Old Farm Lakes Property Owners Association

ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE POLICIES

Making landscaping changes          or home additions    

please contact the Architectural Review Committee. . . . .

The Old Farm Lakes Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions charge the elected Association Board to enforce the specific restrictions. The Declaration also requires that prior to any modification or addition to a homeowner’s property, a plan must be submitted to the Board for review and approval. To expedite the review process, the covenants call for the formation of an Architecture Control Committee.

The OFL Covenants require that if you are making any changes to your property that you submit a plan before doing so. The plan should be delivered to the Architecture Committee for review and approval.

This committee acting on the behalf of the full Board will approve or disapprove a homeowner’s plan based on the following:
(1) The extent to which the proposal conforms to the Annexation Agreement
(2) The extent to which the proposal conforms with the Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions
(3) The extent to which the proposal is comparable with the existing and proposed use of adjoining or nearby properties.
(4) The extent to which the proposal is consistent with and enhances the overall quality of the Old Farm Lakes development.

The last two criteria grant the Board latitude to establish “policies” regarding consistency in things not specific stated in the covenants. The Board has adopted these policies over a period of years. Many of these policies have been communicated through newsletters and now via the new Association website.

Fencing on Lake Lots

In order to preserve the open view of and access to the lakes, a policy has been strictly and consistently enforced for many years that prohibit fences on ANY lot that backs up to either of the lakes. We are mainly concerned with boundary fences. On several occasions, unapproved boundary fences on lake lots have been taken down at the Board’s request and the sale of houses around the lakes, contingent upon the right of the buyer to erect fences, have been blocked. A few “privacy walls” that extend a short distance out from houses have been approved on a case-by-case basis; these are screened very closely.

Satellite Dishes

A one-meter in diameter satellite dish is the maximum size that can be erected. They are to be mounted on the roof in the rear of the house. No freestanding satellite dishes or poles are allowed regardless of size. To-date, one 6-foot diameter satellite dish has been removed at the Board’s request.

Above Ground Swimming Pools

The OFLPOA Covenants clearly state that there shall be no above ground swimming pools under any circumstances (reference Item R. on page A-21 of the Covenants and Restrictions). Inflatable kid's "wading pools" have been around for years and we have allowed these "wading pools" to be up during the summer. They are usually small (under two feet in height and no more than eight to ten feet across) and obviously a temporary recreational facility. Today you can buy an inflatable pool at a very reasonable

price that is three to five feet tall and 12 to 18 feet across and contains a built in filtering system. They also come in many sizes in between this and the traditional "wading pool" described above. The Board has defined what will be considered an "above ground pool" in regards to the Covenant restriction. The City of Bloomington considers any structure intended for swimming or recreational bathing that is designed to hold water over 24 inches deep to be a swimming pool. The Board feels that this is a good criterion and will use the same definition for an above ground pool. Any above ground pool that can contain water over 24 inches deep is not in compliance with the OFLPOA Covenants. It does not matter how much water is actually in the pool. It is what the pool by design is capable of holding that will be the criteria.

Plan Submission Process

Please keep in mind that regardless of what restrictions are specifically stated in the Covenants or in the current set of "policies", plans for any modification to your property MUST BE submitted to the Architecture Review Committee in writing (2 copies) and approved BEFORE any changes are made. The Covenants also clearly state that the approval of any plans is not a waiver of the Committee’s right to withhold approval of a similar plan. Each request is evaluated on its own merits. Impact on adjacent neighbors and the overall harmony with surrounding structures and topography are variables that affect the decision. Submit your plans to one of the three Committee members for review:

• Jeff Bryan, 1 Blue Lake Court, 706-3398
• Ron Kwasny, 22 Swan Lake Road, 662-4995
• Lou Yonker, 11 Cygnet Crossing, 665-0006

They will act on your plans promptly and return the plans with a cover letter indicating whether the plans, as submitted, are approved. If they have concerns with your plans, they will discuss this with you to see if adjustments can be made to allow you to go forward with the changes to your property. People often ask when do I need to submit a plan and when do I not need to do so. Many changes will obviously have no problems being approved but the Covenants clearly state any change should be reviewed. The best action is to submit a plan on any change no matter how minor it seems to be. Best to be safe than sorry.

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Last modified: 05/01/10