Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What spaces will be shared, and how might they be used?
A. The central courtyard and common house are available for all residents to use. Possibilities include: Shared meals, picnics/potlucks, birthday parties, movie/game nights, dancing, yoga, reading the paper, play space for kids, community meetings, hosting out-of-town guests, performances and more. The HOA will probably want to create a schedule for reserving the common house (perhaps with a small usage fee for the guest room).
Q. How can front/back/side yards be used?
A. Express yourself! It’s fine to landscape front, back and side yards as desired. Possibilities include: vegetable/flower/herb gardens, patios, outdoor seating, art elements… Low fences of certain materials can be installed around front yards, with taller ones allowed separating back yards (See 8.5 of Bylaws).
Q. Are there storage options outside the homes?
A. Each home gets its own cedar ~3’x4’ storage shed. For the 2 and 3-BR units, these will be tucked behind the homes in back yard areas. For the 4-BR units, they are located along the south edge the parking area. In addition, there are 2 shared storage rooms, one attached to the common house and the other attached to the pre-existing house. These are primarily intended for bike storage, but could also be used for shared items such as gardening tools.
Q. How is parking handled?
A. Five off-street parking spaces are available for sale to Mason homebuyers: One in front of the pre-existing house and four accessed via the west driveway. These spaces are separately deeded and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. Other residents and guests can park out front on the street, which was just freshly built for this project. In practice, there’s likely to be space within the on-site parking areas for 1-2 additional vehicles. These could be used for guest parking, or whatever else the HOA decides.
Q. How will the common spaces get furnished?
A. An early task of the HOA will be to outfit the common house, through some combination of donations from unit owners and new purchases. As described in the sale agreement (and typical of condo developments), each buyer will put 2 months of HOA fees into the HOA operating account at closing. Collectively, this will yield a little over $5,000 in flexible funds. Possible uses include: tables/chairs; cooking equipment, dishes, guest bed & bedding, wall hangings/artwork, curtains, cleaning supplies, sound system… For outdoor areas, the HOA might also get basic yard maintenance tools, a picnic table, shade canopy?...
Q. Is smoking allowed?
A. Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the property (e.g. in homes, yards, the common house, and common outdoor areas). The only exception is that the Board can designate certain times & places within shared outdoor areas where smoking is allowed. (See 8.21 of Bylaws)
Q. What are the rules for pets?
A. Up to a total of three dogs, cats or other household pets are allowed per unit, subject to certain restrictions (8.14 of Bylaws), including:
Only one dog is allowed per unit, although a second can be approved by the Board
Dogs are not permitted to run at large; they must be on a leash or carried when outside a Unit or fenced yard
Only service animals are allowed in the common buildings
The Board may adopt restrictions on cats being outdoors
Pet owners are responsible for any inconvenience, damage or unpleasantness caused by their pet(s)
Q. Can homes be rented?
A. Homes may be rented, subject to certain rules (e.g. written rental agreement…). However, no more than 25% of homes may be rented at any one time. This ensures that all residents have the opportunity to get the best available mortgage loan terms.
Q. I heard you will be offering permanently affordable homes at Mason Street. Can you tell me where I can get more information?
Orange Splot is offering 2-3 permanently affordable homes through Proud Ground's homeownership program. These are the Aspen units w/ 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,100 square feet. Priority for these homes will be given based on a qualified buyers date of application with Proud Ground. Register for an information session to get started.