Architectural Guidelines

Final Version of the Vandever Trails Architectural Guidelines

Overview
This document was created with the sole intent of keeping the neighborhood uniform and attractive in order to protect the investment made by each of our Homeowner\'s. Although each individual will likely not agree with every standard contained in this guideline, the purpose is to try and satisfy the concerns and desires of the majority. Acceptance of this document will require a vote of the Association, as will any amendments and changes going forward.

Approved Items
The Standards and Guidelines exist for areas that can be visibly seen from the street or adjacent properties. Unless specifically addressed otherwise below, the ARC does not need to approve items which meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Items which are located in the rear of the home
  2. Located behind a privacy fence
  3. Not visible from neighboring yards or the street
  4. Is either a) screened from the view of the adjoining neighbors or b) is not obtrusive or offensive from neighboring properties, both by sight and smell.

Examples

Exterior Fixtures/Mountings and Structures
All exterior fixtures and mountings must meet the following criteria:

  1. Must compatible with and aesthetically similar in color, existing architecture, scale, and style with the home to which they are attached, adjacent homes, and the environmental surroundings.
  2. Is either a) screened from the view of the adjoining neighbors or b) is not obtrusive or offensive from neighboring properties, both by sight and smell.
  3. All construction must be completed within 180 days once started.

This specifically applies, but is not limited, to:

  1. Attic Ventilators
  2. Awnings
  3. Screened porches and sun rooms

Not Approved Under Any Circumstances:

Exterior Materials
In general, all exterior construction materials must be made from:

  1. Matching brick to the home
  2. Pressure treated lumber, cedar, or redwood
  3. Similar siding materials as used in the original construction of the home

This specifically applies, but is not limited, to:

Specific Items

Antennas: Ham radio and other unsightly antennas are not allowed. Satellite dishes are acceptable, but must comply with the guidelines set forth herein governing the installation of satellite dishes.

Attic Ventilators: Attic ventilators and painted turbines are permitted. Ventilators and turbines must be mounted on the least visible side of the roof ridgeline so as to minimize their visibility.

Awnings, Window:Must be of plain design or with decorative features compatible with the color scheme of the house.

The awning must be consistent with the visual scale of the house to which the awning is attached

Chimney: Chimneys must either be masonry or enclosed in the same finish material as the exterior of the home to which they are attached.

Clothes Lines: Clothes lines or similar apparatus for the exterior drying of clothes are not permitted.

Common Area: Homeowners are not allowed to alter, by any kind of planting or building of any structure, any common area, easement or right of way located next to or close to their property.

The VTHA Common Areas are:

Such alterations include but are not limited to storing of personal property, firewood, gardening implements, machinery, or installation of semi-permanent play equipment, accumulation of debris of any kind, establishment of gardens, and/or otherwise adding, removing or modifying any trees, shrubs or other plantings located in the areas referred to above.

Decks: The Architectural Review Committee must approve all decks, other than those which are builder options and are not located in fenced yards.

Visible decks may not be painted, and may be stained or otherwise treated only with a transparent stain or preservative which allows the original wood grain to remain visible, and which does not change its color to other than that of the types of wood cited above, new or weathered.

Under Deck Storage: Elevated decks have an under deck area which can have a negative visual impact on adjoining neighbors, particularly when used as an informal storage space. The use of decorative screening or landscaping to minimize adverse, visual impacts is encouraged and may be required by the Architectural Review Committee, particularly in the case of high decks.

Exterior Air Conditioners: Individual window air conditioning and "swamp cooler" units extending from windows are prohibited. Exterior air conditioning units or heat pumps may be relocated or added only if there is no adverse visual impact to adjoining properties.

Exterior Colors: Approval is not required for any repainting or re-staining which approximates a unit\'s original colors AND is similar to the surrounding homes.

Exterior Decorative Objects: All exterior decorative objectives, whether natural or man-made, which were not part of the original construction design as either a standard or optional feature, require Architectural Review Committee (ARC) approval, except as noted:

Location: The ARC will apply a more narrow set of standards to objects located in front yards or positioned where they can be fully viewed from the street or sidewalk fronting the applicant\'s property than to those objects located in back yards, under decks, or within screened locations of lesser visibility and impact.

Color: Objects must not contain colors or color combinations considered excessively bright, garish, jarring, overly reflective or luminescent. The color or colors of an object must compliment the overall appearance of the home and not distract from it in a way that draws excessive attention to the object.

Taste: Objects must avoid using words and designs that are, by their nature, inflammatory, offensive, or vulgar to the community.

Fences: The subject of fences is more difficult to treat than many other items since fences can serve a number of different purposes and can have a very significant visual impact.

