Guidelines for Construction and Maintenance of Structures
within the Taormina Historic District
These guidelines have been designed by Taormina property owners to assist Taormina homeowners, the City of Ojai, and City of Ojai Historic Commission in having a clear understanding of the intent of the Taormina Historic Community’s effort to preserve its uniqueness; to preserve the ‘look’ of the Taormina Historic District as designed and envisioned by Ruth Wilson, the community’s founder, and L. Verne Lacey the original architect, who conceived the neighborhood as a French Norman Village.
1. No exterior aspect of a dwelling or outbuilding that is visible from the street and located within the Taormina communitywill be erected, or current residential building altered, until the building plans, specifications and plot plan showing the building has been approved showing conformity of (a) roof line pitch, (b) edge curves, (c) soffit, (d) attic peak and (e) roof gable end vent. Rooflines must look similar to those existing prior to 1987, the end of the original historic construction period. Existing exceptions are grandfathered in until such time as a remodel is undertaken that changes the exterior of the structure as viewed from the street. A roofline that does not conform will be considered as “exempt” if it can be shown to be part of the original construction plans of the structure or existed prior to 1987. (for examples refer to: www.TaorminaHistoricDistrict.com - “Rooflines“ and “Roof Gable End Vent”).
[Reference: 1977 CC&Rs- Part I, Section 2]2. All residential buildings will have its exterior covered in stucco; the exterior color of the stucco will be painted in muted shades of earth tones and pastels similar to attached pallet. Normal maintenance that calls for repainting must follow the approved pallet. House trim is exempted. (The color pallet can be viewed on the website: www.TaorminaHistoricDistrict.com – “House Colors”)
[Reference: 1977 CC&Rs- Part I, Section 2-e]3. Each home must have black village style street lamp, kept lighted at night, on a post at the curb. (for examples refer to: www.TaorminaHistoricDistrict.com - “Streetlamps”).
[Reference: 1977 CC&Rs- Part I, Section 2-g]4. No fences or walls will be erected over three (3) feet tall that protrude further forward than the front wall of the house, except for the separation of properties on flag lots. Walls necessary to retain earth will be considered an exception. Ornamental plant hedges are the preferred type of privacy barrier. Landscaping is governed by applicable City of Ojai municipal codes. (for examples refer to: www.TaorminaHistoricDistrict.com - “Landscaping”).
[Reference: 1977 CC&Rs- Part I, Section 2-c]5. Replacement windows and shutters must look similar to those existing prior to 1987. Current exceptions are grandfathered in until such time as an exterior remodel is undertaken. At that time all windows, shutters, and trim viewed from the street must reflect the original French Norman appearance. Windows are allowed with metal, vinyl and/or wood frames and are normally rectangular in shape; bay-style windows are permitted. If windows that are not rectangular are part of the original construction plans of a home then they are considered as “exempt.” Small non-rectangular windows that have been added since the original construction are permitted when they are used only as accent decoration. (for examples refer to: www.TaorminaHistoricDistrict.com – “Windows” and “Window Shutters”)
6. New roofing on an addition that is visable from the street must adhere to the specifications stated in Number One (1) of these Guidelines. Replacement of roof tiles due to ordinary “wear and tear” will be considered as “maintenance” and will not be subject to this requirement. A roofline that does not conform will be considered as “exempt” if it can be shown to be part of the original construction plans of the structure, or existed prior to 1987.
7. Since solar panels must take advantage of the best aspect to be effective, solar panels are exempt of historic commission review as long as they do not increase the height of the roof by more than eight (8) inches nor will they exceed the height of the roof peak unless built to conform to a specific City code.
8. Taormina residents and property owners are expected to maintain their yard area nearest the street (“front yard”) in a neat and orderly manner. No storage unit(s) are allowed in the front yard or where they can be seen from the street.
[Reference: 1977 CC&Rs- Part I, Section 2-a & i]9. All current structures at the time the historic district designation takes place, are grandfathered in, but future façade remodels as seen from the street must comply with historic guidelines as outlined in this document.
10. Interior repairs or remodeling or outside repairs will not be subject to HPC review except for those that in any way change the current historic look of the façade as can be viewed from the street, as defined in #s 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6 of this document.
11. Any and all maintenance, rennovations and/or building are governed by the statutes of the City of Ojai. Applications and appropriate fees will be made through the City’s Planning and Development Office. Only those planned changes that fall within the scope of this document, as listed in 1 - 10 above, could be subject to review by the City of Ojai’s Historic Preservation Commission, with the possibility of an additional fee for that mandated review.
* The 1977 Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), that are attached to the property deed of every Taormina parcel of real estate and ‘run with the land’, specify a number of “Use Restrictions Pertaining to Lots” within the Taormina Tract and remain in effect except where superceded by this document.
.