The Association may, at the election of the Declarant or the Association, be incorporated as a non-profit corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Washington. The Association shall be charged with the duties and vested with the powers prescribed by law and set forth in the Governing Documents; provided, however, that no such Governing Documents, other than the Declaration, shall for any reason be amended or otherwise interpreted so as to be inconsistent with this Declaration.

 

 

Declarant shall have the right to appoint or remove any member or members of the Board of Directors or any officer or officers of the Association until termination of the Development Period. Each Owner, by acceptance of a deed to or other conveyance of a Lot, vests in Declarant the authority to appoint and remove directors and officers of the Association during the Development Period. The directors selected by the Declarant need not be Owners. The number of directors shall be as set forth in the Bylaws. Following termination of the Development Period, the Board of Directors shall be elected by the Owners in accordance with the Bylaws.

 

 

Every Owner of a fee interest in any Lot that is subject to this Declaration shall be deemed to have a membership in the Association and membership in the Association shall consist exclusively of such owners. The foregoing is not intended to include Persons who hold an interest merely as security for the performance of an obligation, and the giving of a security interest shall not terminate the Owner's membership. No Owner, whether one or more Persons, shall have more than one (1) membership per Lot. Membership shall be appurtenant to and may not be separated from ownership of any Lot. The rights and privileges of membership, including the right to vote and to hold office, may be exercised by a member or the member's spouse, but in no event shall more than one (1) vote be cast nor office held for each Lot owned.

 

 

Members shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each Lot owned. When more than one (1) Person holds an ownership interest in any Lot, the vote for such Lot shall be exercised as those Owners themselves determine and advise the Secretary prior to any meeting. In the absence of such advice, the Lot's vote shall be suspended in the event more than one (1) Person seeks to exercise it.

 

 

No construction, alteration, addition, refurbishing, or erection of any structure or any nature whatsoever shall be commenced or placed upon any part of the Community, except that which is installed by the Declarant, or is approved in accordance with this Section, or as is otherwise expressly permitted herein. Any such construction, alteration, addition, refurbishing, or erection shall not be made unless and until plans and specifications showing the nature, kind, shape, size and height, architectural design and detail, materials, workmanship, colors, location on site, improvement and site grade elevations, and site landscaping shall have been submitted in writing to and approved by the Architectural Control Committee (the "ACC") established pursuant to this Section 3.5. The Board may employ architects, engineers, or other Persons as it deems necessary to enable the ACC to perform its review. Written design guidelines and procedures ("Design Guidelines") may be established by the Board for the exercise of this review, which Design Guidelines may provide for a review fee. Copies of the Design Guidelines shall be available to all Owners upon request for a reasonable fee.

 

3.5.1 The ACC shall consist of not less than one (1) nor more than three (3) members, who need not be Owners. So long as the Declarant owns any property for development and/or sale in the Community, the Declarant shall have the right to appoint or remove any or all members of the ACC. Upon the expiration or earlier surrender in writing of such right, the Board shall appoint the members of the ACC. The Declarant has named John Merlino, whose address is 1010 S. 336th Street, Suite 305, Federal Way, Washington 98003 as the sole member of the ACC.

 

3.5.2 Members of the ACC shall not be entitled to compensation for services performed pursuant to this Section 3.5. The Association shall defend, indemnify, and hold each members of the ACC harmless for any liability incurred while serving as a member of the ACC.

 

3.5.3 The ACC shall be the sole arbiter of plans submitted to it and may withhold approval for any reason, including aesthetic considerations, and it shall be entitled to stop any construction in violation of approved plans or this Declaration.

 

3.5.4 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS ARE NOT APPROVED FOR ENGINEERING OR STRUCTURAL DESIGN OR QUALITY OF MATERIALS, AND BY APPROVING SUCH PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS NEITHER THE ACC, THE MEMBERS THEREOF, NOR THE ASSOCIATION ASSUMES LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY THEREFOR, NOR FOR ANY DEFECT IN ANY STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTED FROM SUCH PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS. NEITHER DECLARANT, THE ASSOCIATION, THE ACC, THE BOARD, NOR THE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS OF ANY OF THEM SHALL BE LIABLE IN DAMAGES TO ANYONE SUBMITTING  PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS TO ANY OF THEM FOR APPROVAL, OR TO ANY OWNER OF PROPERTY AFFECTED BY THESE RESTRICTIONS BY REASON OF MISTAKE IN JUDGMENT, NEGLIGENCE, OR NONFEASANCE ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OR FAILURE TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE ANY SUCH PLANS OR SPECIFICATIONS. EVERY PERSON WHO SUBMITS PLANS OR SPECIFICATIONS AND EVERY OWNER AGREES THAT SUCH PERSON OR OWNER WILL NOT BRING ANY ACTION OR SUIT AGAINST DECLARANT, THE ASSOCIATION, THE ACC, THE BOARD, OR THE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS OF ANY OF THEM TO RECOVER ANY DAMAGES AND HEREBY RELEASES, REMISES, QUITCLAIMS, AND COVENANTS NOT TO SUE FOR ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS, AND CAUSES OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY JUDGMENT, NEGLIGENCE, OR NONFEASANCE AND HEREBY WAIVES THE PROVISIONS OF ANY LAW WHICH PROVIDES THAT A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND THE CLAIMS, DEMANDS, AND CAUSES OF ACTION NOT KNOWN AT THE TIME THE RELEASE IS GIVEN.

 

 

The Board on behalf of the Association shall have the power to adopt, modify, and amend bylaws, rules and regulations governing the Community, provided that such bylaws, rules and regulations shall not be inconsistent with this Declaration and shall apply uniformly to all Owners, except as specifically provided herein. The Board shall have the power to enforce the rules and regulations on behalf of the Association and may prescribe penalties or fines for their violation. Any such bylaws, rules and regulations shall become effective thirty (30) days after promulgation and shall be mailed to all Owners prior to their effective date. A copy of the bylaws, rules and regulations then in force shall be retained by the secretary of the Association. The Declarant on behalf of the Board may adopt the initial bylaws, rules and regulations.