Important Community FAQs

It is a non-profit corporation registered with the State and managed by a duly elected Board of Directors. Its purpose is to maintain all common areas and to govern the community in accordance with the provision of the legal documents: Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions, Bylaws, and Articles of Incorporation.

FCCSA is comprised of more than 70 residential neighborhoods and 400+ commercial businesses. FCCSA is the largest homeowners association in Sugar Land. For a complete listing of all FCCSA Neighborhoods, please visit Neighborhoods.

The Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&R’s) are the governing legal documents that set up the guidelines for the operation of the planned community as a non-profit corporation. The CC&R’s were recorded by the County recorder’s office of the County in which the property is located and are included in the title to your property. Failure to abide by the CC&R’s may result in a fine to a homeowner by the Association. To review the FCCA CC&R’s/Declarations, please review the Governing Documents.

The Bylaws are the guidelines for the operation of the non-profit corporation. The Bylaws define the duties of the various offices of the Board of Directors, the terms of the Directors, the membership’s voting rights, required meetings and notices of meetings, and the principal office of the Association, as well as other specific items that are necessary to run the Association as a business. To review the FCCA Bylaws, please visit Governing Documents.

FCCA is a non-profit corporation and therefore, a governing body is required to oversee its business. The Board of Directors is elected by the owners yearly (with staggered terms), or as otherwise specified in the bylaws. The limitation and restrictions of the powers of the Board of Directors is outlined in the Association governing documents. For a current list of Board of Directors, please visit Contact. The Board is responsible for directing the operations of and planning for the future of FCCA and its membership to ensure that its objective, as stated in the Declaration and By-Laws, are met. The Board consists of seven members elected by the property owners of FCCA for staggered three-year terms. The Board meets regularly, and meetings are open to the public.

The developer of First Colony, Sugar Land Properties, Inc., established Rules and Regulations for First Colony Community Services Association, as provided for in the CC&R’s and adopted by the Board of Directors. In addition, Architectural Guidelines were established with procedures for submitting requests to make exterior changes to your property and/or home. Such changes may include patio covers, decks, landscaping, exterior color changes or extensive interior changes and additions. These rules and guidelines are set up to maintain the aesthetic value and integrity of the community on behalf of all owners, and with intention of protecting the market value of your investment as well. Violations of these rules may result in action by the Board of Directors, could involve a fine, or as a final step, could involve legal action. In addition, if you proceed with an exterior improvement or change, without written approval of the Modifications or Covenants Committee, as applicable, you will be required to remove or correct the alteration and/or be fined for the violation. FCCSA has a Community Standards Department staff that is responsible for the enforcement of deed restrictions. Most importantly, our staff is dedicated to assisting the members of the Association by providing helpful information on how they can help ensure that First Colony remains an attractive and viable community.

The FCCSA Community Standards Department strives to provide quality service while encouraging residents to take pride in their most valuable asset, their home. Although it may seem restrictive and cumbersome at times, deed restriction enforcement helps maintain property values and improves the overall appearance of the community. The following information provides residents valuable information about the objectives for the Community Standards Department as well as what items inspectors may be included to notice while inspecting your subdivision in the future.

  • Inspections: 73 Subdivisions, approximately 2,600 units per four inspectors including 41 shopping centers and stand alone churches/buildings.
  • Objective: Win-Win results for FCCSA, Residents, Neighborhood Representatives & the FCCSA Community Standards Department.

When inspecting a subdivision, the FCCSA Community Standards Department determines a deed restriction violation based on these underlying tenets:

  1. Maintenance Standards
  2. Aesthetic/property value issues
  3. Compromised building materials issues

Each residential neighborhood within FCCSA elects up to three (3) representatives (Neighborhood Reps) to serve a one year term. Neighborhood Reps are one of the most vital links in the communication chain between members and the Association. They also are in charge of creating neighborhood special events, meetings, social, newsletters, etc. To find your Neighborhood Representative, please click HERE.

Community Standards Department – Deed Restriction Compliance

The First Colony Community Association Community Standards Department staff strives to provide quality service while encouraging homeowners to take pride in one of their most valuable assets– their home. At times, the deed restrictions guidelines may seem cumbersome and restrictive, but the overall purpose of the deed restrictions is to help maintain property value and maintain and improve the overall
appearance of the community.

