Rocklin HOA Guide

Whitney Oaks HOA Guide: Master Association and Springfield

Whitney Oaks is a master-planned community in northern Rocklin. City records describe a plan of about 1,062 acres with a 168-acre golf course, 219 acres of park and open space, and 1,844 single-family lots proposed in three phases, the first approved by the City Council in 1996.

Rocklin city rules for HOAs New to the board? Start here

The Whitney Oaks Community Association, incorporated in 1997, says about 5,000 people live there. What makes Whitney Oaks different from most Rocklin neighborhoods is its layers: a master association, a 55+ association inside it, private gated streets, and a golf club that belongs to neither. This independent guide explains who does what.

Facts on this page were checked against the two associations’ public websites and City of Rocklin documents on October 9, 2026. Association rules and figures change, so confirm the current version with the association. For citywide rules on short-term rentals, ADUs, RV parking, oak trees, watering and fire zones, see the Rocklin HOA Guide. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

At a glance

The layers at a glance

Whitney Oaks Community Association (the master association)A California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, filed March 26, 1997. Five directors serve two-year terms. A management company assists the board with day-to-day management.

Springfield at Whitney Oaks Homeowners AssociationA gated 55+ community of 868 single-family homes inside Whitney Oaks, with its own volunteer board and paid staff. Owners belong to both associations.

Units 39 and 44City records list these two units as condominiums (28 and 73 homes). The master association posts supplemental documents, a separate paint book and utility repair rules for them.

Whitney Oaks golf courseA privately owned business that the association says operates independently from it.

City of RocklinCity parks such as Boulder Ridge Park, plus the city districts and taxes on the property tax bill.

Neither association publishes its assessment amounts on its public website, and no public source gives a reliable figure, so we do not quote one. Ask the association or your escrow officer for the current budget and assessment.

What the master association maintains

The association’s Owners Manual lists its common areas as private streets, landscaping, open space, entry gates, walls and lighting. That list includes private streets, which most associations do not carry.

StreetsPrivate streets with a 20 mph limit unless posted. The association announced street paving and seal coating through 2026, with a consulting firm first evaluating street condition.

GatesEntry gates with remotes, pedestrian keys and guest entry by phone from the gate. The association also posts a map of gates with battery backup.

Open space and trailsMore than 200 acres of common area, with about three and a quarter miles of asphalt or decomposed granite trail. Nine trails are named.

ParksSix association parks: Black Oak, Large Orchard, Small Orchard, Marie Hudson, Vivien and Pleasant Creek.

RecreationThe Hillcrest pool and fitness room and the Black Oak pool. The fitness room is open all year and the pools are seasonal.

PatrolA night patrol, generally 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., with an officer dedicated to the community.

DrainageThe association reported its Vivien Way drainage project complete apart from punch-list items.

Owners keep up the landscaping on their own lots and the strip between the sidewalk and the curb. The association can do the work and bill the owner after written notice and a chance to be heard by the board if it is neglected.

For a board or a finance committee, private streets are the item to watch. Paving, gates and drainage are among the largest costs an association can carry, and they belong in the reserve study years before the work is due.

What to do about it: How an HOA Should Manage Asphalt on Roads and Pavements, Understanding HOA Reserve Studies and What Are HOA Assets?

Springfield at Whitney Oaks: two associations, two sets of dues

Springfield is a gated 55+ community of 868 single-family homes built by Pulte Homes. Its owners are members of the Springfield association and of the Whitney Oaks master association, and they pay dues to both. Owners elsewhere in Whitney Oaks are not Springfield members and pay nothing to it. The master association’s website spells out the split:

Privacy gates, gate remotes, pedestrian gate keys and gate codesWhitney Oaks Community Association

Streets, street signs and sidewalksWhitney Oaks Community Association

DrainageWhitney Oaks Community Association

Springfield common areas and front yard landscapingSpringfield association

Clubhouses, pools, spa, exercise rooms and sports courtsSpringfield association, for Springfield residents and registered guests only

Springfield’s own facilities are two clubhouses, The Gables and The Oaks, two pools, a spa, two tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, two bocce lanes and nine walking trails. The Springfield board meets in the Whitney Room at The Gables.

