Cohousing-L Mailing List: Architectural Preview/Review

[Ruth Hirsch (heidinys]

Dear Doug,

Yes!  Heading off problems is the way to go.
We re-named ours 'Architectural Preview'!

We have a handful of 'agreeds.'  Before someone builds/modifies  
outside of home, it comes to AP Task Force.

We have also imposed a time limit on the length of time allotted to  
ponder someone's situation:  'Upon receipt of the plans, the  
committee has the responsibility to meet before the next scheduled  
community meeting, in order to determine whether this is something  
which can be agreed upon within the committee or needs to be brought  
to the community meeting, and if so, to formulate its recommendations  
and presentation.'

Will paste our statement below.

Best,
Ruth J. Hirsch,  Cantines Island CoHo, Saugerties, NY

ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE   Draft 03/29/05 [This is essentially  
our statement; a few minor changes since this draft.]

PART 1 - STATEMENT OF VALUES

The work of this committee should be guided by mutually agreed-upon  
principles, so that no-one should feel that its recommendations arise
out of whim or prejudice. These principles are based upon several  
documents which have long been in circulation in the community:

I.  The Founding Principles:
    A. CoHousing - Live cooperatively. Share management of the  
community. Pool energy and resources for mutual benefit. Be there for  
each other
when help is needed. Respect individual and family privacy. Resolve  
interpersonal difficulties through mutual respect and commitment to the
community as well as to our own personal interests. Voluntary  
participation in cooperative activities.
    B. Environmental stewardship - Our houses should be modest- 
sized, with materials chosen for minimal impact on the health of the  
environment
and of the people who built and live in them. Materials should be  
renewable, recyclable and biodegradable as much as possible. Energy
efficiency is a top priority. Landscaping should be done with food  
and habitat for wildlife in mind.
    C. Beauty and harmony. In the first phase of building, the  
design of our site and houses was based on architect Christopher  
Alexander’s book
A Pattern Language, an analysis of what naturally pleases and  
accommodates people, and how these qualities can be incorporated into
new designs. The committee believes that continuing to refer to these  
patterns will help in making good decisions about how the community
will develop.

II.  The Vision Statement:
Two pertinent passages from this document: “Other than the commitment  
to cooperation described here, our only shared ideology is that of
environmental stewardship.”  “Being willing to seek compromise,  
accept constructive feedback from the group, change opinions and/or  
admit [to
having been] wrong will all be necessary from time to time.”

III.  The New Participating Member Questionnaire:
One of the questions is, “Why do you want to live in a community  
where you will have to compromise on a number of issues?”

IV.  The Application for Full Membership:
Includes the statement “I have read and approve the ByLaws, the  
Minutes of all the meetings since I joined, the Founding Principles  
and the
Vision Statement.”

Following these statements of original intent, and assuming that they  
are all still in effect, these are the values which will guide the
committee:
• Personal choices and individual property rights should be exerted  
with full consideration for the impact they will have on the community
as a whole.
• The community has the right to have input during the entire design  
phase of any new structure or renovation, and will faithfully balance
this with respect for individual rights.
• Visual continuity is desirable. This includes such elements as  
style, scale, roof pitch, siding and (range of color?).
• Environmental conservation is important, and should inform all  
choices of size, materials and design features.

Everything built to date is “grandfathered in.” We will go forward  
from here, in good faith and with good will.

PART 2 - MANDATE

The committee is to review the plans for any proposed new houses and/ 
or changes to the exterior of any existing houses, with an eye to the
visual and environmental impact upon the overall look and feel of the  
community and on existing houses and community buildings.

There are four thresholds for the committee’s activities (these are  
detailed below):
1- Planned projects either do or do not rise to the level of the  
committee’s purview.
2- The committee has authority to approve some plans, but with other  
plans it will be necessary to bring its recommendations to the
community as a whole.
3- The HOA may request the services of the Architectural Review  
Committee to help it make decisions about site development.
4- The committee may be requested by any member to intervene or  
mediate in matters of visual impact.

First threshold:  The committee should be consulted on anything that  
will have permanent or long-term impact on the visual integrity of the
community, including new houses, house additions or extensions,  
siding, roofing, lighting, sheds, fences, patios, gazebos, and installed
children’s recreational equipment.  The committee does not have to be  
involved in decisions about (trim paint colors?), wash lines,
trellises, low garden walls, kids’ swimming pools, moveable yard  
furniture.

Second threshold:  Where a plan will affect a limited number of  
neighbors, and those neighbors have been consulted and do not present
blocking objections, or where a plan involves a relatively minor  
change to a part of the Commons which is not much frequented, the  
committee is
authorized to approve or disapprove the plan without bringing the  
matter to a community meeting. (The member has the right to appeal a
disapproval by bringing it to a meeting of the HOA.) However, in the  
case of a new house or an enlargement of an existing house, or other
changes which will have significant impact on the community as a  
whole, the committee will formulate a recommendation and present it at a
meeting of the HOA.

Third threshold:  When the HOA is considering some change on the  
Commons, it may charge the committee to seek relevant information or
otherwise bring data to the decision-making process.

Fourth threshold:  When a resident is bothered by something a  
neighbor has installed on their house or in their yard, the committee  
can be
brought in as a mediator, to help clarify issues and information, and  
seek a reasonable compromise.

PART 3 - PROCESS

A member planning a project has the responsibility to meet with the  
committee and to provide it with plans (including site plans, floor
plans, elevations, material lists, exterior lighting, colors). Enough  
time must be provided for the committee to meet, formulate its
recommendations, and if necessary, bring the issue to at least one  
community meeting. (In the case of new house construction, this may
require several meetings.)

Upon receipt of the plans, the committee has the responsibility to  
meet before the next scheduled community meeting, in order to determine
whether this is something which can be agreed upon within the  
committee or needs to be brought to the community meeting, and if so, to
formulate its recommendations and presentation.

Any changes in plans are to be brought to the committee, to be  
processed as above.

No construction is to be started until the committee conveys approval  
of the final plans.

In evaluating proposed projects, the committee will take into  
consideration existing structures, roads, pathways, gardens, and
utility lines & structures under and over ground. Safety for all ages  
will be a consideration, as will liability for the community.

The committee is responsible for knowing relevant building  
regulations, lot lines, sight lines, location of utilities, and the  
potential impact
of materials, and will consult as needed with technical  
professionals, utility providers and municipal authorities. The  
members of the
committee should also be conversant with A Pattern Language.

The committee will consult as needed with neighbors and the community  
as a whole, in order to get a sense of community opinion about the
proposed changes.

The committee can meet as needed with the Long-range Planning  
Committee, Development Committee, Aging Committee, the Construction &
Maintenance Committee, the Common House Expansion Committee, or any  
other committee or task force which can facilitate its functioning.
________________________________________________________________________ 
______________


We are working on working on the Architectural Review Board section
of our CC&Rs. We will be in townhomes, and I am wondering what sort
of difficult issues have emerged pertaining to existing community's
Architectural Review Boards. Concerns of strictness/leniency, freedom
and private property seem evident. Is there a way to head off
problems that others have encountered, either through construction of
the CC&Rs, or otherwise?

Doug Huston