Updating or changing the exterior requires that you follow the neighborhood Covenants and Restrictions. They should be read and understood by all SG residents. Essentially, for all changes to the exterior of your home you must follow the Design Guidelines and submit the changes in writing to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC). All the required forms, as well as the covenants and restrictions, can be found on the HOA Forms page of this website.
If what you are doing does not change the exterior appearance, then you do not need approval. Examples of this type of change are simply painting the exterior wood of your home the same color, or replanting the same kinds and sizes of bushes in the same locations.
Work should commence within thirty (30) days of your receipt of ARC approval, or you might need a new approval.
As specified in section 2.15.5 of the Design Guidelines, “All fences must be lot-line fences and are intended to fence in the back or rear yard portion of the applicant’s lot … Setbacks from property line are prohibited.” Fencing in a portion of the rear yard, or having a fence on only part of the rear lot line, are not allowed. In addition, sections 2.15.6 & 2.15.7 explain the guidelines for fencing in side yards and corner lots, where appropriate and allowable. All fencing installations require prior approval by the Architectural Committee.
Per section 2.15.8 of the Design Guidelines, “there may be only one fence separating adjoining lots. Double fencing along common boundary lines is prohibited.” This means that neighbors must share the fence on the border of their yards. Please talk to your neighbor while planning the work, to ensure a harmonious project. If at all possible, the styles of fencing must match. If this is not possible, they must be complementary. This will be reviewed by the Architectural Committee on a case-by-case basis. Under no circumstances will a double fence (2 fences running beside each other on the same border) be approved.
First, please review both the Covenants and the Design Guidelines on this website. The Design Guidelines give some specific recommendations about how most improvements should be planned. If you still have questions about how your plans will fit into the CCRs and DGs, please email or call the contacts for the Architectural Committee, as found on this website.
Of course, as long as a board member is aware of the situation and accurate contact information is provided. The board reserves the right to deny permission based on anticipated parking/high volume times at the clubhouse parking lot, and residents need to be prepared – on very short notice – to move the RV should it become necessary to free parking spaces for other residents to use the amenities. Neighbors who park in the swimming pool without notifying a board member are subject to having their vehicles towed at their expense.
Parking on the street is only allowed for very short periods in “overflow” situations. Residents who park their vehicles consistently in the street are in violation of the CCRs and are subject to notifications, hearings, and daily fines of up to $100 per day.
First and foremost, consider talking to your neighbor about it. Otherwise, notify animal control at 911. The board will send violation letters (nuisance barking is a violation of the CCRs) and call owners to a hearing for possible fines of up to $100 per day. However, this process will take time, and a more proactive approach such as talking to your neighbor or calling the Huntersville Animal Control will likely get more immediate results.
Please do not let your cats roam free in the neighborhood, and kindly pick up after your dog. Be cognizant that The Town of Huntersville does have a leash law ordinance in effect for dogs and cats. Please do not allow your dogs to relieve themselves on the lawns of other residents, especially without cleaning up. This is not only rude, but damages the lawns that we all take great care in maintaining. Also, remember that if you have an invisible fence, please make sure it’s working properly and the sign is visible.
Residents should try talking to neighbors about problems before calling the proper authorities, but note, if you feel threatened by a loose or nuisance animal call Animal Control or the Huntersville Police Department.
More information on Huntersville ordinance: Animals Ordinance | Huntersville, NC
Yes – as long as they are kept in the part of the driveway closest to the house, so as to be as far away from the street as possible.
First and foremost, consider talking to your neighbor about it. Otherwise, notify the Huntersville Police Department at 911. The issue of resident safety is too important to wait for the board of directors to send a letter, call a hearing, and consider actions up to and including fines.
Notify the Huntersville Police Department at 911. The issues of vandalism and resident safety are too important to wait for the board of directors to send a letter, call a hearing, and consider actions up to and including fines.
No. You should notify the Huntersville Police Department at 911. The issues of vandalism and resident safety are too important to wait for the board of directors to send a letter, call a hearing, and consider actions up to and including fines. The HOA has a reciprocal agreement with the Huntersville Police Department to act as their agent, and unaccompanied minors loitering in the common area after dark will be subject to arrest for trespassing.
Rain collection barrels, in a style similar to those sold by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Stormwater Services, are not prohibited. Barrels are intended to collect water directly from the home’s downspouts, and can later be used for watering plants. As with other improvements of this type, rain barrels must be located in the back yard, and cannot be visible from the street. If the barrel is in a location that could be visible from the street, then it should be appropriately screened from view, in the manner of trash enclosures, as specified in Design Guidelines section 2.38.
