Covenant Rules and Guidelines Regarding Housing, Energy, Communications, Motor Vehicle-Traffic from Gamma Agreement
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Wind turbines or communications towers above 10 meters in height above the roof line of a residential home will not be permitted on residential lots without approval of GGC and adjoining property owners. The wind resource at GGC is not a viable source of energy other than for small scale irrigation systems.
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Wood-burning stoves/furnaces for home heating/hot-water: there will be no restrictions against this nor any rules regarding what type of wood-burning appliance is used. But it should be noted that the ecology of the area is not suited for large scale firewood-harvesting, nor is there much need for winter space heating. A primary goal of GGC over time will be to increase the mass, size and height of the forest canopy across the land to help retain moisture and enable more agricultural/ecological abundance. Tree coppicing for firewood production with fast-growing species such as Black Locust is an example of the kind of biomass energy GGC would highly encourage and facilitate.
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Airplane and helicopter landing areas: helipads or landing strips will not be allowed on lots owned by residents, to avoid disturbing the community. However, a landing strip and heli-pad are available nearby in Curacavi. Use of radio controlled aircraft is allowed only directly above property owned by the user, or over non-residential areas and is restricted to between the hours of 10am and 6pm.
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No motorized all-terrain off-road vehicles may be used in residential property, other than on rights of way and roads. ATV-friendly trails in the mountains and property in the Paungue region (3 kilometers from GGC) are available for use by off road motorized vehicles.
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Housing styles: no mobile homes, double-wides or homes otherwise understood to be “temporary housing” will be allowed on site for more than one year without approval of GGC and adjoining property owners. Homes may not be taller than two full stories, or 12 meters, from the ground level to the roof-peak at any given vertical line, without approval from GGC and adjoining property owners, in order to avoid impeding scenic views for other residents. Creative home design/construction will be encouraged including alternative designs such as earth ships, domes, tiny houses and adapted cargo containers. The most appropriate building styles for this region will maximize thermal mass, shade from summer sun, and solar exposure during winter months. There will be no rules about home colors, materials or other building codes, and no building permits are required by Chilean government.
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Noise ordinance: there will be no rules about quite hours or noise ordinances. If any resident has a problem with noise coming from another property, GGC will be happy to provide low cost mediation service to enable quick and reasonable settlement of any disputes between neighbors related to noise or any other issue.
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Landscaping: there will be no rules requiring lawns to be mowed or otherwise dictating how residents maintain their property, unless there are any runoff or waste issues that are infringing upon someone else’s property in which case binding arbitration shall be the remedy.
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Business operation and “zoning”: any GGC resident is encouraged to operate a home based business, agricultural or otherwise, from their property, within the limitations described herein. Any conflicts between GGC and residents regarding business activities that are disturbing to other residents shall be resolved by binding mediation. Business licenses or permits will not be required by GGC, however there may be certain steps required by Chilean law in these regards depending on the type of business.