CLPOA looking to unify the community’s look

After decades of different Canyon Lake POA boards, management and homeowners with their various styles and preferences during the ebb and flow of popular designs of the time, the current board is looking to come up with a unified and consistent planned community. The attempt is to bring the overall architectural standards of the community into alignment with each other.

Canyon Lake POA President Chris Poland led a discussion Tuesday at the monthly board meeting regarding the standardizing of the architectural and design of the POA buildings, signage and amenities. He said he hopes to have the finalized version of the architectural standards and guidelines ready for approval by the board at its next meeting.

Canyon Lake is a unique community because of its size, age and individualized development over time. Developers established governing documents that control how Canyon Lake appears, lives and works together.

The Canyon Lake POA CC&Rs establish the requirements and include how to create and regulate the community’s aesthetics. This includes what kind of structures can be built, their appearance and that of the area in general, and how the site and improvements must be maintained.

The Canyon Lake POA’s goals are to create and maintain consistently clean and attractive neighborhoods, homes and recreational amenities that promote quality living.

Since the Canyon Lake community was established in 1968, a wide variety of buildings, facilities and common areas have been developed with the influence of many different people. Canyon Lake has over 50 association-constructed buildings and facilities that were built decades apart. Board Treasurer Jeanne O’Dell wanted to stress that the design standards in the document applied to just Canyon Lake POA properties and not individuals’ homes.

These amenities support a wide variety of recreational activities related to the lake, golf course, equestrian center, camping, facility use and dining. These facilities include a wide variety of colors and design styles, but lack the general consistency to suggest a unified planned community. They include various wood frame/stucco and concrete block masonry buildings, a modular building in Eastport, prefabricated metal horse barn and adjacent hay barn at the Equestrian Center and three different gated entrance styles.

At its Tuesday meeting, the board reviewed a draft document that was designed to be a framework and outline of an architectural standard and guidelines for remodeling and adding future facilities, grounds and landscaping.

Chris stressed that the proposed standards will be a living document and in its current form will serve to identify the standardization that is currently underway by management and recent boards. This standard will continue to evolve with each project as they are applied by management, boards, design teams, contractors and other service providers.

Specific colors and materials were listed in the document for each type of building, structure, fence, signage, landscaping, etc. and are intended to be used throughout the community to achieve consistency.

Board Secretary Joe Kamashian said he liked the idea and thought it was overdue.

Chris petitioned the board and the community for input so that any changes can be considered prior to finalizing the architectural and design standards for the next meeting. The board is asking association members to contact it with input via email at board@canyonlakepoa.com or by attending board meetings. Tuesday’s board meeting summarized the effort so far, but Chris said more input is sought.