Most modifications a member wishes to make to the exterior of their home or lot require pre-approval from the Association, which is initiated by submission of an Exterior Change Request form. See the instructions section below for additional guidance.
The following list of exceptions do not require pre-approval, as long as they do not create an encroachment onto another lot or present a hazard or obstruction to other residents:
Painting, repairs, or replacement of existing items to restore them to their original condition
Landscape maintenance (e.g., pruning trees, trimming shrubs, or replacing annual flowers)
Installation of the following landscape material: bedding plants, potted plants on patio areas, and plants immediately adjacent to the home
Certain projects, including, but not limited to, home additions, other permanent structures, and some fences/walls, must also comply with City of Carlsbad requirements, including set backs from property lines and easements. See the instructions section below for additional guidance.
In addition, some projects require building permits from the City of Carlsbad, including:
Any work involving alterations to electrical, plumbing or mechanical systems
Fences higher than six feet
Patio covers, decks, and enclosures
Room additions or enlargements
Retaining walls more than four feet high from the bottom of the footing
Re-roofs
Swimming pool or spa
Applicants are responsible for determining the requirements from the City of Carlsbad and must include with the Exterior Change Request form a copy of the site plan to be submitted to the city and the intent to comply with all permitting requirements. Applicants may be required to provide the Association with the City of Carlsbad's signoff for project completion after final inspection.
The Exterior Change Request form is a fillable PDF that includes instructions. It should be fully completed prior to any exterior change to a home or lot, apart from projects on the above exceptions list. The form must include the signatures of all neighboring owners who could reasonably be affected during the project or after its completion.
Completed Exterior Change Request forms, as well as any color and/or material samples (if applicable), should be submitted to the Community Manager. Questions and requests for paper forms also should be directed to the Community Manager.
The Architectural Review Committee (see below) will review the request and make recommendations to the Board of Directors, which has up to 60 days to approve or reject submissions. The Board meets approximately once per month for architectural review and attempts to make decisions as rapidly as possible.
If an unapproved architectural modification is made, the owner will be sent a violation notice that may lead to a hearing, fine, and requirement that the home/lot be restored to its original condition. See the Association's Discipline Policy and internal and alternative dispute resolution policies on the Owner Portal (registration required) for details.
General architectural control: Article 7 of the CC&Rs:
Specific architectural design and control rules: Section 2 of the Rules and Regulations
Sideyard, drainage, and maintenance easements: Many of the Lots in our Association have drainage, maintenance, and sideyard easements that give the Owner of an adjoining Lot ("Dominant Tenement") the right to use and obligation to maintain certain sideyard areas. The actual Owner ("Servient Tenement") retains the right to access the easement area to maintain their house and lot and to use it for drainage. The linked document contains the recorded "Annexations, Amendments, Correction, and Deeds," which include easement maps for the annexed lots. The easements are shown as hatched or dotted lines on the maps. Note that the maps for the Third Annexation are not available. For details, see Section 2.12 of the CC&Rs. The maps are provided here only as a courtesy.
Relevant documents may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
City of Carlsbad Zoning Code, particularly:
R-1 One-Family Residential Zone (Chapter 21.10)
Yards (Chapter 21.46)
Hillside Development Regulations (Chapter 21.95) and Hillside Development and Design Guidelines
Canon Park tract maps showing side yard drainage and maintenance easements
City of Carlsbad Planned Unit Development Permit (PUD-7), including the following set back provision:
Any structure that has a foundation or decking and that extends higher than three feet from the ground level, such as patio covers, etc., shall not be constructed closer than five feet from any rear property line or any slope, or five feet from any side lot line or slope.
City Permits, Applications & Forms include the following (however, note the different set back requirements for our Association in the PUD-7 resolution above):
Residential Construction (B-5)
Residential Patios (B-8)
Hillside Development (P-5)
Retaining Walls (B-7)
Re-roofing (B-10)
Swimming Pools (B-21)
A three- to five-member Architectural Committee, consisting of Members of the Association, is appointed by the Board of Directors annually after the Board election, or as needed to replace other committee members. There are no term limits. The Architectural Committee reviews all requests and makes a recommendation to the Board in an advisory capacity. Only the Board can make final decisions to approve or reject proposed projects. If you wish to serve on the Architectural Committee, please submit an Architectural Committee Interest Form to the Community Manager. A list of the current Architectural Committee members is available upon request.
Water service is provided to CLCHOA residents by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District (OMWD). OMWD maintains a Rebates web page that contains a list of landscape-related rebates (e.g., weather-based irrigation controllers, irrigation nozzles, and rain barrels/cisterns), as well as rebates for high-efficiency products (e.g., clothes washers and toilets). In addition, OMWD maintains a Resources web page that contains links to extensive information on water-efficient landscaping and irrigation, including the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program and the San Diego Sustainable Landscapes Program. Please note that the Association does not officially endorse any of these resources, the links are subject to change, the availability of any rebates should be independently confirmed, and an Exterior Change Request must be submitted and approved for any landscape plans prior to initiation of the project.