This is from a neighbor and not officially from an HCA Director, to recognize the vast majority of gracious neighbors who have thanked the current HCA Board of Directors for help provided during the past few months to meet RA DRB requirements and ensure approval of their DRB applications for HVAC projects. Your ongoing collaboration, patience, support, and kind words are greatly appreciated. It results in DRB applications more quickly processed by HCA and RA.
And this is to advise the many other HCA homeowners who have DRB applications now pending
before the Board that time spent correcting incomplete, misleading, disruptive, and defamatory social
media rants about the Board … such as was posted on February 12 by one apparently overly impatient homeowner … is time not available for your applications.
For the record:
RA DRB sets RA DRB application requirements. For exterior HVAC equipment, this includes legal site plat drawing(s) showing proposed unit exact location, related photos, unit product information, unit base, unit screening, unit vegetation, and other information. Plus adjacent neighbor and HCA Officer Affected Party yes-or-no opposition status and signatures. HCA works with HCA Member neighbors to successfully meet those DRB requirements completely and quickly. Once RA receives a complete and typically-unopposed HCA application, they staff review and approve it in 3-5 days.
CURRENT HCA RA DRB HVAC APPLICATION LINK: https://www.hickorycluster.org/regulations-resources/
HCA sets Hickory Cluster standards because RA standards are too generic. They do not consider unique Goodman House architecture and other conditions. Which is why HCA has more specific fence and other standards, including for HVAC. This helps protect what remains of Goodman House community architectural integrity, property values, and quality of life from individual misunderstandings and self-interest.
HCA HVAC cluster standards continue to evolve from the November 2024 initial version based on best guesses and minimal experience, to more recent versions as HCA encounters and develops solutions for additional unique Goodman House, Common Area, equipment, and other actual or possible conditions.
CURRENT HCA HVAC STANDARDS LINK: https://www.hickorycluster.org/governing-documents/ ... See General Resolutions: Design / Cluster Standards, General Resolution TBD: Exterior HVAC Equipment Cluster Standards and related updates
And an HCA Officer signature results not just from a single Director decision, it is from a FULL Board decision. And it is not just a rote acknowledgement. Any one of three HCA Officers can sign and mark Affected Party status, but ONLY AFTER review and voted decision by ALL Directors to either not oppose or oppose an application.
Also for the
record, here is the initial HCA Affected Party Statement submitted to RA on
Friday, February 6, and now public domain information, regarding the February
12 social media rant DRB application:
“The current HCA Board of Directors
typically collaborates beforehand with our Members to help develop acceptable
DRB applications for exterior HVAC units and other proposals that comply with
HCA governing documents, policies, and practices, and that preserve Goodman
House architectural integrity, property values, and quality of life.
On Friday, January 16, 2026 at 5:32
p.m., this applicant emailed HCA a copy of their initial and incomplete
application.
On Wednesday, January 21, at its
monthly regular meeting, HCA Directors reviewed and discussed that initial and
incomplete application, resulting in non-opposing Affected Party status and
signature with a reasonable case-by-case stipulation for an unlikely but
possible visual and acoustical screening requirement after observation of the
actual rooftop installation and operation.
On Friday, January 30, at 8:15 a.m.
however, the applicant chose to flatly reject even the possibility of
rooftop visual and acoustical screening, thus rendering the January 21 HCA
Affected Party non-opposing decision and signature inapplicable. Regardless, the applicant requested that an
HCA Officer sign their application that afternoon in acknowledgement only,
ostensibly with no Affected Party status.
Later Friday at 11:55 a.m., HCA advised
the applicant that: “Based on your response, the Board must
discuss your application again. Until
then, no Director is authorized to sign on behalf of the full Board or to
indicate HCA Board Affected Party status. … .“ The next opportunity for such a full Board discussion,
decision, and signature would be the February 18 HCA monthly regular meeting.
Later Friday at 2:29 p.m., the
applicant chose to file their application via the RA DRB online process without
an HCA signature and Affected Party status.
Unfortunately, the applicant’s choice
to forego an HCA signature and Affected Party status has now forced HCA to preserve
its rights to address possible negative impacts on other HCA neighbors,
standards, and precedents by immediately registering as an opposing Affected
Party.
Attached is a corresponding scanned and
signed RA DRB application page with that Affected Party signature and opposing
status to include with this application.
HCA will further discuss proposed unit and compliance concerns at any
respective RA DRB hearing.”
Here is an example of the type of permanent exterior HVAC equipment installation disasters HCA is trying to prevent:
And it was NOT opposed by RA.
This Goodman House is now an eyesore visible to everyone who passes by, and its architectural integrity is ruined forever.
As before,
thanks for your continued patience and support. For specific questions about all this, please contact Directors in person or at directors@hickorycluster.org, rather than posting on social media or following second- or third-hand social media post misinformation.