ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
DEFINITION AND PURPOSE
WHAT IS THE ARCHITECTURAL
REVIEW COMMITTEE
(As stated in the Harbour
Town Club’s Bylaws, Article 11, Section 4:
“COMMITTEES”)
"There
shall be an Architectural Review Committee
(herein referred as “The ARC”), which shall have the authority and
perform the functions detailed in Article VI of the Declarations of Covenants,
Conditions and Restrictions. In
addition, the ARC shall through an approvals process, and in keeping with the
Declaration, assure that all projects undertaken by property owners which
involve the exterior of residences, including but not limited to painting,
roofing, fencing, additions, etc., maintain or enhance the décor, appearance,
and ambiance of the Subdivision.”
RESTRICTIONS
AND APPROVAL BY ARC:
(As stated in ART VI, Sec 2
of Harbour Town's Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions)
“”No unit, fence, wall or other structure shall
be commenced, erected or maintained by an Owner upon the Property, nor shall
any exterior addition to or change or alteration be made on any improvement on
the Property until the plans and specifications showing the nature, kind,
shape, height, material, color and location of same shall have been submitted
to and approved in writing by the ARC as to harmony of external design and
location in relation to surrounding structures and topography and in conformity
with the objective standards set forth in Article VI, Section 2, of the
Declaration”.
“Any savings and loan institution, bank mortgage
company, or other lender, and any title company, title abstract company, or
title attorney shall be entitled to rely upon the written approval or
certification by the ARC that a unit conforms to the requirements of this
section.”
(As stated in ART. VI, Sect. 2 of the Declaration.)
PROPERTY
OWNER'S HANDBOOK
For
the convenience of all Harbour Town Club property owners, this handbook has
been developed to assist you in gaining knowledge of ARC policies and
guidelines, which you are expected to follow when embarking on any exterior
projects for your home.
Without
architectural control in our subdivision, it is impossible to maintain common
themes like compatible colors, designs, materials, and uniformity throughout
the community. Without them, the resulting
chaos degrades the property values for all owners.
The
policies and guidelines in this handbook represent those set by the ARC and the
Declaration. It is meant for your use as
a reference for following the expected standards dealing with enhancing and/or
maintaining the exterior of your property.
For a further detailed description of other deed restrictions, please
refer to your Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions for
Harbour Town Club. If you have any
questions pertaining to the Architectural Review Committee, please contact the
Harbour Town Office at (936) 856-4378.
February 07
ARC GUIDELINES AND POLICIES
All exterior repairs and improvements must have ARC approval prior
to commencing work. The work must be
completed with in six (6) months or the property owner will have to re-submit a
new approval form. These forms may be
downloaded from the website at www.harbourtown.org
or from the HTC office at (936) 856-4378.
Please allow two weeks for processing.
1. A/C UNITS & GARBAGE CONTAINERS
Air conditioning units, trashcans and other waste containers shall be kept screened by
adequate planting or fencing so as to conceal it from public view.
2. CURB RAMPS
Please see the attached guidelines for
ramps
3. DISH RECEIVERS: (See Article IX, Section 17 of the Declaration)
Approval must be granted by ARC for satellite dishes, and should be placed in the least
conspicuous
location on the roof.
4. DECKS - PATIOS - PORCHES - BALCONIES (See Article VIII.
Section 2, paragraph 2)
A. A survey showing where the house sits on the lot.
B. Approval may be granted for up to a maximum of fifteen feet (15') on to Common
Area that is not located over an easement or rights of way. (Art. IX, Sec. 3. Paragraph E)
C. Surface may be poured cement or decking materials.
D. Covers, including balconies,
if approved by the ARC, may extend out to a maximum
of ten feet (10'). Open beamed covers are allowed, if they are constructed out of
maintenance free materials approved by the ARC.
Front door
entrance covers may extend out six feet (6').
**PLEASE NOTE: Homeowner must have insurance that covers this extension into the
Common Area, and it must include Harbour Town Club as part of the insured.
5. ENCLOSED PATIOS:
Enclosed patios (fenced or
screened) must be within the owner's property lines.
A. Signed application along with a survey showing where the house sits on the lot.
B. An attached drawing showing how the project will look when finished.
C. List of materials to be used.
The finished project should look like an original part of the house.
February 07
6. FENCES AND RAILINGS:
As stated in Article VIII, Section
2-a, of the Declaration, “there shall be no obstruction of Common Area by
any
Exception: For raised decks and patios constructed over
a slope, a thirty-six inch (36") safety fence may be erected and
should be constructed out of wrought iron.
PRIVACY FENCES AND RAILINGS: All repairs and replacements must remain
consistent with the original structure and must be painted to match the
house.
7. HOUSE NUMBERS:
All residences must have house numbers
that are clearly visible from the street.
8. LANDSCAPING
- FLOWERBEDS AND TREES:
FLOWERBEDS:
Homeowners may not plant new flowerbeds in the Common Area without prior ARC approval. Texas Grounds Keeping has agreed to maintain the shrubs and flowerbeds around each home within 3 feet of the foundation. Any other plantings on the Common Area are to be maintained by the homeowner. This obligation continues on to subsequent homeowners. Failure of the homeowner to maintain such plantings will cause the Association to remove said plantings if they are deemed to be too costly to maintain or otherwise undesirable.
No shrubbery, trees, or plants extending more than two feet high are to be planted close to street corners or other locations where a hazard, particularly in regard to vehicular visibility, may be created. The Association reserves the right to remove any plantings deemed unsightly or a hazard.
