On Friday, Del Schmidt posted on the official Rodgers Forge blog that a committee tasked with considering screened-in porches, which he headed, has decided they should not be allowed.
The committee decided this in February, and at the April meeting the board voted to publish the findings in the newsletter and ask for resident feedback. Unless I missed it, that hasn’t happened.
To read the report where the board lays out its rationale for rejecting screened-in porches, click here.
Del writes on the blog: “After proposing this [rejection of porches] to the board, there was a minor opposition to the decision. A discussion ensued and it was decided that we would allow the community to provide input on the topic. While we can’t make any promises that the decision will be changed, we do encourage community members who have constructive ideas on the topic to post them here, in the comments section, as we do recognize that this is a hot button issue within our neighborhood.”
I don’t think the current board will ever approve screened-in porches, even though the covenants do not prohibit them. Although some on the board might favor them, they are in the minority. But it’s worth spending a few minutes sharing your thoughts, pro or con.
If you do want a porch, your best bet would be to get like-minded members on the board, or amend your covenants to allow them without board approval. Read how to do that here, in the section titled “changing the covenants.”
(BTW, full disclosure: We live in a row of seven attached homes, two of which have screened porches and third that has a porch but no screens. We applied for permission to tear down our huge deck and replace it with a much smaller screened porch that would look just like those of our neighbors, and we were denied. Additionally, I contacted three real estate agents who often sell in Rodgers Forge and asked if they think a screened porch adds value to a home and all three said definitely.)
Here is Del’s full post:
http://rodgersforgecommunity.blogspot.com/2012/07/architechtural-guideline-committee.html?showComment=1341762486305#c4896524660292426018
You are welcome to share your thoughts here, but be advised that only comments on Del’s blog will be taken into consideration by the board.