View Guidelines Committee Overview and Teams
View Guidelines Committee
What is a view?
The Somerset Community Association (SCA) Board formed a committee to rewrite the View Guidelines based on the words in the Protective Covenants. This rewrite is important because it will better align the View Guidelines with the language in the Protective Covenants.
Most Somerset Divisions have a sentence in the Protective Covenants that has a statement similar to the following: … the Building Committee shall have the right to take into consideration … the effect or impairment that said structures will have on the view of surrounding building sites….
It is important to note that Amendment 1 to the Protective Covenants replaced the Building Committee with the Covenant Review Committee.
The Protective Covenants do not define what constitutes a view or what is not a view. There is nothing in the Protective Covenants that states that one type of view is protected while another type of view is not protected. The Protective Covenants do not limit the definition of what constitutes a view, which is why we need your help and input on how to define and apply the definition of what constitutes a view.
This is also why we need to develop a set of View Guidelines as a tool to assist in consistently applying the definition of what constitutes a view in the context of the Protective Covenants.
In addition to asking the Somerset Community to help define the meaning of what constitutes a view, the View Guideline Committee, with help from community members, will also research the common and legal definitions of a view. They will also seek input from industry professionals, academics, other communities, HOA's, and cities.
We need your participation and help in developing the Somerset View Guidelines. Here is how you can get involved in one of the View Guidelines Teams. Please see below for the five teams required to develop new View Guidelines. Please read below to see where your skills can help support our community.
Goals
The goals for the View Guidelines are to be consistent, defendable, easy to understand, and built on community input with community approval. Community involvement is the most critical success factor for this effort.
Process
Below is a flow chart of the process we plan to follow:
The goals for the View Guidelines are to be consistent, defendable, easy to understand, and built on community input with community approval. Community involvement is the most critical success factor for this effort.
Process
Below is a flow chart of the process we plan to follow:
Teams
Formation Team
As noted above, the SCA Board has approved the View Guideline Committee and has started the committee formation process with a small group of volunteers joining the formation team. Other teams will form as we progress through the process. Please give some thought to where your skills and interest might be able to support our community by volunteering for one of the five teams. Please contact us if you have project management, planning, or communication skills and want to volunteer on the formation team. We are looking for 2 to 3 more people and expect a couple of hours per week of effort.
Community Advocates
A few volunteers have agreed to become community advocates to educate their divisions, encourage participation, and gather input from the community. We would like at least one volunteer from each division and preferably additional volunteers who speak multiple languages as we recognize our community is a multi-language community. So, if your views are important to you and you like to get out and talk to your neighbors, then please consider becoming a community advocate.
Research Team
The next step in the process is to deconstruct the Protective Covenants. There are a number of key sentences in the Protective Covenants that everyone should understand and pay attention to. Here are a few examples of Division H1’s Protective Covenants that are similar to other divisions:
Paragraph 2:
No building or structure shall be erected, constructed, maintained or permitted upon a building site except a single detached dwelling house to be occupied by no more than one family and attendants or domestic servants of that family.
Paragraph 4:
All buildings and structures, including concrete walls and rockeries, fences and swimming pools, to be constructed in Somerset Highlands shall be approved by the Building Committee.
The maximum height of any residence shall be established by the Building Committee as a part of the plan approval and shall be given in writing together with the approval.
