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Welcome to the River Gardens Neighborhood website! This site contains a wealth of information for our residents and for members of the public who are interested in the River Gardens neighborhood in Pensacola, Florida.
Navigation help is provided at the bottom of this page, just below the map.
TWO HOAs & FOUR SECTIONS
The River Gardens neighborhood of Pensacola, Florida, located just southwest of the intersection of Scenic Highway and N Davis Hwy, was built in four phases and is served by two HOAs. The owners of the 122 lots in the Original Section, the First Addition, & the Second Addition are members of the River Gardens Association, Inc. ("RGA"). The owners of the 79 lots in the Third Addition are members of River Gardens Third Addition Homeowners' of Pensacola, Inc. ("RGIII").
RGA & RGIII operate separately but cooperatively. Members of the two HOAs enjoy joint social events, and they share a single Neighborhood Directory. The two HOAs also provide security cooperatively, together funding off-duty deputy patrols of the neighborhood.
Unlike many neighborhoods, the covenants for each section of the neighborhood are different! That's right, there are four different sets of covenants within River Gardens. To know which set of covenants applies to a River Gardens property, you must first know in which section of the subdivision that property lies.
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- To easily determine a property's section, please consult the color-coded map of the neighborhood. Alternatively, you can review the list of addresses within each section.
- Once you know the property's section, navigate to the "Documents" tab, where you can find the COVENANTS.
- While in the "Documents" tab, please also review the RULES of RGA, which apply to all properties within RGA.
ESTOPPEL REQUESTS
Our Treasurers provide Estoppel Certificates. You can find more information by clicking on the "Estoppels" drop-down, which is under the "Contacts" tab at the top of every page.
SUBDIVISION RULES - THE BASICS
With just a few exceptions, the covenants in River Gardens require approval before any changes are made to the observable appearance of a lot or any structures on a lot (that is, any changes that can be seen from the street or from any other lot in the neighborhood). For properties within RGA, there are exceptions to this requirement. These exceptions are detailed in the RGA Covenants Administration Policy, which was adopted by the RGA Board to simplify the process for its Members. In addition to reading your covenants, please read the policy to ensure you understand the requirements before you take any action that changes the appearance of your property.
The RGA Covenants Committee is responsible for processing requests for approvals within the RGA portion of the neighborhood, and the RGIII Architectural Review Committee (the "ARC") is responsible for requests within the RGIII portion of the neighborhood. You can find complete contact information under the "Contacts" tab. PLEASE, before making changes to your property or its landscaping that will be visible to neighbors or from the streets, contact the appropriate committee chair if you have any questions about what needs to be approved.
LAW ENFORCEMENT & DEPUTY PATROLS
River Gardens is served by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office. The emergency number is 911, and the non-emergency number is (850) 436-9620.
Several years ago, the two HOAs began cooperatively providing for off-duty deputy patrols of the neighborhood, paid from HOA dues. The patrols have been very successful in providing extra security and traffic control. Currently, the patrols are almost always made in an unmarked vehicle. The patrolling deputy, who is in uniform, spends a portion of his time here traversing the neighborhood with his lights flashing to make his presence known, but patrols without them the majority of the time.
Our deputy, Investigator Andrew Kelley, makes an effort to meet our residents. Don't be surprised if he knocks on your door to introduce himself and inquire about any law enforcement concerns you might have. When you see him in the neighborhood, please feel free to flag him down to discuss any concerns or to introduce yourself. The days and timing of the patrols are intentionally varied, with additional patrols scheduled during holiday periods and when we have our annual meetings.
Please be sure to obey the 25 mph speed limit and come to a complete stop at stop signs! In addition to the children who live here, many of our older residents who like to take walks have hearing deficits and/or balance issues, and we have relatively narrow streets with no sidewalks. To help provide for the safety of our residents, we have asked Investigator Kelley to be especially vigorous in enforcing traffic violations.
PURPOSE
The reason the HOAs exist is to manage common areas, provide for the common good of the members through the enhancement of the appearance and security of River Gardens neighborhood, administer covenants applicable to property owners, work with various city and county officials for the benefit of the members, provide an opportunity to join together socially, and perform such other duties and assume such other responsibilities required of the associations.
In addition, the Florida HOA Statute places numerous responsibilities on HOAs' Board members. Arguably, the most critical of those is that Board members have a fiduciary responsibility to the collective membership of their HOA. This means that the Board's decisions must be made to ensure that the interests of the entire membership take priority over the interests of any single HOA member, including those of a Board member.
In addition, the Florida HOA Statute places numerous responsibilities on HOAs' Board members. Arguably, the most critical of those is that Board members have a fiduciary responsibility to the collective membership of their HOA. This means that the Board's decisions must be made to ensure that the interests of the entire membership take priority over the interests of any single HOA member, including those of a Board member.