The following valuable information is provided to help residents learn and understand the deed restrictions. In addition, the information will provide the most common items that the Community Standards Residential Inspectors may notice while inspecting your subdivision.

Inspections – Are done on a quarterly basis. Each inspector is assigned approximately 3000+ homes (excludes commercial properties).

  • Objective – Achieving compliance by helping homeowners to understand the violation issue and guide them as to the proper course to take to cure the problem.

When inspecting a subdivision, the inspectors determine deed restriction violations based on the following tenets:

  • Residential Property Standards and Maintenance
  • Property Improvement Manual
  • Comprised building materials and or issues

What does the Community Standards Inspectors look for?

The Community Standards Department has compiled a list of the “Top Ten” items that are frequently cited for deed restriction violations. Please note that the items are all equally important when addressing the issue of maintenance and home values.

  • Mildew/mold/stains – on the home, fence or driveway /walkway areas.
  • Lawn maintenance – mowing every 7-10 days, edging, weed control, damaged sod replacement and raking and bagging leaves.
  • Landscaping – replacing dead, dying or missing shrubs to assure two complete rows (some neighborhoods require more than two rows), trimming all shrubs (48 inch maximum height) and ornamental trees, maintaining landscape borders and weeding landscape beds and tree rings.
  • Tree maintenance – replacing dead trees with like kind – 30 gallon, 2 inch caliper approved trees. Trimming or pruning yard trees and street trees. At this time, FCCA trims the street side of the street trees. Homeowners are responsible to trim the yard side of the street trees.
  • Gutter maintenance – remove/clean out all debris or dirt from the gutters. Maintain the exterior condition and assure that the gutters are fastened appropriately.
  • Exterior painting – trim, siding and shutters must be repainted when the paint fades or chips. A property improvement application – along with a swatch of the paint color – must be submitted every time the home is painted (even if painting the same color).
  • Fences and Front Door – must be kept in good condition. Rotted pickets and/or posts should be replaced, fences should not be “wavy”, and front doors should be refinished when faded. Only grade #1 cedar pickets are permitted.
  • Driveways, walkway and sidewalks – should be cleaned or power-washed to remove mildew/mold, dirt and stains. Cement pads should be replaced when the driveway/walkway has cracked. Expansion joints should be kept free of grass and weeds.
  • Public view – items such as trash cans, lawn bags, tools, toys, etc. should be stored completely out of public view. Trash cans or law bags may only be placed at the curb the night before the scheduled pick-up. Note: Sugar Land and Missouri City have a separate green waste pick-up day. The trash cans/carts should be put out of public view – behind a wooden fence, in the garage or screened by 8 am the day after the pick-up.
  • Property improvement without prior approval – all exterior changes to a property require a property improvement application and approval. This includes, but is not limited to, roofing doors, paint, windows, driveway extensions, play forts, landscaping changes.Letter Notification ProcessFirst Colony Community Association adheres to the State of Texas mandated process.
    • The first letter is sent after a violation has been identified.
    • The second letter is sent within 30 to 60 days – if the violation remains uncured. This letter requests that the violation be cured within 10 days.
    • The third letter is sent by certified and regular mail notifying the owner that the issue will be presented to the Covenants Committee for potential sanction – if the violation is not cured. A date is given and the resident is given information about attending the hearing if they choose to do so.

    The Covenants Committee is comprised of First Colony volunteer homeowners – along with a representative from the Board of Directors. This committee meets on a monthly basis to review properties that are out of compliance with the deed restrictions. If a find is assessed, homeowners are notified of the amount of the monthly fine. Homeowners can appeal the decision within 30 days.

    For any additional questions, please e-mail communitystandards@firstcolony.org or call (281) 634-9500– or contact your neighborhood inspector.

The Certificate of Compliance (COC) inspection is required by FCCSA prior to the sale of a home.  This inspection focuses on issues of compliance within the deed restriction policies and modification approvals.  The purpose of the inspection is to inform both the property seller and the purchaser of any outstanding violations.  All members that are selling their home must submit a Certificate of Compliance request form (14 business days prior to the closing date).

