Tres Valles West (TVW) is a covenant protected custom home community.  Our Architectural Review Committee (ARC) and Board Architectural Committee (BAC) are very involved with the property owner to promote and advance the common ownership interest in our community and to preserve the inherent architectural and aesthetic quality of Tres Valles West. Tres Valles West is zoned as a Rural Residential (RR) District by Huerfano County and at the bottom of the web page is more information about RR and relevant information concerning building and camping.

The mission of the Tres Valles West Architectural Review Committee (TVW ARC) is to:  Protect the value and desirability of the Tres Valles West community and the Lots (as stated in the TVW Owners Association Bylaws). This is accomplished by administering the TVW Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions and the TVW Rules and Regulations as directed by the TVW Board of Directors (BoD)/Board Architectural Committee (BAC).  

We are here to assist owners with navigating the approval process and below we provide a checklist to help you get started.  We are available to help guide/answer questions about the architectural review process. We gather documentation to support the architectural review application process for any given project and make recommendations to the TVW Board Architectural Committee for project plan approval. 

Home Construction

The below list is not inclusive of all our requirements for building your custom home but highlights a few key items to understand when building your home at Tres Valles West. Please refer to the following documents for more detail.

TVW Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions: Article 7 Architectural Review

TVW Rules and Regulations: Article 2.0 Architectural Guidelines

  • No building or other structure shall be commenced, erected or maintained on your property, or any exterior addition to or change be made until a working set of building plans with complete specification for all structures have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) and Board Architectural Committee (BOD). (TVW Covenants - Sec. 7.1)
  • No Primary dwelling shall be built on your property that is less than one thousand two hundred (1200) square feet of living space. (TVW Rules and Regulations, Architectural Guidelines - Sec. 3.3)
  • Atypical Design or Construction                                                                                                                                                                                The TVW ARC reviews each application on its own merit, based on the Lot, home design, surrounding lots, existing homes, and the natural      landscape.
    • Mobile homes are not allowed.
    • Modular or manufactured homes that are rectangular/box in shape are not allowed. The modular/manufactured home must have additional exterior ornament upgrading the standard design from stock allowing for a more custom design.
    • Modular or manufactured homes that are not rectangular/box in shape will be considered if they are multi-level and/or have architectural features such as (but not limited to) attached garage, higher-pitched roof, extended eaves, stone-surround chimney.

Other atypical construction, such as (but not limited to) earth-ship homes, storage container homes, dome homes, silo homes, tiny homes are not allowed on Tres Valles West. It is important for the owner to communicate with the TVW ARC early in the design process.  (TVW Rules and Regulations, Architectural Guidelines – 3.24) 

  • Clearing scrub oak for a potential driveway or homesite needs approval from the TVW ARC. (TVW Rules and Regulations, Architectural Guidelines – 3.13)

The ARC is ready to help you get started on your custom home. Below are a few items from our checklist on how to proceed, and you can download the entire checklist here.  (Checklist needs updating with the right legal documents) Also, feel free to contact us  for questions or additional information.

  1. Download and review all relative documents which are found below.
  2. Work on getting a plot plan from a licensed surveyor, this is needed before a driveway is put in or a large amount of scrub oak is cleared, and of course for your building site.  Please download this sample plot plan.  (TVW Covenants - Sec. 7.2.a)
  3. If you need to clear oak, start working on a clearing plan to submit to the ARC.
  4. We were advised by the Huerfano County Health Department that one of the first items to do prior to a building permit is to perform a soil test to determine the proper septic system.
  5. Review information for the initiation of water service which can be found on the Water System Advisory Committee webpage. 
  6. Ensure all your setbacks have been met.  All structures must be set back from Lot lines as follows: (TVW Rules and Regulations, Architectural Guidelines - Sec. 3.4)
    1. Front yard building setback: 60 feet (front yard is defined and measured from the access road (POA TVW road) to the first building, house, garage, tool shed, etc.)
    2. Side yard building setback: 25 feet
    3. Rear yard building setback: 30 feet
    4. All fences must be setback 10 feet from lot lines.
    5. Driveways must be setback 10 feet from any lot line. 
  7. Does your lighting design meet dark sky initiative recommendations? (TVW Rules and Regulations, Architectural Guidelines - Sec. 3.9)
  8. Gather all your construction documents to provide to the ARC for approval.
  9. Receive preliminary final approval pending receipt of approved building permit from Huerfano County. (No construction of any kind can begin without written approval from the ARC and BAC)
  10. Exterior colors on all structures, including roofing, must blend in and be harmonious with the natural setting and surroundings. Please see color considerations below for more information. (TVW Rules and Regulations, Architectural Guidelines - 3.5)

Sheds, Outbuildings and Garages

  1. No building or other structure shall be commenced, erected or maintained on your property, or any exterior addition to or change be made until a working set of building plans with complete specification for all structures have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) and Board Architectural Committee (BOD). (TVW Covenants - Sec. 7.1)
  2. No outbuilding or garage can be built unless done simultaneously or subsequent to the construction of a residence (TVW Rules and Regulations, Architectural Guidelines - 3.14)

 

Relevant Huerfano County Information

Definition of Rural Residential District
This district is created for the purpose of allowing the establishment of moderate density rural residential development in predominantly agricultural and rural areas of unincorporated Huerfano County without compromising or otherwise significantly changing the visual, scenic and other natural characteristics of the surrounding area and providing as necessary for the protection of critical wildlife habitat.

  • Electric Access:  The Huerfano County Land Use/Building Department requires a valid home building permit before electric access (meters, turn-on) will be granted.
  • Shed: The Huerfano County Land Use/Building Department does not allow a shed to be placed on a property without a home in Rural Residential zoning.
  • Camping: Huerfano County Land Use has implemented regulations for camping. Per Section 1.16.02 of the Huerfano County Land Use Code, the use of tents, campers, and recreational vehicles as temporary residences (“camping”) is allowed on parcels without a primary permitted use for up to seven (7) consecutive days, up to thirty (30) total days per year without a permit. Camping for over 7 consecutive days up to four (4) months per year is allowed on parcels over 2 acres in Rural Residential and Agricultural zones with a permit from the Huerfano County Land Use Department.  Huerfano County Camping Permit Application
  • TVW allows camping while following Huerfano County regulations. Owners are allowed to have a tent, recreational vehicle or house trailer on their Lot for a maximum period of ninety days in any one calendar year. Per the TVW Declaration, one RV or house trailer is permitted per Lot for the annual ninety-day allowance for camping use only.

Key documents for building at TVW