The practical lesson for Springfield owners and directors: a pothole, a broken gate or a blocked drain is a master association matter, while a front yard or clubhouse issue belongs to Springfield. Sending the request to the right association saves time. For buyers, it means reading two sets of governing documents and two budgets.

Private streets mean association parking rules

On a public street, Rocklin Police enforce parking. On the association’s private streets, the association’s own rules and California towing law apply. The rules the master association posts include:

ResidentsNo overnight parking on association streets, defined as midnight to 6 a.m., without management approval. Residents may not use guest parking.

GuestsNo more than 72 hours in any seven days without a temporary variance

RVs and trailersNo more than 48 hours on an association street under the 2015 parking policy. The Owners Manual also limits temporary parking at a lot to 12 hours in any 24.

Commercial vehiclesThe 2015 policy bars parking a commercial vehicle on association streets and defines the term by weight (13 tons) or by Vehicle Code section 15210(b). The Owners Manual defines it more broadly. Ask management which applies.

Hillcrest areaA three-hour street limit on school days and during school events

TowingSigns at each neighborhood entrance, written authorization from the association, and notice to Rocklin Police

The association offers a parking variance request form. Because the two posted documents give different RV limits, ask management which one is current before you rely on either.

What to do about it: How to Set Up a Towing Service in Your Homeowners Association and How to Enforce HOA Rules in Your Homeowners Association.

Open space, trails and fences

The open space here is association common area. It is not one of the preserve units in the city’s open space monitoring reports. That matches what Rocklin’s oak tree preservation guidelines, last updated in 2006, describe: the city generally leaves development open space in private hands, often with an association, under a conservation easement. Among its governing documents, the master association lists a City of Rocklin open space conservation easement, an open space management plan, an agreement with the city about Pleasant Creek Park and an untreated irrigation water agreement. Any director dealing with trails, clearing or planting should read those four documents first.

The association’s open space rules tell owners to stay on marked paths and enter only at designated points. They bar campfires, motor vehicles, camping, dumping and removing vegetation. Only the association or a government agency may clear vegetation. The association also warns that rattlesnakes live along the trails.

Fences are where owners meet these rules most often. The association’s architectural rules, adopted in 2017, include:

Rear yards next to open spaceWrought iron. Uphill lots visible from the street: up to 6 feet, with stone base options. Downhill lots: 5 feet.

Yards next to the golf courseNo fence required. If one is built, welded steel pickets up to 60 inches.

Solid privacy fences6 feet at most, and not within 25 feet of a rear lot line that meets the golf course or open space

Not allowedChain link and mesh

Artificial turfAllowed with approval, up to 40% of a front yard and 40% of a visible side or back yard

The association also posts rules, dated 2023, under which the board may grant a variance to extend a fence line to the open space edge of a lot. They require open fencing on that side, a licensed survey and a licensed contractor, and they point owners to federal and state wetland and species laws.

The 2017 rules give the Architectural Review Committee 60 days to decide once an application is complete. The older Owners Manual says 45 days, so use the newer rules and confirm with management. The committee meets monthly, and any decision can be appealed to the board. A $1,000 refundable deposit applies to new construction and major remodels.

What to do about it: see how architectural requests work and How to Minimize Homeowners Association Liability.

The golf club is not the association

The association states that the Whitney Oaks Golf Course is a privately owned business that operates independently from it, under new ownership since 2023. Living in Whitney Oaks does not include use of the course or its facilities. City records show the course as about 168 acres of the plan area. For owners along the fairways, that means the course behind the fence is run by a private business, not by the association or the city, and questions about its upkeep go to the club.

City charges on the tax bill

Association dues are not the only recurring charge. The city names Whitney Oaks in two of its Mello-Roos districts, and every residential property in Rocklin pays the city park tax.