Additionally, there are some key words in the Protective Covenants that need to be identified and defined. Below is an excerpt from paragraph 4 in Division H1’s Protective Covenants that are similar to other divisions with keywords identified:
…As to all improvements, constructions and alterations in Somerset Highlands, the Building Committee shall have the right to refuse to approve any design, plan or color for such improvements, construction or alterations which is not suitable or desirable, in the Building Committee's opinion, for any reason, aesthetic or otherwise, and in so passing upon such design, the Building Committee shall have the right to take into consideration the suitability of the proposed building or other structure, and the material of which is to be built, and the exterior color scheme, to the site upon which it is proposed to erect the same, the harmony thereof with the surroundings, and the effect or impairment that said structures will have on the view of surrounding building sites, and any and all factors which, in the Building Committee's opinion, shall affect the desirability or suitability of such proposed structure, improvements or alterations. (underlines and bold text add)
Extraction of Keywords:
Formation Team
As noted above, the SCA Board has approved the View Guideline Committee and has started the committee formation process with a small group of volunteers joining the formation team. Other teams will form as we progress through the process. Please give some thought to where your skills and interest might be able to support our community by volunteering for one of the five teams. Please contact us if you have project management, planning, or communication skills and want to volunteer on the formation team. We are looking for 2 to 3 more people and expect a couple of hours per week of effort.
Community Advocates
A few volunteers have agreed to become community advocates to educate their divisions, encourage participation, and gather input from the community. We would like at least one volunteer from each division and preferably additional volunteers who speak multiple languages as we recognize our community is a multi-language community. So, if your views are important to you and you like to get out and talk to your neighbors, then please consider becoming a community advocate.
Research Team
The next step in the process is to deconstruct the Protective Covenants. There are a number of key sentences in the Protective Covenants that everyone should understand and pay attention to. Here are a few examples of Division H1’s Protective Covenants that are similar to other divisions:
Paragraph 2:
No building or structure shall be erected, constructed, maintained or permitted upon a building site except a single detached dwelling house to be occupied by no more than one family and attendants or domestic servants of that family.
Paragraph 4:
All buildings and structures, including concrete walls and rockeries, fences and swimming pools, to be constructed in Somerset Highlands shall be approved by the Building Committee.
The maximum height of any residence shall be established by the Building Committee as a part of the plan approval and shall be given in writing together with the approval.
Additionally, there are some key words in the Protective Covenants that need to be identified and defined. Below is an excerpt from paragraph 4 in Division H1’s Protective Covenants that are similar to other divisions with keywords identified:
…As to all improvements, constructions and alterations in Somerset Highlands, the Building Committee shall have the right to refuse to approve any design, plan or color for such improvements, construction or alterations which is not suitable or desirable, in the Building Committee's opinion, for any reason, aesthetic or otherwise, and in so passing upon such design, the Building Committee shall have the right to take into consideration the suitability of the proposed building or other structure, and the material of which is to be built, and the exterior color scheme, to the site upon which it is proposed to erect the same, the harmony thereof with the surroundings, and the effect or impairment that said structures will have on the view of surrounding building sites, and any and all factors which, in the Building Committee's opinion, shall affect the desirability or suitability of such proposed structure, improvements or alterations. (underlines and bold text add)
Extraction of Keywords:
impairment |
color, exterior color scheme |
aesthetic |
view |
material |
harmony |
suitable, suitability |
effect, affect |
outlook (other divisions) |
desirable, desirability |
any and all factors |
Research is needed to define the keywords from a number of different sources. Thes sources can include common dictionary definitions, definitions from law dictionaries, the use of artificial intelligence, obtaining definitions used by other cities or other communities, definitions that professionals such as urban planners or academics use, and the definitions used by the individuals of the Somerset community. Below is a proposed structure to conduct the research needed.
If you like to do research, search the web for information or have AI skill, your community needs your help so please reach out to our team to discuss how you can apply your talents. Additionally, if you have analytical skills, have website skills, or are willing to reach out to professionals and academics or other cities and communities, we also need your help so please contact our team. We would like three to four people to help us decompose the Covenants into its key components. We estimate that this will take three to four meetings. We are looking for four people to work on the research portion. We need one person to document the common definitions of keywords which could be done in your spare time over a week. Same for the legal definitions, if they exist, and one person to use AI to obtain the definitions. One or two people to research case law are needed. We are looking for three to four people to complete the rest of the research effort which comprises of reaching out to other groups.
