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Description
LANDSCAPING
HEDGES: May be planted only with the approval of the ACB. Where allowed, they must be maintained by the Homeowner and may not exceed a uniform height of six (6) feet. They must provide clearance to paint or maintain fences. Trees or hedges that obstruct access for painting will be removed at the Homeowners expense, after proper notification. Any hedge that becomes overgrown and causes problems with adjoining units shall be deemed a nuisance and shall be removed. Any cactus, hedge or planting that is considered a hazard must be removed.
Guidelines
A sketch of all changes must accompany the application and no work is to commence until written approval is granted. These changes (i.e., trees, hedges, flowers, etc.) become the Homeowners responsibility to maintain. No plantings of any type shall be installed that prevents sprinklers from covering areas. Any installations or their roots that block repairs to sprinklers, underground lines (feeder line replacement, sewer lines, drainage lines), may be removed in order to make such repairs at the Homeowners expense. Care should therefore be taken at the time of planting not to block road and utility easements and/or sprinkler heads. No plantings shall be allowed to encroach on adjacent properties. Any plant materials planted in violation of these rules and /or neglected, causing problems of health or maintenance may be removed at the Homeowners expense after proper notification. Snowbirds not making provisions for maintenance of their shrubs and/or trees shall be billed for cleanup if their plantings become overgrown and unsightly. If Homeowner wishes to replace plants in an existing area, no ACB approval is required.
Replacement of plants in an existing bed is permitted.
No tree may be removed without the written permission of the ACB. If Homeowner wishes to prune his own trees and shrubs, he must paint the top of his mailbox post yellow. Lawns will be cut and trimmed by the Association, but any permanent or miscellaneous planting will then be the responsibility of the Homeowner.
To protect the mailbox post, planting of a bed no more than two feet by two feet around the post, bordered to separate it from the lawn, is permitted with the approval of the ACB.
A variance may be granted for new beds if the following procedure is followed. A detailed plan must be filed with the ACB, utilizing their application form, including drawings as well as other information requested on the form.
Plantings of any new fruit trees is banned as well as a prohibition on the replacement of fruit trees damaged or lost due to disease or severe weather by another fruit tree. All fruit falling from existing trees must be picked up as soon as possible to decrease feeding grounds for rodents.
For insurance, safety and ecological reasons, the following trees may not be planted in Newport Cove: fruit trees (other than citrus), Fichus, Acacia, Spanish Bayonet, Coconut Palms and Melaleucas of any variety. Dropped fruit is the responsibility of the Homeowner so that it does not present a problem for the maintenance of the lawns. In addition, all ornaments and any other personal property must be removed in the event of a threat of a hurricane.
ACB Procedures for landscaping
Prior to beginning any exterior improvements, you will need to consider if you, the homeowner, or a contractor will be doing the work.
Although most jobs will be encouraged to be done by a contractor, the homeowner is allowed do the work themselves. If the homeowner is taking on the task, the homeowner is responsible for any and all insurance matters if someone is injured in the job.
In the planning stage, the homeowner should work with their GC to determine the scope of the job. A design specification should outline the job, including type of type, size, location in yard.
If removal of palm trees is within the scope of the design, a permit is required from the county
If the homeowner determines they will use a GC (General Contractor), the contractor is required to provide both their contractor’s license and the contractor’s proof of insurance.
Requesting ACB approval to start project
With the planning stage completed, the homeowner can now submit the completed ACB request form along with the contractor’s license and insurance and design specifications to the ACB committee for review. We ask for duplication of all documents.
The ACB will then review all plans to ensure all paperwork is included.
After the ACB has approved your plans, you may proceed with the improvement.
One set of signed documents will be returned to you for your records while the other set of plans will be recorded by the ACB for reference.
Completion of project
Once the job is completed, the homeowner needs to submit a signed filled out completion form to the ACB. These results will then to filed in the small club house for reference.
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