Landscape Change Requests

Homeowners are encouraged to refresh their front yards with new landscaping to keep our neighborhood looking at its best. To enhance your landscaping:

1. Review the Rules and Regulations(below) and the:

Tree information to replace a tree or plant additional trees.
Planting Bed information to renovate your planting beds.
Lawn information to install new sod.

2. Submit a Landscape Change Request (below).

Rules and Regulations

Any alterations to the outside of the house or lot (i.e., change of color, form, structure) must have Board of Directors approval. Any change that is visible over a fence from a common area, street, or sidewalk must be approved. For instance, if you wish to build a play structure or an arbor in your back patio and it is visible from the street, it must be approved.

The board and committee volunteers make an effort to respond to applications in a timely fashion. (In fact, if for some reason the board does not respond within 30 days, your project is automatically deemed approved. (CC&Rs Article 18.))

Keep a copy of your approval in your records, homeowners who make changes without approval (or buy homes with changes made without approval) may be asked to modify those changes at their own expense at anytime.

Furniture in the planting areas and on the lawn interferes with landscape maintenance and is not allowed.

Benches and statues: A bench or stone statue may be placed on the front porch and the portion of the sidewalk that is up against the house.
Hammocks and swings are not allowed in trees in the front yards.

Edging Materials: Homeowners can use either Lin Creek Cobbles as edging, bender board as edging, or no edging.

Lin Creek Cobbles are recommended as a permanent material that will not lift or fade. Use 3"-8" Cobbles.
If bender board is used, it must be installed flush with the ground.

Mulch - Only Fir Bark Mulch is allowed. Homeowners can use either Mini Fir Bark Mulch or Small Fir Bark Mulch. Wood chips (both natural and stained) are not allowed on front yards.

Plastic materials including landscape cloth are not allowed in front yards and any areas that are visible from the street.

Landscape Irrigation: Any modification to the existing irrigation system is expressly prohibited, except; any modifications to the irrigation system necessary to enhance or ensure the preservation of any plant materials included in approved alterations. Irrigation modifications must be brought before the Landscape Committee for Board of Director approval, in the form of a separate proposal. Include:

Complete set of dimensional plans which disclose how and where the new system will hook up to the existing irrigation system.
Description of materials and/or products to be used.

Should approval be granted, any modification to the existing irrigation system will be at the sole expense of the Homeowner.

Conditions and Disclaimers

The Board and the Committee shall grant their approval only in the event that the proposed work will benefit and enhance the entire subdivided property in a manner generally consistent with the plan of the development thereof. (CC&Rs Article 18.)

Permits: Homeowner must obtain permits from the City for all tree trimming, tree removals, structures and any other improvements, alterations and/or additions as required by the City of Redwood City.
Landscape Maintenance: The Kentfield Commons Homeowners Association will not be responsible for any care or maintenance, special or ordinary, relating to the preservation of any plant material alterations made by Homeowner.
Landscape Irrigation: the HOA will not be responsible for any maintenance or repair either to the modifications or to the existing irrigation system necessitated by the Installation or operation of any modification to existing Irrigation system.
Drainage: Positive lot drainage must not be interrupted.
Damage: Homeowner will be responsible for any traffic damage or any other kind of damage to common area foliage or property, which is due directly or indirectly to homeowner improvements.
Maintenance: Any and all improvements affected by homeowner must be maintained to perpetuate aesthetic appeal; otherwise, the improvements will be subject to a demand for removal.
Transfer of Ownership: Any transfer of ownership of property where alterations and/or improvements have been made by Homeowners, the Homeowner will provide full disclosure to the new property owner of the Board of Directors approval details and specific conditions of approval. In lieu of disclosure, Homeowner may return the alterations and/or improvements to original configuration. Selling Homeowner will notify the HOA, in writing, when “the in lieu of disclosures option” is to be pursued prior to marketing said property.
All landscape changes must be completed within six months of approval. Landscape changes that are not completed within six months of approval will require re-submission.

The Association, through its Board of Directors, has a duty to make reasonable efforts to see that uniform enforcement of the Association CC&Rs and Rules is carried out at the development. However, it should be noted that a failure to enforce the CC&Rs or Rules of the Association in some cases does not invalidate that particular CC&Rs or rule.