Attention Grand Lakes residents! Your neighborhood church needs your help. Due to unresolved issues concerning the formula for assessing homeowners dues on the church property, Grand Lakes Presbyterian Church (GLPC)needs your support in balancing the dues structure to a more equitable system. Once approved, the new formula for assessment would put the church's HOA fees in line with other surrounding non-profits.
Background: Trendmaker Development designated the parcel at Peek and Fry for use by a church When Grand Lakes first broke ground. The Presbytery purchased the parcel back in 2001, unaware that the HOA dues for the property would be assessed at a rate nearly four times what other surrounding churches pay. The church's land is currently being assessed for 44 lots. This translated to $46,640 dollars in HOA fees assessed to the church in 2008.
The Grand Lakes congregation is now working on a more equitable solution for the formula governing HOA fees for the property. The church is seeking to have the property assessed similar to other surrounding churches. This would mean that the church would be assessed on the square footage of the improvement on the property, rather than the land itself. This would mean a more reasonable HOA fee of approximately $7500. As the church grows, the assessment to the church would also increase.
What It Means For Grand Lakes Homeowners: Based on current estimates, the new HOA fee structure would translate into an assessment increase of approximately $13.54 per homeowner. The increase would balance the total budget for the association, assuming the new formula is put into place. It should also be noted that this nominal fee increase can be mitigated once Grand Lakes residents elect new board members and take full control of the association's budget.
Many Grand Lakes residents may not be aware that they now have the right to elect new board members. Trendmaker made little mention of the fact that control of the association changed hands over a year ago. Trendmaker and PCMI have been dictating the Grand Lakes budget thus far. Evidence of this can be seen from the supposedly "neutral" letter mailed to residents April 1st. The letter from the board of directors starts with a blatantly false claim. The first supposedly "relevant" issue reads..."The Declaration initially has no segregation of the basis for assessment of fees and only established a basis that was equitable and identical to all parties, i.e. based on the square footage of land owned, whether improved or not, so vacant lots or vacant commercial tracts paid the same fees per square foot as improved lots or land." If this were true, owners of patio homes on Balsam Brook and Shallow Glen would not be paying the same $1090 yearly HOA fee as owners of half acre lots on Blacksburg Ct. or Terrace Gate.
The second point of in the April 1st letter is also false, as it claims that "Each owner benefits from the expenses borne by the Association as much as any other owner. GLPC does not have use of the Grand Lakes amenities such as pools and tennis courts so it's hard to argue that the church has equal benefit of assessed fees.
The fact that the current board of directors would make these false claims speaks to an ulterior motive which is anything but neutral. I would encourage all Grand Lakes residents to attend this year's HOA meeting and get involved with the management of their association. Residents now have the opportunity to run for the board and make significant changes in the way their association budget is managed. Residents could also bring transparency to the management process by demanding a user-friendly website where homeowners can access important information like budgets, deed restrictions, and board member contacts.
More direct oversight of the Grand Lakes budget will likely offset any revenue loss from the change in the GLPC assessment. When Grand Lakes residents have major cost items like landscaping and utilities bid out by more competitive providers, they could see cost savings in excess of $100,000 or more.
It is also worth noting that the church facility and parking lot are often used for community and school events. Grand Lakes benefits from having the church there since it adds value to the overall neighborhood. Alternative uses for the land such as multi-family housing or a gas station would certainly have a negative effect on Grand Lakes property values.
What You Can Do To Help: Support your local church by voting for the proxy to amend the Grand Lakes deed restrictions and modify the formula for the church's HOA assessment. You can do this by downloading the attached proxy ballot. You can deliver the signed proxy to the church or mail it in. The address is 6035 S. Fry Road, Katy TX 77450. GLPC members will also be walking the neighborhood Sunday, April 5th. GLPC members will have proxy ballots available for you to sign and answer your questions.
Download GLPC Proxy Printable PDF Version of GLPC Proxy
Grand Lakes residents should make a point to attend this year's homeowner meeting to take control of their association. With a little effort and community involvement, Grand Lakes homeowners can help their local church while enjoying greater control and cost savings with their association.
