Santa Rosa HOA Guide
Fountaingrove HOA Guide: Fire, Open Space and Maintenance
Fountaingrove covers the hills of northeastern Santa Rosa, inside the city limits. It is not one HOA: the Fountaingrove Ranch Master Association describes more than 800 homes and condominiums, and next door the Fountaingrove II Open Space Maintenance Association looks after more than 200 acres of open space for 591 lots.
This is an independent guide for Fountaingrove owners, buyers and board members. How2HOA is not affiliated with any Fountaingrove association. It explains how the associations fit together and what the public record says about fire, open space and rebuilding.
Facts on this page were checked on October 10, 2026 against the associations’ public websites, the Santa Rosa City Code, CAL FIRE, the State Fire Marshal, the Board of Forestry, the State Water Resources Control Board and the California Department of Insurance. Rules, dues and boundaries change, so confirm the current ones before you act. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
At a glance
Fountaingrove’s associations at a glance
No public agency publishes a list of every association in Fountaingrove, so we do not give a count. The associations’ own public pages describe two separate structures, one on each side of the hill.
The East committee’s own site says there is no HOA in Fountaingrove II East. The committee enforces the CC&Rs and OSMA manages the open space.
To find out which of these apply to a particular home, read the preliminary title report, which lists every recorded set of CC&Rs, and ask the seller for the disclosure packet from each association that bills the property. If the two do not match, ask the title officer before you close.
On dues, use dated figures only. OSMA’s reserve summary for fiscal year 2025 covers 591 units and lists the 2024 regular assessment at an average of $77 per month. Its FAQ page still shows an older figure of $58. Neither is a 2026 number, so ask OSMA for the current budget report. For Fountaingrove Ranch dues, ask the master association and any sub-association that bills the home.
Maintenance
Who maintains what
In Fountaingrove II, the line is clear on paper. OSMA maintains the wildlands and the irrigated landscape areas. Everything about the houses and lots falls under the CC&Rs, which the Architectural Review Committees enforce.
Owners next to open space have rules to follow. OSMA’s FAQ says no tree or plant in the open space may be cut for a view, and nothing may be trimmed without the board’s consent. Crossing the open space to reach your yard for a project needs board approval, signed waivers and a deposit. OSMA says it fines violations.
On the Fountaingrove Ranch side, the master association’s page says sub-association dues cover items such as common landscape maintenance on private property and commonly held open space. For what the master association itself maintains, ask the association.
Private streets and gates are the gap. The associations’ public pages do not say which Fountaingrove streets are private or who pays for any gates. Ask the association that bills the home, and check the recorded subdivision map and the reserve study, where private paving would appear as a funded component.
Wildfire
Fire and vegetation rules
OSMA’s site describes Fountaingrove as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Confirm your own address on the State Fire Marshal’s map viewer. The State Fire Marshal released updated maps for city areas in four phases between February 10 and March 24, 2025. It says the maps measure hazard, not risk.
City rules apply to every parcel, whether or not it is in an association. Santa Rosa City Code Chapter 9-32 covers parcels in the city’s Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area, which includes Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Its main requirements:
- Trees killed or dying from wildfire must be removed within 100 feet of a structure, or within 30 feet of a public right-of-way or property line.
- Scotch broom, French broom and bay must be removed within the same distances.
- Fibrous or stringy mulch is not allowed within 30 feet of a structure. OSMA’s FAQ names shredded redwood (gorilla hair) as an example.
- Defensible space must be maintained around structures and attached decks under state law (the code cites Public Resources Code section 4291).
- Vacant land needs a maintained 30-foot strip along the property line, with dead plants, grass and weeds removed.
The Fire Chief enforces Chapter 9-32, and a violation can be charged as a misdemeanor or an infraction. Under Chapter 9-08, the city can also declare weeds a public nuisance, clear them itself and place the cost on the property tax roll as a lien.
