Architectural Standards and Vision

Wood Acres Airpark Vision and Architectural Standards

1 October 2024

Vision:

The Wood Acres Airpark vision is to create a unique, first class backcountry fly-in experience for its owners. Modeled after a palette of airparks and backcountry airfields throughout the mountainous western states, this feel and attitude embodies the goal of this development. Wood Acres Airpark offers the only private, gated living community of its kind in the Mark Twain Lake area and comes complete with an aviation themed entryway to welcome its new owners.

The intent is to create a low density, open backcountry atmosphere that celebrates the beauty of the surroundings and creates a unique haven for like-minded families and aviation enthusiasts.

The property boasts a beautiful 3200’ by 100’ grass runway near Mark Twain Lake in east central Missouri and encompasses approximately 100 acres.  A combination of gently rolling terrain and wooded area surrounds the property which allows for a choice of available lot types. Buyers have a choice between open prairie or wooded living, all while having access to a runway for their aircraft. All lots are between 3 to 6 acres. Likewise, there will be a very limited number of outside-the-gate members who are already established in the area that are aviators wishing for airfield access and hangar accommodations.

Modern Mountain Design is the architectural vernacular that is required for all owners. All structures are to have a rugged but sophisticated look using a mixture of natural materials including but not limited to wood, stone, brick and/or metals. A variety of massing and textures, steel roofs, larger overhangs, higher pitches, and optimized glazing are just some of the features that can achieve the required look. Native landscaping is also to be utilized to blend the structure into the surrounding environment and to add to the desired texture and character of each building project. The choice in landscaping should reflect the rustic nature currently portrayed at the gated entryway and respect the biome of the region. 

Purpose:

This is a living document that is subject to change as time progresses. Its purpose is a guide for the prospective lot owner to understand the vision of the feel, look, texture, and atmosphere of Wood Acres Airpark. It is not as much a listing of what is allowed and what is not but a guide to help steer both the Architectural Committee and all owners in the right direction to create and enhance the vision of the declarants. It is also a guide to help a prospective lot owner decide if they share in this vision or not. Those simply liking the location with other development and use intentions would be happier elsewhere. Those excited about creating a unique, aesthetically pleasing, quality-driven aviation community are those who would be best suited to join this effort.

Architectural Intent:

Modern Mountain Design is the precedent to be used to develop each property keeping in mind this must be translated to work harmoniously with the typology of lot chosen. For instance, a flat, open prairie lot may require different massing material usage versus a neighboring sloped, wooded lot structure. Great themed airparks such as this enjoy a patina of diversity and do not limit neighbors to just a few styles within the envisioned theme. Even with this freedom, basic standards for design must be developed to help properties become as harmonious as possible, enhancing one estate to the next. The challenge here is to add elements of architectural richness and variety without exceeding budget parameters. An Architectural Committee will be available to discuss design options to help owners make the right decisions that align with budget and design requirements. In General, all homesites and residences will be required to be approved by the Architectural Committee regarding structures, site plans, and landscaping to help achieve these standards and the vision of the declarants.

Height and Massing:

Runway bordering lots must comply with height restrictions as noted in the CCRs for the runway transition clear zone. The Architectural Committee will review all designs for height and massing to ensure desired architectural language is being applied and to confirm CCRs are being followed.  The Architectural Committee has the right to prohibit the construction of any structure which would appear excessive in height when viewed from the street or other lots or parcels. Height shall be measured from the natural grade on the highest side of the improvement to the highest point of the roof or any projection therefrom. The purpose of the height criteria is to avoid the occurrence of any too flat or too high profiles and to ensure a proper clear zone for aircraft passage.

Color:

The color of the exterior's materials must generally be those that enhance the natural look of mountain architecture. Along with the requirement to use a mix of building materials, a harmonious mix of colors should follow suite. Natural earth tones of browns, greys, beiges, whites, blacks and muted greens are examples of appropriate colors. If there is intent to use colors outside of this palette, it must be discussed with and approved by the Architectural Committee.

All glazing utilized on the project shall also work harmoniously with this muted palette. No brightly colored, highly reflective, or mirrored glass will be allowed. Frosted or fritted glass will be approved upon review and shall be used only for spaces that specifically require privacy.

