Email All Single Family Homes

Important Community Compliance Letter

Posted by Matt Meyer

Important Community Compliance Letter

Dear Berkshire Lakes Residents,

We hope you’re doing well! As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that Berkshire Lakes remains a beautiful, well-maintained, and harmonious community, we are sharing important reminders about key rules and regulations.

Since we are in rainy season power washing notices will be sent out afterwards (mid October)

Lawncare notices will be sent out starting September 15

House painted notices will be sent out starting mid-October

Garage notices will be sent out starting next week.

Please take a moment to review the following:

  1. Landscape & Hedge Guidelines – ARB Standards

Front of Homes:

  • Hedge Setback: Hedges installed in the front yard must be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the edge of the street.
  • Height Restrictions:
    • Front yard hedges should not exceed 4 feet in height unless they are planted directly against the wall of the home, where they may reach a maximum of 6 feet.
    • Any hedge height exceeding these limits requires specific approval from the Architectural Review Board (ARB) (see Section 1.7). Please ensure any height adjustments are approved in advance.

Between Homes:

  • Height Limit: Hedges between adjacent residential units must not exceed 6 feet in height.

Lakefront Properties:

  • Rear Property Line: For lakefront properties, hedges extending past the patio area towards the rear property line must be reduced to 4 feet in height.
  • Uniform Hedge Height: To maintain consistency, the 6-foot height rule applies around all sides of decks or patios, measured from the top of the deck or patio.
  1. Exterior Maintenance & Property Upkeep

Maintenance of Property:

  • All areas within a residential unit or multi-family property, not covered by structures, walkways, or paved parking facilities, must be maintained as lawn or a landscaped area to the abutting street or lake.
  • Lawns should be irrigated with an underground irrigation system, kept trimmed to a height of 6 inches, and replaced as necessary.
  • Driveways, Roofs, and Other Exterior Surfaces must be kept clean. Dirty driveways, roofs that need replacement, poor landscaping, and debris in yards are violations.
  • House Paint should be maintained and repainted every 5-10 years as needed.
  • Tree Removal (except for dead trees) and any major landscaping changes, structural modifications, or house painting must receive ARB approval.
  1. Driveways & Exterior Maintenance

Driveways:

  • All driveways and off-street parking areas must be paved with concrete or decorative pavers.
  • Unregistered Vehicles must be kept in a garage.
  • Driveways and parking areas should be kept free of mold, stains, dirt, and debris. Macadam or stone driveways are not permitted.

Pressure Washing:

  • Ensure that roofs and driveways are pressure washed regularly to prevent stains and maintain the appearance of your property.
  1. Garage Doors & Parking

Garage Doors:

  • All garages must have operable garage doors equipped with electric openers. These doors must be kept closed except when vehicles are entering or exiting or when outdoor activities require convenient access.
  • Garage Door Screens: If you wish to install overhead garage door screens, these require prior ARB approval.

Parking:

  • Vehicles must have current and valid registration. Unregistered vehicles must be kept in a garage.
  • No vehicle (including boats, campers, trailers, motor homes) is allowed to be parked on a non-solid surface (i.e., grass or sand).
  • No motor homes, campers, or boats shall be parked overnight on residential driveways.
  1. Leasing Guidelines

We remind residents of the following Leasing Rules:

  • Minimum Lease Period: All leases must be for a minimum of 30 consecutive days. Short-term rentals (less than 30 days) are not permitted.
  • Leasing Limit: Residents are allowed a maximum of 3 leases per calendar year, or one 12-month lease.
  • Leasing Process: All leases must be submitted for prior approval by the Berkshire Lakes Master Association. Submit the completed Notice of Rental Occupancy form to the BLMA office at least 20 days prior to the start or renewal of any lease.
  • Lease Application Fees: There are application fees and background check fees per person, and these fees are non-refundable if the lease application is disapproved.
  • Lease Conditions: All residential units must be leased in full. Leasing of only a portion of a property is not allowed.
  1. Architectural Review Board (ARB) Guidelines

When planning any exterior changes to your property, please refer to the ARB guidelines and submit an alteration request form. This includes changes to landscaping, house paint color, installing new roofs or windows, and other modifications.

  • Alteration Request Forms are available at the Master Association office or can be downloaded from the Berkshire Lakes website: www.berkshirelakes.org.
  • ARB Meetings: The ARB meets twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.
  • Submission Deadline: Alteration request forms must be received by the BLMA office by Monday morning prior to the 2nd or 4th Wednesday meeting.

Approval: Failure to obtain ARB written prior approval may result in the alteration being removed and a fine being imposed.

  1. Additional Compliance

For a complete list of all community rules and regulations, please refer to the Berkshire Lakes Master Association Governing Documents. These documents outline important guidelines and requirements related to property maintenance, behavior, and community living. You can access them at the Berkshire Lakes website or request a copy from the Master Association office.

Please ensure you are in compliance with all these guidelines to help us maintain the quality and aesthetics of our community. Failure to adhere to these rules could result in violation notices or fines.

If you have any questions or need clarification, please feel free to contact the Berkshire Lakes Master Association office.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping Berkshire Lakes a beautiful place to live!

Best regards,
Berkshire Lakes Master Association
Matt Meyer (239) 259-9661 Camberkshirelakesmaster@outlook.com
Office Line (239) 353-7633 Berkshirelakesmaster@gmail.com

Berkshirelakes.org