As you probably have heard, the Board has appointed an ad hoc committee to examine the documents that we are required to adhere to because we own property in Grace Acworth. The members of this committee are: Bobbie Hawkins (head), Jeff Gingera, Len Sanchez, and Karin Storla.
Those documents are: Declaration of Covenants, Residential Standards and Guidelines, and Community-Wide Standards and Guidelines.
The Covenants are filed with the state and are used to govern and regulate the community with the ultimate goal of protecting and improving our property values, and providing for the quiet enjoyment of our homes. Covenants can only be changed with a 67% affirmative vote of the homeowners. Property values are considered to be 5-7% higher in communities that have them.
The Standard and Guidelines are meant to elaborate on and clarify the Covenants. They provide information and guidance for us to apply the Covenants. They can be modified by a vote of the Board after distribution to the homeowners.
The charter of our committee is to examine both the covenants and the guidelines and resolve any contradictions within them. We are also tasked with making recommendations to the Board regarding the content of the Standards and Guidelines. After five meetings, we met with the Board and presented our recommendations to them. The Board is in the process of reviewing the Governing Documents and our proposed changes. They will be getting back to our committee when they are done, and will eventually be presented to the neighborhood before the Board votes on them.
We will keep you updated regarding the process. If you have any questions about the Covenants, Standards and Guidelines please submit them to Bobbie Hawkins at [email protected].