Per section 2.6 of the Design Guidelines, “Attic ventilators requiring penetration of the roof shall be as small in size and height as functionally possible. They shall be located on the least visible side of the roof as viewed from the front of the house.” In addition, the fan should be of a style and color that is unobtrusive. Within these guidelines, ARC approval is not necessary.
Section 2.26 of the Design Guidelines specifies that “ground landscaping lights are pre-approved provided that they are conservative in design, use white lights, are limited to 2,000 lumens and are directed toward the house or ground.”
In the Design Guidelines, section 2.2 states that “Sunrooms, screened porches, patio enclosures, … etc. will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. … As stated in section 1.10, homeowners should be aware of the impervious factor when requesting additions.” Additions must be submitted to the ARC committee for approval, but also, local codes and county ordinances will govern all home additions. This includes the use of impervious space, which is very limited for most lots. As stated in section 1.10 and elsewhere, “SG Homeowners must include the factor of impervious space issues when submitting applications. … Each homeowner is responsible to account for that space remaining per their lot. … The risk and accounting of impervious space rests solely upon the individual homeowner.” The homeowner must include impervious area in their plans in addition to all other local codes.
Our neighborhood is in a protected district of the Mountain Island Lake watershed. Pervious ground cover allows water to be filtered of pollutants by soil before entering the water supply. Impervious area is land that has been built upon that does not allow water to penetrate into the soil beneath. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Land Use And Environmental Services Agency (LUESA) website defines impervious area as “any hard surface covering the ground. This includes building roofs, paved parking lots, and sidewalks. Gravel is considered impervious under the watershed regulations…” This includes concrete for driveways or patios, slate pavers, footings for decks, and gravel as a groundcover. Decking – wooden slats – is not considered impervious because it is not a solid surface. As to whether any specific building material (i.e. types of pavers) would be considered pervious or impervious, homeowners must contact LUESA for clarification before submitting their Architectural Request.
The amount of impervious space available on your lot, in square footage, can be found on your plat plan that you received at closing. Any subsequent improvements may reduce the amount of space you have available (i.e., footings for decks, etc.) Questions regarding available impervious space should be directed to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Land Use And Environmental Services Agency.
The Architectural committee will not approve or disapprove a project based on the usage of impervious area, as their mission is to review architectural standards. However, as stated in section 1.10 of the Design Guidelines and elsewhere, “SG Homeowners must include the factor of impervious space issues when submitting applications. … Each homeowner is responsible to account for that space remaining per their lot…. The risk and accounting of impervious space rests solely upon the individual homeowner.” The homeowner must include impervious area in their plans in addition to all other local codes.
Section 2.4 of the Design Guidelines state that “all satellite dishes must be attached to the house. The preferred location for satellite dishes and other antennas is below the peak of the roofline on the backplane of the house so as to have no, or minimal visibility from the front of the house, or entirely within and below the height of approved privacy fencing that fully encloses the rear yard. Antennas and satellites meeting these criteria do not require an application. Installation of … dishes in other areas … will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Satellite dishes may not be installed on a pole of any nature. The Association may require owners … to install or provide screening around the antenna if the antenna is visible from the street…”
The preferred locations for satellite dish placement are, in order of preference, 1. on the rear roof, 2. attached to the rear of the house itself, 3. attached to the side of the house (on the rear half of the side of the house. Dishes in locations 2 or 3 that are visible from the street should be screened with shrubbery. If the satellite installer certifies that you cannot get a signal in any of those areas, then an ARC application suggesting other locations should be submitted. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Residents are strongly encouraged to attend the meetings, as the discussions and decisions made directly affect our neighborhood and you, its residents. Accordingly, the opinion of each and every household in the Stephens Grove community is of paramount importance.
If, however, you do on occasion find you are unable to attend, the meeting minutes for all BOD meetings can be found in the Board Of Directors Archive for download and review at any time.
In attempt to maintain consistency with the overall design concept for the community and to preserve property values, we ask that you uphold the Design Guidelines.
Per 2.27 Mailboxes: Replacement of mailboxes with an exact duplicate of the original item does not require an application. Mailbox murals fall under the seasonal decoration guidelines. Mailboxes of any design other than the builder-installed style are prohibited.
To place a new mailbox order, you may contact:
Carolina Mailboxes
(704) 334-3393
The numbers can be purchased at Walmart.