What is the New Construction
Committee and How Does it Work?
 In February of 2011, the High Desert Investment Corp. (HDIC) and the High Desert Residential Owners’ Association (HDROA) signed documents transferring all remaining rights and authority form HDIC to HDROA. This was the last step in the process of turning complete governance of High Desert to an owner-operated Board. One important aspect of the transfer was the establishment of an owner-run New Construction Committee (NCC) to oversee the construction of new homes. At the time of this writing (May, 2011) there are still about 10 percent of the approximately 1600 lots in High Desert that have not been built. It is the goal of the NCC to encourage the efficient build-out of High Desert consistent with the quality of the homes in the community, conformance with the Governing Documents (CC&Rs and Guidelines for Sustainability), and the maintenance of our property values. |
Why do we need a New Construction Committee?
| NCC is charged with the responsibility to
maintain the development, architectural and design guidelines that
have been in place since each of us came to High
Desert. We have appreciated this beautiful place where we live and it is the New Construction Committee’s task to ensure that any new construction is designed and implemented using those same guidelines. Preserving the aesthetic character and values of the High Desert properties is a considerable challenge and one that the committee is taking seriously. Without the NCC reviewing new home plans and construction compliance, unapproved homes could easily begin to create much different neighborhoods. |
What has the New Construction Committee been doing?
| The NCC began its work almost a year before
the turnover signing and has been meeting to establish its processes
and understanding of how the Governing Documents work. When the transfer of authority was signed, the committee worked with HDIC as well as several of the builders to implement a smooth transition. This has allowed us to minimize the disruptions to our Real Estate environment, which has had enough other difficulties over the past one or two years. |
How does the NCC decide what should be approved?
| The NCC follows the various “High Desert
Guidelines for Sustainability” documents and supplements that define
construction requirements and processes. However, these guidelines
are fairly complex. Currently all seven of the Estate and Premier
villages have vacant lots, six of the Builder villages have vacant
lots, and one Builder village has yet to be started. Each village has unique requirements written in the guidelines. Sometimes specific lots are even subject to additional requirements. On top of that there are unique expectations for the estate, premier and builder villages. Added to this mix is the fact that some existing structures, landscaping elements, or lighting have slipped by and actually do not comply with the guidelines. That presents its own challenges when a neighbor proposes a new home with elements like the one across the street and that home is not in compliance. |
How does the NCC take action?
| The NCC process is described in detail in
the “Guidelines for Sustainability for Estate and Premier Homes.” It
consists of six steps, starting with a pre-design meeting to
familiarize everybody with the process to final inspection. Owners proposing new home construction should contact Community Association Manager Sarah Hoey (highdesertmanager@hoamco.com) at the HDROA office, 10555 Montgomery Boulevard N.E., Building 1, Suite 100, to start the process. The office phone number is 505-314-5862. She will provide you with the starting point for your project. Since new construction activity is currently fairly low, the committee will arrange meetings on demand to review process and arrange the required reviews. If information is not complete or a site visit is necessary, the turnaround time could be a bit longer. In some cases when unusual site or plan issues arise, further study may be necessary. |
Why is there a charge for building a new home?
 Building a new home in High
Desert carries a significant responsibility for a property owner:
you are required to conform to the requirements in the various High
Desert Governing Documents, including the CC&Rs, the Guidelines
for Sustainability, and the village specific supplements to these
documents. In order to ensure that new homes are built according to these requirements, the Association requires a construction deposit. In addition, there are several professional reviews that are required to ensure that both the High Desert requirements are followed and the requirements in agreements between High Desert and other entities, such as AMAFCA, are followed. The cost of any required reviews to ensure these requirements are followed is not a HDROA expense, but must be borne by the project or property owner. The combined construction deposit and review fee must be paid before any activity can be started. The balance after review charges will be refunded to the owner or builder when the project receives NCC final approval. The combined review fee and construction deposit approved by the Board at its April 2011 meeting is $8,000 for Estate and Premier Lots and $4,000 for Builder Lots. |
Who are the members of the committee?
| The Board of Directors has appointed five
members to the New Construction Committee. All of them are property
owners in High Desert who volunteer their time to serve on the
committee. They all have professional backgrounds in areas that
complement the committee activities. When necessary, outside
consultants are used to evaluate specific questions, such as grading
and drainage plans and questions that require surveys. The commitment of the committee members to the high standards and wonderful environment of High Desert has led them to take on this considerable responsibility. Finally, our association’s management company (HOAMCO) is responsible for maintaining all records and preparing correspondence. Sarah Hoey, Community Association Manager for High Desert, is the HOAMCO representative and is the main contact for High Desert residents who are requesting action by the committee. You can contact Sarah at the High Desert HOAMCO office at 505-314-5862 or e-mail her at highdesertmanager@hoamco.com. |