Santa Paula takes over California Oil Museum from Chevron

Wes Woods II, Ventura County Star
·2 min read
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The Santa Paula City Council voted Wednesday to take over the California Oil Museum property on downtown Main Street.
The Santa Paula City Council voted Wednesday to take over the California Oil Museum property on downtown Main Street.

The California Oil Museum in downtown Santa Paula has a new owner.

The City Council voted 4-0 Wednesday to take over the Chevron-owned property at 1001 E. Main St.

"We now own the Union Oil Building," said Mayor Andy Sobel after the decision drew applause from the audience.

Councilmember Carlos Juarez recused himself because of a conflict of interest. Juarez co-owns property less than 500 feet from the museum.

The city will pay $1 for the property and $10 for memorabilia and other items stored there, said City Attorney Monica Castillo. The transaction will be closed by Dec. 31. Once the agreement is signed, the city has 45 days to complete a due diligence inspection of the site.

The city will also receive a $2 million grant if it prepares a plan describing what needs to be repaired and how much it costs. The grant must be used on repairs described in the plan.

The plan is mostly complete, according to the city.

If there is any unused grant money 24 months after the deal, the amount will be placed in an endowment fund for building maintenance, repair and improvements.

Since July 1, 1993, the city has leased the property to operate the California Oil Museum at East Main Street from Chevron through its affiliate, Union Oil Company of California. The building is about 130 years old.

The city has been responsible for repairs and maintenance. The small nonprofit California Oil Museum Foundation has run the museum.

The foundation, which aims to share the historical importance of the petroleum industry, closed the museum in September 2021 because of financial hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In October 2022, the City Council started to explore owning the property, which could expand opportunities for grants and fundraising.

Chevron offered to donate the property to the city in November 2022, including its main building, rig building and parking lot.

“We’re just really appreciative for the gift by Chevron,” City Manager Dan Singer said on Wednesday.

Since November 2022, city staff members have worked with a committee including Sobel, Vice Mayor Leslie Cornejo and others to identify potential property uses once the acquisition is complete.

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Santa Paula takes over California Oil Museum from Chevron