Dear Neighbors,
Spring is upon us and it's that time of year to do all the things which make living in a house worth it: yard work, home upkeep, and spending too much time making your grass green. If you have not already, we ask everyone to start your yearly yard maintenance as spring is the time when most potential new neighbors will be driving through our neighborhood. Please do your part to keep our neighborhood the shining example it is to others. Everything that follows refers to what can be seen from the street or common areas. Your ACC will be evaluating each house on the following:
 
Ground Cover: Use of pine straw, mulch, or rocks to cover any area not growing grass or covered by shrubs. In general, the bare earth should not  be exposed and what covering there is should be consistent throughout. Pine straw should be replaced every year and mulch every 3 years. No undergrowth from weeds or overgrowth from vines should be visible. Trees need to be maintained by trimming any growth over streets or sidewalks. Dead trees and bushes must be removed at the expense of the owner.
 
Yard: Grass coverage. There are no requirements on type (Bermuda is the most common for front yards) but grass coverage is expected to be uniform and mostly free of weeds and bare spots. If tree growth is killing grass switch to having ground cover or trim back the tree growth.
 
House: There should be no signs of disrepair such as crumbling eves or vines growing up the side. Cosmetically the outside should be repainted (every 5-10 years) or washed if bare stone/brick. Window sills and walls should not show visible signs of runoff or mildew. Garages should
not be visibly in use as storage forcing cars to be kept outside. Also, remember cars are not allowed on the street during school hours or left overnight in the recreational area parking lot.
 
Mailboxes: Please make sure your mailbox is clean with the street numbers visible. Mailboxes are known by birds to be great restrooms so we ask such detritus be removed.
 
Trash Cans: Not to be visible from the street. They should be pulled into your garage or around the side of the house. If kept outside some sort of obstruction (such as a tall bush or partition) should be used to keep it from being seen when not down on the curb.
 
Fences/Walls: Fences and walls should be maintained much like a house, except a fence requires more upkeep. Wooden fences with some kind of pigment should be touched up every 2 years or stained every 3 years. In-between coats individual planks should be repainted, replaced, or repaired to maintain a consistent look. Fences without pigment should be pressure washed annually to remove dirt coating the bottom. Any fencing facing the street should be no more than 6 feet tall. Walls/stair cases should be pressure washed yearly to avoid obvious signs of runoff.
 
Based on the above, neighbors will be contacted by the end of April. We appreciate everyone's understanding. The board works hard to maintain our neighborhood. Lastly, the ACC would like to remind everyone that when making any changes (color, permanent plants, structures, siding, etc.) visible from the street or common area they must first contact and get approval from the ACC.
 
Sincerely,
Sewell Farm HOA ACC