The Rancho Santa Fe Association Board of Directors will reconsider allowing the use of man-made wood in Covenant housing construction.
At a board meeting held on the terrace of the association's office on September 2, Greg Gruzdowich, director of the RSF association, proposed several changes to the association's regulations on exterior building materials. In addition to allowing the use of wood-grained "Hardie board" plank siding or certain textures of similar products, he also hopes to remove the limit on the percentage of wood in newly built and remodeled houses, and to cancel the 2019 resolution of the board of directors to prohibit the use of man-made materials Because it is "defective and no longer needed."
According to Paragraph 159 of the Association’s Protection Convention (PC), the preferred materials for pastures are gypsum, adobe or plaster, concrete, stone or approved artificial stone. Wood is not listed as the preferred material, but it is not banned. According to paragraph 155 of the PC, “Materials, colors, and forms must be used honestly and actually express their essence, rather than imitating other materials.”
The wood look Hardie board is made of fiber cement. As Gruzdowich pointed out, it is described in its promotional materials as a masonry product because it is mainly composed of concrete, which is the preferred material in PC. One of the advantages of man-made materials is fireproof, insect-proof and waterproof-it will not crack or weather.
In the past, when the board of directors allowed the use of non-preferred materials (such as wood or Hardie boards), they worried that this material might become the main building type in the community, which was not the intention of the covenant.
"What I see is that we have actually allowed the use of certain advanced materials that did not exist in 1928," Gruzdovich said of the use of materials such as stone veneers and slump blocks, which gave the adobe The appearance of bricks.
Before the 2019 resolution, Gruzdowich stated that the art jury had allowed the use of Hardie boards or similar products for many years.
Gruzdovich wrote in a director’s report: “This restriction on high-quality, durable, and flame-retardant masonry building materials conflicts with the safety of our community.” “Even approved fire-treated wood It will also burn, but it will take longer than untreated wood."
In 2019, in a controversial 4-3 vote, the board of directors of the association approved a resolution in support of California ranch-style houses. The resolution also pointed out that if the materials are the same, the use of wood is not the first choice, but it is in compliance with the convention. Style. The resolution also prohibits the use of Hardie boards or any other materials that imitate wood. Gruzdowich recommended that the board of directors completely revoke the resolution.
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"This resolution is disguised as a law," said the director Laurel Lemarié. "It changes our way of operation and the process of the art jury without going through review. I think we should call for its removal immediately."
Director Rick Sapp (Rick Sapp) is the only current board member when the board of directors passed the resolution. He said that the resolution is the board's interpretation of the Convention on the type of construction and preferred materials based on the recommendations of the legal counsel. It is hoped that this resolution can provide some guidance to the art jury on the expected architectural results.
At the board meeting, the art jury member Jeff Simmons stated that they are still struggling with some decisions and can use clearer guidance: "It is very confusing to deal with wood issues."
After the board of directors conditionally approved the wood, the art jury raised the question of whether man-made materials are acceptable. Some art jury members have supported the use of Hardie board in the past because it sometimes looks better than wood applications.
The board approved the new regulatory code on exterior materials in August 2020. The vote was 5-1-1 with Director Lemarié opposed and Bill Strong abstaining—Gruzdowich had not yet been elected.
The regulation stipulates that in the case of a new building, up to 25% of the wood (planks and slats or lap boards) of the main residence can be used. As long as wood is used as the main material of existing main residences, wood is also allowed to be used for renovation, limiting its use to no more than 25%.
Then in March 2021, the committee revised the regulations to increase the allowable amount of wood cladding in new buildings from 25% to 33%, and completely removed the 25% modification restriction.
Gruzdowich proposed that there is no percentage limit in the regulation, which is still in draft form.
"Our current regulations on the percentage of timber, as a specific building material, are essentially arbitrary, and there is no requirement for PC," Gruzdovich argued.
RSF Association Construction Specialist Maryam Babaki stated that she will bring back language for Gruzdowich's proposed regulatory changes in future meetings. If the new language moves forward, it needs to be published 30 days before board approval for public comment.
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