Archives
March Yard of the Month
Perry Residence
We have a tie for Yard of the Month for March. Please congratulate Cindy Perry of 8308 Yucca Trail and Graham and Alice Kennedy of 8516 Wheeling for their great looking yards.
Selection was based on the quality of the lawn, trees and shrubs, beds and natural areas, seasonal color and general appearance.
Graham Residence
With Spring in the air, the neighborhood is looking at its best. And choosing from so many nice looking homes is a daunting task.
Thanks to our panel of judges — Jen Magee, Bill Pappas and Mimi Raub — for judging our March nominees.
If you have a nomination for Yard of the Month for April, please submit the name of your candidate to leisurepaul@gmail.com by Friday, April 29, 2011 for consideration.
February Yard of the Month
1st Place, 8524 Averell Court
Yard of the Month for February is awarded to Michael and Sheri Farmer of 8524 Averell Court. The manicured shrubs, fresh coating of mulch and rich green lawn show that these owners take pride in their yard’s appearance. And as a corner lot, they have twice the frontage to maintain.
Runner up for February is Mimi Raub of 2708 Coxindale. Also a corner lot, Mimi just had a new screened porch added. Despite the construction, the yard looks great.
2nd Place, 2708 Coxindale
Congratulations to the homeowners and thanks to Jen Magee and Bill Pappas who served on the judging panel.
‘Law Day’ for the HOA
Registering for the CAI at the UNC Friday Center
Brian Wessler Welcomes Attendees to the CAI
Yesterday promised to be a gorgeous day, and I dreaded the idea of spending it in a conference room listening to lawyers expound on the latest nuances of pending legislation regulating home owner association operation. But I had been extended this invitation to attend by Matoka of Charleston Management, our property management company, and I had agreed to attend. Afterall, the conference was being put on by the Community Associations Institute and Brian Wessler, President of Charleston Management, is also the 2011 President of North Carolina chapter of the CAI.
I expected to be in a classroom of 20 or so with some tips on do’s and don’ts of operating within an HOA. What I encountered instead was roughly 300 attendees representing HOAs (60%), property management professionals (35%) and representatives from some of the states most prestigious law firms (5%). The whole event was larger in scope, attendance and level of professionalism than I had imagined.
And here is what I learned. The perception of most homeowners of their HOA boards is that “there must be something wrong with them” to want to serve (ouch). And because of bad practices of some HOA boards, there is a bill before the NC legislature that would require greater transparency in the meeting, rule-making and enforcement process. Finally, as board members, we have to bend over backwards to “wear the white hat”, particularly in the areas of rule enforcement.
we have to bend over backwards to “wear the white hat”
I also learned (with relief) that the Alyson Pond HOA and Board is not one of the problem ones. While we are not perfect, we’re doing a lot of things right.
- Regularly scheduled (every two months) board meetings
- Convenient board meeting location (at the clubhouse)
- Access to policies and forms through the website
- A forum for notifications and discussion through the online blog
- ‘town hall’ type meetings to air and discuss future decisions
So, at the end of the day ( metaphorically), I concluded that the sacrifice of a pleasant Saturday was indeed worthwhile and of benefit to facilitating the work we have ahead.
Yard of the Month
The Hicks Residence
Yard of the Month for January 2011 is awarded to Kimberly Hicks. Her home at 2504 Sugar Maple Court seems to have escaped the ravages of this Winter (but is more likely due to a lot of her hard work). The verdant green lawn is punctuated by colorful pansies in the front bed.
Shrubs have been plucked clean of Falls leaves and fresh mulch covers the beds. The neat, colorful appearance is a reminder that, even in the dead of Winter, a beautiful yard can be attained.
Despite a brutal Winter, the Hicks home has a beautifully green lawn and colorful pansy beds.
Alyson Pond Master Plan – Third Installment
Alyson Pond Playground
E. Playground Perimter Walk The purpose of the perimeter walk is to provide access from the parking lot to the playground facilities, the tennis courts and the walkway on the dam and the gazebo and dock on the pond.
The walkway begins at the parking lot with a wide 8′ landing that carries you through the entry gates into the playground area. it stops first at the information Center where the path splits with the right path circling to the right of the playground with spurs going to the tennis courts and to the basketball court. It continues around to the picnic bench area where another spur climbs the hill to the bridge, dam walkway and gazebo and dock.
The path to the left circles to the left side of the playground and has another access point there. It continues by some seating benches and joins with the right path at the picnic tables. From there another spur climbs the hill and connects to the dam pathway on the other side of the bride. The dam path then connects to the patio at the back of the clubhouse.
The path is a paved surface (asphalt, concrete, chapel hill gravel) that is 4 feet wide and without steps for at least one complete segment allowing for strollers, wheelchairs and bikes to utiize it. Those sections that pass over drainage swales will have ‘bridges’ of treated planking to allow water to pass underneath and pedestrian traffic above. The path will further be constructed soas to be compliant with ADA requirements for accessiblity. This may require routing changes, additional access points, wheelchair parking or “ground” space, accessable surfaces in the “use” zone, ramps and elevated routes or transfer systems.