Texas State Law requires that we, FCCSA, must provide information about our association and the sale of Property located within the jurisdiction of our Association. The “goal” of the state law is to ensure that every individual purchasing property had an opportunity to have as much information as possible when buying a home located in a deed restricted community. FCCSA has its own request form for a Resale Certificate. We will provide that form upon request by mail, fax, or in person. Upon Receipt of a “Request for Resale Certificate” form, we will verify if the property is within FCCSA. A request for a standard Resale certificate will be completed within 10 business days of the receipt of request. A rush request for a Resale Certificate will be completed within 3 business days of the receipt of request. See schedule of fees for cost.

The Resale Certificate package that we provide includes:

  • Resale Certificate
  • Certificate of Compliance
  • Supplemental Amendment for the neighborhood
  • Development Guidelines for the neighborhood
  • Declaration of Covenants
  • Bylaws of the Association (FCCA)
  • Notice of Dedicatory Instruments for the Association
  • Articles of Incorporation of the Association
  • Assessment Collection Policy
  • Residential Deed Restriction Policy and Schedule of Fines
  • Certificate of Compliance Policy
  • Available Guidelines for Modifications
  • Modification Application
  • Park, Lake, Recreation Facility Rules & Regulations
  • Current Year Operating Budget
  • Current Balance Sheet
  • Certificate of Insurance

Should you have any further questions please contact our office at (281) 634-9500

Our goal as a highly regarded master planned community is to keep each property maintained and in compliance with the all standards and guidelines set by the developers of First Colony. This goal will help to assure that your property value remains as high as possible!

First, read the entire letter. Look for the following information in the body of the letter:

  • What is the violation for?
  • Where is the violation?
  • Options on how to cure/correct the violation (example: Install more evergreen shrubs using the approved shrubs listed in the guidelines).
  • Read all the guidelines that are included with the violation letter. All guidelines are also available on our website www.firstcolony.org under Community Standards.
  • If you do not understand the guidelines, or disagree with the violation notice, please contact the Community Standards Department of FCCSA. Your inspector’s phone number and e-mail are listed in the letter itself.
  • An Enhanced Community Standards Specialist is available to meet personally with you if needed. She will meet you at your home to explain further or show you the area in question.
  • Most letters give you a timeframe to cure the violation. It is important that you contact your inspector to let him/her know your plans to cure the violation.
  • An extension of time is possible for homeowners that have a hardship. The form is also available under Community Standards

Your Community Standards Team will do whatever we can to help you. Please contact us with any questions and we will strive to answer them.

Thank you so much for your cooperation!

Cars cannot be parked on the street for more than 48 hours (excluding Saturday and Sunday).

  • Contact the City of Sugar Land Police Department at (281) 275-2500 (after hours, call (281) 275-2525).
  • Contact the City of Missouri City Police Department at (281) 403-8700.
  • Parked cars must be at least thirty (30’) feet from an intersection.
  • Parked cars cannot prevent an emergency vehicle or larger from entering that street.
  • Automobiles cannot be parked to advertise garage sales or any other event.

  • Missouri City residents should contact Fort Bend Animal Control at (281) 342-1512.
  • Sugar Land residents should contact the City of Sugar Land Animal Services at (281) 275-2364.

The repair and maintenance of concrete sidewalks throughout First Colony is the responsibility of many different parties. When reporting problems with broken and/or unlevel sidewalks, it is often difficult to determine who should perform the repair.

Below describes the appropriate entity to contact about repairs on a specific area of sidewalk.

Municipalities- The City of Sugar Land and City of Missouri City maintain all sidewalks that parallel public streets, including sidewalks in front of homes. To report problems with City of Sugar Land sidewalks, please contact the Department of Public Works at (281) 275-2450. Missouri City residents should contact the Department of Public Works at (281) 403-8500.

First Colony Community Services Association- FCCSA only maintains sidewalk inside FCCSA landscape reserves and greenbelts, which includes the sidewalks around pool and park sites. FCCSA does not maintain the sidewalk in front of any home located on a public street.

Their purpose is to review property improvement applications to ensure that each requested project is in compliance with the community design guidelines and the Master CC&Rs.

No, the PIC process helps to make sure that everyone maintains the same standards and that all changes are compatible with the design and theme of the community.

The PIC Committee is comprised of volunteer homeowners who applied to be on the committee and were approved by the Board of Directors.