Integration Team
The integration team has an important role in taking all the information gathered and synthesize and organize it into the standard definitions, based on multiple inputs, that the community will use in our View Guidelines. It will be important to document the sources used to create the standard definitions.
Additionally, this team will develop a set of quantitative (measurable) and qualitative (subjective) measures for each keyword, phrase or sentence.
Lastly, this team will develop a set of Evaluation Questions for each keyword, phrase, or sentence. These questions will be used as ‘questions to consider’ when evaluating a keyword, phase or sentence as it relates to the View Guidelines.
If you can look at a bunch of information and synthesize and organize it so others can easily make sense of it then we need your help, please volunteer to support our community.
If you are good at developing standards and measures, we need your help.
Lastly, if you can look at a set of standard definitions and develop a set of things to consider when planning a remodel so it will comply with the View Guidelines, please consider volunteering. This team has some heavy lifting. We are looking for a team of four to five to work on this team and will better understand the effort once the research is complete.
Publish Team
The Publish team will figure out the best way to publish and communicate the View Guidelines to the community. One example of this may include an electronic covenant by division that is linked to the standard keyword definitions so someone reading the covenants can have an easy way to gain a better understanding of how the keywords in the covenants are to be applied. This team may also decide to link the ‘questions to consider’ when thinking about each keyword.
This team may decide to create a new set of View Guidelines and publish them in a similar format to the existing View Guidelines and identify the keywords in the covenants. This can be used along with the electronic version of the electronic covenants noted above.
One popular idea is the concept of creating a ‘Remodelers’ Guide to Somerset Covenants’. This could be made available to any real estate professional so they can inform new buyers of the Somerset Covenants and things new buyers, or current Somerset homeowners, should consider if they are planning a remodel or dealing with landscaping issues.
If you have organizing, writing, publishing or web development skills, please consider joining the Publishing team. We are looking for two to three people to work on the first two aspects of the team. Once those two aspects are complete, we can determine if we want to produce a ‘Remodelers’ Guide to Somerset Covenants’.
Integration Team
The integration team has an important role in taking all the information gathered and synthesize and organize it into the standard definitions, based on multiple inputs, that the community will use in our View Guidelines. It will be important to document the sources used to create the standard definitions.
Additionally, this team will develop a set of quantitative (measurable) and qualitative (subjective) measures for each keyword, phrase or sentence.
Lastly, this team will develop a set of Evaluation Questions for each keyword, phrase, or sentence. These questions will be used as ‘questions to consider’ when evaluating a keyword, phase or sentence as it relates to the View Guidelines.
If you can look at a bunch of information and synthesize and organize it so others can easily make sense of it then we need your help, please volunteer to support our community.
If you are good at developing standards and measures, we need your help.
Lastly, if you can look at a set of standard definitions and develop a set of things to consider when planning a remodel so it will comply with the View Guidelines, please consider volunteering. This team has some heavy lifting. We are looking for a team of four to five to work on this team and will better understand the effort once the research is complete.
Publish Team
The Publish team will figure out the best way to publish and communicate the View Guidelines to the community. One example of this may include an electronic covenant by division that is linked to the standard keyword definitions so someone reading the covenants can have an easy way to gain a better understanding of how the keywords in the covenants are to be applied. This team may also decide to link the ‘questions to consider’ when thinking about each keyword.
This team may decide to create a new set of View Guidelines and publish them in a similar format to the existing View Guidelines and identify the keywords in the covenants. This can be used along with the electronic version of the electronic covenants noted above.
One popular idea is the concept of creating a ‘Remodelers’ Guide to Somerset Covenants’. This could be made available to any real estate professional so they can inform new buyers of the Somerset Covenants and things new buyers, or current Somerset homeowners, should consider if they are planning a remodel or dealing with landscaping issues.
If you have organizing, writing, publishing or web development skills, please consider joining the Publishing team. We are looking for two to three people to work on the first two aspects of the team. Once those two aspects are complete, we can determine if we want to produce a ‘Remodelers’ Guide to Somerset Covenants’.