Fencing frame must be constructed of cedar, redwood, pressure treated lumber, chain link, or plastic, and may not be painted. All fencing must have permanently anchored posts, cemented in the ground with concrete footings at least 12" deep. All fencing must blend with the surrounding colors of the neighborhood.

Wood fences may be stained.

Split Rail and Chain Link Fences: Split rail and chain link fences must be of galvanized aluminum materials (to avoid rusting) or plastic coated in black, brown, or green. The height of such fences shall not exceed 4\'.

Plastic Fences: must be of durable plastic material and manufactured specifically for this purpose.

Fence Lines: Fences must be located only on the bordering property lines, and no portion shall extend past the front plane of the house. In all cases, the entire street side of the house must have an unobstructed view from the street. Such fences must be a maximum 6\' in height as measured from the ground level, regardless of the location of the fence. Changes, additions or replacements thereto must be of style, construction, and overall appearance identical to that constructed by the builder.

Maintenance: All fencing must be maintained for aesthetic appearance, regardless of the construction material.

Unacceptable Materials: Fences can NOT be constructed of PVC, plumbing pipe, garden fencing, decorative wire, or any other material not specifically listed above.

Flag Etiquette: Standards for handling and displaying the American flag are set forth by the United States Code, written into law by Congress in 1942.

Ideally, an American flag on your house should hang from a staff that angles out from the front wall, a windowsill, or balcony. It\'s a good idea to screw a bracket made for holding a flagstaff to the trim. Fasten it securely so it won\'t become soiled or damaged. Do not allow the flag to touch the ground, floor, water, or anything else beneath it. It\'s also appropriate to hang the flag from a horizontal staff.

Whether the flag hangs from an angled or horizontal staff, be sure the union or canton (the rectangle with the stars) is at the peak. (Hanging the flag with the union down signals extreme distress.) When our President declares the flag to be flown at half-staff, it is acceptable to hang the flag from a horizontal staff with the union down, though your neighbors may not understand why you\'re doing this.

When the flag is displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be at the top and to your left. When displayed in a window, the flag should be hung so that the union is on the left when you see it from the street.

Though it is customary to fly the flag from sunrise to sunset, the U.S. Code says that "when a patriotic effect is desired," you can display it around the clock. If you do, you should illuminate it with a light.

If you display the American flag next to other flags or pennants, place it on the right side of a single flag or at the center of a group and slightly higher than the other flags. If an American flag is on the same staff as other flags, it should always be at the top. The gist is that other flags should not be in positions of greater prominence or honor.

Garden Architecture: No approval is required for gardening structures such as arbors, trellis, pergolas and similar structures that exceed the fence height by no more than two feet to provide adequate head space.

Holiday Decorations: No approval is required for holiday decorations. As a matter of courtesy, all exterior holiday decorations are expected to be removed within 45 days of the completion of the holiday.

Hot Tubs & Spas: Exterior hot tubs or spas must be located in the rear yard adjacent to the home. All hot tubs and spas must be commercially manufactured and may not be "home made" of inferior materials. In addition, any tubs or spa must follow the Exterior Fixtures/Mountings and Structures general guidelines at the beginning of this document. Privacy fencing is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED for the consideration of all parties involved.

Landscaping: Ongoing improvements to and maintenance of existing landscaping for individual residences in Vandever Trails is greatly encouraged.

In general, an architectural review application is not required for minor landscape improvements such as foundation plantings and single specimen plantings. Any alteration, including re-grading, which changes the existing flow of water, must not detrimentally affect neighboring properties or common areas. Plant materials should be appropriate in character, habit, species, size (both installed and mature size), number and arrangement for their purpose and environment. Stone or brick, whether used as accent elements, ground cover, paving material, walls, bed edging or "dry creeks", should be chosen so that its color, size, and installation complement the architecture of the house, its natural environment, and the associated plant material. The following are major landscaping improvements that require an application and approval prior to installation:

Mailboxes: The guidelines are already set in the Restrictive Covenants for VTHA. All mailboxes are required to be brick. No plastic, metal, or wooden mailboxes are allowed.

Maintenance of Property: Vandever Trails is a densely planned community. The appearance of each and every unit in Vandever Trails affects not only the overall look of the community but the individual property values within it.

Property ownership in Vandever Trails includes the responsibility for continued maintenance of all structures and grounds, which are part of each homeowner\'s lot. This includes, but is not limited to, keeping buildings and structures in good condition and repair, removing all debris, pet excrements and unsightly materials and keeping all shrubs, trees, grass and other plantings neatly trimmed, properly cultivated and free of weeds as much as possible. Homeowners may not allow trees, shrubs or plantings of any kind to overhang or otherwise encroach upon any sidewalk, street, pedestrian walkway, VTHA common area or another homeowner\'s property.

