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Earlier editions: 2026-07

Title 9 — Building Regulations›Chapter 12 — SEISMIC SAFETY

Ojai Municipal Code Art. 8 Administrative Provisions

Ojai Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Ojai

Cite as: Ojai Municipal Code Article 8 · Text as of 2026-10-04

§ 9-12.801. Compliance requirements.

(a) The owner of each building within the scope of this chapter shall, upon service of an order and within the time limits set forth in this chapter, cause a structural analysis to be made of the building by an engineer or architect licensed by the State to practice as such and, if the building does not comply with earthquake standards specified in this chapter, the owner shall cause it to be structurally altered to conform to such standards or shall cause the building to be demolished.

(b) The owner of a building within the scope of this chapter shall comply with the requirements set forth above by submitting to the Building Official for review within the stated time limits:

(1) Within 270 days after service of the order, a structural analysis which is subject to approval by the Building Official and which shall demonstrate that the building meets the minimum requirements of this chapter; or

(2) Within 365 days after service of the order, the structural analysis and plans for structural alterations of the building to comply with this chapter; or

(3) Within 365 days after service of the order, obtain a permit and commence and complete the required demolition; provided, however, that no historical building shall be demolished except in accordance with Chapter 8 of Title 4 of the Ojai Municipal Code.

(c) Within 180 days after plans are submitted to the Building Official, make all corrections to such plans required by the Building Official and obtain his approval thereto.

(d) After plans are submitted and approved by the Building Official, the owner shall obtain a building permit and commence construction within two years from the date of such approval and shall complete the required construction within three years from such approval.

(§ 1, Ord. 678, eff. July 12, 1991)

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§ 9-12.802. Administration.

(a) Order: Service. The Building Official shall issue an order as provided in this section to the owner of each building within the scope of this chapter. Orders will be issued within 30 days of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter and thereafter as necessary.

(b) Order: Contents. The order shall be in writing and shall be served personally or by certified or registered mail upon the owner as shown on the last equalized assessment roll and upon the person, if any, in apparent charge or control of the building. The order shall specify that the building has been determined by the Building Official to be within the scope of this chapter and, therefore, is required to meet the minimum seismic standards of this chapter. The order shall be accompanied by a copy of Section 9-12.801 of this chapter which sets forth the owner's alternatives and time limits for compliance.

(c) Order: Appeal from. The owner of the building or other aggrieved person may appeal the Building Official's initial determination that the building is within the scope of this chapter to the Board of Appeals. Such appeal shall be filed with the Board of Appeals within 60 days from the service date of the order described in this section. Any such appeal shall be decided by the Board of Appeals no later than 90 days after written notice of such appeal has been filed with the City Clerk and the grounds therefor shall be stated clearly and concisely. Except as otherwise provided herein, or as provided in Sections 105 and 106 of the Uniform Building Code, appeals or requests for modifications from any other determination, order or action by the Building Official pursuant to this chapter shall be controlled by the provisions of Chapter 4 of Title 1 of this Code.

(d) Recordation. At the time that the Building Official serves the aforementioned order, the Building Official shall also record in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County a certificate stating that the subject building is within the scope of this chapter and is a potentially earthquake hazardous building. The certificate shall also state that the owner thereof has been ordered to structurally analyze the building and to structurally alter or demolish it where compliance with this chapter has not been demonstrated.

If the building is either demolished, found not to be within the scope of this chapter or is structurally capable of resisting minimum seismic forces required by this chapter as a result of structural alterations or an analysis, the Building Official shall record in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County a form terminating the status of the subject building as being classified within the scope of this chapter.

(e) Order: Enforcement. If the owner in charge or control of the subject building fails to comply with any order issued by the Building Official pursuant to this chapter within any of the time limits set forth in Section 9-12.801 of this chapter, the Building Official shall verify that the record owner of the building has been properly served. If the order has been served on the record owner, the Building Official shall order that the entire building be vacated and that the building remain vacated until compliance with such order. If compliance with such order has not been accomplished within 90 days after the date the building has been ordered vacated or such additional time as may have been granted by the Board of Appeals, the Building Official may order its demolition in accordance with the provisions of Section 203 of the Uniform Building Code.

TABLE NO. 12-A HORIZONTAL FORCE FACTOR

CONFIGURATION OF MATERIALS C p
Roofs with straight or diagonal sheathing and roofing applied directly to the sheathing or floors with straight tongue and groove sheathing 0.6
Diaphragm with double or multiple layers of boards with edges offset and blocked plywood systems 0.83
Wall anchors 0.80

TABLE NO. 12-B ALLOWABLE VALUE OF HEIGHT-THICKNESS (H/T) RATIO OF UNREINFORCED MASONRY WALLS

WALL TYPES H/T
Walls of one-story buildings 21
First-story wall of multi-story building 30
Walls in top story of multi-story buildings 14
All other walls 22

