Architectural Review

Maintaining a harmonious environment and appealing aesthetics of our neighborhood is important to ensuring the overall enjoyment of our neighborhood as well as enhancing the value of our homes. In order to help achieve this goal, Highgate Owners are responsible for maintaining the appearance of their homes to ensure a consistent look and feel of our neighborhood as well as conforming with the Architectural Review Standards (ARC Standards).

 

This requires Owners to submit an architectural modification form to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) to consider before exterior modifications are made to the home. Projects that fall under the review of the ARC include, but are not limited to: exterior painting, window replacement, deck/patio installation, landscaping modifications, roof replacement, siding/masonry replacement, garage door replacement, light fixture replacement, and front door replacement.

 

If an Owner wants to make an exterior modification to their home, they will need to complete the following steps before making any exterior changes to their home:

 

1. Owners must complete the ARC Modification Form and attaching any supplemental documentation to support their application. This includes obtaining neighbor signatures (if required), providing diagrams, pictures or color samples of the proposed modification, and including a plat/lot survey (if required) of your home with your application.

 

2. Once the application has been completely filled out, the completed ARC form and supplemental documents should be emailed to the ARC Team at arc.dcmetro@fsresidential.com.

 

3. After the application has been provided to the ARC Team, the request will be forwarded to the Architectural Review Committee to review the application. The ARC has up to 45 days to make a decision on completed applications, but typically provides a decision well before that deadline.

 

4. When a decision is made, the Owner will be notified by email of the decision. The decision will either be approved, approved as amended, or denied. Applications that are approved can proceed as indicated in the submitted application. If the application was approved as amended, the ARC will have placed conditions on the application to permit approval and the Owner must comply with those amended provisions if they would like to proceed with their application. Those applications that are denied will receive information on why the modification was denied and are unable to proceed with their project.

Here is a summary of important Architectural Standards for reference purposes. See the Architectural Review Standards document for a complete description of Architectural Standards. As noted above, any exterior modifications require approval by the ARC before any changes are made.

 

1. Exterior Color - the exterior color of the window frames, front door frame, garage door, dormers and all other trim (except gutters and downspouts) must be uniform in color and must be as close as possible to the original tan color approved for the neighborhood (see "Exterior Colors" of the ARC Standards). All colors must be approved by the ARC prior to application.

 

2. Gutters and Downspouts - must be white.

 

3. Roofing Shingles - shingles must be Architectural Shingles in Weathered Wood color.

 

4. Windows - all windows on the front or public-facing rear of the home must have grills, or mullions, as in the original design.  Grills may be removed from the windows on the rear of the home if it does not face a street or is public-facing.

5. Front doors - must be a six-panel design in Black, Old Colonial Red, Georgetown Green, Foxhall Green, Hearthstone, Old Carriage Brown, and Deep Forest Brown.

 

6. Front light fixture, door hardware and kickplate - must be polished brass.

 

7. Video Security Cameras - the privacy of neighboring homes is of paramount concern, and the applicant has the burden to demonstrate that the privacy of other homes is not compromised.

 

8. Trash and Garbage Cans - must be stored in the homeowner’s garage in the Kents; and in the non-Kent homes out of sight, off the driveway either in the garage, or fully under the stairs. 

 

9. Front steps and porch - should be maintained in good condition and should be free of dirt and mold by periodic power washing.

 

In order to help insure consistent application of the architectural design guidelines, the ARC may perform periodic inspections of homes within Highgate to identify violations requiring remediation by the Owners. Any such violation will be communicated to the Owners who should address the violations promptly in accordance with the ARC Standards.