IMPROVEMENTS ALLOWED – NO ADVANCE APPROVAL REQUIRED

The Architectural Committee has developed the following list of improvements that can be made without requesting the Committee's prior approval. These improvements must be constructed and located just as they are stated; otherwise the Architectural Committee must be contacted before starting work. Remember... as the property owner you are responsible for applying for, paying for, and properly displaying all necessary Carroll County building permits for the proposed improvements. THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT A BUILDING PERMIT.

• Storage sheds less than 150 square feet of floor space, swing sets, sandboxes, decks and patios, if,
a. they are located in the rear yard area, behind the line running along the back of the house, and
b. they are constructed and colored to be compatible with the exterior of the house, with the exception of children's play equipment.

• Exterior painting, and roof replacements, if compatible with the exterior colors of the house, and the exterior colors of adjacent houses. If you live in a semidetached home, you must contact the Architectural Committee before changing any exterior color. 

• Vegetable gardens if,
a. they are located in the rear yard area of the property and do not extend beyond the side sight lines of the house, and
b. neatly maintained, weeded, and not over 250 square feet in area. 

• Rock gardens, if the rocks are left in their natural colors 

• Fences, if
a. they are located in the rear yard area of the property, behind the line running along the back wall of the house, and
b. they are not higher than four feet (4'), and
c. they are constructed of wood. 

• Short sections of ornamental wooden fence in the front corners of properties. 

• Hedges or plantings used to form a property divider are permitted if neatly trimmed and maintained, and are located along the rear and side property lines only, and do not extend farther forward on the property than a line running along the front wall of the house. 

• Standard sized TV antennas attached to the house. The Tele-communications Act passed by Congress removes the previous restrictions on satellite dish-type antennas, up to thirty-nine inches or one meter (39” or 1 m.) which previously existed in the Covenants. Dishes larger than thirty-nine inches or one meter are still prohibited. When installing such dishes, the Committee asks that every possible effort be made to minimize the visual impact of the installation to the neighboring properties and to passers-by, and that installation be made as far to the rear of the property as possible without degradation of signal reception. 

• Basketball backboards, if attached to the garage, the carport, the rear wall of the house, or adjacent to the parking pad or driveway.
 
IMPROVEMENTS WHICH ARE GENERALLY ALLOWED, FOR WHICH ADVANCE APPROVAL IS REQUIRED

Any improvements other than the ones described in the preceding section above must be approved in advance. Some examples of the types of improvements that require advance approval are, but not limited to;

• Driveways and parking pads, including the widening of existing facilities.
• Fireplaces
• Garages
• Permanent barbecues
• Swimming pools, three feet or greater in depth, whether above or below ground.
• ALL OTHER EXTERIOR BUILDING ALTERATIONS OR ADDITIONS WHICH ARE VISIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE 

To request approval of a proposed improvement you must submit the following information to the Architectural Committee. Please remember when submitting your requests that the Committee meets monthly, and although emergency decisions are sometimes possible, sufficient time should be allowed for the Committee to evaluate your request. 

• Rough or hand drawings and/or a copy of your site survey ( do not send us the original) showing the dimensions of the improvement for which approval is requested, and its location relative to the owner's dwelling, to the boundaries of the lot on which it is to be built, and its location relative to any improvements on adjacent lots; and 

• A description of the material to be used in constructing or installing such improvements, and 

• Any other pertinent information needed by the Architectural Committee in its consideration of such request. 

Requests for approval can be sent to The Carrolltowne Association, P.O. Box 463, Eldersburg, Maryland 21784.
 
DISALLOWED IMPROVEMENTS 

The following types of improvements are NOT permitted in the Covenants and will NOT be approved:


• Awnings of any type or description, other than on the rear wall of the house.
• Chain link fences
• Exterior clotheslines of any type or description, whether temporary or permanent.
• Plastic or artificial yard ornaments and decorations in front yard areas; including but not limited to such things as plastic geese, pink flamingos, religious statuary, cement deer, trolls, etc.
• Dish antennas larger than thirty-nine inches or one meter (39” or 1m.), and other oversized television or radio antennas whether attached to the house or free standing, such as amateur radio antennas.
• More than one storage shed per residence.
 

OTHER PROHIBITED USES OF A NON-IMPROVEMENT NATURE

Our Association Covenants also include some “prohibited uses” for which the Architectural Committee is responsible for overseeing. Like the other architectural guidelines, these were established to help maintain and to enhance the appearance and value of Carrolltowne homes. Any exemptions to these uses must be approved by the Architectural Committee and the Board of Directors. Since these restrictions are largely based upon the Carroll County zoning laws, exemptions would be extremely doubtful and very difficult to obtain.

