What is the policy for trash containers?

Trash containers must be stored where it is not visible from any street, Common Area or lot.

FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS OF CASTLEGATE

CCRs are posted in Documents on this web site.

06 Rubbish and Debris

No rubbish or debris of any kind shall be allowed or permitted to accumulate upon the Property and no odors shall be permitted to arise there from so as to render the Property or any portion thereof unsanitary, unsightly, offensive or detrimental to any other property or its occupants. Refuse, garbage and trash shall be kept at all times in covered containers and such containers shall be kept within enclosed structures or appropriately screened from view so that it is not visible from any street, Common Area or Lot. Trash containers must be promptly returned to their enclosed structures or screening following trash pickup and in no event shall a trash container remain visible from any street, Common Area or other Lot overnight. If rubbish or debris accumulates upon any Lot in violation of this provision in the judgment of the Association, the Association may remove the rubbish or debris, and charge a special assessment to the Owner of the Lot for the costs of removal.

City of College Station

Garbage Collection

Automated Garbage collection is provided once a week. Each home or duplex is provided with an automated garbage cart that the resident rolls out to the edge of the curb (not into the street) by 8 AM on the scheduled day for garbage collection. The arrows on top of the cart or container should be facing the street. Be sure no vehicles or other items block access to the cart or it cannot be emptied. Within 12 hours after collection, remove the cart from the curb back to the house or garage. This is a requirement in our City Code of Ordinances to keep the appearance of neighborhoods clean and neat.

http://www.cstx.gov/home/index.asp?page=2034#Garbage

Detailed Code Violations

Containers

CH 11.5 2A

Containers shall be removed from the designated pickup point and placed either adjacent to their dwelling or at a location designated by the City within twelve (12) hours of their scheduled pickup day.

http://www.cstx.gov/home/index.asp?page=513

What is the policy on sheds?

Certain sheds have been pre-approved by the architectural committee.

According to the deed restrictions, sheds and outbuildings must be approved by the Architectural Committee (ACC) prior to installation. Additionally, any structures with floor space greater than 120 square feet require a permit from the City of College Station, in addition to requiring architectural committee approval.

What Requires Explicity City Approval, Beyond the ACC?

In certain situations, the City of College Station requires residents to obtain a permit before working with the ACC. Please use this table to determine the most appropriate next steps:
City permit is required prior to ACC approval if any one of the following apply: ACC approval is required if any one of the following apply ACC approval is not required if all of the following apply:
  • Total floor area is greater than 120 sq. ft.
  • The structure requires a permanent floor (excluding sand or concrete blocks)
  • The structure is an extension of an existing building
  • The shed is not on the pre-approved list, but smaller than 120 sq. ft.
  • Placement of the shed is outside of the guidelines outlined below
  • The shed matches the part number and size of the pre-approved structures listed below
  • The structure is not placed upon a permanent floor (excluding sand or concrete blocks)
  • Placement is within the guidelines outlined below

Pre-Approved Structures

To make the process easier, the Castlegate ACC has pre-approved the following product, available from Lowes.

 

Pre-Approved Placement and Screening

The Castlegate ACC has pre-approved the placement of only the above sheds, provided that they meet the setbacks for the primary structure. The shed must be at the back of the house, between the sides of the house, such that it is not visible from the street when looking down the side of the house. In addition to the placement requirements, the ACC requests that the homeowner plants large plants such as elephant grass or trees that will screen the structure. ONLY the sheds listed above as pre-approved can be placed without ACC approval. NO substitutions, different model numbers, color changes, other sizes, or any other variants are allowed without ACC approval.
These diagrams indicate where pre-approved sheds may be placed, without requiring additional ACC approval:

Criteria for Sheds Not on the Pre-Approval List

The Castlegate ACC uses the following criteria when considering sheds not on the pre-approval list:
  1. According to the City of College Station, the shed must be less than 120 sq. feet unless the appropriate permit is obtained from the city in advance
  2. From the CCRs, section 4.03:
    Outbuildings. Every building, inclusive of such structures as a detached garage, storage building or greenhouse shall be compatible with the dwelling to which it is appurtenant in terms of its design and material composition or be completely screened from public view. All such buildings shall be subject to approval by the Architectural Committee. In no instance shall an outbuilding, other than a detached garage, exceed one (1) story in height or have total floor area in excess of ten percent (10%) of the floor area of the main dwelling.

What is the policy on fences?

New and existing fences fall under guidelines for height, style, and location. Effective February 2016, the ACC approved fence stain is Sherwin Williams Super Deck semi-solid and the color 'Hawthorne'. The nearest Sherwin Williams is located at 3108 Texas Ave S. College Station, Tx 77845.

