I am asking for support in signing 
this petition, that I plan on presenting to the Skagit Highlands HOA board, at the June meeting.

The intent of the petition is to gather enough signatures to ask the board to deny taking action on overreaching decor rules in regards to homeowner back and front yards.

This petition is also a reminder of the ethical manner in which board members should carry out their duties and responsibilities in support of our community and homeowners.

Please show your support by signing your name.

Thank you.

I have attached the original facebook post, as follows:

Our HOA board will be deciding what garden or outdoor decor is allowed in our BACKYARDS next meeting 6/21.

I repeat, they will be making a decision on what decor they will allow in backyards and I assume front yards, gardens and patios at the next meeting.

Bear with me, to tell the backstory.

We live on Mount Baker Loop where there are houses built on a slope and houses built directly below us.

What this means is that we can look down into our neighbors yards and they look straight up onto our decks. To mitigate some privacy issues this summer, I put up a temporary bamboo privacy screen, last week. I secured to the deck railings and it gives some bit of privacy to us.

Unfortunately a lower neighbor has decided they do not like the look of our temporary summer bamboo privacy screen. They lodged a complaint with HOA board, simply because they don’t like the “esthetic” of it.

edit added 5/11: I have discovered the neighbor who made the complaint is also the current HOA vice president. They pushed the complaint through, against the advice of Samantha at Trestle. This feels like a huge conflict of interest and an abuse of their position.

When I talked to Samantha, she agreed that she felt it was an acceptable outdoor decor item and not a violation, but the board has decided it needs to be addressed and the decision will impact the entire community and what outdoor decor is acceptable.

Here are the community rules, which were referenced, in regards to it:

8. UNSIGHTLY CONDITIONS OR NUISANCES.

a. Owners are responsible for keeping their property in clean and tidy order. Please consider the community

standard when selecting suitable furniture for your front porch.

b. Unsightly conditions shall include, without limitation, equipment and materials; hanging laundry; litter,

trash or other debris; inappropriate, broken or damaged furniture, or dead plant material. No awnings, air conditioning units, heat pumps or other projections shall be placed on the exterior walls visible from

the street of any home without prior PIC approval.

c. You may not attach overhead wires or strings to any building or property.

d. Front yards and driveways are not to be used to store bicycles, toys, trash containers, supplies, yard

equipment.

The board has decided to escalate this matter to a vote. A vote to decide what decor we, as an entire neighborhood, the Skagit Highlands as a whole, are allowed to have in our backyard, based on one individuals personal opinion and preference.

Which makes it a very easy segue into what is allowed in our front yard.

My concern here is twofold; 1) no one should be deciding what decor is acceptable in someone else’s backyard, unless it infringes upon them in a physical or harmful way. 2) If this happens to pass at the meeting, where does it end. If they can tell us what we can have in out backyard, they can easily decide what we can have in our front areas. Who gets to hold the power to decide what decor is acceptable, simply based upon personal preference? I can assume, as a community of over 700 homes, we all have different likes and dislikes of garden and patio decor. No opinions are wrong or right, they are simply that, an opinion or personal taste.

Happen to glance over the fence and decide you don’t like the color your neighbors backyard patio umbrella? Or the string of patio lights, tiki torches, solar lighting, the plastic lawn chairs or the blow up pool for the kids. Maybe in the front yard someone doesn’t like the look of bird baths. Maybe some find garden gnomes unsightly. Pattern on a front porch pillow bothersome?

I understand the current rules about front patio decor in place and agree with them. No need to keep broken items or garbage laying about, but I simply cannot see the validity in telling us what decor we may use in our backyard.

Please consider attending the next board meeting, June 21 at 6pm or please email your board members so that your voice is heard.

Donnell Austin [email protected]

Richard Schoentrup

[email protected]

Kali Archiplay

[email protected]

Peter Ponson

[email protected]