So, What Happened?

We live at 213 Millhone and recently expanded our driveway. We believe this is both an improvement to our property and a solution to a known safety issue on Millhone Way, where the sharp ascending turn and frequent street parking obstruct visibility. There have been documented accidents and injuries due to these conditions.

We submitted an ARC Request, but, believing the project would ultimately be approved, we poured concrete two weeks after submission. We were hosting our daughter’s 7th birthday party and wanted to stay on the project’s schedule before guests arrived. Our ARC request included new concrete for a back patio, a narrow run along the side of the home, and a driveway extension to reduce on-street parking. The driveway extension would align the driveway with our existing concrete walkway, the one the builders originally installed leading to our front door.

At the time of submission, the project complied with published guidelines and we believed it was in good taste and harmony with the other homes. There are currently 4 other homes in the neighborhood with driveways that extend past the corners of their garage.

After our ARC Request, the HOA published the new “Addendum to the ARC Request” prohibiting driveways from extending past the garage. Our ARC Request was denied the next day.

Even though we reached out to the Board directly, there was no response. Through the Community Manager, we:

• • • Requested the driveway be grandfathered under the rules in effect when we applied. This was denied by the ARC.

    • Requested a hardship waiver, as allowed by the CCRs. This was denied by the ARC.

    • Argued that the Addendum was a material change to the CCRs and should require a membership vote. The ARC disagreed in a formal response letter, claiming no vote was needed.

Ultimately, our request was denied…not based on the Addendum…but on the opinion that the driveway “does not advance the aesthetic intent of the Subdivision” and was rejected “after assessing the community interests as a whole and… the investments and expectations of the many homeowners.”

We’ve now been asked to remove the driveway extension. Before taking that step, we want to hear directly from our neighbors. The ARC and Board represent the interests of the Members of the Preserve at Pendleton… and your input matters.

If you would like to see an unaltered photo of the driveway extension, you can see it here.

If you could, please take a few minutes to complete a short four-question survey so we can present the opinions of the Members to the ARC and Board.