Property and Grounds Committee

Meeting Summary         January 10, 2008

Committee Members Present:

Ken Blakeley     Franklin Buck   

Ken Burke                     Frank Burroughs

Janie Cindric                  Emery Dilda  (Villa Landscape Planning Chair)

Ann Graf                       Cindy Horan

Doug Ryan                    Bill Spring

Woody Wilmoth

Board Members Present:

Jake Bernard     Don Horan

Jack Mounts                  Chuck Strub

Don Webb  (Liaison)

Villa Board Member Present:

Paul Niemi

Committee Reports:

·   Roads, Sidewalks, Streetlights, Mailboxes

            - Woody will up-date the list of sidewalk repairs in the spring.

            - Expansion joints need to be filled in; Sylva was notified.

            - Some street signs are leaning in the Villa area.  Sylva was notified, and they will be added to the list again if new.    

·   SWM Ponds

            - The County is satisfied with the work that has been done on the three dry ponds, and they will continue to monitor them until the bond is released.  

            - Farrar will add some topsoil to the low, wet spots in Pond 4. 

            - Work on the area of 3 Rivers should start soon.  Rip-rap will be added to the channel that runs behind Castlewood, leading into 3 Rivers.

            - Shenandoah will be told to mow the bottom of the dry ponds only 2 or 3 times a year.  This is a requirement of the County’s SWM Maintenance program.  Once Pond 4 is off bond and the County turns the pond over to Falls Run, then we can plant willow trees and cattails, allowing the pond to develop into a natural area. 

·    Grounds and Landscaping

            - The County walked Section 2 on Dec. 18 and Section 3 on Jan. 9, 2008, and developed a short punch list of items to be completed before the bonds are released in these area.

            - A section of the walking path that runs from Bridgewater to Birchleaf Court will be repaved by Pulte.

            - Shenandoah fertilized in September and December.

            - The bench project has been delayed because of pricing conflicts with Shenandoah.  The style bench we chose is more costly to install because it has 4 legs.  The committee is still in favor of that style.  Janie is working with the dealer to bring the cost of purchasing and delivery down. Assembly of the benches could be done by volunteers.  Note: The Board approved the purchase of 4 benches, and 2 additional benches are being purchased by residents. If costs for the 4 benches exceed the original request, then a request for additional funding will go before the Board.

            - Wednesday, Feb. 13, 1 - 3 pm is the date for the Master Plan Phase I development meeting with Shenandoah and all interested residents.

            - Emery Dilda presented some details on the Villa landscape plan that they are developing for open spaces around the Villas.  They are working with Stafford Nursery.  

            - Frank Burroughs talked about letting some of our open spaces developinto natural areas, stating that grass and other plants generate oxygen while lawn mowers and weed whackers generate CO2.  Natural areas will need fewer chemicals such a weed killers and fertilizers, thus saving money on common area maintenance.  The natural area concept will be discussed with Shenandoah at the Master Plan Phase I meeting.

            - Frank experimented with 3 types of fertilizers in the Villa area.  An organic fertilizer produced the best results, and starting in the spring, and at an additional cost to the Villas, Shenandoah will use the organic fertilizer on the Villa grounds.  We will ask Shenandoah for a quote on the cost of using the same organic fertilizer in the common areas.

            - Frank suggested that bluebird houses could be placed along the fringes of the community.  Volunteers may want to purchase them and he would help install them.  Janie has a pattern and suggested that if we could find someone to cut the wood, then volunteers could make them.  

·   Resident Enhancement of Grounds Outside their Property Line

             - Chuck Strub, liaison to the Modifications Committee, said that the proposal for a Request for Resident Enhancement of Common Grounds is still being worked on by the Modifications Committee and should soon be ready to present to the Board.

Falls Run/Villa Common Grounds:

·   P & G was tasked at the Dec. 10 joint meeting of the FRCA Board and the Villa Board to discuss and make a recommendation for  “where we draw the lines of responsibility on common ground.”

            - Jake Bernard presented a map showing the single family homes and Villa homes and said the property divide begins with the boundary of the last single family home on Harborton.         

            - Emery Dilda said that the Villa Board has obtained maps from the County and they will use those documents to measure the boundary.  Until they measure, they will not acknowledge exactly where the boundary lies.

            - It was stated, and confirmed by Paul Niemi and other members of the P & G Committee that all land in the Villa area is common.

            - A map was presented showing the common area that the FRCA is maintaining.  The FRCA maintains all the common ground within the entire single family home area, pond 5 on Harborton, and the grounds along Plantation Drive between Tomorrow Street and Legend Drive.

            - It was suggested that, since both single family homeowners and Villa homeowners are paying for maintenance of the common ground in the entire single family home area, but only the Villa homeowners are paying for the maintenance of the common open areas in the Villa section, then FRCA could contribute toward the maintenance of the common open area in the Villa section such as around pond 5.  It was decided by all present, that this is a matter for both the FRCA Board and the Villa Board to sort out.  This is not a matter for the Property and Grounds Committee.  

Next meeting:  (Tentative) Feb. 14, 2008  4:00 pm.