CATAMOUNT DESIGN GUIDELINES
Catamount Design Guidelines rev. 7-12
January 1998
Revised July 2012
INTRODUCTION
Catamount Ranch & Club is located on two sites, the historic Catamount Ranch and picturesque Lake Catamount. This 3,900-acre recreational preserve is dedicated to the continuation and enhancement of a 150-year-old tradition of ranching. CATAMOUNT is the folk name for the mountain lion or "Cat of the Mountains." Weighing as much as 200 pounds and up to eight feet long counting its tail, the mountain lion is a recluse, preferring deep wilderness to civilization. More than any other animal, the mountain lion has come to symbolize the mystery, the natural beauty and the restless spirit of the mountains. Surrounded by a million-and-a-half acres of National Forest and 12,000-foot-high mountains, is a place known simply as CATAMOUNT.
CATAMOUNT'S natural setting truly exemplifies the Rocky Mountains. CATAMOUNT represents true civility in a mountain wilderness. As was the desire of CATAMOUNT'S first settlers, there needs to be lots of room here to stretch out, room to breathe. The Heritage Cabin exemplifies the preservation of the ranching heritage.
The development of homesites within the Lake Catamount Metropolitan District begins with a respect and consideration of the surrounding natural environment.
The Catamount Design Guidelines provide owners with a framework for designing and building their home and as such these Guidelines are the primary tool for implementing the CATAMOUNT design philosophy and design style. Collectively these Guidelines along with the oversight of the Design Review Board will ensure that the design of all homes and improvements preserve and enhance the natural landscape and also establish a common unified design style throughout the community.
It is not the purpose of these Guidelines to create look-a-like homes or to suggest that they all have identical colors and materials, but to create a harmonious architecture and landscape environment, which is compatible with, and complimentary to, the existing landscape. No particular home should stand apart in its design or construction so as to detract from the overall environment and appearance of Catamount Ranch & Club.
These Guidelines have been written in order to achieve the following objectives:
Ø Establish clearly defined design and construction standards for all buildings and improvements;
Ø Preserve, enhance, and restore the existing natural environment;
Ø Encourage a characteristic style of architectural and landscape design that conveys the CATAMOUNT design style;
Ø Protect each owner's investment in their home by requiring all owners to comply with the same high standards for design and construction;
Ø Establish a review process designed to assist owners and their design team with the design and construction process.
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The underlying goal for the design and development of Catamount Ranch & Club is quality. A great deal of time and energy has been spent on the design of the golf course, the golf clubhouse facilities, the outfitters center, the Lake clubhouse and associated facilities, roads, homesites, and other improvements. The reason for this extensive planning and design effort was to establish a high level of quality throughout the community. These design guidelines will ensure that the same high level of quality be devoted to the design and construction of individual homes. In order to ensure design quality, it is required that owners retain landscape design professionals and Colorado licensed architects to design their homes. Designing homes in mountain regions presents a variety of unique challenges. It is strongly recommended that owners retain design professionals that are intimately familiar with designing in mountain environments.
The Catamount Design Review Board plays a key role in the design process. The Design Review Board should be regarded as a partner in the design process with the owner and their design team. Owners and their design team should plan on spending time with members of the Design Review Board to become familiar with the CATAMOUNT design style, site constraints, and specific elements of these guidelines. Becoming familiar with these and other considerations early on will ensure a smooth review process for owners and the Design Review Board. The Board has been appointed to implement these guidelines and assist owners with the design review process. All references in these Design Guidelines to DRB (Design Review Board) approval, with respect to any issue, shall be construed as referring to written approval only. Any questions about whether the Design Review Board has rendered written approval for a particular matter should be directed to the Design Review Board Administrator.
These Guidelines have been promulgated pursuant to Article XV of the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions, and Easements for Catamount. Companion documents to the Guidelines include Wildlife Agreement for Catamount Ranch, Wildlife Agreement for Lake Catamount and the four Conservation Easements affecting the property (available from the Design Review Board). These Guidelines are binding upon all persons who at any time construct, reconstruct, refinish, alter or maintain any improvement upon the 65 residential homesites at Catamount, or make any change in the natural or existing surface, drainage or plant life thereon. These Guidelines are administered and enforced by the Design Review Board in accordance with the Declaration and the procedures herein and therein set forth. These Guidelines may be amended from time to time and it is the responsibility of each owner or other person to obtain and review a copy of the most recently revised Catamount Design Guidelines.
