| What is the
mission of the Sterling Ridge Village Association?
The mission of the Sterling Ridge Village Association
(SRVA) in The Woodlands, Texas is:
- To serve the interests and welfare of the Village.
- To enhance the recreation and quality of life within the
Village.
- To promote unity and fellowship among residents.
- To foster opportunities for residents to engage in activities.
- To create awareness and to assist in resolving issues impacting
the Village.
What responsibilities does
the elected Sterling Ridge representative have as a member
of the Board of Directors of The Woodlands Association?
Our representative is an
unpaid volunteer. As an elected representative interested in
the betterment of our community, many questions, concerns,
and problems are directed to the representative, many of which
The Woodlands Association has no control over. The representative
can assist with information concerning whom to call, but there
are limits to their ability to influence decisions made by
other parties.
What are The
Woodlands Association, The Woodlands Community Association,
and The Woodlands Commercial Owners Association?
View illustration depicting organization
of The Woodlands.
Sterling Ridge is in The
Woodlands Association, Inc. (TWA). The The
Woodlands Community Association, Inc. (WCA) serves the
older villages in The Woodlands, and The
Woodlands Commercial Owners Association (WCOA) is established
for the commercial and mixed commercial / residential areas
around Town Center. The associations are nonprofit corporations
established to enforce the covenants and make available to
the residents and property owners many of the services necessary
to live, work, relax and grow in The Woodlands. The associations
provide funding and
direction to the paid staff at The Community Associations of
The Woodlands, who in turn operate and maintain parks and hike
and bike paths, provide fire protection and emergency medical
and rescue services, and contract for police protection, residential
trash collection, recycling, street lighting and streetscape
maintenance.
How is governing structure of
The Woodlands organized?
View illustration depicting organization
of The Woodlands.
The Woodlands is an unincorporated area of Montgomery County.
There is no city government to provide the services normally
provided by a city government. Therefore, many city-type services
are provided by The Woodlands Association (TWA), in conjunction
with its two sister Associations, The Woodlands Community Association
(WCA) for the older sections, The Woodlands Commercial Owners
Association (WCOA).Together, the three Associations fund and
staff the Community Associations of The Woodlands, which is
the paid staff located at 2201 Lake Woodlands Drive. The Boards
of Directors of the Associations are non-paid, elected positions.
The Boards set policies and budgets, which are then carried
out by the paid staff.
The Woodlands Association provides numerous services, including fire
protection (through The Woodlands Fire Department); supplemental law enforcement
(over and above what is provided by the County); parks and recreation;
The Woodlands Recreation Center; pathways and pathway maintenance; streetscape
maintenance; solid waste disposal (garbage pick-up through a contract
with Waste Management); covenant administration; electricity for streetlights;
and neighborhood entry signs and lights.
Funding for the services provided comes from the Association
fees assessed every year based on the value of the property
within the Association’s area. Questions or requests
for assistance with any of the items provided by The Woodlands
Association can be addressed to the paid staff; the main phone
line is 281-210-3800. The Community
Associations’ website includes a wealth of information
and also contact e-mail addresses, physical addresses, phone
numbers, and fax numbers. The staff at the Community Associations
is also very well versed in other service providers, and can
help you find the right person or department to handle your
concern.
What organization
is responsible for the roads within The Woodlands?
Roads in The Woodlands are generally initially built
by The Woodlands Development Company (formerly known as The
Woodlands Operating Company), as the developer of the area.
Once completed and accepted by the County, the roads are given
to the County and the County then becomes responsible for maintenance.
Unless a road is very new and has not yet been turned over
to the County, traffic control devices are the responsibility
of the County. The County Commissioner for the Sterling Ridge
area is Ed Chance, and his phone number is 281-367-3977. Commissioner
Chance and his staff are very knowledgeable and helpful. Questions
concerning traffic light timing, speed limits, stop signs,
turn lanes, etc., should be addressed to Commissioner Chance.
The Commissioner is an elected official, but his is a full-time,
paid position.
What does
Montgomery County handle?
Road maintenance and and traffic control devices
- more details...
