Exterior Modifications

Overview

Hopefully you have unpacked and now have the time to consider making some changes to your home. Any changes to the interior of your home is your decision. If you want to make changes to the exterior of your home (including landscaping), there is a process that needs to be followed. The most important document that prescribes what can be changed on the exterior is the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) which you agreed to abide by when you purchased your home. The CC&Rs established the Covenants Committee to establish and regulate the external design, signage, appearance, and use of homes in Symphony Village. The committee maintains an Architectural Requirements document to inform residents the of the requirements that any proposed exterior modification must adhere to and the process to get approval before any work begins. This webpage summarizes the Architectural Requirements (a 38-page document) and you should refer to it for a detailed understanding.

Overriding Principles

1. To the extent that that any governance ordinance , building code, or regulation require a more restrictive standard than those in the Architectural Requirements, the government standard shall prevail. To the extent that that any governance ordinance , building code, or regulation require a less restrictive standard than those in the Architectural Requirements, the Architectural Requirements shall prevail.

2. Homeowners are responsible for the maintenance on the exterior structure of their houses. This includes the cleaning and painting of doors, shutters, door frames, trim, foundations, dormer windows, including the glass and includes maintenance of the siding/brick/stone on the exterior of the house as well as patios, lights and house number plaques. Exterior maintenance is subject to periodic inspection by the HOA. If a Homeowner wishes to change the color of their door and/or shutters, they must submit an Exterior Modification Form.

3. No Owner will be permitted to make any exterior structural additions, alterations or improvements to their house without the prior written approval of the Covenants Committee. Nor may any Owner impair any easement without the prior written consent from the Covenants Committee subject to the right of appeal to the Board and as provided in the Bylaws.

4. Nothing in the Architectural Requirements shall be construed to prohibit reasonable adaptation of any house for disability use or accessibility if an owner physically requires such.

5. When performing exterior modifications in or around the sprinkler system, it is mandatory that in addition to submitting an Exterior Modification Form to the Covenants Committee, an Owner will also submit a Ground Installation Form to show a review of the existing irrigation system has been done and any necessary move or cap will be performed to affected irrigation heads. Only the current irrigation contractor can knowledgeably do this work because they maintain the system and changes made by a random contractor could affect other houses adversely. The HOA Management Office will make an appointment with the current irrigation contractor and the Homeowner bears the expense of the work. This is particularly important when installing a permanent generator which requires a new gas line to be installed.

6. No wood burning is permitted within the Symphony Village community.

Architectural Modifications

The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and Architectural Requirements are legal documents that are very complex with many topics, rules, requirements and restrictions that require careful review. As such, the following is a summary of architectural and other items that are either prohibited, require approval or are allowed with restrictions. The page number in the summary below refer to their location in the Architectural Requirements where more detail is available. For exterior modifications requiring approval, an Exterior Modification Form must be submitted. If the modification require digging, a Ground Installation Form must also be submitted.

Modifications Requiring Approval

Landscape Modifications

For landscape modifications an Exterior Modification Form and a Ground Installation Form must be submitted. Landscape modifications often include two types of modifications:

• Landscape - Any replacement shrubs and trees or planting of new ones. Landscape changes cannot impact drainage. Any changes that impact drainage must be remedied at the homeowners expense.

• Hardscape - Installation or changing hardscape, including but not limited to brick, masonry railroad ties, wood trim, concrete, rocks, or other inert material.

Plantings - The following are a summary of acceptable and prohibited plantings that the Covenants Committee will review.

1. Prohibited Plantings in Symphony Village follow the Maryland Department of Agriculture Invasive Plant List.

2. Prohibited Trees, Ornamentals and Shrubs can be found by clicking the Link.

3. Approved/Recommended Plantings including trees, shrubs and natives perennials can be found by clicking the Link. Plantings of trees, shrubs, ground covers, perennials, grasses and vines shall take into account future growth, be at a reasonable distance from foundation walls and be maintained.

4. Annual and Perennial Individual Plantings (plants with little or no woody growth) do not require the approval of the Covenants Committee when planted within existing garden beds. Completion of a Ground Installation Form is not required for an existing or HOA previously approved garden bed. Vegetable or fruit plants, trees or vines cannot be planted in the planting beds in front yards or kept in containers in front yards. Vegetable or fruit plants, trees or vines can be planted in the planting beds in backyards or in containers that are kept on back patios or decks. Vegetable or fruit plants or vines cannot be visible from the street.

5. Private Area Ground Surface shall be covered with approved living or inert materials. Where turf is used within the Private Area, sod is recommended with no more than a twenty percent (20%) mixture of perennial rye or fescue added to the blend. Stone or gravel mulch must be approved by the Covenants Committee prior to installation. Stones or pavers shall not be used as a bed-edging material without approval and are not permitted on turf areas.

6. Concrete & Asphalt use in front and street side of Private Areas will not be allowed. The Covenants Committee may approve brick or paver walkways on either or both sides of standard driveways under the following conditions: the Homeowner must submit an Exterior Modification Form and a Ground Installation Form for relocation of any sprinkler system components in the area indicated for the walkway.

Process

Once a homeowner decides that an exterior modification is desired, they fill out an Exterior Modification Form and a Ground Installation Form (if necessary). The homeowner must provide all pertinent information including a plat, drawings, photos, and any other information to help the Covenants Committee to understand the modification being requested. Failure to completely fill out the form(s) or submit other documentation is necessary to avoid delay in processing the Form.

Once completed, the forms should be delivered to Village Management who, in turn, will forward them to the appropriate Covenants Committee member. All applications must be received a minimum of one week prior to the Covenants Committee monthly meeting, to be considered at that meeting. Member or members of the Covenants Committee will contact the Homeowner to schedule a site visit to review the project proposed in the Exterior Modification Form and Ground Installation Form (if submitted). Factors that will be considered in the review process:

• An on-site property visit to assess scope-of-work and determine Lot size relative to the proposed modification;

• Evaluation of scale, materials, color and impact on neighboring properties;

• Meeting necessary requirements and completeness of exterior modification;

• Identification of covenants violations, if applicable; and

• Comprehensiveness of the entire scope and specifications.

Upon completion of review by the Covenants Committee, a letter will be sent indicating the Covenants Committee’s decision that include one of the following:

1. Approved - The entire document submitted is approved in total; work may commence.

2. Approved with Contingency - The document submitted is conditionally approved. An Owner may not proceed with the work to be performed. Contingent approvals may be considered fully approved when the conditions of the contingency are met by satisfactory submittal to the HOA Management Office.

3. Not Approved - The entire document submitted is not approved and no work may commence.

4. Other - The application may be missing information, require Board review, etc.; no work may commence until the Exterior Modification Form has been approved.

If the exterior modification is not approved, there is an appeal process outlined in the Architectural Requirements on page 6.

Final inspections by the Covenants Committee are required after completion of an exterior modification. Please contact the HOA Management Office upon completion.

Important: Exterior modification(s) approved must be completed nine (9) months after approval. If not, an additional Exterior Modification Form must be submitted by the resident