John Smith
Chairperson, Catamount Design Review Board
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN STYLE 7
A. CATAMOUNT Design Philosophy 7
B. CATAMOUNT Design Style 8
II. SITE PLANNING 9
A. Introduction 9
B. Building Envelope 10
C. Building Siting 11
D. Grading and Drainage 11
E. Driveways 12
F. Parking and Garages 13
G. Exterior Equipment and Satellite Dishes 13
H. Easements and Utilities 14
I. Signage 14
J. Address Markers 15
K. Snow Storage Areas 15
L. Horse Facilities and Operating Plan 16
M. Docks 17
N Existing Historic Structures 17
III. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 17
A. Introduction 17
B. Allowable Development 18
C. Building Height and Massing 18
D. Roofs 19
E. Exterior Walls 21
F. Windows and Doors 23
G. Architectural Detailing and "Signature Statements" 24
H. Lighting 25
I. Chimneys 26
J. Balconies and Decks 26
K. Accessory Buildings and Uses 27
L. Energy Conservation 27
M. Fire Protection 28
N. Design of Horse Facilities 28
IV. LANDSCAPE DESIGN 30
A. Introduction 30
B. Landscaping within the Native Landscape Area 31
C. Landscaping within the Building Envelope 32
D. Golf Course Edge 33
E. Plant Materials 33
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F. Water Features 33
G. Retaining Walls, Landscape Walls, and Fences 34
H. Terraces, Porches, and Outdoor Living Spaces 35
I. Driveways and Entries 36
J. Exterior and Landscape Lighting 36
K. Septic System 36
L. Trails 36
M. Other Landscape Features 37
N. Propane Gas Storage Tanks 37
O. Viewing Platforms 37
V. CONSTRUCTION REGULATIONS 37
A. Introduction 37
B. Pre-Construction Conference 38
C. Construction Compliance 38
D. Landscape Compliance 39
E. Protection of Property 39
F. Field Staking Requirements 39
G. Protection of Natural Features and Vegetation 40
H. Erosion Control and Revegetation 40
I. Vehicles and Parking Areas 41
J. Construction Equipment, Materials, Trash and Dogs 42
K. Dust and Noise 42
L. Temporary Structures and Sanitary Facilities 42
VI. DESIGN REVIEW AND CONSTRUCTION REVIEW PROCESS 43
A. Governing Regulations 43
B. Five Step Design Review and Construction Process 43
Step One: Pre-Design Meeting 44
Step Two: Sketch Plan Review 45
Step Three: Final Plan Review 46
Step Four: Technical Review 49
Step Five: Inspection and Certificate of Compliance 49
C. Modifications 51
D. Appeal Process 51
E. Routt County Review and Approval 51
VII. DESIGN REVIEW BOARD AND ORGANIZATION 52
A. Design Review Board Membership 52
B. Duties and Powers 52
C. Operating Procedures 53
D. Design Review Fees, Construction and Landscape Deposits 53
E. Design Consultants 53
F. Amendment of Design Regulations 54
G. Enforcement 54
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VIII. APPENDIX 55
A. Home site Development Standards 55
B. Recommended Landscape Material Lists 57
Table 1 - Recommended Seed Mix 57
Table 2 - Plants Outside the Building Envelope 59
Table 3 - Plants Within the Building Envelope 64
Table 4 - Landscape Plan and Requirements 72
C. Building Height Definition and Maximums 74
D. Proposed Water Systems 75
First Amendment to Catamount Design Guidelines 78
Gateway Requirements – Manual or Automatic 79
NOTE: As used herein, "DRB" means the Design Review Board of the Catamount Residential Owners' Association (the "Association") as described in Article VII.
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I. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY and DESIGN STYLE
A. CATAMOUNT Design Philosophy
The overriding vision for Catamount Ranch & Club is to create a truly unique residential community set within the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. The philosophy for Catamount Ranch & Club involves three fairly simple concepts:
Ø First, residential buildings and site improvements will be integrated with the landscape in a manner that preserves and enhances, to the greatest extent possible, the natural characteristics of each homesite;
Ø Secondly, the design of all residential buildings will be limited to the same pallet of materials and architectural styles that over time will establish the desired design style;
Ø Finally, Catamount Ranch & Club will establish a true sense of community where neighbors know each other by name.