An 8 ft wood privacy fence at the backyard will only be approved by ACC Committees’ review of the said property and will include the fence tapering to the front height of 6 ft with the following conditions:

  1. Written request by the homeowner or the fence installer
  2. The homeowner/builder must get in writing permission from all neighbors that share the fence
  3. There must be at least a 30” grade difference between the properties to justify the need for an 8 ft fence
  4. NO 8 ft. fences are allowed adjacent to common areas and/or streets

Criteria for Fences from the CCRs

3.24 Fences

  1. No fence, wall, or hedge shall be built or maintained forward of the front wall line of the main structure, not including decorative walls or fences, which are part of the Architectural Committee approved architectural design of the main structure, and which are not to be built or maintained nearer than the building setback line of any Lot. An exception shall be made in the case of retaining walls not to exceed twenty-four inches (24") above the ground . Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Architectural Committee is empowered to waive the aforesaid height or setback limitation in connection with retaining walls and decorative walls if, in its sole discretion, such waiver is advisable in order to accommodate a unique, attractive or advanced building concept design or material and the resulting decorative wall and/or retaining wall will not detract from the general appearance of the neighborhood, or in the case where a Lot has a side yard which is adjacent to the backyard of an adjacent Lot. No chain-link fences may be built or maintained on any Lot.
  2. Unless otherwise approved by the Architectural Committee or as provided below, any fence built or maintained on any Lot shall be constructed only of standard grade 1" by 6" cedar privacy fence materials, six (6') feet in height, with the finished (smooth) side facing Victoria Drive, Castlegate Drive, all other streets or Common Areas, and/or adjoining properties which are not part of Castlegate Communities, and the rough side facing the interior of any Lot, except for Lots One through Fourteen (inclusive), Block Two and Lots One through Eight (inclusive), Block Four, where the finished (smooth) side of the fence on the rear Lot line shall face away from the interior of the Lot. However, Declarant, in its sole and absolute discretion, may erect wrought iron fencing on the boundary of any Lot within Sections Nine (9) and Ten (10), and the Owner of the Lot shall be responsible for maintenance and repair of the fence once erected. On any Lot where Declarant erects such a fence, all fencing on that Lot subsequently built by the Owner of the Lot on the adjacent, connecting boundary lines shall be wrought iron material for at least forty (40') feet from the boundary lines where Declarant erects wrought iron fencing. However, on Lots One (1) through Ten (10)(inclusive), Block Three (3) within Section Nine (9), and Section Ten (10), fencing subsequently built shall be wrought iron for at least 24 feet from the boundary line. On Lots 15 through 24 (inclusive), Block 2 within Section 7, each Owner shall erect and maintain wrought iron fencing (manufactured by Ameristar, 1-800-321-8724, Majestic Panels, 3 Rail, 6 feet tall or substantially similar fencing if Ameristar no longer manufacturing Majestic Panel) across the rear boundary line of such Owner's Lot and at least twenty-four (24) feet up the side boundary lines of the Lot from the rear boundary line; such fencing shall be completed prior to Owner's occupancy of the dwelling on the Lot.

Who can I call to repair my stone/masonry mail box?

See the list of local masons - Castlegate - List of Mailbox Masonry Contractors

Who plants trees and provides lawn service in our area?

Landscapers that work in our area and are familiar with our CCRs requirement. Also, the Texas Forest Service has published a Texas Tree Planting Guide please select. You might find it helpful in choosing your new tree.

These local companies are known to provide quality tree planting and removal services.

  • Brazos Valley Stump Grinding and Tree Service, Tim Sandifer   979-450-8652/979-774-4800
  • Top Point Tree Service, Colby Lee 979-773-3242

 

What are the guidelines for having a garage sale?

Signs:

  • Cannot be put out more than 24 hours before the sale date.
  • Cannot be taped to street signs or light posts.
  • Must be picked up immediately following the end of the garage sale.
  • Any signs not removed will be removed with a $25 fine to your account.

Parking:

  • Street must be kept open for emergency vehicles.
  • Do not allow shoppers to block neighbors driveways.
  • Do not allow shoppers to park on neighbors lawns.

Who do I contact if a street light is out?

Street lights are owned and maintained by College Station Utilities. Please visit the City of College Station website and go to report street light issues and enter the information in the form.

Who do I contact for service issues that fall in the City of College Station's jurisdiction?

If  you have a service issue that falls under The City of College Station’s jurisdiction, please click the link below to submit a request.

https://seeclickfix.com/college-station

Who do I contact about a traffic sign, drainage issue or parking concern?

Please visit the City of College Station website here for information on reporting traffic sign issues, parking concerns, traffic signal issues and street drainage issues.

Who do I contact if I have a questions or concern about the Castlegate Park?

The Castlegate Park owned and maintained by the City of College Station. You may contact the city Parks and Recreation department at 979-764-3486.

Can I have a garage sale?

The HOA has no restrictions on garage sales, we request that you do not place signage on street signs, stop signs or light post. Any signs need to be removed by the end of the day. Please see the link regarding the City of College Station's Code of Ordinance of Garage sales. Click here to see City of College Station code compliance.

Can I have a Game day/Vacation rental?

The primary purpose for these restrictions is to maintain neighborhood integrity and ensure public safety, which are high priorities for many of our residents. Short-term rentals are limited to hotels and motels located in commercial zones. Renting out homes or single rooms – game day housing — is not permitted, unless the property owner remains on-site and operates as a registered bed and breakfast.

Bed and breakfasts (Code of Ordinances 12.6.5.C.2) are permitted in residential zones, but only under these circumstances:

  • It must be part of the owner’s permanent residence.
  • It must maintain a residential appearance.
  • It must be the permanent residence of the proprietor.
  • No more than four unrelated people can stay there overnight.

https://blog.cstx.gov/2013/08/14/whats-allowed-for-game-day-housing-rentals-and-whats-not/