Construction activity has a deleterious effect on roads, some immediately visible and some subsurface and not immediately visible. The Village of Riverwoods requires permits for various types of activity involving the roads. However, the Association does not receive any funds or bonds from the Village of Riverwoods in connection with that activity. The Association is required by its By-Laws to fix and make assessments for, among other things, improvement and maintenance of roads. In 2009, the Vernon Woods Owners Association adopted a construction fee schedule in an attempt to account for damage to private roads resulting from equipment using our roads.
1. In 2020, the Vernon Woods Owners Association revised the construction fee schedule, effective as of September 1, 2021. The resolution is set out below.
2/ In addition, the Association, in 2026, adopted a Major Construction Rule concerning its cooperation with the Village of Riverwoods in connection with return of any Road Bond required by the Village. The rule is set out below the Construction Special Assessment Resolution below.
Vernon Woods Owners Association
Construction Special Assessment Resolution
June 18, 2009
Revised September 24, 2020
Effective September 1, 2021
Whereas, the Vernon Woods Owners Association (“VWOA”) was chartered by the state of Illinois as a general not for profit corporation on October 28, 1955;
Whereas, the By-Laws of the VWOA provide that it is the purpose of the VWOA to foster cooperation and community pride among the owners of lots within the subdivision now known as Vernon Woods, to beautify the subdivision, and to promote the health and safety of all persons living in the subdivision;
Whereas, properly maintained roads are essential to the health and safety of owners of lots within the Vernon Woods subdivision, and contribute to the beauty of the subdivision;
Whereas, the roads within the Vernon Woods subdivision are owned by owners of lots within the Vernon Woods subdivision, are maintained by the VWOA, and are not maintained by the Village of Riverwoods or any other public authority;
Whereas, construction activity has a deleterious effect on roads within the Vernon Woods subdivision, some of it immediately visible and some of it subsurface and not immediately visible;
Whereas, the VWOA does not receive funding from the Village of Riverwoods, and does not receive fees, assessments or bonds required by the Village of Riverwoods for construction activity;
Whereas, the VWOA is required by its By-Laws to fix and make assessments for, among other things, improvement and maintenance of the roads;
Whereas, the VWOA has endeavored to minimize annual assessments; and
Whereas, the VWOA has determined that it is prudent to supplement its annual assessments with an equitably apportioned construction activity assessment for proper maintenance of the roads and drainage in the Vernon Woods subdivision, all in accordance with the By-Laws of the VWOA.
NOW THEREFORE, it is
RESOLVED, that
A. Special Assessment.
(a) Subject to subparagraph (c) below, every member of the VWOA shall pay a non-refundable Special Assessment to the VWOA in connection with any construction activity on property within Vernon Woods in which such member has an interest and for which the Village of Riverwoods requires a bond or permit, as follows:
(i) Activity including but not limited to new construction, remodeling, additions, renovations, detached accessory buildings, structure demolition, culverts, new driveways, driveway reconfiguration and/or reconstruction, decks, gazebos, screened porches, four season rooms, patios, stoops, porches, walks, outdoor kitchens, elevators, dumbwaiters, fireplaces, fences, roofing, siding, sanitary sewer work, landscaping, regrading (more than 10 yards), irrigation systems, spas, hot tubs, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, photovoltaic solar panels, and wind turbines: VWOA Special Assessment 3% of the value of the activity up to a maximum of $750
(ii) Sheds less than 150 square feet in floor plan, electric only permits, HVAC only permits, interior plumbing only permits, windows, doors and skylights; VWOA Special Assessment $50
(b) such assessment shall be paid to the VWOA in cash in the manner prescribed by Section 3 of Article VII of the By-Laws of the VWOA; and
(c) the requirements of this paragraph A shall not apply to property with an address on either Deerfield Road or Portwine Road for which work shall not require access to a private road within the Association.
B. General.
(a) if multiple building permits are required by the Village of Riverwoods, each required permit shall be considered a separate construction activity. The maximum Special Assessment for any member of the VWOA in a given calendar year shall be the amount specified in paragraph A (a)(i) above;
(b) without limiting Article VII of the By-Laws of the VWOA, every resident of and owner of real estate in Vernon Woods contracting for, engaging in or having a financial interest in such construction activity shall be responsible for the Special Assessment;
(c) Nothing in this resolution shall be interpreted to relieve anyone of liability for damage to roads or other property within the River Woods Subdivision in excess of the assessments or bonds specified in the By-Laws of the VWOA; and
(d) this resolution supersedes all prior resolutions relating to the subject matter of this resolution.
The foregoing was enacted by motion, seconded and approved unanimously by all directors of the VWOA in attendance at a duly authorized and scheduled meeting of the officers of the VWOA, under the authority of Article VII, Section 1 of the By-Laws of the VWOA.
Confirmed:
_____________________________________
Secretary, VWOA
September 1, 2021
Vernon Woods Road Association
Major Construction Rule
February 10, 2026
For all work requiring a Village of Riverwoods Road Bond the following shall be followed:
A Road Bond will be collected and held by the Village of Riverwoods as part of the Village’s standard building permit process. Prior to any work, the road between the project and the public roads shall be video recorded by the permit holder and a copy given to the Association. The Association shall be notified 72-hours in advance of the video recording and arrangement for an Association representative to witness the recording shall be made. Photographs of specific areas may also be submitted by the permit holder. All notifications shall be made to a phone number supplied by the Association along with an email to vwoa9999@gmail.com.
The Village of Riverwoods weight limit for divisible loads is 6 tons per axle and shall be followed. This typically means that concrete trucks cannot be full and dump trucks hauling debris, stone, earth and any other heavy deliveries cannot be full. All traffic shall utilize the shortest path to a public roadway. All vendors and contractors need to be notified of these restrictions. Parking on the shoulder, partially on the shoulder, or completely on the road is prohibited at all times. The road shall not be blocked for more than 10 minutes without a 24-hour advance notice to the Association.
If road excavation or road closure, for any purpose, is necessary, the Association requires 72-hour advance notice. This is necessary to inform the other residents of the work, as well as police and fire departments. Since most of the roads are less than two lanes wide, excavations may require a road closure. Temporary barricades will need to be in place during the time the road is closed. Roads may not be closed without prior notification of the Association. A representative of the association may be present during excavation.
Once the work in the excavation is completed, the hole in the pavement shall be rectangular and the edges of hole cut cleanly. The excavation shall be backfilled with stone and compacted to the level of the first course of existing asphalt. The Association roads are not typical roads and the existing asphalt can be greater than 5 inches in places. The new asphalt will be installed in lifts of 2 inches and mechanically compacted before any additional lifts are installed. The new asphalt shall be flush with the existing pavement. All debris is to be removed from the road easement and all neighboring properties. A 72-hour notice is required before this work is performed. A representative of the Association may be present during this process. A temporary patch may be installed prior to the installation of the permanent asphalt.
After the Village has issued a Certificate of Occupancy and all landscaping work is complete the Association shall be notified by the permit holder and the road will be inspected by a representative of the Association. When all required repairs are completed and the road is judged to be acceptable to the Association, the Village will be notified. The Village will follow their process for refunding Road Bonds.