Those of us who have bought a home in Verandah made a lifestyle choice. Gated communities such as ours offer a blend of security and privacy, with minimal interruption from the outside world. We live near each other, which encourages a sense of togetherness and belonging. In addition, high-end gated communities like Verandah offer access to exclusive amenities. And all this is built according to a cohesive plan that provides for a stunning backdrop of Florida landscape and attractive architecture.
In general, gated communities like Verandah see property values increase more quickly than others. Why is that? In large measure it is because we are what is called a “deed-restricted community.” Living in a “deed-restricted community” means that our property is subject to conditions that are focused on upkeep, exterior design and usage enforced by our homeowners’ association, that is, the Verandah Community Association (VCA). Verandah’s “restrictions” were secured to your deed when you purchased your home.
You may ask who decided on these conditions and what is their purpose? These conditions were codified in 2002. They are formally called The Verandah Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R) and they were recorded with Lee County by Bonita Bay, our original developer. In planning Verandah, the original developer was committed to working in harmony with nature and it brought its love of nature to bear on our architecture and the community as a whole. Since its inception Verandah’s character is one of beauty and lush landscaping reflected through the graceful style and visual harmony of our homes. Architecture and landscape are coordinated. The purpose of these conditions was and is to preserve this unique character of The Verandah.
Ensuring our unique character is the objective and guiding principle of Design Review. In this issue Verandah View is featuring the first of a three-part series describing how this process works.
Part one of this series describes what Verandah’s design review process is and why we have it.
Part two explains what our Design Review Guidelines are and how to learn more about them.
Part three describes how our design review process works with homeowners to make improvements to their property.
Conditions, and Restrictions (DCCRs). They were established when the community was formed in 2003 and are enforced by them Verandah Community Association. When we purchased our Verandah homes, we chose to relinquish control over some actions affecting our property and in exchange we would work as a community to protect Verandah’s aesthetic appeal, safe conditions, and property values. In essence, when we moved into Verandah, we agreed to follow certain standards and rules.