TABLE NO. 12-C ALLOWABLE VALUES FOR EXISTING MATERIALS

EXISTING MATERIALS OR CONFIGURATIONS OF MATERIALS 1 ALLOWABLE VALUES 4
1. Horizontal diaphragms 4
a. Roofs with straight sheathing and roofing applied directly to the sheathing 100 lbs. per foot for seismic shear
b. Roofs with diagonal sheathing and roofing applied directly to the sheathing 250 lbs. per foot for seismic shear
c. Floors with straight sheathing and finished wood flooring with board edges offset or perpendicular 100 lbs. per foot for seismic shear
d. Floors with straight sheathing and finished wood flooring with board edges offset or perpendicular 500 lbs. per foot for seismic shear
e. Floors with diagonal sheathing and finished wood flooring 600 lbs. per foot for seismic shear
2. Crosswalls 2, 4
a. Plaster with wood or metal lath Per side: 200 lbs. per foot for seismic shear
b. Plaster on gypsum lath 175 lbs. per foot for seismic shear
c. Gypsum wall board, unblocked edges 75 lbs. per foot for seismic shear
d. Gypsum wall board, blocked edges 125 lbs. per foot for seismic shear
3. Existing footings, wood framing, structural steel and reinforced steel
a. Plan concrete footings f′c = 1,500 psi unless otherwise shown by tests
b. Douglas fir wood Allowable stress same as No. 1 D.F. 3
c. Reinforcing steel ft = 18,000 lbs. per square inch maximum 3
d. Structural steel ft = 20,000 lbs. per square inch maximum 3

Notes:

1 Material must be sound and in good condition.
2 Shear values of these materials may be combined except the total combined value shall not exceed 300 lbs. per foot.
3 Stresses given may be increased for combinations of loads as specified in the Uniform Building Code.
4 A one-third increase in allowable stress is not allowed.

TABLE NO. 12-D4 ALLOWABLE VALUES OF NEW MATERIALS USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EXISTING CONSTRUCTION

NEW MATERIALS OR CONFIGURATIONS OF MATERIALS ALLOWABLE VALUES 4
1. Horizontal diaphragms 4
Plywood sheathing applied directly over existing straight sheathing with ends of plywood sheets bearing on joists or rafters and edges of plywood located on center of individual sheathing boards 225 lbs. per foot
2. Crosswalls
a. Plywood sheathing applied directly over wood studs. No value shall be given to plywood applied over existing plaster or wood sheathing 1.33 times the value specified in Table No. 25-K-1 of the Uniform Building Code for shear walls
b. Drywall of plaster applied directly over wood studs 100 percent of the values in Table No. 47-I of the Uniform Building Code
c. Drywall or plaster applied to sheathing over existing wood studs 50 percent of the values plywood specified in Table No. 46-I of the Uniform Building Code
3. Tension bolts 5
Bolts extending entirely through solid or hollow unreinforced masonry walls secured with bearing plates on far side of a three wythe minimum wall with at least 30 square inches of area. 2, 3 1,800 lbs. per bolt for a minimum 13″-thick solid wall
900 lbs. per bolt for 9″-thick solid wall
600 lbs. for a minimum 6″-thick hollow wall
4. Shear bolts 5
Bolts embedded a minimum of eight inches into unreinforced masonry walls. Bolts shall be centered in 2 ½ inch diameter hole with the dry-pack or non-shrink grout round circumference of bolt 1,2,3 133 percent of the values for plain masonry specified for solid masonry in Table No. 24-E of the Uniform Building Code. No values larger than those given for ¾-inch bolts shall be used
5. Combined tension and shear bolts 5, 6
a. Through bolts—combined shear and tension
Bolts meeting the above requirements for tension bolts and shear bolts 1,2,3 Tension: Same as for tension bolts. Shear: Same as for shear bolts
b. Embedded bolts—Combined shear and tension
Bolts extending to the exterior face of the wall with a 2 ½ inch round plate under the head and drilled at an angle of 22 ½ degrees to the horizontal. Installed as specified for shear bolts. Allowed for use with solid walls only 1, 2, 3 Tension: 1,200 lbs. for a minimum 13″-thick wall. 900 lbs. for 9″-thick wall. Shear: Same as for shear bolts
6. Infilled walls
Reinforced masonry infilled openings in existing unreinforced masonry walls. Provide keys or dowels to match reinforcing Same as values specified for uneinforced masonry walls
Reinforced masonry
7. Masonry piers and walls reinforced per Chapter 24 Same as values specified in Section 2409
Reinforced concrete
8. Concrete footings, walls and piers reinforced as specified in Chapter 26 of the Uniform Building Code and designed for tributary loads Same as values specified in Chapter 26 of the Uniform Building Code

Notes:

1 Bolts to be tested as specified in Article 4 of this chapter.
2 Bolts to be ½-inch minimum in diameter.
3 Drilling for bolts and dowels shall be done with an electric rotary drill. Impact tools shall not be used for drilling holes or tightening anchors and shear bolt nuts.
4 A one-third increase in allowable stress is not allowed.
5 Proprietary anchors, for concealed anchorage and anchorage of hollow masonry units, may be used with prior arrival by the Building Official.
6 Limited to use on solid walls only.

(§ 1, Ord. 678, eff. July 12, 1991, as amended by § 12, Ord. 708, eff. April 27, 1995)

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