"To all Fenwick Woods neighborhood homeowners, With the arrival of spring and warming temperatures everyone is ready to get out and enjoy the nice weather. The availability of COVID-19 vaccinations to everyone over the age of 16 in South Carolina also means the idea of being able to get out and gather in public may be a reality sooner than later. Given these changes, the Board of the Homeowners Association thought this would be a good time to give the community some information about neighborhood common areas, the HOA lot, and public events or gatherings. As a reminder, the role of the Homeowners Association is to manage and maintain the aesthetics and design of the neighborhood as dictated by the associations guiding documents. This involves activities as simple as landscaping for the common areas to ones that can be uncomfortable and unwelcomed like handling violations. In the end we all want the same thing, a beautiful neighborhood that we can enjoy and good property values. Another role of the HOA that may seem less obvious is limiting the risk of liability to the association. Legal action against the HOA could result in it no longer being able to maintain the neighborhood. In light of these roles the Association wanted to remind all homeowners that any planned activities or events organized in common areas or on the HOA lot must receive prior approval from the Board. The reason is twofold, to make sure any use of commons areas, or of the HOA lot, does not affect the peaceful enjoyment of the neighborhood to residents and to assure that anything happening on these areas does not open the Association up to liability. This approval would also apply to inviting vendors, such as food trucks, to park in common areas or the HOA lot. The Board welcomes activities that bring the neighborhood together and help increase everyone's involvement in the Association. However, it should be noted that at this time, due to the pandemic, the Board is being cautious to not create situations that negatively impact the health of the neighborhood. This caution is not a personal opinion of the Board, but rather one that has been made after seeking legal guidance from the Association's attorneys. In a few months, once community wide vaccinations rates have increased, and case numbers have decreased, the Board plans to revisit the issue with legal counsel to determine when holding community events on Association property would be a possible. For the time being, residents who want to hold gatherings or invite vendors must do so on their private property and not in public streets or public areas. Any such activities are still subject to the neighborhood covenants and local law and restrictions. Just as a final reminder, the Board does not seek out violations against residents. Any and all violations reported to the Association are done so by residents. The Association simply enforces the covenants that all residents agreed to when they purchased their home in Fenwick Woods.
For any questions or concerns please contact the Board at fenwickwoodshoa@gmail.com."