Open House June 5 regarding potential changes to Truck Parking Covenant

Dear Meadowglen residents,

As most of you know, the topic of trucks parking in Meadowglen has been hotly debated in the community for more than a decade. In 2018 HOA legal counsel advised the board that a 2007 policy we had written to provide flexibility to the truck covenant actually violated our covenants and had to be removed. This fact, in addition to crimes against trucks parked outside the community and conflict between neighbors within the community, caused the board to consider a change to the covenant. The BOD conducted a community survey, employed a mediator to identify a middle ground, and provided plenty of communication/engagement opportunities for community members, resulting in the Board initiating a consent to change ballot to permit trucks to park in the community with restrictions. Our covenants require 66 percent of the homeownership to consent to the change. The vote failed by 8 votes. The Board determined that the issue would not be revisited for at least 2 years and that a grassroots movement within the community would need to initiate future action. While the vote’s failure to pass temporarily settled the issue, it did not resolve it.

During the last several months, the Board has become aware through social media platforms, emails, phone calls, and conversations in the neighborhood that tensions regarding the truck issue are growing and continuing to divide the community. Residents who park their trucks outside the community experience truck theft and break-ins, causing safety and quality of life issues to be raised. Newcomers to the community are perplexed by a rule that allows a large SUVs or vans to be parked in the driveway but requires an expensive truck to park outside the community. The changing neighborhood demographics along with the transformation of trucks and their growing popularity calls the current value of the covenant into question.

In April, the Board was also made aware of a grassroots movement willing to go door-to-door to collect signatures on a proposed covenant. Their intent was to utilize the prepared covenant from the 2018 ballot with a modification of the height from 80” to 84”. To better understand the legal situation if they did deliver enough ballots, the Board met with our legal counsel before the May Board meeting. Our lawyer advised us that, based on the 2018 ballot results indicating 63 percent of the community is in favor of the change, the board has duty and good cause to bring it back up for vote.

At the May meeting, as noted in the May 12 and May 17 emails of the agenda, the Board and community members discussed the topic. Based on resident feedback received during the meeting, the Board decided to provide additional feedback opportunities to residents on both sides of the issue in person and digitally. An open house style town hall has been scheduled for Saturday, June 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. outside of the Meadowglen clubhouse to answer questions you may have or make comments to the Board. If you would prefer to record your feedback digitally, you may email the Board at bod@meadowglen-hoa.com or fill out a form on our community website located here: https://www.meadowglen-hoa.com/proposed-truck-covenant-feedback-form/.

The Board will consider all feedback before proceeding with a vote.

It is important to remember, that while our governing documents include covenants that the Board of Directors are required to enforce, the documents also include language to amend a covenant when it no longer serves the community. The question being raised is whether the covenant prohibiting trucks from parking in the community still serves the community, and if it does not, what is the community’s path forward.

Lastly, the date of the June board meeting, originally scheduled for June 17, has been rescheduled for June 24 at 6 pm.

On behalf of your board of directors, sincerely,

Ari Feldman
Board President