Otis Bradley

Otis Bradley is a custom home designer. For over 30 years, Otis has designed and built everything from shacks to mega mansions. Originally from New England, Otis moved to southern California in 1990, where he continues designing today. Otis Bradley Company, Inc. provides architectural design for remodels and new construction. Otis started architectural design in high school and continued at the University of California Los Angeles' (UCLA) Architecture and Interior Design program. An avid building buff, Otis regularly visits architectural monuments around the globe.

In the recently published Ojai Valley News - quoted below - Jeff Palmer almost proposed an excellent solution to a big Ojai problem. Typical methods (and codes) have previously required all concentrated drainage i.e. from roofs to be piped from gutters through pipes and onto City streets. Once on the street - water flow increases - picking up lots of toxic auto waste from the roads and quickly makes its way to the ocean (simplified version but true). This is exactly what we do not want! The answer is to slow the water down - redirect the flow and encourage water absorption back into the ground recharging the aquifer with fresh, clean water.

Permit requirements vary widely in different locations. Develop a list for your project - start by checking in with your local building department. Remember the Building Department may only tell you part of the story. Research the following items and try to start putting a schedule together. My Builder 20 group often discusses permit issues. Jim in Wisconsin tells me he can get a permit in 5 days, while others of us suffer with months even years in the permitting process. In my local area building departments in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Malibu, Ojai, Ventura County, City of Ventura, Santa Barbara and County of Santa Barbara all treat building codes and zoning regulations in different ways.