Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Improvement Requests are easy to do!

Are you thinking about improving your home or lot soon? Please read the excerpt below from our main website. Note: improvement requests are being reviewed and approved or denied within a few weeks time.

Here are some simple things to keep in mind about making improvements to your home and lot space. This information is also included in our Rules and Regulations. Although we individually own our homes, we live in a collective space. Any improvements or additions to our mobile homes or lot spaces must meet the guidelines established by our resident-operated management committee. To be more precise, examples of permanent changes are:
Upgrades of home
Removal of home
Adding new homes
Permits for sheds and outbuildings
Fences
Large plantings
Patio/porch enclosures
Driveways
Parking pads

If you have a project that includes any of the above, the first step is getting an Improvement Request Form from - you can download and print the form from our website or call Hast Management Company, (303) 444-7575, who will provide you with a hard copy.

Submit this form to Julie, our resident manager located at lot #181, and include with it a copy of your building permit from the City of Boulder (if one is necessary) and a detailed site drawing of what you would like to do. While it will streamline the process to submit all documents at once, remember that even if the City of Boulder grants a building permit, your project might be denied by the management committee.

Why is that?
The management committee has the final say on projects because, according to the constraints of the Site Plan established by Thistle Community Housing for our park, no more than 50% of the remaining space on your lot may be built on. You can find out what space is left for you to build on by requesting a picture of your individual lot from Thistle. (Jim Harrington can provide this information: 303-443-0007, ext. 117) The management committee will also be looking to see if your project impedes your neighbor's access, emergency or otherwise, to his or her home, or if it encroaches on any other easements, such as the Community Ditch. We all need to be able to have access to our homes, even on our neighbor's side, so the general rule of thumb is that a parallel space needs to be clear extending alongside your house and your neighbor's lot space, at a width of four feet. Some homes have emergency exits on the side of their neighbor's lawn, and access to this may not be blocked.

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