Law enforcement in The Woodlands is primarily the
responsibility of the Montgomery County Sheriff. The Sheriff,
Tommy Gage, is also an elected official. The Woodlands is in
the Sheriff’s patrol district 2, headed up by Lt. Olie
Coward. The Sheriff’s Office phone number is 281-297-6500.
The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable also provides law enforcement
services to The Woodlands. The Constable, also an elected official, is
Tim Holifield, and his phone number is 281-363-1161.
The Community Associations of The Woodlands has entered into contracts
with both the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Montgomery
County Precinct 3 Constable to provide additional law enforcement protection
over and above what would normally be provided by Montgomery County to
an unincorporated area. The Sheriff’s Office contract provides for
5 deputy positions funded by the Associations; the Constable’s contract
provides for 8 patrol deputies and 1 detective. Requests for attention
to particular areas for traffic enforcement or other law enforcement activities
can be directed to either office, or to John Rutledge at the Community
Associations. Mr. Rutledge administers the contracts with the two agencies.
Where can I find further information
about Montgomery County?
The Montgomery
County website also provides a lot of information and includes
links to the Commissioner’s page, as well as the Sheriff’s
Office and the Precinct 3 Constable and other practical links
and information.
How are new laws passed for The Woodlands?
Because The Woodlands is unincorporated, there is no power to pass
or enforce ordinances. The Woodlands is subject to the laws of The State
of Texas and Montgomery County. The Woodlands Association, through the
paid staff, enforces covenants and deed restrictions, but these are handled
as civil matters, not criminal ones.
What can be done to control the traffic,
especially the construction traffic?
The Woodlands as a whole is not a gated community. As stated elsewhere,
the roads are built by The Woodlands Development Company and then given
to Montgomery County to maintain. They are public roads, and The Woodlands
Association does not have any authority to limit or otherwise control
legal traffic on roads in The Woodlands. As a growing area, construction
vehicles must traverse the roads in The Woodlands in order to build new
homes and businesses. Just as you may be inconvenienced now, the residents
that were here before you were inconvenienced by the construction vehicles
while your home was being built.
Since the roads are public roads, people who do not live in The Woodlands
have just as much of a right to drive on them as residents do. The Woodlands
Association does not have authority to restrict anyone from driving on
roads in The Woodlands. Also, major thoroughfares such as Woodlands Parkway
by their nature are noisy. There is simply not a lot that can be done
about this noise, but planting dense vegetation and tightly sealing windows
may help. The County may have authority to limit traffic such as through
truck traffic on smaller, residential, streets, but such requests should
be submitted to Commissioner Chance.
Who decides on how The Woodlands is being
developed?
Development in The Woodlands is handled by The Woodlands Development Company. The Development Company (or one of its affiliates) owns all the
undeveloped land that eventually becomes part of The Woodlands. When The
Development Company is ready to develop an area, they file a plat with the
County and attach covenants to it. The Development Company has so far apparently
done a pretty good job developing The Woodlands; otherwise so many people
would not be living here. No one is going to be happy with all of the
development near their home, and such matters can be addressed to The
Development Company, but again, The Woodlands Association has no control
over development.
How about a resident forum to address problems
within Sterling Ridge?
A well-run Sterling Ridge Village Association would be a great forum for
that sort of activity, and Board positions are available. The Village
Association can also use funds provided by The Woodlands Association to
sponsor events to build community spirit and help residents get to know
each other. These are all non-paid, volunteer, elected positions. Filing
begins at the end of December for elections in February. New officers
are installed in March. More information is available in late November
on the Community Associations website, or you can call the Community Associations
office for more details and filing forms. If you would like to help make
the community an even better place, this is your chance.
Residents are putting out their garbage
cans on a Friday for a Monday pick-up, and the cans attract crows, squirrels,
raccoons and other animals. How are these violations handled?
Contact the Community Associations of The Woodlands at 281-210-3800 and
ask for Covenant Administration who records the complaint. Someone will
drive buy and take pictures of the violation. If the violation is accurate,
they will send the homeowner a post card that is worded "You may
not be aware...." and requests them to correct the situation.
We are concerned about the noise associated
with the housing construction in our neighborhood. Are there any guidelines
that the builders should be following?
