The owners of a lonesome rural café have turned to Ventura County Superior Court for help after discovering the county rezoned their property to open space — 21 years before they were told about it.
 

Tom and Janet Wolf, owners of the Pine Mountain Inn near the summit of Highway 33, allege in their petition for writ of mandate that county officials are trying to force the permanent closure of the restaurant and ask the court to order the county to return the 20-acre property to its original “commercial planned development” zoning. It also asks for $3.5 million in damages.

Tom Wolf said the suit was filed out of frustration with what he called “a gigantic, long, expensive hassle.” The petition, first filed Dec. 30, essentially accused the county of ineptitude and trying to force the Wolfs to close the funky restaurant with tractor-seat stools and dollar bills pinned to the ceiling.

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