F. Kiddy Pool – The purpose of the ‘kiddy’ or wading pool is to a provide a safe water feature for toddlers. The pool would be located adjacent to the existing pool compound.
A detailed analysis is required to determine to what degree existing infrastructure could support the pool addition. Specific areas to be adressed are:
• structural stability and finish
• water circulation, heating and filtration
• skimming, inlets and outlets
• cross-connection control
• maintenance costs for chemical control and water testing
G. Other – Included in this section are additional landscape plants and irrigation systems. The purpose of the landscape plants is beautify the area, provide shade, control erosion and reduce landscape maintenance cost. The purpose of the irrigation system is provide healthier turf for erosion control and to provide a higher quality recreation area.
The hillsides adjacent to the pool and on the backside of the dam would be take out of turf and planted with shrubs to eliminmate the liability of a dangerous mowing area and to improve the aesthetics of the grounds. Trees would be planted around the playground to replace those damaged by storms and to provide shade and comfort in the playground area. Other existing turf and bed areas would be reviewed for compatibility with form and function based on current and projected growth.
To maintain the plantings and turf in the clubhhouse/playground area, an irrigation system would be installed. In keeping with new regulations, smart control systems would be employed. To improve efficiency and reduce operating cost cost, the pond would be utilized as the water source.
Finally, additional lighting would be installed for improved security and after-dusk enjoyment of the landscape features. For safety and reduced operting costs, low voltage LED systems will be utilized.
This concludes the review of the items addressed in the 2000 Master Plan for Alyson Pond. The next step is to identify items that were not included then, but are of general interest to include today. These items will be collected from the results of the homeowner surveys, email feedback from this series of blogs and a special meeting to be convened for the sole purpose of discussing the Master Plan.
Once all this input has obtained, the next step will be to determine today’s costs of each of the projects and then rank them according to their cost/benefit. This step may include the employment of additional expertise to develop more detailed specifications of form and function and contractor feedback to options and costs.
Once this data is in hand, the Master Plan will be revised and the funding for the Plan evaluated to take into account current escrow amounts and allocations to the fund.
The final step will be developing an installation calendar and letting bids for the work to be done.
Yard of the Month
Powers Residence, 2628 Iman
“Yard of the Month” for December is awarded to the home with the best holiday decorations. This year we have a tie. Congratulations to David and Christine Powers at 2628 Iman and Chris and Laurie Burchell at 8414 Yucca. Thank you for helping to make the season merry and bright!
Burchell Residence, 8414 Yucca
Judging was conducted by a panel of three who ranked their top 3 choices. The rankings were consolidated and the lowest overall scores were declared the winners.
Thank you to Jennifer Magee and Mimi Raub who assisted me with the judging.
Alyson Pond Master Plan – Second Installment
As announced in the December newsletter, I was asked by the Board to post a series of blogs on the Master Plan. This is the second of these blogs. The purpose is to:
- understand what the current Master Plan is, and what it is not
- to begin discussions on the relevance and worth of existing plan projects
- to solicit new ideas for the plan
Last week we talked about the first two projects: A. The Trellis (Pergola) and B. Fence and Gate. This week we’ll be talking about C. The Information Center and D. The Deck and Gazebo.
Project C. The Information Center The purpose of the Information
Information Center
Center is to provide a structure that houses bulletin boards/cases for postings by homeowners and notifications by the Association Board or its standing committees.
The appearance of the Center would be modeled after the Clubhouse entrance, with columns supporting a porch that protects the bulletin board / cases from the weather.
The clapboard siding, paint and shingles will be chosen to match the Clubhouse. The back of the information center would have double doors for easy access to storage of signage, Holiday decorations, and other Association property that is currently stored elsewhere.
Project D. The Deck and Gazebo The purpose of the Deck and Gazebo
Deck and Gazebo
is to provide a destination from which the pond can be more fully enjoyed. The deck would serve as a pier for fishing or tying up small water craft like canoes or kayaks. The gazebo provides a covered area from the sun where an observer can contemplate the vista or enjoy a casual lunch.
The construction of both structures is of treated pine. The decking is finished in a translucent or transparent stain. The Gazebo structure is painted in a trim color to match the Clubhouse and shingled with matching asphalt shingles.
(To be continued next week – Perimeter Walk and Landscaping)
Alyson Pond Master Plan – Your Ideas Needed
Draft of the Alyson Pond Master Plan adopted in 2000
Ten years ago the Alyson Board approved a Master Plan of capital improvement projects to be undertaken for the Clubhouse common area. The Plan was a result of input from the community and consists of two parts: 1) a graphical representation in plan view with some elevation details and 2) cost estimates for each of the projects. From this information, the Board subsequently adopted a funding mechanism whereby a portion of our homeowners’ dues would be escrowed for a Master Plan Fund.