In 2003, The Woodlands Operating Co adopted hours for home building
construction in residential neighborhoods, and the specific operational
conditions are set forth in the Contract of Sale. Typically, the hours
of construction are stipulated. In general, the allowed hours are:
· Until 75% of the dwelling units in a Neighborhood are completed
and owner occupied: 6:00am to 8:00pm Monday thru Friday, and 8:00am to
8:00pm, Saturday, Sunday and legal holidays.
· After 75% of the dwelling units in a Neighborhood are owner occupied:
7:00am to 8:00pm, Monday thru Friday, and 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday,
Sunday and legal holidays.
There is also the reasonable likelihood that the quality of a concrete
pour for the dwelling unit(s) will be adversely affected by atmospheric
conditions, thus such concrete pouring activities may begin as early as
5:00am on any weekday other than legal holidays.
Residents can call Virgil Yoakum at 281-719-6100, concerning work times
in residential areas.
What are the
roles of the Residential Design Review Committee (RDRC) and
the Development Review Committee (DRC)?
The RDRC is made up of three or more people elected by the
village residents. The RDRC reviews applications for modifications,
improvements or additions to single family dwellings. The RDRC
monitors the residential neighborhoods for compliance with
the covenants and standards. The RDRC has limited authority
to administer and enforce The Woodlands Residential Development
Standards on lots with existing residential dwellings. The
DRC reviews plans for all new single family dwellings and hears
appeals from the RDRC.
What alterations to my house need to be
reviewed and approved prior to performing the work and how do I go
about getting approval?
Covenants require that the placement, construction, alteration or repair of
any temporary or permanent structure or improvement on a lot must have prior
written approval of the RDRC. Covered projects include, among others, building
additions, interior or exterior remodeling, exterior color changes, fences,
play structures, decks, paving, patio structures, new garages, garage conversions,
satellite antennas, lighting, swimming pools, spas, storage buildings, arbors
and compost bins. Please review The Woodlands Residential Development Standards.
The approval process is also described in this booklet.
I have a tree that needs to be
removed. What do I do?
Complete a Tree
Removal Application Form.
Who is responsible for the Cul-De-Sac Islands?
For initial clean-up, reforestation and grass seeding of new areas, contact
The Woodlands Op. Co. (281-719-6163). For older areas, maintenance is
the responsibility of the neighborhood.
Unlike other areas in
The Woodlands which have actual street light at the entrance to each subdivision,
Sterling Ridge only has the sign lighting to light up the entrances. Who
is responsible for lighting, and where I can report issues with lighting?
· Historically, the power provider for the Woodlands was Entergy/Gulf
States. They are an interstate company and are not subject to the deregulation
which has impacted intrastate utilities. For ~28 years, our developer,
The Woodlands Development Company, worked solely with this company and working
relationships were well established that minimized connection problems.
· When development began west of Branch Crossing and south of
Woodlands Parkway, the developer was forced to work with Reliant Energy.
They are the owners of the right to install infrastructure in that area
as defined by the Texas Public Utility Commission. Following the installation
of the infrastructure, the applicant for power (the developer) must select
an energy provider. They have chosen Centerpoint. The connection for any
new installation is then supposed to be a coordinated effort between Reliant,
Centerpoint, and the developer.
· Neither Reliant nor Centerpoint have the consistency of personnel
like Entergy and as a result, all new connections have been problematic
in that area. Customer service between those two entities has been so
bad that some projects have actually had to open with power from generators
rather than a public utility. Residential projects and other projects
with physical structures have finally gotten to the point that service
can usually be obtained fairly routinely.
· Regarding entry sign lighting, developer representatives have
tried relentlessly to comply with the requirements of the providers even
though those requirements have changed more than a few times in the process.
· The Woodlands Association (TWA), your homeowner's association,
has no authority and no role (other than as an advocate) in the initial
installation of utility service to the lights in question. That is the
responsibility of the developer. It is TWA's responsibility to pay the
utility bill and perform repairs and maintenance after the installation
is turned over to them by the developer. As TWA's agent, the staff of
the Community Associations does not accept the conveyance of improvements
until they are complete and functional.
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