New Parking for Valley View Preserve
Parking for Shelf Road and the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s (OVLC) Valley View Preserve is getting easier. The City of Ojai is making changes at the north end of Signal Street that will make trailhead parking at this popular spot safer, and much more user friendly. As many people know, during peak use hours it can get crowded at the top end of Signal Street. Shelf Road and the relatively new Valley View Preserve attract thousands of visitors a year and are possibly the most popular hiking areas in the Ojai Valley.
To alleviate the parking crunch at the top end of Signal Street, the City, the OVLC, and local residents agreed on a plan to create a turnaround at the end of the road in front of the gate. Additionally, to minimize the likelihood of a collision with cars exiting driveways, parking areas are also being changed to create longer lines of sight for both the cars travelling on Signal Street and for the local residents.
“It is a really elegant solution,” said Greg Gamble, OVLC Executive Director. “It is a wonderful example of the City of Ojai staff being long-sighted and working in a collaborative way with stakeholders to create a solution that works for everybody.”
The hope is that most trail users will walk to the Valley View Preserve and Shelf Road trailheads. “We are fortunate to have these excellent hiking areas within walking distance of the homes of literally thousands of Ojai residents,” said Greg Grant, City of Ojai Public Works Director. When parking spots fill up at the top of Signal Street, trail goers have many other parking options lower on Signal Street and right around the corner at the U.S. Forest Service’s Pratt Trailhead.
In addition to delineating safe parking areas, new signage is being installed to remind drivers to keep the area in front of fire hydrants clear, and to generally be respectful of those living in this residential area.
The City of Ojai is one of the most open space friendly communities in the country with nearly one tenth of the land within its boundaries permanently dedicated to parks and open space. Most of this is owned and managed by the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. The OVLC works to protect the views, trails, water and wildlife of the Ojai Valley, and manages roughly 2,000 acres for public use and enjoyment.
