Pet owners are reminded that they should walk their pets AWAY from  neighbors’ homes, playground areas, and high traffic areas.

Whittier’s covenants state that pet owners should “pick up after their pets.” The Frederick city also has an enforceable pet waste ordinance. Let’s face it these things are not only the law but also signs of a considerate pet owner/neighbor.

Remember:

• Abandoned pet waste contains a host of diseases and/or parasites, which can infect other dogs or be transmitted to people who might step in it and track it home.
• Rain and garden runoff washes pet waste into the Chesapeake, creating public health issues.
• It is the law! Just like littering, it is unlawful NOT to pick up after your dog and is subject to fine. The law requires that you must always pick up after your dog and carry “a suitable instrument” to do so whenever you walk your dog.
  

Over the past year there has been an increase in the number of homeowner violations. Keeping up appearances, in regards to your home, will go a long way in keeping Whittier beautiful.

Remember that the homeowner (NOT the builder/contractor) is responsible for submitting a project to the ACC for review.

The submission should contain:

1. A letter from the homeowner
2. A plot plan with the project drawn/outlined.
3. A drawing of the project
4. A materials list

If a homeowner does not submit these items, the ACC cannot conduct a thorough review of the submission, as we would not have a complete picture of what the homeowner has in mind!

If you not sure what kind of projects require ACC approval, you can check:

1. The Covenants and By-laws you received at settlement
2. The recent Whittier Guidelines packet mailed to all homeowners
3. Vanguard Management at (301) 540-8600

It is VERY RISKY, and potentially could become very expensive, to begin working on a project prior to receiving ACC approval.

Believe it or not, livestock is prohibited in Whittier ($25 City fine per animal) and you cannot ride a horse on the sidewalk ($100 City fine).

In all seriousness though, Whittier residents are subject to restrictive covenants enforced by the Whittier Community Association (the HOA) and the City Code. The City of Frederick prohibits these activities and many others. The Whittier Association sometimes receives complaints from residents about the actions of their neighbors. Common complaints revolve around pets, parking, noise, and trash. Usually the best way to handle such problems is to talk to your neighbor about it. Sometimes pointing out the problems can lead to solutions. Communities usually have fewer problems when neighbors know and talk to each other. If you can’t resolve a problem by talking to your neighbor, the homeowners association can help with some issues, but lacks specific enforcement power in some cases (depending on the issue). .Since the City Code addresses many of these problems, another option is to call the City of Frederick police department. This article will point out a few of these laws and HOA rules. The laws are too complicated for a complete description here and this article does not constitute legal advice. For a more complete explanation you can view the ordinances that are city code at www.cityoffrederick.com.

Storm Door standards:

• Must be a full-view glass (interchangeable screen is optional)
• Must match your existing exterior trim color.
• Must NOT contain a kick plate greater than 6” in height, ornamental decorations, or crossbar separation of the glass.
• Must NOT match your exterior door color, unless your door color and trim are an exact match
• Contact Vanguard management at 301-253-5052 (local call) or download a storm door authorization request here.  You must submit this application to the ACC for approval before starting any project involving exterior changes.

There is only one style of storm door allowed in Whittier. Any deviation from this style of door can result in the owners having to remove the unapproved door!

Here is our archive of past issues of the Whittier Express Newsletter. (Please note that these documents will be in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and require the free Acrobat Reader software to view. You can download and install the Acrobat Reader here.)