Protect this land
Please add your name to a letter to the Ojai City Council requesting that they maintain community ownership of this wildlife corridor rather than gift it to speculative real estate developers.
This photo of the land was taken at the top of Mallory Way.
Here’s the letter
Dear Ojai City Council,
We, the undersigned, request that you maintain public ownership of, and access to, the entire historic oak woodland between Raymond and West Eucalyptus Streets, for perpetuity. If our city gives, transfers, sells, leases, trades or otherwise conveys away ownership or use of some or all of this land to another interest or purpose, our community will lose vital open space that provides the following environmental, health and safety benefits, including but not limited to:
- a long-established wildlife corridor through town;
- rare, unofficial parkland that has for decades been frequented by many Ojai Valley residents who use it as a respite from our tourist-clogged downtown;
- vital firefighter structure defense access during fires;
- habitat that supports heritage oak trees and is free of encroachment by buildings;;
- a critical wildfire evacuation route for humans and wildlife alike; and
- an historic, irreplaceable, community-owned open space.
In addition, the proposed development of mostly high rent housing on the open areas directly adjacent to this publicly-owned land has been vehemently opposed by most of our community for over a decade. The City’s proposed gift of community-owned land to the speculative real estate developers that are building on the land next door, worsens the environmental impacts of their development and flies in the face of long standing community sentiment.
Thank you for considering our position,
Add Your Name Here
