Most Commonly Asked Questions: Making Improvements to a Cottage or Lake Home

Blueprint with a ruler lying across it

 

The Brickyard Creek Community is based on one underlying vision – a place where homes are not on the land, but rather of the land. This unique concept not only flips the whole idea of what a “development” looks like but dictates how its citizens relate to their surroundings. Staying true to this idea is what keeps BYC remarkable and a desirable place to live. It means taking a long-term view and understanding the positive impact that covenants and guidelines have on the health of the forest, aesthetic, and the well-being of those that call it home.

The most commonly asked questions usually regard making repairs or improvements to a cottage or lake home. It is critical, therefore, that Brickyard Creek has an educated and experienced Architectural Control Committee to help the owner with construction methods, materials, colors, erosion control methods, and tree-saving plans – all to assure view corridors, privacy, and the protection of property values and our most important amenity – Mother Nature. The ACC uses professional methods and will do their best to help the owner’s intentions become a reality. Please read the Architectural Guidelines and then contact Jeffery Garrett to begin the process.

Keeping a clean work site and assuring the proper removal of construction material is ultimately the responsibility of the cottage or lakeshore homeowner. Please make sure your vendor(s) know that Brickyard Creek dumpsters are not for their use. The community pays extra for objects not allowed in the trash dumpster such as wood, insulation, etc. Vendors must provide their dumpster or have an approved alternative plan to remove debris from the Brickyard Creek property.

It makes sense that other inquiries often concern the trees or plants in the vicinity of an owner’s cottage. It is important to remember that the community strives to sustain the environmental practices that protect and restores the remnant native forest we enjoy at Brickyard Creek. Planting something non-native or otherwise altering the rare, remnant Boreal Forest not only devalues the property but diminishes the shared member experience. Jeffery Garrett works closely with a professional arborist and the Forest & Watershed Committee to consistently evaluate the flora around each cottage and cottage driveway. If would like advice or a personal assessment of the property around your home, please contact Jeffery Garrett to set up an appointment.

For the answers to other inquiries, please see Frequent Questions found in Policy & Guidelines.