Members of the Architectural Committee field questions from their fellow property owners regarding what it is the committees do and what is required for property owners’ individual improvement projects.
What the Architectural Committee does:
1 – The Architectural Committee reviews requests for changes to current homes and properties and plans for proposed new home construction. The scope of review is limited to standards of external construction, renovation, site issues, landscaping, removal of trees on private lots, and preservation of the aesthetics of the LHCC community and environment.
2 – The intent of the Architectural Committee is to preserve the appearance of Lake Holiday as a treed and natural environment. As such, a major consideration when approving exterior colors and additions is how naturally they blend with the environment and the surrounding homes. Architectural Guidelines apply to both initial home construction and to homeowner projects.
3 – Review and approval of visible home exterior improvements by the Architectural Committee are mandatory prior to any action by the property owner. The appropriate forms (and any drawings, site plans, etc.), which are required to make the decision, need to be submitted to the committee before any construction can take place. An application for improvements is NOT required for repair work or maintenance where no change to materials, colors or general appearance takes place. If in doubt, it is best to submit an application.
The property owner is always responsible for obtaining permits required by Frederick County under the Virginia Construction Code.
In general, the following applies to all applications:
- An Architectural Approval Form (available from the Management Office or online). A General Application form is available for projects not specifically covered in other sections.
- A picture, sketch and/or description of the proposed project (if applicable).
- Color chips, product brochure clipping or material samples (color photos are preferred).
- A site plan showing the location of the project with respect to the house and boundaries (if applicable).
If your project involves any of the items below, please refer to the appropriate guideline or section in PRP-1 which can be found on The Lake Holiday Important Documents Page.
All documents can be found on the Forms page.
- Accessory Structures (These include storage or garden shed, play house, tree house, screened shelter, hot tub enclosure, gazebo, and portable storage container.)
- Awnings
- Boat Docks
- Decks, Porches and Patios
- Dog Run and Shelter
- Fences (Maximum height is 4 feet.)
- Paving Projects
- Retaining Walls and Shore Walls
- Tree Removal (No trees larger than two inches in diameter measured six inches above the ground may be removed without permission from the Architectural Committee. Lot owners who violate tree removal guidelines may be required to replace trees at the discretion of the Architectural Committee. Lot owners are ultimately responsible for tree removal by contractors or other parties hired to do work on their property.)
For other projects including, but not limited to, color changes, siding, roofing, shutters, solar panels, window changes and additions, door changes and additions, decorative gates, steps and railings, please use the General Application Form.
If you have further questions regarding these issues, please do hesitate to contact the Management Office or any member of the Architectural Committee. We are here to help.
The Architectural Committee meets the third Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. New members are always welcome and encouraged to join the committee!
Ed Noble, LHCC Treasurer
Architectural Committee Co-Chair and Board Liaison
