DEVELOPMENT
Redevelopment requests shift amid COVID 19 seclusion, aging homes
ROAD TO RENOVATIONS Homeowners who want a successful redevelopment request can work with various township agencies to obtain approval or a variance.
Residential design review committee Each village of The Woodlands has a committee made up of at least three members serving one-year terms as a volunteer. The committee meets monthly to review applications for changes to properties.
BY VANESSA HOLT
living area with open air space, new fence designs, re ned language for tree removal and replanting, and permanent seasonal lighting design standards, according to the DSC. The complete 88-page devel- opment standards document is available on the township’s website. Navigating the process Bredehoft said the key for home- owners looking to renovate, rebuild or otherwise change their property is to work with township sta to ease the process. In many cases, there may be no need to go through the DSC to implement the changes, he said. “The most important next step is contacting our sta ,” Bredehoft said. “Talk to covenant administration and really discuss your project and map out a plan of action of what the steps are to get there.” Instead of heading to the DSC, some projects will instead go before an elected board in each village, known as the residential design review committee, for immediate approval because they meet the requirements, he said. However, others will go before the full DSC for variance approval. “Always reach out to your sta if you’re not sure,” Covenant Adminis- tration Manager Kim McKenna said. “There have been situations where someone didn’t know they needed to apply, so if you can go to the website, contact sta , if you reach out to us rst, we can let you know.”
Resident A homeowner has a renovation or redevelopment project.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, The Woodlands Devel- opment Standards Committee saw more projects re ecting the needs of residents who are home more often. “They have focused on the back- yard, [asking,] ‘What can I do? Can I add a summer kitchen, a deck?,’” DSC Chair Arthur Bredehoft said. “The backyards are rediscovered. ‘Can I put up and approve a small o ce on my back patio?’ That is taking place throughout [COVID-19], that rediscovery.” The DSC adopts and enforces standards for property use and main- tenance in the township. The pace of requests before the DSC slackened during 2020-21, but many types of requests bore the stamp of the coronavirus pandemic, prioritizing at-home activities, Bredehoft said. At the same time, many houses in the older villages in The Wood- lands are now close to 50 years old, meaning some homeowners are opting to rebuild. That means adapting to changes in standards for new construction, he said. As of May 24, a new set of stan- dards was adopted by the DSC to adapt to both changes in trends and in building materials and costs, according to information from the DSC. The new standards include new home construction guidelines for each phase of development, re ned height restrictions for detached structures, standards for an outdoor
Sta Township sta reviews and assists with the resident’s application.
Approval
Residential design review committee Some approvals can be granted immediately.
Approval
Development Standards Committee Approvals requiring a variance go before the DSC.
Variance approval
Development Standards Committee Made up of four residents and three Woodlands Development Co. appointees, the DSC adopts and enforces standards for property use and maintenance.
For more information: 281-210-3800 www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov Mobile app: TheWoodlands311
SOURCE: THE WOODLANDS DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS COMMITTEE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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