Preserving Value by Protecting Aesthetics

By Sylvia Robinson, Chair 

The newly appointed members of the ARC — Gwen Bloom, Bruce Buley, Doris Alexander Buley, Art Chambers, Gene Granger, Ed Green and I — held our first meeting Aug. 14. The committee affirmed its mission of preserving and enhancing the aesthetic and architectural consistency of the Courtyards at Southpoint community while fostering an environment of inclusivity and respect for all residents.  

The committee aims to enhance the quality of life for all residents by helping to preserve property values and creating a community where thoughtful design choices ensure the neighborhood’s long-term sustainability and appeal. 

To those ends, the committee is committed to reviewing all architectural request forms — also known as ARC applications — in a timely manner and making recommendations to the homeowners association Board of Directors, since the board makes the final decisions to approve or disapprove ARC requests. As the ARC and the board are working together to make the process more efficient and effective, homeowners can be assured all ARC applications will receive a thorough review and a prompt response, ideally within 30 days.  

ARC applications are available on the William Douglas Management website and the

Courtyards at Southpoint Slack channel. Homeowners who submit an ARC request must provide the ARC application and all supporting documentation. This includes, but is not limited to, a description of the work to be done, along with pictures of plants as well as drawings of the placement of other materials to be used — such as stepping stones, edging, large rocks or decorative elements — including color palettes and other details. A copy of the plot plan showing the location of the improvement also is required. 

ARC applications also should include signatures of neighbors who have line-of-sight view of the project, as well as the proposed start and completion dates for the installation. 

No installation can begin without formal approval from the HOA board.

In the coming months, ARC members will review all active ARC applications and work on revising the Community Policies and Guidelines that were approved in October 2020. These policies and guidelines govern the review of ARC applications. Working closely with the HOA board liaison to the ARC, Jill Pafford, the committee hopes to submit a draft of the revised guidelines for HOA board review and approval as soon as reasonably practical.