Two points matter for an association that owns open space. First, Chapter 9-32 allows alternative treatment where clearing would threaten slope stability or where rare plants grow, but only with a report from an engineer, biologist or landscape architect that the city accepts. Second, OSMA’s own Open Space Management Plan calls for a fuel management zone of at least 100 feet where homes meet open space, with the fire situation reviewed each year before fire season.
Two city documents point to different maps. Chapter 9-32 refers to a Wildland-Urban Interface map dated January 28, 2009. The newer Chapter 18-46 refers to one dated March 19, 2026. Ask the Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Division which map covers your parcel.
At the state level, the Board of Forestry describes three zones: Zone 0 in the first 5 feet around a structure, Zone 1 out to 30 feet and Zone 2 from 30 to 100 feet or the property line. As of October 10, 2026, the Board’s page said the Zone 0 rule was still in final review and not yet published.
OSMA describes Fountaingrove II as the first recognized Firewise Community in Sonoma County and posts its certificate.
Read next: HOA Maintenance and Vendors and How to Hire a Contractor for Your Homeowners Association. For citywide rules, see the Santa Rosa guide.
2017 and after
The Tubbs fire, the water system and rebuilding
CAL FIRE’s record of the Tubbs fire: it started at 9:45 p.m. on October 8, 2017, burned 36,807 acres in Napa and Sonoma counties, destroyed 5,636 structures and killed 22 people.
The State Water Resources Control Board documented what happened to the water system:
- The fire reached Fountaingrove at about 2 a.m. on October 9, 2017.
- On November 8, 2017, an odor complaint led to a benzene reading of 5.7 micrograms per liter. California’s limit is 1. The home was one of 13 remaining out of about 350 connections in that pressure zone.
- The city issued a water quality advisory on November 10, 2017.
- Early findings pointed to heat-damaged plastic pipe and parts, and to ash and soot drawn back into the system when pressure was lost.
- The city replaced water services, blow-off valves, hydrants and segments of main, and lifted the advisory on October 11, 2018.
The open space burned too. OSMA’s 2019 report says the fire burned over 80% of its wildlands and landscape infrastructure. That year it cut 631 dead trees, and its board approved an emergency special assessment of $960 per homeowner, payable in 2020.
For rebuilding, the city wrote special rules, now in City Code Chapter 20-35 (Resilient City Standards). They let a destroyed home be rebuilt as originally permitted, under the building and fire codes in effect at application, with director-level approval for a replica. As written, they applied to Tubbs fire parcels until December 31, 2025, a date that has passed. If you are buying or building on a lot that is still vacant, ask the city’s Planning division which standards apply now.
OSMA’s 2019 report adds that owners rebuilding next to open space must pay for any repair to the open space their project requires.
Approvals
Design review: the committee and the city
A rebuild, an addition or a new fence can need two separate approvals. The committee does not issue city permits. The city does not enforce your CC&Rs. One approval does not stand in for the other.
The association side. The Fountaingrove II East committee is a five-member elected board of neighbors, and three votes approve or deny a design. Its published guidelines and FAQs include:
- Class A, fire-retardant roofing on every roof.
- No more than two stories or 35 feet in height.
- At least a two-car garage.
- Exterior paint in white, shades of blue or gray, or earth tones.
- No vehicles parked on the street overnight. The committee says it tries to be reasonable about visitors.
Changing a design or colors requires notice to affected neighbors, who have 7 days to raise concerns. Rebuilding the same design in the same colors does not. OSMA’s site says the West and Summit areas currently have no committee, though their CC&Rs are posted. For the Fountaingrove Ranch neighborhoods, ask the master association or your sub-association how design review works.
The city side. Three parts of the City Code come up most in the hills:
Trees are a separate question. City Code Chapter 17-24 requires a permit to alter, remove or relocate a heritage, protected or street tree. Other trees on developed lots in the single-family and planned residential zones it lists are exempt, unless the district’s Policy Statement says otherwise. Check with Planning before removing a tree on your lot.