Applications are available online at our website– www.firstcolony.org– on the Community Standards page. Or you can visit our office at 4350 Austin Parkway to pick up the form.

You should submit an application for each type of change that you plan to make.

  • Minor property improvement project – such as painting, replacing fences, etc. do not need to be reviewed by the consulting Architect, in these cases there is no fee
  • Larger projects or new construction require a $250 fee attached to the application. The fee for a signage submittal is $100.

All changes to the exterior of the home or the property itself (fence, landscaping, etc.) will need a submittal.

The application will be held for the next meeting. All applications must be received by 12:00 Noon the Thursday before the meeting. The PIC Committee normally meets every other Tuesday at 9:00 AM.

According to established documents, the PIC Committee has 30 days to respond. Our staff has historically responded much sooner than this. Most residents will receive an answer within the week of the meeting.

Incomplete forms are the main reason for delay or disapproval of an application. We strongly suggest that all applicants read the forms carefully, sign the application and include all requested items (plot surveys, photos, plant list, etc) and if in doubt call or e-mail us with questions.

FCCSA mails a monthly newsletter, First Colony Compass, to all residential and commercial members. The newsletter provides current news on community issues/events, up-to-date Association business, helpful articles, and other news stories. To offset the cost of producing the newsletter, advertising space is available. If you would like to go paperless and not receive a newsletter in the mail, you can opt out of receiving one in the mail and look at it on our website instead. E-mail community@firstcolony.org. to opt out.

The FCCSA website– www.firstcolony.org– is your source for all Association information. For up-to-date news to downloading Modification or Certificate of Compliance forms, the website offers a plethora of information to make your life easier.

FCCSA has an electronic newsletter that will give you up-to-date information by-monthly and also notify you of the upcoming board meetings. This is sent to any members that FCCSA has an e-mail address for. You can sign up by e-mailing your name, address and e-mail address to community@firstcolony.org.

Like us on our Facebook page to keep up-to date with FCCSA happenings.

First Colony Community Services Association (FCCSA) has developed a FREE mobile application! This app will allow residents to view the calendar of events, recreation information on classes, map of the facilities, pool hours, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), and receive the latest updates about the community via push notifications. Receive notifications directly to your phone for facility closures, important updates, community emergencies, meeting and event reminders and much more! Make sure you enable “push notifications” if you want to receive important messages from FCCSA. You can visit the Apple or Google Play Store to download the app by visiting the stores and searching for FCCSA.

In order to improve deed restriction compliance, the Certificate of Compliance (COC) program was developed which requires that all new and existing property sales must be preceded by an on-site inspection to check for deed restriction violations or non-compliance with the approved construction plans. This inspection is done by a FCCA Compliance Inspector, at which time a Certificate of Compliance (COC) or Non-Compliance (CONC) will be issued to the seller of the property. In some instances, a COC with provisions will be issued.

A COC inspection must be requested in writing by use of a COC Request Form. This form must be submitted at least 14 business days prior to the scheduled sale or conveyance of the property. Earlier requests are encouraged. There is a fee collected at closing. To review FCCA’s COC Policy or download a COC form, please visit www.firstcolony.org.

Yes! In order to ensure that exterior improvements to properties are in harmony with the neighborhood and do not detract from property values, all exterior property improvements must meet FCCSA guidelines and/or be approved in advance by the Property Improvement Committee.

If you have any questions related to property improvements, please contact FCCSA at communitystandards@firstcolony.org or call (281) 634-9500 prior to beginning plans or work.

Christmas, Hanukkah & Kwanza are a time for reflection, family and fun! Children and adults, young and old alike enjoy setting up beautiful and festive holiday displays. First Colony families always have such beautiful and unique decorations lighting up their homes!

During this time of the year many homeowners are unsure of the deed restrictions regarding holiday decorations. The guidelines encourage homeowners to decorate the exterior of their home in a tasteful manner that celebrates the season and shows the spirit of the holiday (be sure to be safe – check all decorations to assure that they are properly maintained).

Year-end holiday decorations may be installed no earlier than mid-November but cannot be lit until Thanksgiving Day. All holiday lights and decorations must be completely removed no later than January 10th.

