Village-wide guidelines to become architectural criteria

At the April 23 Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) Board of Directors meeting, the Board approved a recommendation from the Architectural Review Board (ARB) to condense and update current Village-wide Architectural Guidelines and convert them to Village-wide Architectural Criteria. The proposed change was researched and updated by MVF staff with input from the ARB and the local affected associations. The ARB approved the change before it was brought to the Board.

The current guidelines had not been updated in several years, and upon beginning an update process, staff realized many guidelines were inconsistent and in conflict with each other or community criteria. This made it difficult for residents to understand requirements, and even harder for staff and the ARB to enforce them consistently when inspecting or reviewing applications, as most were written as guidance rather than requirement.

The MVF Architectural Standards Department updated and streamlined the content and proposed converting them to criteria to make application and enforcement more consistent. Guidelines with low impact, in conflict with community criteria or otherwise already covered in community criteria were eliminated, and only guidelines with a high impact and that can be applied to all homes in the village were kept, bringing the total number from 63 to 38. Residents will still need to apply to the ARB before work begins on any exterior modification, even if that modification is not covered in the Village-wide Criteria or in their community criteria.

The edits to the guidelines that are proposed to be kept and converted to Village-wide Criteria reflect a focus on the ARB’s core scope, as well as stronger, more enforceable language. Where applicable, clarification is also given regarding whether the community criteria or the Village-Wide Criteria prevail when there is a conflict. Additionally, as a result of the approved changes, some smaller items no longer need an application before installation, but they must adhere to the criteria and may be enforced as a violation if they do not, which is a change from current practice. This change is being enacted on items that, if done correctly, are low impact, in an effort to streamline the process for both residents and staff.

The updated Village-wide Criteria will be available online at www.montgomeryvillage.com/residents/architectural-standards/village-wide-criteria, or at the MVF Office, once normal operations resume and the office is open to the public. Residents are reminded to consult both the Village-Wide Criteria and their individual community criteria when considering making a modification to the exterior of their home.

For questions about the Village-wide Criteria, community criteria or the application process, e-mail Architectural Standards Administrator Claudia Olmedo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To submit an application, visit www.montgomeryvillage.com/pir.