All homeowners are responsible for inspecting their own property periodically to ensure that there is no faded or peeling paint, rotting wood, loose mortar or spalled masonry.

Newspaper Tubes: The addition of tubes or other containers for delivery of newspapers is prohibited.

Recreational Equipment: Semi-permanent play equipment, not located within a fenced back yard, requires approval. Examples include sandboxes, playhouses, swing sets, etc.

Basketball Goals may not be attached to the home or garage. All goals must be commercially manufactured (not home made) and either 1) permanently mounted or 2) permanently mounted to a portable base. The position of any goal may not interfere with the delivery of mail, school buses, other general traffic, or curbside parking.

Satellite Dishes: The following criteria will govern the installation of satellite dishes within Vandever Trails:

Screened Porches & Sun Rooms: A Screened Porch is an approvable structure for homes in Vandever Trails under the conditions identified below. The term "Screened Porch" is defined as a fully enclosed exterior addition to the rear of a home, constructed of wood (or high quality, durable, man-made framing such as coated metal or composite material) and screening.

The term "Sun Room" is defined as a fully enclosed exterior addition to the rear of a home, constructed of wood (or high quality, durable, man-made framing such as coated metal or composite material) and glass windows. The addition, including any exterior door to the structure, must be composed primarily of glass. Other terms for Sun Room include solarium, conservatory, garden room, or greenhouse. For purposes of this guideline, freestanding structures, or external additions essentially building out existing rooms to enlarge living space, shall not constitute sun rooms (also see Substantive Review Standards set forth below).

Approval Process: Construction of a Screened Porch or Sun Room, as contemplated by this Guideline, constitutes a major alteration of the original construction and design of the home. The application-for-approval process is therefore more extensive than is required for a lesser alteration.

Substantive Review Standards: In order to satisfy the criteria for approval, the application for the proposed structure must demonstrate compliance with the following characteristics:

All construction must comply with applicable Broken Arrow City Code and applicable county code requirements, and permits shall be obtained and displayed or proffered upon request.

Procedural Review Standards: Applications for screened porches rooms must contain the following exhibits or information in order for the Committee to deem them complete and appropriate for review by the ARC:

*The term "affected neighbors" means homeowners who are in sight of the proposed improvement, and who may experience a visual or sight-line impact, or may be affected in other ways, such as changed drainage, effective use of property, etc. For attached homes, the term "affected neighbors" shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the neighbors in the row. If the applicant has any questions about who constitutes an "affected neighbor" in their specific circumstance, they should contact the VTHA for assistance. If an applicant cannot obtain the signature of an affected neighbor for whatever reason, then the applicant must document their good faith effort to notify the party and provide this information with the application.

Siding: Homeowners may replace or overlay existing wood shingles, wood trim, wood siding or aluminum siding, which comprises the exterior surface material of their home with siding (vinyl, aluminum, vinyl-faced steel, or wood) only.

Overlay means that siding and trim may be installed directly over an existing exterior surface material. The ARC will consider the following in its evaluation:

Solar Panels: Solar panels are prohibited.

Storage of Boat Trailers, Campers, Mobile Homes & Recreational Vehicles: Comprehensive regulations concerning prohibited vehicle types and the areas in which permissible vehicles may be parked or stored, are contained in Vandever Trails Restrictive Covenants.

Storm/Screen Doors: Doors must be full view, with kick plates no greater than 12 inches in height and no panels other than glass or transparent screening intended to impede insects. "Full view" is defined as allowing an uninterrupted view of the underlying door, but may include so called "split full view" doors with two separate removable panels, provided that the cross bar securing the panels is no greater than two inches in width. The latter does not include "self-storing" doors which have screening permanently installed behind the glass (like a storm window), because that would diminish the "full view" of the underlying door. Discreet decorative etching on the (glass) border of single panel glass doors will generally not disqualify the door as "full view".

Swimming Pools: All swimming pools, excluding children\'s portable wading pools less than 18" in height, must be located in the rear of the property and completely enclosed behind a fence.

Trash Containers: Trash located outside residences will be kept only within covered, rigid metal or plastic containers manufactured specifically for trash purposes, or in tightly closed heavy-duty trash bags manufactured specifically for exterior use. Newspapers only may be left for pick-up in grocery type paper bags or bound in twine. Containers must be kept out of view at all times, except when placed at curbside no earlier than sunset before the day of regularly scheduled trash or newspaper pick-up.

Trees: For reasons of neighbor consideration, the following trees are strongly discouraged:

Wires & Cables:Wires and cables, including those installed to convey radio or television signals, shall be hidden, buried or secured flush with the side of each house so as to minimize their visibility.