Timberwood Park Property Owners' Association

Are TAC and TDC really going after home day care ''businesses''? Shame on you, if you do.
I don't care if we call home day cares ''businesses'' or not. Enforcing a ''restriction'' on them is bad for Timberwood Park as a community. If a resident has a REAL (not imagined)problem with a neighbor's activities, they should have the spine/backbone to first talk to the neighbor and try to resolve the problem...that's what good neighbors do in small communities.
As Jennifer pointed out in her very fine Letter to the Editor in the March 2005 TPPOA Newsletter, what harm, really are these home ''businesses'' doing, when compared to the invaluable service they're providing to those in need of quality Day Care? Is someone just pissed-off that a ''business'' is operating illegally in their neighborhood? Give me a break...get a life!
We're not talking about the big operations with tons of kids, like the horrendous Castle Hills Day Care, that my poor daughter went to for a very short time and absolutely couldn't stand, as a 3-4 year old. We're talking about a very caring person or two looking after a few kids (generally less than 6).
These 30-year old deed restrictions definitely need to be rewritten, specifically ALLOWING for limited Day Care ''businesses'' in our residential community.
If a particular ''Day Care'' causes alot of concern for surrounding residents (too big an operation, noisy, too much traffic, etc.), then it should be looked at a little more closely and the concerns addressed; but to shut them down simply as ''illegal'' is stupid.
As Agnes said in her Letter to the Editor, ''...leave the (small) day cares alone''. Work towards allowing them to operate ''legally'' in our neighborhood.
The problem is with the very few who don't seem to want to tolerate them next door..to them I say...YOU move vs trying to shut down these important businesses...Timberwood Park IS NOT a retirement community...last I knew, it was kid-friendly.
I found the analysis paper on day care at http://www.ncpa.org/ba/ba248.html very interesting. It indirectly supports the notion that small, ''family'' day care operations are generally best for our children, versus ''institutional'' day care. Common sense would lead anyone with kids to this conclusion.
We should be doing all that we can to support family day care...not shut them down!!!

Businesses in Timberwood

Thank you for your opinion on the enforcement of the deed restrictions.

The restrictions are there to protect everyone in the neighborhood and obviously, like speeding laws, etc., not everyone will agree with them. But the people that bought a HOME in Timberwood have more rights to live in a residential neighborhood than those who buy a home with the intent of running a BUSINESS - whatever it may be. We're not here to debate the merits of small vs. institutional daycares -- our charter is to enforce the deed restrictions for homeowners.

Changing the restrictions can be done (although not easily), and I would encourage all that feel strongly about this to pursue it. There is currently legislature in the Texas House that addresses this issue -- if passed, it could make it easier to change outdated covenants and restrictions.

In the meantime, we will continue to monitor complaints and take action on businesses that refuse to comply with the restrictions. As we move toward 2008 when TDC will turn over the running of Timberwood Park to residents, input such as yours will be important in deciding the future of our area.

Home Day Cares vs Restrictions

How then do you suppose the aged restrictions should be changed? You offered no suggestions. Please research what it takes to change deed restrictions. I think you will find with thorough research it's not as easy as you think.