Elevations:

In addition to height, massing and color, each elevation of the structure shall be considered to contribute to a pleasing vista. All elements shall be well proportioned to capture those qualities of richness which are often associated with an earlier, handcrafted time. That being said, no modular, manufactured homes, or mobile homes are allowed on any lot in the Airpark, and it is solely up to the Architectural Committee to define what is or isn’t acceptable. It must be assumed that every structure will be seen from all directions, thus all roofs, walls, and windows will be considered in terms of front elevation quality. Grading, berms and landscaping are inseparable elements of the elevations.

 The roof line of each structure must create its own pleasing relationship to the street and its adjacent structures when viewed from all directions. The overall profile and articulation of the roof should be sufficiently irregular to break up anything which would otherwise appear too boxy.  Except in cases where a specific concept is approved to the contrary, all roof pitches will be a minimum of 6/12 not including covered terraces, walkways, and porches. Pitched roofs in varying heights and pitches can lead to a desirable asymmetry which is preferable to symmetrical designs. This tactic animates the design without adding excessive height to the overall structure. The roof line of all two-story residences and hangars should include single story elements. For both one and two-story structures, the roof profile should be richly varied including individual masses of sufficient size in plan and elevation to convey the desired result. The higher masses would generally occur toward the center, with lower profiles occurring toward the outer portions of the home.

A core element of the neighborhood concept is the utilization of the front porch or front facing terrace. Properly designed this can augment the traditional, more private use of the backyard.

The porch or terrace should appear integral with the structure, not as an applied afterthought. This feature becomes the focal point of the home or hangar rather than the typical garagedominated street scape.

Chimney forms for fireplaces shall be well proportioned and can be used as sculptural features to ornament the home. The masses shall be integrated with the materials and character of the main structure.

Exterior Materials:

The Architectural Committee will review all exterior materials not only with respect to their use, but also in terms of their appropriateness to achieve the overall vision, style, and theme. The richness of mountain architecture comes not only from a cohesive symphony of forms, but also from its tribute to using materials found in nature. Below is a high-level guide of what is and is not acceptable.

Allowed:

-          Wood siding/shakes - Wood timbers

-          Recycled barn wood

-          Metal panels

-          Corrugated metal

-          Copper panels or accents

-          Natural Stone/Stone siding panels

-          Brick

-          EIFS or Stucco

-          Hardie Board

-          Transparent Glass

-          Frosted or Fritted Glass (used sparingly)

Not Allowed:

-          Vinyl siding

-          Asphalt siding

-          Mirrored or highly reflective glass.

-          Glass block

-          Precast concrete panels (when used for full facades)

-          CMU/Concrete Block (when exposed to the exterior)

-          Brightly colored materials

-          Tensile fabrics

Garages:

Effective measures for minimizing the dominance of the garage include side entries out of direct view of the street and overhangs or piers which add to the softness and shadow by way of recessing door.  Unless the garage doors are stained wood, they should be either the same color as the body of the structure or a slightly darker shade of the same color. They should never be light or dark enough to call attention to themselves. Single-bay doors are preferred over double doors because they present a smaller scale appearance. When three or more door bays exist in a garage, the bays should be broken up by offsetting wall planes.  

Entryways, Landscaping, and Driveways:

Each lot will be required to have an entryway consisting of a minimum of three sections of split rail fence on each side and graveled planting areas with an appropriate number of plants to carry the theme of the Airparks main entrance.  

Driveways will be of a curvilinear approach to the home to soften the approach to the residence. Gravel driveways are allowed with a maintained offset of grass on each side of the drive.

Hangars and homes will be appropriately landscaped to enhance the individual structures and to add to the look and feel of the Airpark. A site plan covering both the landscaping and the entryway will be required at the time of the final architectural building review and approval of each project. Time limits will be set for both the completion of each structure and the completion of the entryway and landscaping.

Fences:

Fencing shall be kept to a minimum. All fencing that is approved shall maintain and enhance the openness of the surroundings and compliment the mountain style architecture. No chain link or agricultural fences will be allowed. All fencing will be no taller than 4 foot and shall be of an open variety. No privacy fences or lot line fences are allowed with the exception of fences around pools as long as both fence and pool are hidden from the roadway and other residences. All fencing styles and materials will be required to be approved by the Architectural Committee.

