2023 Annual HOA Meeting

Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, November 16th @ 7:00pm at the Richland Township Police Department.

229 California Road
Quakertown, PA 18951


Agenda

  1. Call to Order
  2. Approval of 2022 Meeting Minutes
  3. President report – new business & old business
  4. Treasurer & Committee Reports
  5. Public comments
  6. Elections

Current Board

President: Brian Foster (Served 1 yr, of a two year term)
Vice President: Dave Stevens (Served 1 yr, of a two year term)
Treasurer: Winnie Cordero (Non-voting, as not a resident)
Secretary: OPEN
At-Large:
1. Chris Werner (Served two years of his two year term, up for re-election)
2. Trevor Mankus (Served 1 yr, of a two year term)
4. Michael Hartranft (Served 1 yr, of a two year term)
5. Aaron Leatherman (Served two years of his two year term, up for re-election)


Committees

  • Maintenance: Brian Foster and Dave Stevens
  • Architectural: Brian Foster, Chris Werner, Michael Hartranft
  • Communication: Trevor Mankus

Architectural Review Requirements

The Board has noticed an increasingly concerning number of residents who are unaware of our Architectural requirements that are governed by our Association. We get many requests per month, some of which are done properly and others that are not. Oftentimes we hear about projects done in our neighborhood–reported by other neighbors–by residents who did NOT go through the approval process.

This post is intended to answer all questions and centralize the information in one place.


DID YOU KNOW?
Our By-Laws and Declarations outline the necessary steps homeowners are responsible for taking prior to any constructions or making any modifications to any dwelling within our community.

Below you will find excerpts from our Declarations which describe, in detail, the restrictions in place as well as the requirements for submitting an architectural modification request for approval.

Submitting a request is not a burdensome process and doing so will protect you from any problems in the future. In previous years, the Board has taken legal action against residents who did modifications to their homes that did not adhere to the Architectural Committee guidelines. Don’t let this happen to you.

Approval Steps

  1. Download the Architectural Review Modification Form. Be sure you submit a separate form for each modification request. For your protection, the Board recommends you inquire with the applicable city, county, and/or any other government agency regarding required permits before starting any work on your property.
  2. Fill out the form as instructed, being sure to provide adequate drawing and details of the material planned to be used. Product brochures are helpful to include in the email if any are available.
  3. For major modifications provide the following additional information:
    • A site plan, to scale that shows the exact location of modification being requested in relation to the property lines. Site plan should also include any existing fences, decks, walkways, driveways, exterior elevations, floor plan, and detail of materials.
    • A registered survey plot clearly showing property lines, existing improvements, and proposed modification(s).
  4. Submit the completed form and any additional information via:

NOTE: We have 7 days from the date of receipt of the modification request and all requested or required information to complete its review. Delays in submitting requested or required information will delay the review process. DO NOT AGREE TO WORK WITH YOUR CONTRACTOR UNTIL APPROVAL HAS BEEN GRANTED. No response does not mean it was approved.


Section 1. Restrictions

(k) No building, dwelling modification, fence, wall, in-ground pool, driveway or other permanent structure shall be constructed, erected or maintained, nor shall any additions to or change to any Lot or dwelling be made, including any changes to exterior color(s), exterior, materials, exterior lighting or grading, nor shall any shrubbery, bushes or trees be planted which would act as a fence of screen until approval has been received in writing from Declarant pursuant to Sections 2 and 3 herein.

Section 2. Review and Approval by Declarant

Any construction, erection or maintenance, or modification to any dwelling on a Lot as delineated in Section (k) herein (“Changes”) may not occur until and unless plans and specifications are approved in writing by the Declarant. Such plans and specifications shall be in duplicate (one copy of which shall be retained by the Declarant) and shall show the nature, shape, height, materials, floor plans, if applicable, exterior color(s), exterior elevations and locations of such Changes as well as a grading and landscaping plan including topography and contours of the ground. After the Declarant has conveyed all Lots owned by it to Owners, the review and approval rights of the Declarant pursuant to this Article VIII shall vest in the Board of Directors of the Sweetbriar Homeowners Association who shall have the right to assign such powers to an Architectural Review Committee pursuant to the Bylaws of the Sweetbriar Homeowners Association of even date herewith.

Section 3. Approval

The Declarant shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to disapprove of any such plans or specifications delivered pursuant to Section 2 above which are not suitable in its opinion, for aesthetic or other reasons; and in passing upon such plans and specifications, it may take into consideration the suitability of the proposed Change, the materials which are to be utilized, the color scheme, the site upon which it is proposed to locate the same, the harmony thereof with the surroundings, and other dwellings and structures located on the Properties, and the effect of such proposal on the outlook from adjacent or neighboring properties. Approval shall be made in one way only: by the signature of the authorized officer or agent of the Declarant, on each sheet of any plans submitted. In the event that the Declarant fails to approve or disapprove such plans and specifications within sixty (60)days of such presentation, the approval of such plans and specifications shall bedeemed denied.

Section 4. Applicability

It is understood that the obligation to submit plans and obtain approval, ·not only from the appropriate Township authorities, but also as set forth hereinabove in this Article, shall apply to all portions of the Lots.

2021 Annual HOA Meeting

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 21st @ 7:00pm at the Richland Township Police Department.

