Neighborhood Update | August 10, 2018

So for the first time in a long time I can tell  you that not much work has happened over the last two weeks and as a result, this will be a short update. To put things in perspective let’s talk about some numbers. Sixteen days in a row of rain, total rainfall by August 1st that exceeds our annual average, vendors that were able to have crews work only eight of the twenty-two workdays in the month of July. The amount of water our whole region has had to deal with has severely disrupted scheduling and production across the board. Thankfully our weather pattern seems to be back to our normal cycle of hot, humid days. Crews were able to get back to work on the next section of Rosewood Landing earlier this week and it is beginning to dry out.

Many of you have expressed concern about the amount of time it took for Yardnique to come out and provide lawn service. The reality is that they should not come out as soon as the rain stops as their heavy mowers would have turned your yard into a mud bog. Representatives from Yardnique came out multiple times during the three week period we had so much rain and determined that mowing would cause more damage. So why did some model homes get cut before your house? Some of the builders choose to have their own outside contract with lawn maintenance companies for their model homes, and it was much simpler to mobilize for the maintenance of one house than one-hundred. The same is true for the entrance and the area around Davis Square. We contract with a separate company for the maintenance of those areas and pay more for additional services. Situations like the last several weeks are frustrating to be sure, but please realize that issues like this have to be balanced with the desire to control costs, preventing damage to the existing landscaping and the availability of crews to perform the work.

The committee working on suggestions for our Architectural Guidelines met again today and is preparing to distribute a simple “cheat sheet” about our guidelines for you to refer to in the future. Thanks to those who have dedicated a great deal of time and effort to this worthy cause. We will be passing out the new document at our next “Free Chicken Wings” night on Thursday, August 23rd and you will also have a chance to ask questions about the guidelines and how the HOA will manage both applications and violations in the future.

The pool company has done some extra cleaning at the pool to account for the recent heavy rains and thanks to those who pointed out some problems. Excessive rain can wreak havoc with pool chemistry, and we think they now have it under control. The pool service provider will also be working on cleaning the furniture around the pool. You may have noticed some areas of rust popping up at the court areas. One of the causes is iron particles in the asphalt bleeding through the court surface, and the other is the area where the nets are secured to the playing surface. We are working with the installation company to remedy this to the extent we can. Mitch Wallace has been working on the construction of new columns at the entrance to the RV/Tennis area, and those will be up-lit as well.

In the next couple of weeks, you will see some new signage going up at the entrance to the marina and the boat ramp that will spell out some rules of use. They are mainly safety-related rules and are designed to remind all of us that both the marina and riverwalk are man-made amenities within a natural setting. Both the river and the surrounding wildlife were here first, and we need to respect both their beauty and their hazards.

Don’t forget to check the website calendar for the latest schedule of bands at Porches and to keep up with club and neighborhood events. There will be some upcoming posts about some new clubs, some “re-energized clubs” and some new additions to the Community Activity Room in the near future. Porches will be closed for a private party on Saturday, August 18th and the Farmer’s Market will not be held that day either. Stay tuned for an update from Farmer Steve about a really special Farmer’s Market event on Saturday, August 25th.

Free Wing Night – As we mentioned earlier, come by for some free wings and great fellowship on Thursday, August 23rd beginning at 5:30.

Thanks again to everyone for their patience during our “monsoon season” and also for all of the volunteers that have contributed in so many ways with their time and effort to make this such a great neighborhood.

Have a fantastic weekend.

John Lennon