Comments on Covenants
One aspect of living in a neighborhood with an HOA is that there are rules governing what can be done on your property. All houses are held to a certain standard that makes for uniformity as well as beauty. This increases property values and neighborhood satisfaction. The HOA covenants more closely regulate some elements of your property than others - in particular, fences are specifically governed by rules in the covenants while other more aesthetic aspects of a property owner's yard, such as gardening or decorative choices, are not.
The Process to Address a Fencing Request
From the 1998 Covenants which are the Covenants in force:
“Article 1, X) With the exception of permissible fences installed on or before July 1, 1998, which meet Subdivision Development Standards (“Exhibit A”), no fencing of any type shall be permitted on any Lot without the express written permission of the Association. If the Association elects to permit a Lot Owner to install a fence, no chain link, cyclone wire or other similar type metal fencing shall be constructed on any Lot.”
Please note the authority to approve fencing rests with the Association which is the group of 96 Lot owners. The Board has administrative responsibilities to the Association, but has no authority to approve fencing itself.
Any homeowner who wishes to request a fence from the Association must notify the WIR Board of such along with project plans. Please make sure these plans meet Dublin code with special attention to setbacks and with realization that a Dublin building permit would be required. Also please identify the No Build Zone for your lot and honor it – referenced in Exhibit A of the Covenants.
If you choose to move forward, the WIR Board will then organize a vote of the Association. All Lots which are current with dues will be eligible to vote. The ballots must be signed and submitted by a deadline set by the WIR Board.
History of Fencing Requests in WIR
This process is consistent with the process utilized for the only two previous requests for a backyard fence.
No fences have been approved through the covenants.