At the December 3, 2024 HOA Annual Member Meeting, it was suggested that minutes from each member and board meeting be made available to our membership. Those minutes can now be found on a password protected page under the drop-down menu of our web site or the link below. Please contact the board for the password.
News
Annual Meeting Dec. 3, 2024
The annual meeting of Country Place HOA members will be held on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 7:00 PM at the Eastern District Police Station, 204 Pasadena Road. Please watch your mailbox for the official notice and proxy form. Country Place Homeowners should make every effort to attend. If you are unable to attend, please complete the proxy form and give the completed proxy to either a neighbor who will attend or to a board member prior to the meeting date and time.
As a non-profit organization, by law, we must have a quorum to hold the meeting and vote on issues. The CPHOA Board of Director positions of Vice President and Treasurer expire this year and are up for election. All Country Place Homeowners are invited to serve on the Board of Directors. Please consider taking a chair, especially if yourself or your household have never held a board seat. If you’re interested in either position, be sure to attend or let someone know that you are willing to volunteer.
Board positions require very little time each month. Board members get a full discount on their annual dues during the years they volunteer.
$50 Discount on HOA Dues
Country Place dues for 2025 will remain at $200.00. Country Place Homeowners who attend the annual meeting WILL RECEIVE A $50 DISCOUNT on their 2025 dues (as long as a quorum is reached). You must attend the annual meeting in-person to obtain the discount. Limit of one discount per property address.
2024 Board of Directors
President: Ethan Thomas, 7947 Shady Grove Way
Vice President: Ann Marie Wargo, 7951 Shady Grove Way
Treasurer: Lauryn Willey, 7933 Wooded Glen CT
Secretary: Wayne Toy, 7951 Farmingdale CT
Holiday Decorating Contest
Please vote for your favorite decorated home in Country Place!
The winning home will receive $100! Contest and voting is open to residents only of Country Place HOA in Pasadena, MD. Only 1 vote allowed per household. Voting ends Dec. 24 at 12pm (noon). Winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Good luck!
Trash Cans and Recycling Bins
Please remove all Trash Cans and Recycling Bins from view the day they are emptied, either by placing behind a fence or inside your garage. Trash cans and recycling containers left in public view (ie, street, driveway, or in your front yard) detract from the appearance of our community. Article VII, Section 8 of our Covenants requires that all trash cans, storage containers, equipment, etc. MUST be obscured from view of adjacent lots and streets. Please help the community to look its best by storing your containers behind a fence or in your garage. Thank you!
To request more bins from the county, go to:
https://www.aacounty.org/services-and-programs/recycling-container-requests
Annual Dues: what do they pay for?
Annual dues are an important and necessary part of living together in a desirable community. To maintain the appearance of our community (as well as property values), annual homeowner dues cover:
- common area maintenance
- trimming and mowing grass in common areas
- tree trimming, mulching, and removal in common areas
- community sign maintenance and electricity
- traffic island repairs, mulching, and maintenance
- attorney fees
- state filing fees
- newsletter costs
- annual dues notices
- postage for mailings to members
- P.O. Box
- www.CountryPlaceHOA.org annual domain registration and hosting
- etc.
Country Place HOA dues are $200/year
Effective January 2023, Country Place HOA dues are $200/year. Dues notices are mailed each January, and discounts have been given in the past for homeowners who attend the annual meeting when a quorum is present (subject to discretion of the board). Legal action will follow for homeowners who do not pay their dues. If you owe dues, please submit them asap or contact the HOA president via our Contact Form.
Private Plantings Overgrowing Sidewalks
Some of the public sidewalks in our community have become obstructed by homeowner plantings that are well overgrown. If you have plantings adjacent to a sidewalk, the board asks that you trim them as needed to keep sidewalks clear for pedestrians.
Architectural Guidelines Preapproved List
- Lattice around base of porch and/or scroll work (gingerbread trim) on porch. Any additional use of lattice should be submitted for approval.
- Replacing porch supports and railings on front porch with turned wooden “spindle” poles and pickets. Wood front porch railings and spindles may be replaced with comparably styled, low maintenance materials that maintain the same spindle/rail look used throughout the community.
- Front porch decking may be replaced with composite materials where allowable by county code so long as they reflect the appearance and color of comparable wood products. Modifications to porch structures, post locations, and railing designs must still be submitted to the Architectural Review Committee before beginning your project.
- Natural staining or painting front porch or deck to match house colors.
- Widening front steps and sidewalk to a maximum of 6 feet.
- Replacing concrete walk with stone or brick walkways.
- Widening driveway to two-car width (Cement only—see guidelines).
- Installing standard storm doors. Main front door changes must still be submitted for approval.
- Planting of trees, shrubs and flowers as long as they conform to section 9 of the Architectural guidelines.
- Repainting house trim or replacing siding in the original color. Siding must be double 4 or double 5 (4/4 or 5/5) clapboard or dutchlap style.
- Shutters may be replaced with either standard louvred or raised panel shutters of the existing color.
- Simple decks, with or without stairs. (If your plan calls for enclosing the deck, building an enclosed patio, creating a multi-level or elaborate deck, the plans should be submitted to the Architectural Review Committee prior to building construction.)
- Installation of a fence around portions of your property specified in the Architectural guidelines. The guidelines are very specific about fencing, so if you have any questions, please contact a member of the Architectural Review Committee prior to having the fence installed.
- Any other alterations involving the exterior of your house which are not listed above must be submitted in writing and approved by the Architectural Review Committee prior to beginning the modification.
- Improvements such as installation of swimming pools or the building of sheds and other exterior structures must be submitted in writing to the Architectural Review Committee.
The above list of pre-approved items was originally developed in March 1989 by the Country Place Board of Directors in conjunction with the Architectural Control Committee. It was updated in 1994 and again in July 2009. If you plan to make any of the modifications which appear on this list, you do not need to obtain prior approval to undertaking the project. However, when in doubt, play it safe and submit your proposed changes to the Architectural Review Committee.
(rev. 7/16/2009)
Architectural Review Committee
According to Country Place HOA Covenants and By-Laws which every owner signed and agreed to when you purchased your homes, all residents of Country Place are bound by law to submit all proposed changes to their homes and properties to the Architectural Review Committee, and must receive approval from the committee before changes are made. For select minor improvements, there is a “Pre-approved list” posted on our web site.
Note: Since our community P.O. box is only checked monthly, for faster response, please submit your plans directly to an Architectural Review committee member 30 days before you would like to begin your project.