writing tickets than to go to someone's house about a noise complaint for free. I don't care how many cops you hire.
Posted by fpecar4525 on October 31, 2007 at 3:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Defeat Christy -- snake-in-the-grass -- Weir. She has repeatedly lied to the downtown people about what they could expect to be able to develop and now she say's "never mind, what I said would be true about what could be built is not true." She needs to go.
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