• Each home is to be used as a SINGLE FAMILY residence. Absolutely no professional or commercial use is permitted.

• All structures must be kept in good repair and appearance. Each home must maintain a lawn of no longer than four inches (4”) in length and landscaping must be neatly maintained.

• When improvements are undertaken, all building materials and refuse must be kept out of sight and odor free.

• No “wild” or “barnyard” animals or fowl may be kept on any property. No more than two dogs and/or cats may be kept in a single dwelling or lot.

• Absolutely NO house trailer, trailer, camper, camping trailer, boat, boat trailer, or truck (other than pickup or van) may be parked on any lot, driveway, parking pad, street or parking area within the boundaries of the Carrolltowne community.

• No unlicensed vehicle, or vehicle with expired tags may be kept on any lot, driveway, parking pad, street or parking area within the boundaries of the Carrolltowne community.

• No vehicle may be habitually parked on portions of a Carrolltowne lot other than the driveway, parking pad or street. Ample provisions exist for driveway enlargements, and vehicles parked on lawns seriously detract not only from the
appearance of your own property, but from the overall appearance of the community.

• The use of any Carrolltowne property in such a way as to constitute a nuisance to the community as a whole is prohibited. This prohibition includes but is not limited to; maintaining compost or refuse piles which emit noxious odors, loud and offensive parties and behaviors, failure to remove pet waste and to dispose of the same in a sanitary manner, and similar activities.

• The storage of any type of lumber, metals, masonry or other such bulk materials upon any Carrolltowne property is prohibited, except such building or bulk materials which are then currently being employed in the construction of approved
additions or improvements to the property. Such materials are to be immediately removed upon conclusion of said construction.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN COVENANT VIOLATIONS ARE REPORTED OR SEEN, AND THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF THE ARCITECTURAL COMMITTEE AND THE CARROLLTOWNE ASSOCIATION TO CORRECT THEM.

Most covenant violations are seen from the public roads and sidewalks, and thus do not require a close inspection by a member of the Architectural Committee or the Board of Directors. Some violations however are maintained upon properties in areas which cannot be easily seen from public areas, and do require inspection. The Covenants of the Association grant the legal right to any agent of the Association to enter upon any property for the purpose of inspection of suspected Covenant violations and the exteriors of dwellings, after having provided the property owner with written notice of their intention not earlier than five (5) days prior to the date of inspection.

If Covenant violations are in fact present on a property, the Architectural Committee will advise the property owner (or the resident tenant) in writing of such violations, and the property owner (or the resident tenant) shall then be given fifteen (15) days to remove any violations, or cease ant prohibited activities, so as to terminate the violation. If, after the fifteen (15) day period is over, the violations have not been removed, or reasonable steps are not in evidence of the owner's (or tenants) attempts to remove or cease such violations, then an agent of the Association may enter upon such property and take such steps as may be necessary to terminate such violations. The owner of the property shall be held personally liable to the Association for any costs of such action being taken. In other words, if the Association has to pay for the removal of a junk car ( for instance), then the Association will generate a lien against the property in the same way a lien would be taken if the property owner didn't pay the Association dues.
 
So much for the legal rights of the Association and its officers. Fortunately, these are worst-case scenarios, and over the years there had evolved a neighborly approach to solving Covenant violations. When violations are seen by, or brought tot he attention of, the Architectural Committee, a member of the Committee visits the property owner or the tenant of the property , and informs them in what we hope is a reasonable and neighborly way of the problem. Generally situations are corrected after that visit, and the matter ends well. Sometimes, however, the Committee must send a written notice of a Covenant violation , and this is done two or three weeks after the initial visit. That letter gives the owner or tenant fifteen (15) days specified in the Covenants to correct the violation. If, after fifteen (15) days have elapsed, and the violation is still present, and no effort has been made to correct it, or the owner or tenant has made it clear that such action will not be taken, then the Committee sends one final letter, written in slightly stronger terms to the owner or tenant, granting them a grace period of five (5) additional days to correct the violation. This letter informs the owner or tenant that the issue will be referred to the Board of Directors for further action should they persist in the maintenance of the violation. The Board of Directors may, at their discretion, vote to take the full legal action allowed by the Covenants against the property owner or tenant, as described above.
 
These guidelines are for the benefit of all members of the Carrolltowne Association, and the Architectural Committee reserves the right to waive, modify or supplement them as it deems in the best interest of our Association members.
 
THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE
THE CARROLLTOWNE ASSOCIATION, INC.