Last year, a renter (not homeowner) constructed an extensive hockey rink in Eagle Valley. Current architectural control guidelines state that hockey rinks are not permitted. Do you think that rule should be changed to allow hockey rinks?
1 Nov
Eagle Valley
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Eagle Valley Neighbors 
Posted by librarianm0m on November 14, 2009 at 9:22 am
Here are a couple of the things that have been entered as “other”:
75% of adjoining neighbors should agree
Sure as long as they are only for the season and not permanent.
Posted by Travis Johnson on November 18, 2009 at 11:04 am
I don’t see any problem with hockey rinks. If you look at the association rules and guidelines you can see there are many violations withing the Eagle Valley Community. A former board member had an exception passed with regards to fences when the fence they desired did not meet rules and guidelines. A current board member wanted an exception for solar panels. Why was the rule about rinks put into the rules a few years back. I am not sure why hockey rinks are being singled out. To single out a few? How about a park within our community so that we can have one rink?
Posted by Chuck Eckberg on November 19, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Just addressing the solar panel comment within the Travis Johnson post, I was the homeowner and current board member who put in an application for solar panels. After having my request rejected by the ARC committee I didn’t seek an “exception”, preferring to work within established rules here, now seeking a change in the overall rule instead.
Chuck Eckberg
Posted by Blars on November 20, 2009 at 10:22 pm
For what it is worth, I have a great view of the rink in the backyard. What a refreshing change from the four foot tall weeds the golf course provides all summer for our viewing enjoyment! In fact, I helped build the rink two weekends ago. In our section of Eagle Valley, we have 30+ kids that will use the rink all winter long. I was not at the meetings but I am curious to know why this is an issue and why rinks are not allowed. Why would we possibly want to encourage our children to get outside and move around when they could sit in the house and play video games all day. I am completely in favor of changing the bylaws to allow rinks. As Travis mentioned, there are a lot more egregious violations that take place on a daily basis. Like Chuck, we will be working within the established rules to change the overall rule. If it works for solar panels it should work for rinks!
Posted by Travis Johnson on November 22, 2009 at 5:09 pm
In response to Chucks comment; I recall, the last board member had the rule changed so that a white fence was acceptable instead of the black fence that was in the existing rules. That change of the rules only benefited the board member. I back up to four lots. Now my neighbor and I have a white fence on one side of us and a black fence on the other side of us. I have wanted a fence for years. What color fence should I choose? How many people in Eagle Valley have two colors of fence in there yard? I hope you are not looking for a change in the bylaws to benefit yourself. Think of your neighbors. If you are looking to get solar panels approved you should look at getting hockey rinks approved.
I believe it was the board that added the stipulation that there be ” no hockey rinks”. Why did the board make such a change in 2003? The original bylaws did not have any rules about hockey rinks.
If you have something better for my kids to do other than skating in the winter in our neighborhood, please let me know because my current neighbors are tired of ding dong ditching. The association board was not set up to benefit themselves but to serve the community they are within. If it were up to me, I would be pushing for a reduction in association dues, adding some play areas to the neighborhood and reducing the number of bylaws. A reduction in bylaws is usually better than adding additional bylaws. Think about it from that viewpoint and I might actually be on your side regarding solar panels. Really its not about the solar panels but about change and addition to rules.
Posted by librarianm0m on November 22, 2009 at 5:41 pm
@Travis: I don’t know if you’ve looked through all the posts that are on this site, but you may want to weigh in on this one if you haven’t already:
I know I am personally interested in taking another look at those architectural guidelines that were approved by the board back in 2003 with no feedback and community involvement. At the time I sent a letter to the ACC about them when they landed in our mailboxes and received no response whatsoever from that committee and board.
Now, we have different board members and different ACC members, and I think it’s a good time to revisit those ACC guidelines. First of all, there’s the fence deal that you outlined, and hockey rinks (I think we should allow them too; I don’t think they’re any different than someone putting up a trampoline or swimming pool for the summer), and solar panels, and compost bins, and I’m sure we could go on.
I am hoping that a group of EV residents will get together at the annual meeting and do something similar with the ACC guidelines to what is going on with looking into the potential savings with a preferred trash hauler(s) system in the neighborhood. I would encourage you and others to vote on that ACC survey I linked to above to give the board some feedback on what we’d like done.
Posted by Andy Christenson on November 23, 2009 at 11:13 am
Getting the kids outside during the long MN winter is a very good thing, especially if they can do it in the safety and comfort of a neighbors yard. Let people put up a rink with lights (the kids aren’t exactly home much when it is light out). If it means two or three kids get to skate everyday in their backyard great. If it means that 30 kids get to skate in their neighbors backyard even better.
Is there anything else that better defines Minnesota than outdoor hockey? Who can deny that today’s custom designed rinks and lighting systems don’t look fantastic?
[Please note that this is coming from someone who does not even like hockey!]
In summary, keep things simple and basic in Eagle Valley. If a hockey rink can benefit a few kids our a bunch of kids we should allow it. And, we don’t need to nickel and dime the idea by having 38 ‘made up’ specifications on what is alllowed and what isn’t on someone’s rink.
Posted by Mader's on November 25, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Regarding hockey rinks: folks it’s a dead issue. You are allowed to have a rink in your back yard. It is not a permanent structure and does not need the approval of anybody. I went around with this a few years ago,(when a board member complained) and clearly the board tried to include this into the bylaws but needed the approval of 3/4 of the membership. Therefore build it and they will come. Just have the hot chocolate ready