Architecture

GENERAL

The Architectural Committee (the committee) sits at the discretion of the Meadows Board of Directors for the purpose of evaluating any proposed exterior modifications to homes in the Meadows community.  Approval is based on the published Architectural Guidelines and prior decisions about modifications with the purpose of maintaining the overall harmonious appearance of our community.

The committee review process is to assist homeowners in making modifications that fall within the overall design concept of the Meadows while preserving existing views, sight lines, sunlight, and privacy of neighboring dwellings.

It is strongly suggested that homeowners contact the committee early in the planning stages of any project to prevent any disappointments and loss of funds in cases where projects are not approved.  Homeowners are also urged to carefully consider the impact on neighbors when planning modifications.

The requirement for design review of exterior modifications is all-inclusive and not limited to the items listed below.  Please feel free to consult with the committee on any questions or concerns.

REVIEW PROCESS

Homeowners seeking approval of modifications that depart from existing practices as outlined in this document should apply in writing to the committee (email preferred) describing the project and including any technical details, building plans, and manufacturers specifications where applicable.

In cases where the committee’s decision is disputed, the ruling of the Board of Directors will be final.

ROOFS

Because the city of Cupertino has banned Class B roofing materials, no roof in The Meadows of Cupertino can be replaced with wood shake materials as originally installed. Prior to 2021, all of our roofing materials have been “thick” grade Class B, fire-retardant-treated, cedar shakes. And, the City of Cupertino Planning department has required that our association continue the "look" of cedar shake to maintain a consistency of appearance across the homes in the HOA. After extensive discussions with HOA homeowners, the HOA Architectural Committee, the HOA Board, and the City of Cupertino Planning department; the Meadows of Cupertino HOA Board has approved light-weight "stone coated steel" roofing materials with a cedar shake look as new roofing materials.  Several products by Unified Steel and Decra have been approved at this time, but others can be proposed by homeowners to the Architectural Committee. Almost half of homeowners have installed the Unified Steel product, and homeowners are pleased with the results.

Homeowners should also be aware that any wood shake roofing, even with a Class A underlayment, is increasingly not acceptable for homeowners insurance likely due to the recent, tragic fire seasons. Unfortunately, many other common materials, such as concrete and tile, generally exceed the load-bearing capacity of the existing roof supports. Please contact the Architectural Committee for details.

SKYLIGHTS

Low profile, flat glass models such as the Velux brand are preferred.  Homeowners should consider privacy concerns from sightlines of neighborhood homes.

Bubble type opaque skylights that were original equipment on most homes will no longer be approved for replacement.

WINDOWS AND WINDOW TRIM

Classic replacements are bronze aluminum-framed windows with frame thermal barriers and “low-e”(low transmittance) dual pane glass.  Wood, fiberglass, and vinyl clad windows will 

be evaluated on a case-by-case basis but are generally approved.

Homeowners are urged to seek energy efficient solutions for windows.

The outside surfaces of replacement frames should be bronze (as original), white, or painted in Meadows colors.

Mirror-finish reflective coatings are not likely to be approved.

Our homes have “open” and “closed” sides.  Windows on the closed side should have obscure windows as originally equipped so that they do not transmit an interpretable image.

Permissible window shapes are rectangles, trapezoids, or replacement triangles.  Round, Palladian, or free-form windows will not be approved.

Homeowners are cautioned that the addition of a new window or the alteration of the dimensions of an existing window may trigger a requirement for the review by the City of Cupertino for Building Code compliance.  Compliance with the Building code for operable windows may be in violation of Meadows privacy guidelines, and thus may not gain Meadows approval.

DRAINPIPES AND GUTTERS

Replacement guttering may be of any modern material but must be painted in the home’s palette colors.  Downspouts with sharp angles may be replaced with curved segments, but the angles cannot be eliminated.

FRONT AND REAR GATES

Front gate replacement that is an exact duplication of the original gate will be automatically approved.  Homeowners who require repair or replacement of the original style gate should contact the Maintenance Committee as this work will be performed at Meadows expense.  Exact reproductions of the custom, finished front gates that have been installed in our development by several homeowners will also be approved with the provision that construction and maintenance be performed at the homeowner’s expense. Custom gates that have been installed by several homeowners can be replaced with an original style gate if maintenance of a custom gate is no longer desired by a homeowner, particularly if the ownership of the home has changed.

Proposals for custom front gates will be evaluated for design and materials.  Wrought iron is not accepted.

Rear gates for access to the common areas require approval and must conform to the fence design and be painted in approved fence colors.  Rear gates have also been asked to be removed, when access to the common area wasn’t desired. But, homeowners should also consider access to the back of a home for construction projects or other service purposes. Any damage to landscape hard or softscape later due to movement of people or supplies through the front of the home after removal of a rear gate will be a homeowner expense and responsibility.

STONE VENEER AROUND FRONT GATES

Some homeowners have added stone veneer to the walls surrounding front gates.  Please contact the Architectural Committee early regarding vendors of such home improvements, although this will often be approved if high quality stone is chosen.  However, this is a permanent change to the front of a home that must be paid for and maintained by the current and future homeowners.  It is not possible to return the wall to the original state after veneer has been installed.

FRONT DOORS AND ENTRYWAYS

Front door replacements must fit in the existing aperture.  Design and model are left to the discretion of the homeowner.  If the existing aperture needs to be enlarged to accommodate a 

wider door or sidelights, approval must be obtained.

Front door overhangs are subject to review on a case-by-case basis.

EXTERNAL UTILITY CONDUITS

Approvals have been granted in the past for running utility conduits on exterior surfaces or foundations for gas and cable lines, and atrium irrigation.  All such conduits must be painted in the underlying house color.