Hangar-Hangarminium Lots (Lots 2-11 Phase1 and lot 5 Phase2)

A hangar is defined as a structure to house an aircraft (whether it has a crew quarters or not) and a hangarminium is a hangar with one allowed extension attached to serve as a residence.  The majority of the lots abutting the east side of the airstrip are most appropriate for these type structures. A uniform but unique look along these lots is the desired goal. When one drives into the Airpark, a vista of a uniform, neat, and tidy line of hangars/hangarminiums will be to the west of the main road while larger residential estates will be to the east. This is to be an airpark with a sophisticated rugged flair. Ony one structure is allowed on these western lots, either a hangar or a hangarminium with a uniform color palette and consistent setback from the runway.  A build line of 120 to 150 foot off the side of the runway is required to ensure a proper side transition clear zone for aircraft operations. Wood Acres has teamed with Morton Buildings to set the standards required for all hangar/hangarminiums which include:

•        A uniform color of the structure including wainscot - See attached picture of color.  Exhibit “A” Colored Renderings”

•        Specified overhangs and gutters on each structure

•        A paved ramp of at least 20 feet deep by the width of the hangar door

•        A minimum eve height of 13 foot and a minimum hangar door size of 40 x 12 foot

•        Minimum Roof pitch of 4/12. Lower pitch roofs will be allowed for porches and covered walkways at the discretion of the Architectural Committee

•        Cupolas on each hangar to provide a balanced and properly scaled appearance 

•        Square turkey tails on the gable ends of each main hangar structure

•        A restriction of the total square footage of 4400 for a hangar and 6400 for a hangarminium 

•        A restriction of no aircraft hangar doors to face east towards the street

•        Requirements for all structures to include architectural details such as windows, covered porches, strategic landscaping, etc., to create an aesthetically pleasing façade as viewed from the road

Residence Lots: (Lots 2-6 Phase 1 and Lots 2-4 & 6-8 Phase 2)

Residence lots are allowed one residence with a detached garage and one hangar or hangarminium. Any residence must have a minimum of 1200 square feet livable area for a single-story residence or 1800 square feet of livable area for a two-story home. 

All square footage requirements shall be exclusive of open or covered porches, hangars, or attached or detached garages. If only a residence or hangar is constructed, a master plan is to show the anticipated future position of the missing structures to achieve a desirable scale and future look considering traffic patterns and layout of both taxiways and driveways. This is to ensure the future planned addition will be feasible and have a proper look for the owner and their neighbors. A non-pilot owner who has no need for a hangar for the storage of aircraft but desires a large shop-type building must build a hangar with an operating hangar door and paved ramp in front of that door to make the property desirable for a new pilot owner in the event of a sale. 

Garage and Hangar requirements on Residence Lots

Garages built as stand-alone structures should be of the same style and materials as the main residence and should complement the residence. Garages are under the same design requirements as the residence. Detached garages are only allowed at the time of building the residence or after.

Hangars on residence lots shall either be stand-alone or incorporated into the residence. They may use the same materials as the residence or be all metal with a color that compliments the residence. 

Hangars on these lots may also be of the design as the those specified on the hangar-only lots so long as their color compliments the residence. Other requirements include:

•  A color to compliment the residence, including wainscot

•  Specified overhangs and gutters on each structure

•  A paved ramp of at least 20 feet deep by the width of the hangar door

•  A minimum eve height of 13 foot and a minimum hangar door size of 40 x 12 foot

•  Minimum Roof pitch of 4/12. Lower pitch roofs will be allowed for porches and covered walkways at the discretion of the Architectural Committee.

•  Cupolas on each hangar to provide a balanced and properly scaled appearance if it is complimentary to the residence

•  Square turkey tails on the gable ends of each main hangar structure if it is complimentary to the residence

•  A restriction of the total square footage of 4400 for a hangar and 6400 for a hangarminium

•  Other styles of hangars that compliment and strengthen the architectural feel and vison of Wood Acres will be considered