TREE
PLANTING AND TRIMMING:
Approved trees, which do not block adjacent homeowners view of the water, and have
been planted on Common Area by the homeowner, will be the responsibility of the home-
owner, and subsequent homeowners. Owners wishing to trim their trees must submit a
form for approval prior to doing the work. The owner is responsible for any costs involved.
9. NEW HOMES:
Individuals or companies desiring to construct a new dwelling in Harbour Town Club must satisfy all requirements and standards for construction, as established by Harbour Town Club, the ARC and by the Declaration. Please contact the office at (936) 856-4378
for a copy of the HARBOUR TOWN CLUB BUILDER'S PACKET.
10. PAINTING:
ARC members must approve exterior paint color choices prior to commencement of work. Colors will be approved based on harmony with surrounding units, and muted colors, such as earth tones, are suggested. Paint samples must be attached to the ARC application.
February 07
11. PIERS AND BOAT DOCKS:
Article 11, Section 7 of the Declaration
defines which Lots qualify to construct and maintain a pier for the purpose of
docking one (1) powerboat or sailboat.
A.
Two approvals are necessary:
First from the ARC and then from the
River Authority prior to commencing any new construction or extensive repairs.
B. Piers, including the boat dock, may not exceed forty (40) feet in length but may be
required to be shorter to follow the shoreline or any other existing piers.
C. Generally, the piers must stay within the projection of the property lines into the lake
but final placement is decided by the ARC.
D. Floating piers will not be
approved.
F. No covers may be constructed
over boat docks.
G. Piers/boat docks are
considered private property for sole use by the lot owner.
Multiple boat
dock piers owned and
maintained by adjacent waterfront homeowners will be approved, providing, all
of the concerned parties sign the ARC "New Pier/Dock Form" and
provide an attached sheet stating which dock belongs to what address and that
they jointly agree to maintain the appearance and integrity of the structure.
There are four
Common Piers around
12. REPAIRS:
EXTENSIVE REMODELING AND REPAIRS:
A damage deposit of $250.00, payable to
13. ROOFS:
FLAT ROOFS: Owner's wishing to erect peaked roofing over existing flat roofs must enclose the structure completely and provide for ventilation and drainage, ie.rain gutters.
ROOF REPAIR: If a common wall is shared between residents, the following rules apply:
A. Notification of adjacent neighbors of the proposed work and completion date
B. If repair work can only be accomplished by gaining access via a neighbor's roof, the
homeowner accepts responsibility for any and all damages caused by the workmen.
C. Workmen must be advised to use extreme care when removing old roofing to avoid
damage to adjacent property, including vehicles and landscaping.
February 07
Guidelines
for Curb Ramps
Adopted 8-16-02
If an Owner
determines that a ramp over a curb in the Owners parking area is required for
wheel chair accessibility or other purposes, the Owner shall make a request to
the Architectural Review Committee. This
request will be on the same form used for improve-ments to any
In general, HTC
requires that each curb ramp comply with ADA Standards for Accessible Design,
Appendix A to Part 36. (available on the web at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/reg3a.html Department of Justice, ADA Title III,
Regulation 28 CFR Part 36). We recognize
that these standards were written for public access areas and HTC town home
parking is for private access. However,
the standards provide good guidance for HTC, since the HTC Association owns and
maintains the parking areas. (If this policy is in conflict with any other
laws, it will be modified to conform to applicable law.)
It is anticipated
that curb ramps will only be required in town home areas, since most patio
homes have driveways and garages. The
deed restrictions reserve the parking area directly in front of each town home
for the exclusive use of the Owner.
Therefore any curb ramp will be located in one of the Owner’s parking
spaces.
The ramp should be
located in the middle of one the Owner’s parking spaces so that a car may park
there and straddle the ramp when the ramp is not expected to be used for a long
period (such as a new Owner, not needing a ramp.) Note: the Owner may designate the parking
space exclusively for the ramp if it will have frequent use.
Following are
quotes from the
“4.5.1 General…ramps…shall
be stable, firm, slip resistant….” Curb ramps in HTC will be made of concrete.
“4.5.4 Gratings. If gratings are located in walking surfaces,
then they shall have spaces no greater than 1/2 inch wide in one direction…”
HTC does not recommend gratings.
“4.7.2 Slope… Transitions from ramps to
walks…shall be flush and free of abrupt changes.”
“4.7.3 Width. The minimum width of a curb ramp shall be 36
in…exclusive of flared sides.”
“4.7.5 Sides of
Curb Ramps. If curb ramp is located
where…it is not protected by handrails or guardrails, it shall have flared
sides, the maximum slope of the flare shall be 1:10.” This means 10 inches of “run” for each one inch
of “rise. All ramps in private parking
areas of HTC should have flared sides to the parking area to minimize trip
hazard. A variation of the 1:10
specification will be considered if requested for a good reason consistent with
safety concerns expressed herein.
“4.8.2 Slope and
Rise…The maximum slope of a ramp in new construction shall be 1:12” This
means 12 inches of “run” for each one inch of “rise” in the ramp. HTC will consider variations of this limit
for good reasons, when requested.
“4.29.2 Detectable
Warnings on Walking Surfaces. Detectable warnings shall consist of raised
truncated domes … and shall contrast visually with adjoining surfaces… The
material used to provide contrast shall be an integral part of the walking
surface.”
Based on observation
of many newly constructed curb ramps around
HTC and the ARC
recommend that the Owner constructing an approved ramp, use a contractor
familiar with
When submitting a
request form to the ARC, the Owner should provide a drawing and enough
information so that the ARC can determine that the intended work will meet
these guidelines, including material, dimensions, “rise and run”, texture,
color, etc.