Sanctuary

Who among us had any thought that The Sanctuary would face such challenges? Declining property values, city, county, state and federal governments strapped for cash. Layoffs. Foreclosures.

According to a nationwide government report, 651,000 jobs disappeared in February. Since December 2007 about 4.4 million Americans have lost their jobs. There is a good chance some of your neighbors are among them. As you read this you might be thinking, “Neighbors nothing! I’M one of that 4.4 million!”

Sad signs of these hard times are the more than 40 homes in foreclosure in The Sanctuary. Many are easy to identify. Empty windows, dried up, weed infested lawns and overgrown flower beds are evidence of dreams that have become nightmares, not only for the unfortunate homeowners, but also for their neighbors.

Like weeds creeping over from the yard next door, the blight from abandoned houses in some cases has spread along our streets, affecting attitude as well as appearance.

Your HOA Board of Directors has wrestled with foreclosure blight for over a year now in an attempt to preserve the community’s standards of appearance. Though hampered by legal and budgetary restrictions, the board – assisted in a few instances by caring neighbors – has made a valient effort to help prevent foreclosure property neglect from running down the neighborhood.

During my tenure with the board, I have noted that preservation of the appearance of The Sanctuary, and along with that the preservation of property values, has always been the board’s and its committees’ highest priority. And as a card-carrying, dues-paying homeowner in The Sanctuary you should be equally concerned about protecting your investment.

Basketball Goals
If you follow college basketball, you know this is March Madness time. Here in The Sanctuary, we seem to have our own version, with quite a bit of controversy over and confusion about portable basketball goals in residents’ driveways.

Although the Covenants and Community Standards are pretty clear about putting these toys away when not in use, the considerable weight and size of portable basketball goals makes hauling them in and out of storage difficult.

“Shoulda thought of that before you bought it,” say neighbors who don’t care for the goals sprouting up in driveways all over. Parents, on the other hand, see the goals as a way to keep their children close to home. Realtors, on the other other hand, have reported the goals create potential homebuyer resistance.

The Covenants and Architectural Control committees, obligated to follow the mandates of The Sanctuary’s governing documents, are between a rock and a hard place. Caught between their legal responsibility to enforce the rules (not to mention a desire to serve the best interests of the community as a whole) and attempts to minimize the impact of basketball goals, your HOA representatives last year offered goal-owners a compromise of sorts: come up with an approved way to buffer your goals from view.

Unfortunately, goal-owners have not responded to this carrot, so the committees have considered getting out the stick.

What we really need to help us come to grips with this issue are your thoughts on whether basketball goals should be allowed to remain in neighborhood driveways. The board recently authorized a community-wide survey on this and other current issues. We really value your opinion, so please take time to respond. You also may e-mail your opinion to me at president@thesanctuary.org. — Valerie (March 16, 2009)

Who among us had any thought that The Sanctuary would face such challenges? Declining property values, city, county, state and federal governments strapped for cash. Layoffs. Foreclosures.
According to a nationwide government report, 651,000 jobs disappeared in February. Since December 2007 about 4.4 million Americans have lost their jobs. There is a good chance some of your neighbors are among them. As you read this you might be thinking, “Neighbors nothing! I’M one of that 4.4 million!”
Sad signs of these hard times are the more than 40 homes in foreclosure in The Sanctuary. Many are easy to identify. Empty windows, dried up, weed infested lawns and overgrown flower beds are evidence of dreams that have become nightmares, not only for the unfortunate homeowners, but also for their neighbors.
Like weeds creeping over from the yard next door, the blight from abandoned houses in some cases has spread along our streets, affecting attitude as well as appearance.
Your HOA Board of Directors has wrestled with foreclosure blight for over a year now in an attempt to preserve the community’s standards of appearance. Though hampered by legal and budgetary restrictions, the board – assisted in a few instances by caring neighbors – has made a valient effort to help prevent foreclosure property neglect from running down the neighborhood.
During my tenure with the board, I have noted that preservation of the appearance of The Sanctuary, and along with that the preservation of property values, has always been the board’s and its committees’ highest priority. And as a card-carrying, dues-paying homeowner in The Sanctuary you should be equally concerned about protecting your investment.

Basketball Goals
If you follow college basketball, you know this is March Madness time. Here in The Sanctuary, we seem to have our own version, with quite a bit of controversy over and confusion about portable basketball goals in residents’ driveways.
Although the Covenants and Community Standards are pretty clear about putting these toys away when not in use, the considerable weight and size of portable basketball goals makes hauling them in and out of storage difficult.
“Shoulda thought of that before you bought it,” say neighbors who don’t care for the goals sprouting up in driveways all over. Parents, on the other hand, see the goals as a way to keep their children close to home. Realtors, on the other other hand, have reported the goals create potential homebuyer resistance.
The Covenants and Architectural Control committees, obligated to follow the mandates of The Sanctuary’s governing documents, are between a rock and a hard place. Caught between their legal responsibility to enforce the rules (not to mention a desire to serve the best interests of the community as a whole) and attempts to minimize the impact of basketball goals, your HOA representatives last year offered goal-owners a compromise of sorts: come up with an approved way to buffer your goals from view.
Unfortunately, goal-owners have not responded to this carrot, so the committees have considered getting out the stick.
What we really need to help us come to grips with this issue are your thoughts on whether basketball goals should be allowed to remain in neighborhood driveways. The board recently authorized a community-wide survey on this and other current issues. We really value your opinion, so please take time to respond. You also may e-mail your opinion to me at president@thesanctuary.org. — Valerie (March 16, 2009)