GUIDELINES

Old Brook Farm Association

ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEE

Project Narrative Guideline

“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.” Restrictive Covenants – Section 5

The project approval process begins when the homeowner files a Project Narrative. This guideline is provided to assist the homeowner with preparation of the narrative. Additional information is available on our website, www.oldbrookfarm.org Select “Restrictions” from the Site Menu. When reviewing your Project Narrative we will be interested in the following issues:

  1. Will your project compromise the addition’s established Architectural Style and Design?
  2. Will your project change the final grade enough to impact storm water runoff?
  3. Will your project violate any of the lot restrictions as identified in the Covenants?​
  4. Will your project violate any state, county or City of Fort Wayne building codes?

The Project Narrative is a few paragraphs, written by the homeowner, that identifies the project and describes intended changes to the home or property. A list of issue points to be addressed in the narrative are found below. All issue points listed must be addressed in the Project Narrative including those the homeowner might feel are lacking in relevance. An incomplete Project Narrative will delay the project approval process. Page 2 of this document provides examples of acceptable Project Narratives.

Please bear in mind, the Project Narrative need not be a literary masterpiece of stellar proportions. Address all the points listed, certainly, but keep it simple. Use only enough verbiage to convey what is requested as necessary. Pictures and drawings are sometimes helpful. Project Narratives exceeding a single typed page are probably excessive in nature.

  1. State your names, the address where the project will occur, and provide your phone number.
  2. Give your project a “Name.” (Porch Addition, Roof Replacement, etc.)
  3. Describe the nature of your project.
  4. If your project requires a waiver of published Covenant Restrictions, clearly state the need for the waiver.
  5. State the location of any construction relative to your property lines.
  6. State the measurements of any addition specified in feet.
  7. State the possible impact your project will have on finish grade and storm water drainage patterns.
  8. State who will perform the construction (contractor, homeowner, etc.).
  9. State any changes in architectural appearance, when viewed “from the street”, your project will introduce to your home as compared to other homes in the addition.
  10. State the anticipated construction start and construction complete dates.
  11. State the status of required building permits.

Sometimes the complexity of a construction project will require additional information beyond what is provided by the Project Narrative. Additional required details might include a certified plot plan and proposed finished grades report, architectural drawings and design plans, or a certified surveyor reports, etc. The need for additional information is the exception more than the norm. The Architectural Control Committee has 21 days to respond to the homeowner, however, the 21 day countdown does not begin until all required information is made available to the Committee.

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. Mail, or the narrative may be delivered in person to the current Old Brook Farm Association President. The mailing addresses for the Association and the current president can be found on our website under “Contact Us” on the Right Side Panel.

We look forward to receiving your Project Narrative.

Architectural Control Committee

Old Brook Farm Association

EXAMPLES OF EFFECTIVE & COMPLETE PROJECT NARRATIVES

EXAMPLE #1

COVERED PORCH ADDITION

We are planning the addition of a covered porch to the front of our home located at 6331 Sunnystreet Lane. The poured cement floor will measure 6 ft by 16ft. No portion of the porch will be closer than 27ft from any lot line. The roofing shingles will match in style and color the existing shingles on our home. The placement of the porch will not alter the finish grade of our property so is not expected to seriously impact existing storm water runoff patterns. The placement and appearance of the porch is similar to the placement and architectural design and appearance of existing front porches found on other homes in the addition. All construct work will be performed by a licensed professional contractor who will obtain all necessary building permits prior to construction start. We will complete the landscaping ourselves. Construction is scheduled to begin on or before May 6, and all work will be completed within two weeks of start.

EXAMPLE #2

GARDEN SHED PLACEMENT

We are planning the addition of a garden shed on the back of our property. The manufactured shed measures 10 feet by 12 feet, and will be set on footing blocks without a poured cement foundation, so a building permit is not required. The garden shed will be located on the northwest corner of our lot no closer than 8 feet from either lot line. Placing the shed on blocks does not alter either finish grade or the current flow pattern of storm water. The design and appearance of the shed is similar to manufactured sheds located throughout the addition. The home store where we bought the shed will deliver and place it sometime in the next 30 days.

EXAMPLE #3

PATIO DECK ADDITION

We are planning the addition of a patio deck behind our home. The deck will measure 18 feet by 24 feet and will be built of pressure treated lumber and composite decking materials. The frame will be placed on precast concrete footing blocks designed and engineered for this purpose. No portion of the deck will be closer than 19 feet from any lot line. The project will have no impact on the architectural view of our home when seen from the street. Placement of the deck does not alter the existing finish grade and will not impact the flow of storm water runoff from what it is now. We plan to perform all construction work ourselves using plans and instructions obtained from the home improvement store where we buy the materials, and we will obtain all required building permits prior to construction start. Our plans are to start building the deck over the 4th of July weekend and anticipate we will need about a week to complete the project.

EXAMPLE #4

ROOM ADDITION

We are planning a room addition to the back of our house. To meet building code, the concrete slab foundation will measure just slightly larger than the 12 feet by 16 feet room size. Walls will be of wood frame construction. The siding and roofing shingles will match the design and color of what exists on the rest of our home. The construction will be performed by a licensed professional contractor who has assured us the addition will not alter the existing finish grade and the impact to the current flow of storm water runoff will be minimal. The contractor will obtain all necessary building permits and has scheduled construction to begin on or around September 17. The project is expected to take 30 days.

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