ARB

The Architecture Review Board (ARB) is the group within the HOA which reviews and approves changes to the exterior of your home.  The ARB attempts to retain the original "look-and-feel" of the neighborhood while still allowing modern construction materials, updated paint formulations, and updated construction methods.

The ARB is the only committee which is required to exist under our Governing Documents, and is a mandated core function of our HOA.  We are also required to maintain ARB Guidelines which help you to plan and seek approval for your exterior changes.  You can find the ARB Guidelines, as well as the submission form, on our Documents page.

The ARB Guidelines document contains an important note:

The ARB reserves the absolute right to refuse approval of any plans which, in its opinion, are not suitable or do not comply with the terms of this document. The ARB shall evaluate each application for its total effect upon the Applicant’s parcel and the overall property. This evaluation may involve matters of judgment and tastes that cannot be reduced to an objective list of measurable criteria. 

The approval of any improvement or new construction does not obligate the ARB to approve applications involving similar designs, aesthetic appearance or locations on a parcel for other proposed improvements or new construction.

This means that your particular project may not be approved, and that is solely based on the ARB's subjective opinion about how it will affect the look of your parcel, and the whole neighborhood; and just because the ARB approved one does not obligate the ARB to approve all.

Procedure (or "how do I file an ARB?)

PLAN ACCORDINGLY!  Since you must have an approved ARB before you begin your work, submit your requests well in advance of getting the work done.  In most cases, you have six months following the approval to accomplish the work (some longer-running projects excepted).

1. Visit the Documents section of the website to find the ARB Submission Form and the ARB Guidelines.

2. Fill out the ARB Submission Form completely.  Be sure to include drawings and pictures which detail where on your property the change will be, and what it will entail.  The requirements are listed in the ARB Guidelines document.  Be sure to read that document completely, as references to your change may be in multiple locations in the document.

3. Send your submissions to ARBSanctuary@gmail.com and we will address your submission at the next Board meeting.

Be sure to watch the bulletin board next to the mailboxes (and your inbox!) for notice of meetings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't you approve my ARB?  We think the change looks great!

     The ARB evaluates each application individually, and sometimes, in its opinion, a change you may want to make, or a change you may think is totally appropriate, may not fit the overall look and feel of the neighborhood, or may seem "out of place" when compared with other houses around it.  Remember that this is a purely subjective review which cannot be reduced to a "checklist" of items which will or will not be approved.  Each change is evaluated separately and is evaluated on its own merits.  How the ARB votes, and each individual vote on any submitted ARB, become part of the public record as is recorded in our Board's meeting minutes.

I submitted my ARB request, can't I just go ahead and schedule with my contractor to get the work done now?  Do I really need to wait for the approval?

     Yes, you need to wait for the approval before you schedule with your contractor.  If you proceed with the work, and the ARB does not approve or requests you modify your work, and you have already completed it, you will now need to pay extra to have your contractor come out and fix it.  This is the risk you run when you do work before the ARB has approved your project.

I want to decorate for my favorite holiday, and it's not on your list of holidays.  Does this mean i can't decorate for my favorite holiday?

     No, not at all!  We designed the holiday list to make it easier for homeowners who want to decorate for the most commonly decorated holidays in the neighborhood.  The holiday list simply states that for those holidays, ARB approval is not required.  For any other holiday not listed, ARB submissions are required.  All other rules still apply, including that holiday decorations must come down within 21 days following the holiday, and that the ARB still can subsequently disallow your display, even after you put it up, if in their subjective opinion, it is not suitable or detracts from the overall look of your parcel or the neighborhood.

I heard about this "Card My Yard" thing, can I do that for my daughter's birthday?

     Yes!  Celebratory signs are called out specifically in the ARB Guidelines.  Temporary celebratory signage must come down within 7 days following the date of the celebration.  These signs typically include birthdays or graduations which occur on a specific date.

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