RESTRICTIONS & THE ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEE…
“No building shall be erected, placed or altered on the lots in this Addition unless the plot plan and proposed finished grades have been determined for the location of said improvements and the design and plans shall be first approved by the Architectural Control Committee.” Quote – Restrictive Covenants Section 5
The Old Brook Farm Association is assigned an inured duty to protect the fiduciary interests of all association member homeowners. This responsibility is impressed upon the Association by virtue of our Restrictive Covenants. Maintaining architectural standards in a community such as ours is one of the ways, among others, to help maintain property values.
The Association is responsible for maintaining the design integrity of the addition as a means for maintaining said property values. The Association does this via the Restrictive Covenant’s established Architectural Control Committee. The authority and responsibility to regulate a homeowner’s right to make improvements or modifications to their property is assigned via our Restrictive Covenants and inured to the deeds of the property.
As with every structured addition, the Old Brook Farm Addition has an architectural design standard whereby the addition maintains a degree of architectural style uniformity in common with all residential structures. Through the actions of the Architectural Control Committee, the Association is able to meet our responsibility for maintaining the design integrity of the Old Brook Farm Addition. Maintaining the integrity of this design standard helps to maintain and escalate property values.
A conservative estimate of the accumulated value of the 128 homes in the Old Brook Farm Addition is somewhere around sixteen million, five hundred thousand dollars — $16,500,000. Homes that were purchased many years ago for a cost in the $35,000 to $50,000 range are now selling for $150,000 and more. With these property values at stake, the Association must assign paramount significance to representing the fiduciary best interests of all our member homeowners. It is our duty as a homeowners association to protect these interests. For this reason, not all construction and remodeling proposals will be approved.
The approval process begins when the homeowner files a Project Narrative. The narrative consists of a few paragraphs, written by the homeowner, that describes the project and specifies intended changes to the home or property. A Project Narrative Guideline is provided to walk the homeowner thru the application and provides a list of issues to be addressed in the narrative. All issues must be addressed in the Project Narrative including those the homeowner might feel are lacking in relevance. A link to the Project Narrative Guidelines can be found at the bottom of this page.
In examining Project Narratives, the Architectural Control Committee will scrutinize the proposed project with the following concerns in mind:
A. What might be the negative impacts of the intended project on immediate neighbors and to the addition overall? Might the project, when completed, cause harmful drainage problems, create physical risks or safety issues, or result in loss of property values for others?
B. Does the project violate or compromise the architectural styling and design integrity of the addition? Preservation of architectural styling and design standards serves to protect the property values and investments of all homeowners in the addition.
C. Is the project in compliance with all provisions of the Restricted Covenants and all municipal building codes and standards? Will building permits be obtained?
D. Is the project appropriate for a suburban, single family, residential community?
The Project Narrative must be submitted as a “hard copy” document, with the signatures of all homeowners of record affixed. The narrative may be delivered via U.S.P.S. to the official address of the Old Brook Farm Association, or the narrative may be delivered in person to the current Old Brook Farm Association President. To contact the Architectural Control Committee use the email address located on the CONTACT US panel of the WELCOME page.
Sometimes the depth and complexity of a construction project will require additional information beyond what is provided in the Project Narrative. Additional necessary information might include detailed architectural drawings, certified plot plans, certification of proposed finish grades, certified surveyor reports, etc., but this is the exception and not the norm.
Originally three individuals were named to serve on the Committee. When these folks passed on over the years, the Executive Committee was assigned the responsibility of the Architectural Control Committee. This committee now consists of the Board President, the Board Vice-President and the Secretary-Treasurer.
The Architectural Control Committee has 21 days to respond to the homeowner, however, the 21 day countdown does not begin until all requested information necessary for making a decision on your project is made available to the Committee.
Before beginning construction, remodeling or any changes to your property amenities it is necessary to first submit your Project Narrative to the Architectural Control Committee. AND… all appropriate Building Permits are required.
Use this link to view and print the Project Narrative Guidelines: GUIDELINES