Community Standards
 

In quite a few threads on this forum, people have asked if modifications they would like to do to their homes are allowed. Many replies tell the inquirer to contact the community standards to answer their question. Good advice. The problem is that I have done just that via email and twice have not gotten a response and was once told to submit my application for ARC consideration and find out if it is allowed. I didn’t want to present a plan until I knew if an aspect of the plan was acceptable. For me at least asking for community standards has been a waste of time. I was wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else. Maybe I am not sending my questions to the correct Village entity. Who specifically do I need to contact? Can someone give me an email address?

I don't think email is the way to go. I would recommend that you either call them or visit them in person.

984 Old Mill Run
The Villages, FL 32162
352-751-3912

Agree, talk with them either by phone or in person.

I like a paper trail. No one person say they said this and other person says no they didn't. I'm getting paranoid.

Paper trails are only good when you get one. I agree, go talk to them and then confirm the conversation in writing. You have your deed restrictions so you should know your limitations. Anything done outside requires ARC approval and they determine exceptions if any. Have you attended your CDD Board meeting and asked the questions? What you ask and their response will be in their minutes, another paper trail they can't avoid.

Also, there is no cost for the application, so if it is rejected, they will typically tell you why, you make a change and resubmit, had this happen once in the 6 or 7 applications I made.

Sounds like good advice, as always, from village tinker.

Plus he's a cat lover.:coolsmiley:

I changed the color of my CYV about six months ago. You need to fill out a form with your request and submit and the committee will review at the next meeting. You get a reply back in the mail in about a month. This is the form.

https://www.districtgov.org/departme...pplication.pdf

CDD board supervisors will not discuss matters of deed restrictions. This is because they may be called upon to make a legal ruling at a later time.

There is a process and it is in writting.

Your fundamental problem is you are asking ARC for advice before you have a plan in place. They deal with plans in place. Submit the application and see if the approve it. That's how it works, and it works well for those who use the system properly. I'm not saying this to be sarcastic, but you seem to not want to follow the established procedure.

Notwithstanding the process that sdeikenberry mentioned, there is a way to at least document conversations. Back in my college days, I had a temp job for a construction company in their office/trailer at a work site. They had tons of meetings with contractors. They always followed up in-person meetings with letters to the same contractors that said something to the effect of "As we discussed, you agreed to...". In other words, it was a way to put in writing what was hashed out in the meetings in order that some contractor couldn't later say "You never told me that!", etc.

Take a look at the Architectural Review Manual for your district. It will answer most of your questions about what changes are allowed and what are not.
VCDD Community Standards

Also look at your district's adopted rules.
VCDD Community Standards

And, don't forget to review your deed restrictions.
Village Community Development Districts

Sounds like you need to follow the procedure in place. Fill out the application with your plan and let them rule on it.