Residents and non-residents may sign up for the various First Colony Parks & Recreation classes, camps, leisure courses, etc. offered on a regular basis. Program times, costs, days, and schedules vary. Programs are offered for youth and adults. In addition to leisure programs, First Colony Parks & Recreation hosts a variety of special events throughout the year. Events and classes can all be found on our website.

In order to use an FCCSA Pool you must sign up for our digital pool pass through CellBadge. You can sign up at https://firstcolony.cellbadge.com/Register

The Aquatic Center fitness pool, The Lakes Pool and Austin Park pool are operated as  “swim at your own risk” pools and require a pool access card which requires a $100 deposit to receive a key for entry. The Aquatic Center Lap Pool is open currently from 5 am – 10 pm, Monday – Saturday and Sundays 4 pm – 8 pm.  The Austin Park pool and The Lakes pool are open from 7 am – 8 pm.  Austin Park pool is closed on Thursdays for cleaning.  The Lakes pool is closed on Wednesdays for cleaning.

View Pool Hours

FCCSA members are able to reserve 8 of the neighborhood pools (excluding the Aquatic Center lap pool, Austin Park pool, The Lakes Pool) and the Heritage Colony Clubhouse for private parties during non-operating or program hours. For more information, please call First Colony Parks & Recreation at (281) 634-9555 or visit www.firstcolony.org.

Tennis court keys are available for members for the following tennis courts: Lexington Colony and Woodstream. Tennis keys are available at the FCCSA office, 4350 Austin Parkway, Monday– Friday, 8:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. A key requires a $20 deposit which is refundable after the key is returned to FCCSA when it is no longer needed.

FCCA parks and playgrounds are on a first-come-first-serve basis. For more information about the various parks and playgrounds, please visit www.firstcolony.org.

To reserve a Missouri City or Sugar Land park, picnic area and/or pavilion, please contact the following:

There are two components: General and Recreation.

The GENERAL portion is paid by all residential and commercial members and covers most FCCSA expenses including landscape, park and lake maintenance, street lighting, deed restriction enforcement, financial management, office expenses, insurance, legal services, taxes, and general and capital projects. The RECREATION portion is only paid by single-family residential members and pays for the operation and maintenance of FCCSA pools, tennis courts, parks, recreation reserves, and capital projects. Some neighborhoods pay an additional Neighborhood Assessment for special services or features.

Assessments are billed annually. The assessment statement is mailed in mid-November and due January 1. Full payment must be postmarked by January 31 to avoid interest and administrative charges. The envelope must be marked with the owner’s return address and account number. If you did
not receive your assessment in the mail by early December, please contact the Accounting Department at (281) 634-9512.

FCCSA can approve installment plans under a written agreement if a property owner is unable to pay the assessment in full by the due date. Generally, a payment plan for members with no previous collection problems would allow for up to four monthly installments. With a payment plan, interest and reduced administrative fees continue to accrue. While the plan is in effect, other collection steps are suspended, provided the member stays current with scheduled payments. To apply for the Payment Plan, please contact the Accounting Department at (281) 634-9512 or go to the Governing Documents where you can download the Payment Plan Request form. You should complete this form and bring it to the Administrative Building for processing.

Members must either pay their assessment in full by the noted deadline or they may request to pay their assessment through the approved Payment Plan process. Refer to the two previous questions for additional details.

No, it’s optional (voluntary). Please call the Association to have the fee removed or do not pay it and the fee will be removed by February 28th.

Questions related to your assessment can be e-mailed to acctg@firstcolony.org.

For Sugar Land residents go to the City of Sugar Land’s website at www.sugarlandtx.gov under Public Works for the schedule. For Missouri City residents call WCA Waste Corp. at (281) 368-8397.

Call Republic Services at (713) 937-9955 for information for City of Sugar Land. Call WCA at (281) 368-8397 for Missouri City residents.

Trash companies will not pick up: automobile parts, tree stumps and logs larger than 4’ in length or greater than 4” in diameter, dirt, construction debris, concrete, bricks, rocks, roofing materials, metal poles, trampoline frames, hazardous chemicals, lead batteries, motor oil, tires, gasoline, paint, landscape timbers over 2’ long or fence pickets with nails.

All trash cans or carts must be stored behind the wooden fence or in the garage– completely out of public view. Trash may be placed at the curb after 6 pm the night before pick up. The container must be placed out of public view by 6 pm the day of pick up.