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14 | THE COLONY NEWS | OCTOBER 2024 | We all want to live in a nice community, with a lovely home, lush landscaping and friendly neighbors. The architectural committee (ACC), in collaboration with the HOA, works very hard to ensure that the community is something to be proud of. With over 1,586 homes and almost 3,000 people, the challenge becomes balancing the needs of the individual residents with the overarching need to create visual continuity for the greater good of the community. Accepting this challenge, members of the ACC take great pride in addressing architectural issues in The Colony. Each member has a unique background in areas such as interior/exterior design, lighting, painting and color matching, windows and doors, and/or building and construction. This experience gives the ACC the ability to inspect and recommend improvements that will enhance and maintain the aesthetics and property values in the community. As outlined in the ACC's Charter, the committee is limited to property improvements as they relate to exterior aesthetics to assure that the proposed improvements comply with the Association's CC&Rs and Architectural Standards and Guidelines. This responsibility is not always in sync with the desires of an individual resident. It is human nature for residents to move into a new home and want to make it "their own." The goal of the Committee is to review Home Improvement Applications to assure they are consistent with the exterior design and materials of the homes within the Colony, not to prevent a resident from feeling comfortable in their new home. As one example, there is a delicate balance to having uniform exterior paint colors. Paints are not all made with the same "ingredients." Some stand up to the tests of time, sun and rain, while others degrade and fade seemingly overnight. Uniform exterior colors must also take into consideration the overall design of the community as developed, roof tile colors, and neighboring house colors. This balance is only one aspect of the committee's objective in maintaining property values. Recently, the ACC submitted an updated paint book to the Board with a variety of new color choices for homes within the community. The committee has partnered with local paint companies to create options that include the latest and greatest choices. The ACC is a committee made up of volunteer Colony residents, authorized by Article 11 of the CC&Rs. They too want to live in a nice community, with a lovely home, lush landscaping and friendly neighbors. ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL By Gloria Brosky and Jodi Harris

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