Ojai’s historic City Hall is surrounded by eight acres of open space with great potential to be a vital community asset. It encompasses historic gardens, including one that was dedicated to demonstrating eco-friendly techniques. It has outdoor spaces for relaxing, exploring, and playing in a natural setting. It’s also adjacent to a special wild creekside ecosystem.
Over the past three years, members of the community have envisioned that this land could be restored and enhanced as a natural sanctuary and educational resource to benefit people of all ages. Visitors could be inspired by the healthy ecosystem surrounding the nearby creek, by beautiful demonstration gardens, and by restored natural landscapes. They could then bring this inspiration home by participating in Eco Center programming, such as talks, classes, hands-on workshops and demonstrations, and even celebrations. The result could be a more resilient, connected, and healthy Ojai Valley for all.
Starting in 2022, supported by a grant from the City of Ojai, the OVGC led a series of community input sessions. These resulted in a clear consensus that this land could become an exciting nature education resource, a place for workshops, events, and gatherings based in the Demonstration Garden, and inspired by the adjacent natural landscape, including Middle Stewart Canyon Creek.
Click here to view the City Council Report from September 2023.
Click here to view a larger image of the Eco Center Conceptual Landscape plan
1. Take a Site Tour - Take a tour of the City Hall Campus and fall in love with the property and get excited about the possibilities! The Ojai Valley Green Coalition is offering tours with the conceptual landscape plan to help you envision what could be there. Please check out our OVGC Events to register for a tour.
2. View all the concept plans, watch the OVGC's presentations to the City at City Council meetings, and view reports. You are welcome to follow our progress since 2022 as our organization intends to be as transparent as possible in addition to honoring our community as stakeholders of this project.
August 12, 2025 City Council Presentation, video starts at 17 minutes, 40 seconds
August 12, 2025 City Council, Written report for the Ojai City Council
October 28, 2025 City Council Presentation, video starts at 50 seconds
Slides for October 28 presentation to Ojai City Council
3. Come to our Master Plan Celebration Potluck in June/ July 2026. Details to come!
4. Look for volunteer opportunities on our Green Calendar. You can help us weed and maintain the restoration area, revitalize the demonstration gardens and more.
5. Suggest a name for the new park!! This survey is open during the month of May and June. Let us know what you think! Click Here to view the Name the Park Survey.
This summer, please join us in a new monthly book club discussing the works of modern environmentalists starting with Bill McKibben - writer, activist, and founder of 350.org and Third Act - with another local writer and environmentalist, Ojai's Kit Stolz as the discussion facilitator. Kit will hold a once-a-month discussion through the summer starting with the book The Flag, the Cross and the Station Wagon. Please click this link to learn more.
Dates in July and August, and book selections will be announced soon!
In the Fall, we will be hosting another book club, facilitated by OVGC Board Member, Sophie McLean. This 2-session book club in September will focus on the book When it all Burns by Jordan Thomas. More details to come!