Community Facilities District No. 1 (formed 1986)Fire protection, ambulance and paramedic services. Covers Whitney Oaks, Stanford Ranch, Sunset West and other areas. No expiration.

Community Facilities District No. 5 (formed 1996)Street and parkway lights along landscaped thoroughfares, and landscaping in public rights-of-way and parks. Covers portions of Whitney Oaks. The maximum can rise 2% to 4% a year. No expiration.

Park Development and Maintenance TaxCity parks and recreation facilities. $30 a year for a single-family home or condominium, $10 at the senior rate.

District No. 5 covers only portions of Whitney Oaks, so check your own tax bill. When an owner asks why they pay the city for landscaping and the association too, the answer is that the two charges cover different land: public roadsides and city parks on one side, the association’s private common area on the other.

Quick answers

Questions Whitney Oaks owners and board members ask

Why do Springfield owners pay two sets of dues?

They belong to two associations. The master association maintains Springfield’s gates, streets, sidewalks and drainage. The Springfield association maintains front yards, its own common areas and its clubhouses. See What Assessments Your HOA Community Needs and Why.

Can other Whitney Oaks residents use Springfield’s clubhouses?

No. The master association’s site says Springfield’s facilities are for Springfield residents and their registered guests.

Does living in Whitney Oaks include golf?

No. The association says the golf course is a private business and that living in the community does not give complimentary use of it.

Can I rent my home short term?

The master association’s Owners Manual, revised in 2016, says leases must be in writing and for at least 30 days, and that owners must give management the tenant’s details and a copy of the lease. Rocklin’s short-term rental permit application asks about HOA restrictions, so check the current CC&Rs before applying to the city. More in How to Handle Short-Term Rentals in Your Community.

Who do I call about a street light, a pothole or a gate?

Inside the gates, streets and gates are the master association’s, so start with its management office. On public roads outside the gates, contact the city. If you are not sure which side of the line you are on, your recorded map will show it.

Is Whitney Oaks in a fire hazard zone?

Rocklin adopted High and Moderate fire hazard severity zones in 2025, and the city does not list them by neighborhood. Look up your own parcel on the city’s map. The Rocklin HOA Guide explains what each zone requires and how the city’s vegetation standard applies to open space.

How do I get involved?

The master association has an Architectural Review Committee, a Landscape Committee and a Finance Committee charter, and it posts a committee volunteer form. The board holds an open forum at its regular monthly session, and the annual meeting and director election are traditionally in November. See How to Set Up and Run HOA Committees and Things to Consider Before Joining Your HOA Board.

Keep going

Where to go next on How2HOA

City rulesRocklin HOA Guide.

NearbyWhitney Ranch.

Buying or selling here?Read Buying a House in an HOA? Here’s What You Need to Know and How to Sell a House in an HOA.

Treasurer or finance committee?Go to Understanding HOA Reserve Studies and the Annual HOA Budget Checklist.

Homeowner?See The Rights of Homeowners Association Members and Living in an HOA.

Sources for this guide

These sources open in a new tab.

Whitney Oaks Community Association: home page; Springfield at Whitney Oaks; board of directors; meetings; committees; documents, including the articles of incorporation, Owners Manual (2016), parking and towing policy (2015), architectural rules (2017) and fence line relocation rules (2023); projects; parks and schools; trails and wetlands; pools and fitness; golf course; remotes, keys and patrol.

Springfield at Whitney Oaks Homeowners Association: who we are; facilities.

City of Rocklin: Whitney Oaks development activity sheet, January 2013; Community Facilities District No. 1; Community Facilities District No. 5; Park Development and Maintenance Tax; Boulder Ridge Park; oak tree preservation guidelines; 2022 open space annual monitoring report; fire hazard severity zones; City Council recap, June 10, 2025.

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This page is general educational information, not legal, financial or insurance advice. How2HOA is not affiliated with the associations named here, and nothing on this page speaks for them. Each association’s governing documents and current published rules control, so confirm details with the association and talk with a qualified professional about your situation.