Roots & Wings Online

The purpose of this article is to remind residents that:

• Maintaining a premier community like Ladera Ranch is a joint effort between residents and LARMAC
• It is each homeowner’s responsibility to maintain their homes and follow the ARC process - as they agreed to when they purchased their home
• Well-maintained properties protect and promote strong property values (and resident’s enjoyment of their home and community)

LARMAC notifies homeowners of exterior home maintenance issues that must be addressed. This includes citing homeowners who completed modifications without going through the official process and therefore were not completed in accordance with the Aesthetic Standards and Community Guidelines that every Ladera Ranch homeowner agrees to follow. 

The aesthetic review process and requirements are outlined in the official documents every homeowner receives and signs off on when they purchase their home.

LARMAC aims to preserve the community's design integrity and aesthetic standards, partnering with homeowners to protect and promote strong property values. By maintaining these established standards, homeowners continue to enjoy their homes and community for a lifetime.

Introduction to Ladera Ranch's aesthetic standards
The Aesthetic Standards are meant to assist homeowners in implementing design direction and guidance for proposed architectural, landscape, and hardscape improvements.

Throughout the planning of Ladera Ranch, the underlying design philosophy has been to create a community character and quality that reflects the context of the region, the site's foothills, and its surrounding ranchlands. Integrating site planning, architecture, and landscape principles into neighborhood design is a fundamental goal of Ladera Ranch. 

The 4,000-acre master planned community emphasizes a variety of residential housing types and reflects the aesthetic charm and neighborhood structure reminiscent of "early 20th century California" towns. An architectural tradition for neighborhoods and individual residences shall be established by designing to a particular heritage. The community is organized into six villages and three districts, each of which has a distinct character that emphasizes the setting and residential program of that village or district, and each individual home will have its own character and identity serving to establish that image. These same principles will be applied through the Aesthetic Standards to further define the architectural and landscape theme for your home today and for years. 

The goal of the Aesthetic Standards is to provide general design criteria and guidance for the future enhancement of your home and visual compatibility with your home’s particular architectural style. To achieve this goal, the Aesthetic Standards are organized into two separate elements: a) The Aesthetic Standards, and, b) Improvement Specific Criteria (includes patio covers and optional plant palettes per architectural style of home) 

The Aesthetics Review Committee (ARC) has jurisdiction over the design and aesthetic aspects of the Covered Property. Covered Property is all real property covered by the CC&Rs, including your lot. The ARC is a three-to-five-person committee that is appointed by the Board of Directors of Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation, (LARMAC).

Design Principles for Architecture 
Within the community of Ladera Ranch, the architecture has been built upon the heritage of Rancho Mission Viejo and the communities of early 20th-century California. The early 20th century eclectic and well-composed architecture created rich and complex neighborhood environments. The design criteria for homeowner improvements related to specific architectural styles are meant to assist in designing, processing, and implementing home improvements that adhere to the established theme and design standards. 

To further support these concepts, a series of guidelines have been developed to assist homeowners in preparing their personal touch to their home. These guidelines are outlined in the Aesthetic Standards.

Design Principles for Landscape
Within the community of Ladera Ranch, the landscape character has been built upon the heritage of Rancho Mission Viejo and the communities of early California. The unique qualities of the surrounding hillsides, grasslands, and arroyos also played an important role in developing the personalities of each village. These personalities have been further reinforced through the use of plant material, hardscape elements, and site furnishings that complement the architectural styles.

Ladera's Covenant Committee
The LARMAC Covenant Committee comprises volunteer homeowners and serves as a review board for all Community Guidelines, Aesthetic Standards, and CC&R violations. This helps ensure that Ladera Ranch maintains its high standard of community design. The Committee makes consistent and fair decisions in accordance with the governing documents of the Corporation and with the enforcement procedures adopted by the LARMAC Board of Directors. Hearing meetings are held once a month.