229 California Road
Quakertown, PA 18951


Agenda

  1. Call to Order
  2. Approval of 2020 Meeting Minutes
  3. President report – new business & old business
    1. Budgeting money for upcoming ideas (Playground, trees, etc)
    2. 2022 landscaping and 2021-2022 snow removal contract
    3. Approval to retain Winnie Cordero for 2022 bookkeeping services.
  4. Treasurer & Committee Reports
  5. Public comments
  6. Elections

Current Board

President: Brian Foster (Served 1 yr, of a two year term)
Vice President: Dave Stevens (Served 1 yr, of a two year term)
Treasurer: OPEN (Vacated on March 20th, 2021)
Secretary: OPEN
At-Large:
1. OPEN — Chris Werner (Served two years of his two year term)
2. OPEN — Eric Casperson (Served two years of his two year term)
3. Trevor Mankus (Served 1 yr, of a two year term)
4. Michael Hartranft (Served 1 yr, of a two year term)
5. OPEN


Committees

  • Maintenance: Brian Foster & Dave Stevens
  • Architectural: Brian Foster, Chris Werner, Michael Hartranft
  • Communication: Trevor Mankus

Neighborhood Yard Sale

Our annual yard sale will be held on Saturday, July 13th, 2019 between 8am – 2pm. Thank you to Eric Casperson and Jeremy Ralston for putting together the materials to advertise for it.

Please help spread the word to gain as much interest as we can.

Summary of 2019 Annual Meeting

Neighbors,

For those who weren’t in attendance, our 2019 annual meeting was held April 11th, 2019.  A copy of the meeting notes have been posted on our Meeting Minutes page.  In summary:


Elections

  • Three spots needed to be filled (1 vacant Secretary, 2 at-large terms expiring)
    • Jessica Mann (1717 Pheasant Ln) was elected to a two year term as Secretary
    • Chris Werner (1861 Mayflower Dr) was elected to a two year term as an At-Large member
    • Eric Casperson (1507 Pilgrim Ln) was elected to a two year term as an At-Large member

Thank you to all past board members who are no longer volunteering their time.  All of your work is very appreciated.  Please be patient as we are in the process of updating our contact information and email addresses for our new board members.


Thank you,
The Board

Sweetbriar Clean Up Day

On May 4th, we are holding a community clean-up day for kids. We’ve teamed up with local businesses to secure some cool swag and freebies for any youth who participates.

We will meet at the sign at the top of the development. Participants will be asked to help clean up different areas within our community.

To register your children, please email board@sweetbriarhoa.org and include:
– Number of children being registered
– Names of children
– T-shirt sizes for children

We will be purchasing t-shirts based on registration, so please be sure to let us know if you plan on attending this event.

For more information, visit our Facebook page for this event.

Sweetbriar Playground News

Hi neighbors,

At our previous board meeting, we asked for volunteers to form a playground committee that would be tasked with the responsibility of coming up with proposals on the future of our neighborhood tot lot playgrounds. At the time, the board felt that the state of the Phase 1 playground at the entrance of our development was in a deteriorating state and was beginning to be an unsafe place for children.

As a result of the committee’s research, estimates, and proposals, we would like to announce the following plans:

  • Relocation of climbing equipment from Phase 1 back to Phase 3, including the replacement of any material which is rotted or deteriorating
  • Removal of all other material in Phase 1 lot, grading of existing dirt, and establishment of grass seed

We feel that this move will result in a safer playground that has less maintenance costs and increased activity due to it’s location.

Over the past few months, we had two separate contractors (including a playground specialist from Country Structures) come out to inspect the equipment; both contractors said the equipment is structurally sound.

Work on the above will commence in Fall 2018.

Thank you,

The Board

Summary of 2018 Annual Meeting

Neighbors,

For those who weren’t in attendance, our 2018 annual meeting was held last night.  A copy of the meeting notes have been posted on our Meeting Minutes page.  In summary:


Elections

  • Brian Foster was elected into the role of President (The role of Secretary is currently vacant)
  • Winnie Cordero was elected to serve another 2 year term in the role of Treasurer
  • Trevor Mankus was elected to serve another 2 year term in the role of At-Large
  • Dave Stevens and Michael Hartranft were elected to serve a 2 year term in the role of At-Large members

Thank you to all past board members who are no longer volunteering their time.  All of your work is very appreciated.  Please be patient as we are in the process of updating our contact information and email addresses for our new board members.


New Business – Phase I Tot-Lot (We need your help!)

One topic up for discussion last night was the future of the Phase 1 tot-lot at the entrance of our neighborhood.  As noted by many board members, the current state of the playground in this lot is inadequate and may be a cause for safety concerns.  As a result of this discussion, the Board has decided to seek additional community feedback and guidance before making any final decisions on the future of this lot.  We would like to form a volunteer committee to explore pricing and options associated with removal, repair, or replacement options.  If you are interested in participating in this committee, please contact us.


Electronic Payments

The Board voted last night to approve electronic payments as an additional option for our residents to pay their annual dues.  Residents are encouraged to continue to make their annual payments via the mailer that gets provided each year.  Online payments is an alternative method that may be used.  Once logged in, members may access our online payment system by clicking hereNote that the merchant that processes the payments has a surcharge associated each transaction.

 

Thank you,

The Board