Architectural review — detailed historical guidance

Architectural Control

Scroll down and click on the links to the left to see Architectural Guidelines and Application forms. Please fill out form and submit to the ACC before starting ANY new construction.  This includes boat houses, decking, driveways, new septic, repainting, reroofing, and much more (see guidelines for more detail).

E-mail: myacc@lakecypresssprings.org

Allow a minimum of two weeks for approval.

Information on FCWD Permits and Fees

Plats of all three El Dorado Subdivisions

For information on rules regarding construction on FCWD property, Click here.

Helpful Tips (General)

Read and follow the six tips below and you should have very little difficulty with your application.  Read the Architectural Guidelines and you will be an expert.  Read the ACC Statement of Policy and Rules and you might become the next ACC Chairman.

1. Submit an application and get the required approval before starting your project. Before applying paint or any other exterior treatment to any structure, make sure you have approval for that specific structure.

2. All exterior construction (new, replacement, or add-on) must be approved including, but not limited to, houses, garages, sheds, decks, fences, gates, boat houses, retaining walls, roofs and exterior painting.

3. Typical documentation includes a completed ACC application form (available on this website), fully dimensioned drawings (elevation views, floor plan, and site plan), paint samples, roof samples, stone samples and FCWD permits (if required).

4. The Covenants have specific guidelines in some areas, but much of what the ACC must consider is subjective. Occasionally some discussion and compromise are necessary to gain approval. (Think of it as a chance to get better acquainted with twelve of your neighbors).

5. If possible, please provide your application and drawings in a computer file format. Many times the ACC can review a project with a "virtual" meeting which can significantly reduce the approval time. Otherwise submit your application to the ACC Chairman by mail (address shown on application) or in person.

6. Keep in mind that it is the homeowner (not the contractor) who has ultimate responsibility for obtaining approval from the ACC before starting any construction. The contractor typically has little or no understanding of our covenants and their restrictions.

Helpful Tips (Contractors)

In an effort to minimize some of the problems we've seen in the past with contractors coming in on new projects, the POA has begun asking property owners to be proactive and "educate" their contractors from the start. Two of the biggest problems we see are that 1) they often drive much too fast, and 2) they tend to leave a lot of litter along the roadway. We hope that by making contractors and their crews aware of these issues, as well as the others listed below, we will be able to keep El Dorado clean and possibly prevent an accident.

1. Our speed limit is 15 mph. Our roads have many blind curves, golf carts, bicycles and pedestrians...none of which are very compatible with fast cars or big trucks.

2. The weight limit is 20 tons. Excessive weight can severely damage our roads and cost us thousands of dollars to repair. (A concrete delivery may require more trips than planned).

3. Once construction begins, there must be a portable restroom on site.

4. No contractor advertising signs are allowed.

5. No dumping of trash or littering along roads or any other areas.

6. Do not use a neighbor's driveway for parking or any other purpose without permission.

Adjunct Members

• Adjunct Members will serve on the ACC for one year.
• Two properties from each of our three subdivisions are randomly selected each year for representation on the ACC. If a property has multiple owners (for example, a husband and wife), the owners still get just one vote in the ACC application approval process.
• The Adjunct Members may, but will not be expected to, attend any ACC meetings. If they do attend, they may participate as a regular member.
• If an ACC application can be satisfactorily reviewed without a formal meeting, the Adjunct Members may, but are not required to, vote by e-mail on its approval.
• The Adjunct Members will be on the group e-mail list for the ACC and receive all ACC correspondence.

Recent Judgment Calls

1. As metal roofing becomes more cost competitive with composition shingles, more people are considering this alternative. While metal roofing has certain advantages, it comes with some unique issues which the ACC must address. The ACC has approved its use in some cases and disapproved it in others depending on various factors. Some of these factors include color, reflectivity, gloss, location relative to the sun and neighbor's view, and roof pitch. If you select a metal roof for your project, expect some discussion with the ACC.

2. One of the main goals of the ACC is to assure that improvements to a lot do not excessively interfere with a neighbor's view of the lake. Set back of new homes and location and design of boat houses are good examples of areas where the ACC is performing an important function.

3. Anything other than very open fencing, such as split-rail, is discouraged. One of the key aesthetic qualities of our lakeside community is the open "woodsy" feeling. Let's leave the fences to the city folk.

4. When measured from the road, some of our lots are 40-50 ft. above the lake shore. Most solve this problem with stairs or switchback paths (often wide enough for a golf cart). Some have expressed interest in electric, elevated tram systems that run on rails. The ACC considered one such application and concluded that approval would be inconsistent with the restrictions in our Covenants, especially Article 4.05 which states that the POA should "promote architectural styling that is compatible with the country, wooded setting of the El Dorado Bay Subdivisions". There was also concern that the elevated rail system had the same effect as a fence and would have had a negative impact on neighbor's views of the lake (see Article 4.04).

Some Thoughts on Architectural Control

The original developer of El Dorado Bay, Mr. John Travis, had some very specific ideas about the architectural styling of the homes to be built in our development.  To assure implementation and control of these architectural standards, he created a set of covenants (revised in 2012) that, among other things, restricts how we may use our property. These covenants, which are registered with Franklin County, act as deed restrictions and direct the POA to form an Architectural Control Committee (ACC). The purpose of the ACC is to evaluate plans for all proposed exterior improvements and determine compliance with these restrictions before construction begins.

In recent years the original Covenants were amended and approved by the POA members to remove some of the specific architectural restrictions that were no longer appropriate. Most of the current provisions are very specific, such as "No enclosed boat houses will be allowed." The Covenants still subjectively stipulate, however, that special emphasis shall be made to ensure that said styling "shall be compatible with the country, wooded setting of the El Dorado Subdivisions". While most applications submitted to the ACC fit well within these guidelines, occasionally there are issues that must be resolved. When this occurs, the ACC and the property owner must work together to find a mutually agreeable solution.

Thus, to ensure that El Dorado maintains the high standards dictated by our Covenants, our development has rules that restrict what we can do with our property. Of course, it's easy to support these restrictions when they keep someone from putting a double-wide trailer next to your house. The hard part comes when we have to get approval to improve our very own property. The pros and cons are often discussed, but the fact remains that the covenants attached to our property require that we accept architectural control. Many of our property owners chose El Dorado because of its restrictions and most agree that some control is beneficial.

The ACC consists of six full-time members and six "adjunct" members. The adjunct members are randomly selected each year. The full-time members are typically full-time to half-time residents. If necessary, the full-time members need to be available to support on-site meetings or inspections, while the adjunct members may participate to whatever level they desire. Most of the ACC business is conducted by e-mail.

If you have any questions with regard to architectural control within El Dorado, please contact Chuck Kobdish at myacc@lakecypresssprings.org.