EXTERIOR PAINT

Available choices for paint schemes are limited to seven paint palettes (See attachment "Color Guideline.pdf").  The paints are all Kelly-Moore and are detailed in the paint binders that are available from the committee upon request.  Their paint formulations have been bought by Sherwin Williams.  Work is ongoing to make any changes to the Color Sequences that are recommended by Sherwin Williams and painting contractors.

GARAGE DOORS

Replacement garage doors should be solid panel as originally installed or overhead sectional

steel doors with embossed wood-grain pattern.  Garage doors should be painted with palette colors to match the home.

TELEVISION/FM ANTENNAS, INTERNET ACCESS AND SATELLITE DISHES

Conventional roof antennas for local TV or FM will not be approved.  Small satellite dishes (e.g. 18” models for DirecTV) will be approved if they are located beneath the top of the roofline and are not visible from the street.  Large satellite dishes will not be approved.  Broadband antennas for internet access will not be approved for installation on individual homes because of extreme height requirements for line-of-sight reception. The committee is also monitoring changes for 5G internet access, but this will largely depend on telecommunication provider installation.

Any in-ground cable connection through existing facilities requires neither application nor approval.

MAJOR ALTERATIONS

Remodeling that requires alteration to the footprint or elevation of the house requires an early involvement of the committee, preferably before approval is sought from the City.  Simple architectural renderings are likely to be required by the committee, but discussions of concept before a homeowner spends significant funds are strongly encouraged.

We are zoned as an R1 Cluster Home Owner Association by the city of Cupertino.  The city has requirements on changes to our homes, which have been given to the Architectural Committee. Also, the HOA intends to maintain the overall design concept of the Meadows while preserving existing views, sight lines, sunlight, and privacy of neighboring dwellings.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SECURITY LIGHTING AND SECURITY VIDEO

The preferred solution for light fixture replacement on house fronts external to the front gates and fences is the Lamps Plus “American Mission Collection” model in bronze with white glazing.  Replacement of the original fixture with this preferred model will be made at Meadows expense.  

Other models in Mission or Arts and Crafts style may be approved in these locations but must be installed at homeowner expense.  The cost of the preferred replacement cannot be used to subsidize another fixture.

With respect to light fixtures at front doors (not facing the street), courtyards, and patios, there is already substantial variation, and no approval is required.

Security lighting and video systems have substantial variation on homes in the HOA.  Systems should be small and unobtrusive.  They must support neighbor privacy and prevent excessive lighting on the property of all neighbors.  The sheriff recommends 4K video systems that are wired to a hard drive at this time. Homeowners should also be aware that our location next to the Stevens Creek Trail corridor means that animals including deer, bobcats, mountain lions (rare) and coyotes may trigger motion sensor lighting at all hours. Adjustments will be requested if complaints are received by the Architectural Committee from neighbors about any system that is installed, but approval prior to installation is not required.

EXTERIOR FINISH

Maintenance of existing patterns of stucco and wood trim is preferred.  Where wood siding has resulted in water damage, a change to stucco may be approved on a case-by-case basis as long as all underlying support beams are well covered.  City of Cupertino approval is usually required for changes from wood siding to stucco as well, but has been granted on all requests so far. Recent, tragic wildfires have California officials recommending replacement of wood siding with stucco for fire safety reasons as well.  So, the Architecture Committee is likely to approve such requests, in consultation with the homeowner and the city of Cupertino.

MAINTENANCE AND ACCESS TO CLOSED SIDE OF HOME

The Meadows of Cupertino HOA homes are all designed with zero lot lines for property boundaries.  This means that the lot for each home on the side of the home with translucent windows has no ownership of the land beyond the wall.  That is part of the neighbor’s property, usually as a side yard.  It is strongly recommended that no damage to the wall of a neighbor’s house be allowed by landscaping, such as sprinkler systems spraying water on the neighbor’s wall.  In fact, California drought conditions have the HOA recommending drip irrigation and drought tolerant plantings, as the HOA has installed instead of front yard green lawns. Soil should also be kept several inches below the wood siding exposing the foundation.  This helps prevent termite infestation and is a requirement of California building codes.

Homeowners should also provide access for a neighbor to perform maintenance on the closed side of their house as necessary.  This would include painting the house or cleaning gutters periodically.  Access should be expected annually at least, with a date and time worked out between the homeowners involved.

SOLAR PANELS

Several homeowners have installed solar energy systems after replacement of wood shake roofing with stone coated steel roofing.  All of the current solar systems are using solar battery storage as well. The committee requests that conduits and panels be placed as unobtrusively as possible, especially to neighbors. However, panels need to be placed on the roof to effectively generate solar power. Any home with a legacy wood shake roof will need to re-roof before solar panels will be allowed on the home.  Please contact the Architectural Committee for more information.

BATHROOM FANS

Proposals for small bathroom fans must be submitted, but will likely be approved.  

AIR CONDITIONERS

Air conditioner units must be located at least three feet from adjacent houses.  This might be more stringent than the Building Code, but the Board has adopted this requirement to prevent excessive noise and vibration from being transmitted to a neighbor.

Noise from air conditioning compressors is a major concern and priority should be given to low decibel units.

These projects have a number of technical constraints, and early consultation with

the committee is recommended to avoid problems.

ADDITIONS TO FENCES

The addition of structures to common area fences is not permitted, except for gates to common areas as mentioned above.

YARD STRUCTURES

Proposals for any yard structures including decks, gazebos, sheds, trellises, etc. that extend above fence height, provide views of neighboring yards, or are visible from common areas should be submitted to the committee for approval.

ATTIC FANS

Proposals for attic fans will be reviewed with reference to size, appearance, location, and noise levels.