Your ASC was created when Semiahmoo was formed, “In order to preserve the natural setting and beauty of the Property, to establish and preserve a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing design for the Property, and to protect and promote the value of the Property”. (CC&R Article 10.01)
The ASC was established by the CC&Rs to enforce the rules designed to accomplish that purpose. They require that all “improvements” in Semiahmoo comply with the restrictions stated in Article 10. (“10.03 Approval of Improvements. No improvements of any nature whatsoever shall be constructed, altered, added to, or maintained upon any Site or any part of the Property, except (a) such improvements as are approved by the ASC in accordance with this Article 10, or (b) improvements which pursuant to this Article X do not require the consent of the ASC.”)
“Improvements” include building a home, landscaping the grounds around the home, remodeling or updating the exterior of the home, substantial re-landscaping (more than 25% of lot outside the footprint of the home) and any other change to the lot or exterior of the home that has an impact on its appearance or function that could affect the rest of the community.
Our Goals
Within the limits prescribed by the CC&Rs, your ASC attempts to make the process of home building, landscaping, remodeling, and updating the exterior of residential buildings, and their grounds as homeowner-friendly as we can. This means friendly to all homeowners in Semiahmoo, not just to the homeowner who is making an improvement.
We are required to administer the rules fairly and equitably and the best way to accomplish this is to enforce them in the same way for everyone.
How to Have a Good Experience
- Read the rules in advance. All “improvements” in Semiahmoo require either notification to or approval by the ASC. “Improvements” include building a home, landscaping the grounds around the home, remodeling or updating the exterior of the home, substantial re-landscaping (more than 25% of lot outside the footprint of the home) and any other change to the lot or exterior of the home that has an impact on its appearance or function that could affect the rest of the community. The rules are found in the Standards for Residential Construction, the Standards for Multi-Family Construction and Standards for Landscaping posted on the ASC portion of this website. The SRA CC&Rs Article 10 contains some of the more important rules (which are repeated in the Standards).
- Obtain acknowledgement of notification or approval from the ASC in writing before starting the project (email is considered writing). Seventy-five percent (75%) of requests reviewed by the ASC are approved on first review. The most common reason for non-approval is incomplete information. Work with the ASC Administrator to be sure your request is complete.
- Notify the ASC of any changes in the project after approval. Notification should happen as early as possible, ideally before they are implemented. Changes from the approved plan require approval, so the request for change should be submitted as soon as it is clear what is to be done.
- If the project will be delayed beyond the planned completion date, notify the ASC Administrator, and request an extension. New home construction is expected to be completed in 1 year, remodels and landscaping within 6 months. Continuing work beyond these time limits without an approved extension can result in a fine. It is best to notify the ASC administrator at least a month in advance of the expiration of the approved completion date so that the committee can review the request without a gap in approval.
- All communication with the ASC should be through the ASC Administrator (ascadmin@srahoa.com). Only communication documented in writing (email, electronic or paper document) is considered binding.
When to Get ASC Approval
Virtually any change to the outside of a home or other buildings within the SRA in Semiahmoo requires either notification or approval from the ASC before the project begins.
Notification only is required for simple repairs, refinishing or replacement with identical materials such as repainting a house with the same color, replacing a roof with materials on the approved roofing materials list, replacing a deck with the same material and color as it originally had without changing its shape or size, etc. The ASC Administrator will acknowledge notification so long as the information provided is consistent with these notification requirements.
Larger projects (called “improvements” in the CC&Rs) require approval by the ASC. Forms for submitting requests for approval are available on the website (Architectural Standards Forms and Policies). The ASC Administrator reviews these submissions and may contact the member for more information to assure that the request is complete when the committee reviews it for compliance with the rules.
As homes in Semiahmoo age, remodeling is becoming more common. Remodeling may be relatively simple (replacing a deck with a new material and modifying the size and shape) or quite complex (increasing the footprint of the house to add a bedroom). The ASC Administrator reviews remodeling requests and, with the help of the Construction Compliance Consultant, determines if the project is complex enough to require full review by the Construction Compliance Consultant. If so, the remodel will follow the procedures outlined in the Standards for Residential Construction and there will a prorated submittal fee for the review.
Minor landscape changes not involving hardscape do not require notice or review. Landscaping changes that involve more than 25% of the property (the lot outside the footprint of the house and excluding any areas designated as unable to be developed[1]) require approval by the ASC before they begin. All hardscape plans require ASC review.
[1] An example of an area designated as unable to be landscaped would be a steep hillside noted in the neighborhood CC&Rs as a bluff on which no construction may take place (see the Drayton Cove CC&Rs Section 2.05).
