Architectural Review Committee

The Villages of Bayport HOA (“Bayport HOA”) approves and denies homeowner requests to make modifications to the exterior of their property through the Architectural Review Committee, or “ARC” for short. The ARC is a three-person committee who is led by the ARC Chair, who is a member of the Bayport HOA Board of Directors.  Changes to the exterior include tree removal, painting exteriors, changing driveway pavers, replacing a roof, among many other things.  When in doubt, submit an ARC or you could be at risk of being in non-compliance.

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Why Do We Have an ARC?
If you are living in Bayport HOA, you are probably here because you want to be. We are a great community, and, of course, we want to keep it that way! Anyone driving through Bayport can tell we aren’t a “cookie cutter” neighborhood, but we do have basic standards that we want all property owners to follow. No one wants their neighbor’s grass to be three feet high or to peruse the waterways only to be faced with six feet high fences up and down the canals. The ARC strives to provide homeowners with measured individuality and balance individual homeowners’ personal preferences with what is best for our community and
consistent with those standards that brought us all to Bayport in the first place!

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What is the Architectural Review Process?
For single-family homeowners within Bayport HOA, ARC Request forms are available and can be submitted electronically through the Greenacres Property Owners portal. Upon receipt, the ARC will review your request and the documentation provided in support thereof and confer internally about whether the ARC Request can be approved. If there is insufficient documentation to approve the request, the ARC will contact you through the Greenacres Property Owners portal and ask you to supply any additional documentation needed. Once all documentation is received, the ARC will either approve or deny the ARC Request. If a homeowner fails to submit the requested documentation in a timely manner, the ARC Request will be denied.

Bayport HOA does not generally oversee or approve modifications made to condominiums or apartments, so property owners that live within the condominium or apartments that are part of Bayport HOA, should contact the property manager for their specific condominium or apartment to ascertain the condo-specific standards and review process.

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What Information Do I Need to Submit to the ARC to Get My Request Approved?
Each type of ARC Request may require different documentation given that the ARC’s goal is ascertain whether the modification request complies with the Bayport HOA Rules & Regulations, is consistent with the overall aesthetics of the community, and does not unreasonably infringe upon other neighbors. While not comprehensive, the ARC will generally require the documents listed below for various, common ARC Requests. 

• Roof Replacement

  • Picture of the existing roof

  • Picture from a brochure or other source that shows, in large scale, what the roof will look like

  • Documentation showing that the roof will appear to be “tile like” for all homeowners within Bayside and “tile like” or “shingle like” for all homeowners within Bayport

  • If additional roofing is needed, a description of alterations or modifications to the home

• Fencing

  • Picture of the existing area

  • Picture from a brochure or other source that shows, in large scale, the

  • appearance of the fencing, including pictures for each type, height, or style of fencing to be installed

  • Homeowner’s survey of existing property with a depiction of the area to be fenced and, if the requests seeks installation of different fence types, heights, or styles, the fencing type to be installed in each area 

• Docks, Gazebos, and Boat Lifts

  • Picture of the existing area, including neighbors’ existing docks and boat lifts

  • Picture from a brochure or other source which shows, in large scale, the appearance of the dock, gazebo, and/or boatlift and railing, if any, to be installed

  • Homeowner’s survey of existing property with a depiction of the precise area where the dock, gazebo, and/or boat lift is to be installed

  • Documentation reflecting that the dock, gazebo, and/or boat lift is in compliance with the current Bayport HOA Rules & Regulations setback requirements current

• Painting

  • Picture of the existing area that is to be painted

  • A picture of the paint chip or color that is to be applied

  • The name and number of the paint (for example, Sherwin Williams Salty Dog, SW 9177)

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How Long Does the ARC Approval Process Take?

The good news is that the length of the process really depends on you and the type of request you have submitted! Our ARC Committee regularly and routinely reviews ARC Requests. If you provided all the necessary documentation and your request is fairly typically, the approval process could take a week or less.
However, the ARC cannot approve a request until they have the necessary documentation, so the longer you sit on providing the documentation required, the longer the process will take.

In addition, sometimes the ARC receives more novel requests that require more time and consideration before they can be approved or denied. If that is the case, the ARC strives to either approve or deny all requests within 60 days. In some instances, however, the ARC may be aware that there is likely to be an upcoming change to the Bayport Community Rules & Regulations that may impact your ARC Request. Rather than deny your request outright, the ARC may encourage the homeowner to “sit tight” until the rule change is implemented so that the request may be reviewed under the updated rules and, possibly, approved. As they saying goes . . . sometimes “good things come to those who wait.”

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Can I Proceed with Making Modifications While My ARC Request is Pending?
The short answer is NO — you may not proceed with making exterior modifications without the approval of the ARC. While it is easy to assume that a “no brainer” request consistent with what other neighbors have done will be approved, that is not always the case. The Bayport Community Rules & Regulations change over time, and there are properties within the community that may not be in compliance with the current Bayport Community Rules & Regulations. The ARC is intended to assist you through the modification process and is, likely your best resource for making sure you comply with our community
standards.

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My ARC Request Was Denied - What Can I Do If I Disagree?
If the ARC Committee denied your ARC request, you are able to bring the request before the Bayport HOA Board at the monthly meeting and present your concerns during the “Homeowners Forum.” Please keep in mind that because ARC Requests are primarily handled by the ARC Committee and Bayport HOA’s Property Manager, the Board is likely unaware of information previously submitted through the ARC process. As such, please be prepared to present the ARC Request you have submitted. If you believe the request is in compliance with the current Bayport Rules and Regulations, please be prepared to explain your rationale. If your ARC request is not in compliance with the current Bayport Rules & Regulations and you are requesting an exception to the rules, please be prepared to address why you believe such exception is warranted and, what, if any, impact it will have on other homeowners.