Ventura Commission Approves Controversial 75-Unit Apartment Project Despite Parking, Size Concerns

The Ventura Planning Commission has approved a highly debated 75-unit apartment development, following a lengthy debate over parking, building size, and limits of control under state housing laws.

Known as Thompson Court Apartments, the multi-family residential project will be built at 1655 East Thompson Boulevard, on a site that is currently used for commercial outdoor storage and sales.

Following lengthy discussions and debates, commissioners on May 27 eventually voted 3-1 to approve the project, concluding that they lacked sufficient legal grounds under state laws to deny the project despite several concerns raised by some commissioners and residents.

What Does the Project Include?

Thompson Court Apartments is expected to have a total of 75 units, with eight units deed-restricted for very low-income residents.

The four-story building, consisting of three full stories and a partial fourth level, will touch nearly 50 feet. The building will include a central courtyard, a gym, a rooftop ocean-view deck, a club room, and a lobby or a cafe on the ground floor.

A total of 57 semi-subterranean parking spaces were planned, substantially lower than the mandated 107 parking spaces.

Supporters of the development, including representatives from the Ventura business community and local service organizations said that the development would help address Ventura’s housing shortage.

Points of Contention

Much of the residents’ concerns centered around the significant parking deficit and the resulting dangers to the neighborhood’s narrow streets and nearby school zones.

Another major point of contention was the project’s proximity to Cabrillo Middle School. With the area already congested during school drop-off and pick-up hours, residents said that the overflow parking on the street would lead to more obscured visibility, posing a risk to children’s safety.

Thompson Boulevard itself was identified as a fast-moving thoroughfare, where parking and loading activities can become risky.

Local business owners argued that the lack of parking would affect their livelihood as customers would no longer be able to find convenient parking spaces.

Beyond parking concerns, concerns were also raised about the building’s scale. Some residents and commissioners felt that the building would be too big for a neighborhood that is mostly composed of single-story homes.

The Design Review Committee had earlier voted 3-0 to recommend denial based on the building’s scale.

Neighbors also expressed concern about privacy and shading impacts, stating that the building would block sunlight for several months.

California’s Housing Law Limits Options

Much of the commission’s discussion focused on California’s State Density Bonus Law and how it limited local decision-making.

Since the project includes affordable housing, the developer is eligible to avail incentives, including three concessions and nine development waivers.

The concessions include increased building height and reduced parking.

Some of the waivers included a zero-foot front yard setback, a reduced rear setback for the third level, and allowing the elevator to reach all four stories.

These waivers provide relief from local zoning standards that would otherwise prevent the project from being built at the permitted density.

Some commissioners expressed frustration that state law requires specific, measurable evidence of adverse health or safety impacts before local agencies can deny such requests.

Despite the repeated concerns over neighborhood and parking impacts, commissioners determined that they did not have legally defensible evidence that meets the threshold for denial.