Money
Dues, the tax bill and insurance
A Fountaingrove owner can pay several separate charges, and they do not all arrive on one bill.
OSMA’s reserve summary for fiscal year 2025 reports reserves 100% funded and lists no special assessment. Read the newest one with the current budget.
On insurance, availability and price vary by insurer, so this guide gives no figures. Two official points are worth knowing. The State Fire Marshal’s page points to a Department of Insurance alert titled “CAL FIRE Hazard Maps Do Not Affect Insurance Rates or Availability.” And the Department’s Safer from Wildfires program says each of its listed steps qualifies for a discount, including a Class A roof, a 5-foot ember-resistant zone and belonging to a Firewise USA community. Ask your insurer how it applies them.
Quick answers
Questions owners and buyers ask
Is Fountaingrove one HOA?
No. The Fountaingrove Ranch Master Association and its four sub-associations cover one group of neighborhoods. Fountaingrove II has a separate open space association and its own CC&Rs, enforced by area committees.
How do I know which associations my home belongs to?
Read the preliminary title report, which lists the recorded CC&Rs, and ask for a disclosure packet from every association that bills the property. More in What Everyone Should Know About Buying a Home With an HOA.
Can I cut a tree in the open space behind my lot to open up a view?
No. OSMA’s FAQ says trees and plants in the open space may not be cut for a view, and nothing may be trimmed without the board’s consent.
Who clears the brush behind my fence?
It depends on who owns the land. In Fountaingrove II, OSMA’s management plan calls for a fuel management zone of at least 100 feet where homes meet its open space. On your own lot, the defensible space duty is yours under the City Code.
Is the water safe now?
The advisory was lifted on October 11, 2018, after the city replaced the affected parts of the system, according to the State Water Resources Control Board. For current test results, ask Santa Rosa Water.
Do I need association approval and a city permit to rebuild or remodel?
Usually both. The committee or association reviews the design under the CC&Rs, and the city reviews zoning, hillside and building code rules. See How to Propose Changes to Your Property in a Homeowners Association.
Who handles a parking or barking dog complaint in Fountaingrove II?
Not OSMA. Its FAQ sends those to the Architectural Review Committee for your area, and OSMA says only the East committee is functioning.
Keep going
Where to go next on How2HOA
Sources for this guide
These sources open in a new tab.
Fountaingrove II Open Space Maintenance Association: About; FAQ; Architectural Review Committee page; Fire Safety; Reports; Reserve summary disclosure, fiscal year 2025; 2019 annual report to the City of Santa Rosa; Open Space Management Plan, objectives and fire and fuel management.
Fountaingrove II East Architectural Review Committee: FAQs; building guidelines.
Fountaingrove Ranch Master Association: About page.
Santa Rosa City Code: Chapter 9-32, hazardous vegetation and fuels management; Chapter 9-08, weeds and rubbish; Chapter 18-46, Wildland-Urban Interface Code; Chapter 20-26, special purpose zoning districts; Chapter 20-32, hillside development standards; Chapter 20-35, Resilient City standards; Chapter 17-24, trees.
City of Santa Rosa: Wildland-Urban Interface page.
State of California: CAL FIRE, Tubbs fire incident record; State Water Resources Control Board, executive director’s report, April 17, 2018; State Water Resources Control Board, executive director’s report, November 28, 2018; State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones; Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, defensible space Zones 0, 1 and 2; Department of Insurance, Safer from Wildfires.
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Start hereBrowse all HOA topicsThis page is general educational information, not legal, financial or insurance advice. How2HOA is not affiliated with the Fountaingrove Ranch Master Association, the Fountaingrove II Open Space Maintenance Association, any Fountaingrove sub-association or committee, or the City of Santa Rosa. Each association’s governing documents and current published figures control. City ordinances and state law change, so check the current code and talk with the association’s attorney or another qualified professional about your situation.