This philosophy has been shaped by a respect for the site's natural environment and the desire to create a truly unique community centered on an exceptional golf course at Catamount Ranch and a private lake at Lake Catamount.
Catamount Ranch & Club's natural setting offers spectacular views, diverse vegetation, and varied terrain. Extensive environmental analysis of soils, geology, slopes, vegetation, wildlife and visual considerations were completed during the planning and development of Catamount Ranch & Club. The findings of these analyses provide parameters for how homes, roads, and other improvements should be placed within this setting. A fundamental goal is for all buildings and improvements to be set within the landscape in a manner that will preserve and enhance this delicate mountain environment. The design goal for CATAMOUNT is to retain the essence of the landscape and its western ranching heritage.
Inherent in the CATAMOUNT design philosophy is the concept of creating a community that shares a common design style and establishes a unifying element throughout the community. The CATAMOUNT design style is best expressed as the "traditional Colorado Ranch style" and all buildings will draw inspiration from the architectural characteristics of buildings from the early American West. No building in Catamount Ranch & Club will stand apart such that it detracts from the natural characteristics of the site or from other buildings or improvements. This is not to suggest, however, that all buildings must look alike or use identical building materials or colors. The characteristics of homesites throughout Catamount Ranch & Club vary and as such, appropriate design solutions will also vary. However, all buildings will share the same fundamental design characteristics defined by the "traditional Colorado Ranch style".
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Catamount Ranch has been designed as a small, exclusive neighborhood surrounding Catamount Ranch & Club's golf course. Designed by world-renowned designer Tom Weiskopf, the golf course is the focal point of the community and the clubhouse provides a central meeting place for Club activities. The Lake Clubhouse, the Outfitter Center and the Heritage Cabin all located on the Lake, provide additional places for Club activities, especially water-oriented recreation. The size and scale of Catamount Ranch & Club also sets it apart from other communities. The number of homes is limited in order to create a neighborhood atmosphere and foster a sense of community that is often not found in larger communities. Catamount Ranch & Club is more than just a golf course development, it is a community made up of families that share the common interest of enjoying golf, lake, summer and winter activities and the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
B. CATAMOUNT Design Style
The design style for Catamount Ranch & Club is best characterized as "traditional Colorado Ranch style". The origins of the "traditional Colorado Ranch style" are found in the buildings typical of homesteads, ranches, and craftsman-style residences of the American West. The true heritage of the American West is felt in the open meadows, wooded slopes and rocky ravines that have been the home of cattle and sheep for the past 100 years. Buildings of this era were generally constructed of a limited number of building materials that were selected from what was readily available in the area. Designs consisted of simple building forms and generally expressed function over form. Driving the back roads of western Colorado, Utah and New Mexico today will reveal buildings that display examples of this architectural style.
The architectural style for buildings is meant to support the heritage of high country ranches found in the American West The traditional Colorado Ranch style is defined by a number of fundamental architectural concepts.
For example, buildings will be designed with a limited number of predominantly natural building materials consistent with materials used during this era. All buildings will be constructed of primarily stone, timbers, logs and siding. The use of stone on all buildings will provide a common unifying architectural element throughout Catamount Ranch & Club. Timbers and logs shall be exposed to express the structural form of the building. Building colors will be generally subdued to blend with the surrounding landscape. Roofs will be relatively simple in form, with exposed rafter-tails. Outdoor spaces are another important design element of a home. All homes at Catamount Ranch & Club are encouraged to include porches or other similar covered outdoor spaces. Architectural details might include the hand-crafted joinery present in the craftsman style. Exposed hardware, deep set reveals, and stone or timber lintels and sills represent other ways of expressing the traditional Colorado Ranch style. These and other architectural guidelines are described in greater detail in Section III, Architectural Design.
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In addition to the architectural concepts described above, the manner in which buildings and improvements are located on a site is an equally important element of the CATAMOUNT design style. The design of all buildings and improvements should be complementary to the land. Building siting should draw inspiration from the surrounding natural environment and buildings should not overpower the landscape. Landscape improvements should be designed to visually tie a building to its site and to restore all portions of a homesite that have been disturbed during construction. The following sections of these guidelines outline specific considerations to be addressed during the site planning and landscape design process.