Since the adoption of the Plan, the escrow fund has built up but most of the projects of the plan have not been initiated. There are three possible explanations for this:
- the succession of Boards has not understood or embraced the Plan
- the projects in the Plan are no longer relevant and not worthy of execution
- other priorities have siphoned off interest or funding from the plan
There is a recent occurrence of item 3. In its last regular meeting, the Board voted for a one-time reduction in the allocation to the Master Plan to divert funds to the general operating budget to forestall a dues increase for FY 2011.
As announced in the December newsletter, I was asked by the Board to post a series of blogs on the Master Plan. This is the first of these blogs. The purpose is to:
- understand what the current Master Plan is, and what it is not
- to begin discussions on the relevance and worth of existing plan projects
- to solicit new ideas for the planI will discuss two of the Master Plan Projects this week, and then one each week over the next four weeks.
First, we may need to ask “Do we even need a Master Plan?”. There is already an escrow for replacement of existing structures. For example, the roof to the clubhouse will need replacement every so many years, the parking lot will need to be resurfaced every x years, the tennis courts will need to be repainted, and so on. Charleston Management has been tasked with reviewing our current replacement life and cost data for these existing items. This fund is separate and distinct from the Master Plan Fund but may need adjustment based on the results of this review.
A Master Plan has several benefits. It enables us to identify projects that have long-term benefit to the community. It provides a basis for determining the cost of these improvements. It allows for the prioritization of projects based on the cost/benefit. Finally, it documents these decisions and serves as a long-term guide and plan to their implementation.
So what is the Alyson Pond Master Plan? It consists of six projects:
A. Trellis. Upgrading the poolside pergola to be architecturally consistent with the Clubhouse
B. Fence and Gate. Installing a perimeter ‘iron’ fence to protect the playground area
C. Information Center. A building that houses a display case for messages, announcements and additional storage
D. Deck and Gazebo. A deck/pier and gazebo on the pond by the current bridge
E. Playground Walk. A paved walkway around the playground area and connecting to the parking lot, clubhouse and dam walkways
F. Landscaping. New planting areas on the hill and by the playground and tennis courts, irrigation to maintain lawn and plant beds and lighting
Project A. Trellis The purpose of this project is to bring the pergola by the pool in compliance with Alyson Pond architectural guidelines.
It includes removing the diagonal cross-brace, which is aesthetically unattractive and replacing it with a lattice structure to reinforce the posts, similar to a truss, to prevent racking. The second part of this project is to wrap the posts with fiberglass or comparable columns to match the Clubhouse columns.
Project B. Fence and Gate At the time this project was adopted, it was felt that the Alyson Pond playground facilities were being used (and perhaps abused) by others who did not live in Alyson Pond. The fence was designed to deter others from accessing the playground area from the parking lot on Yucca Drive.
It includes a six foot fence of ‘wrought iron’ appearance (either steel or aluminum) to extend from the corner of the pool house to the walkway by the parking lot and next to the lot to Yucca drive where it would connect with the existing section of fence protecting the dam overflow culvert and terminate at the residential property on the corner of Yucca and Wheeling. Entry into the playground area is through a custom double gate with Alyson Pond logo. The gate is to be locked in a consistent manner as the lock to the pool fence. Brick columns flank the gate and are mounted at the corners and at intervals and in a style consistent with the existing columns around the pool.
Note that the fence does not entirely enclose the playground area. It does provide a deterrent from casual access to the playground area and may protect smaller children from wandering into the parking area or being easily abducted by way of the parking lot.
(to be continued next week)
Yard of the Month
- The Pappas Residence
The Yard of the Month for November, 2010 is awarded to Bill and Donna Pappas.
Their home, located at 2809 Coxindale (next to the Clubhouse), would have been a good choice for the award any month this summer based on the beautiful flower garden that Donna maintains. But what really set them apart this month was the newly completed renovation of the back yard. Here, they installed artificial turf to replace the struggling fescue lawn.
“Ducks and dogs have take their toll” says Bill. “Now all I have to do is hose it down and it is as good as new”. In addition to easy upkeep, the lawn is environmentally friendly, especially at their pondside location. Runoff of fertilizers and pesticides is no longer a concern and this new addition will protect the water quality of Alyson Pond.
For December, Yard of the Month will be awarded to the home with the best Holiday display. So get out your lights, greenery, ribbons and bows! Judging will be conducted on Sunday, December 26, 2010.
A new putting green and dog run are almost maintenance free
Join us for the Holiday Breakfast – Dec 11, 10:30am
We hope everyone, young and old, can come to the clubhouse this Saturday, December 11th at 10:30am to celebrate the holiday season.
A light breakfast will be served and entertainment will be provided by Trish Miller.
Alyson Pond Homeowner's Association 