Phone:
At the March board meeting we approved the Landscape Master Plan that describes what we do to maintain the common area. Since I’m new to Landscape Committee, creating this document gave me a chance to capture what the current process is for anyone who might follow in my footsteps. I also learned a thing or two while working on the document. For example, did you know you shouldn’t trim large trees during bird nesting season (February-September). I didn’t and fortunately Pam Negri spotted this oversight just in time for me to postpone this year’s large tree trimming to a time when birds weren’t nesting. I also learned that one of the large trees at the south end of Via Gelsomino has a Cooper’s Hawk building a nest! Having beautiful green space in our community that attracts wildlife is one of the reasons I enjoy living here.
At the March Board meeting we also approved the Yard Rules and Regulations that is a simple and easy to understand policy that articulates what each homeowner should be doing to maintain their yard. The need for this document came about because of the confusion about what homeowners can do behind their walls in the common area and some complaints about weedy yards. If you are wondering, you can trim weeds and low shrubs only in the 10-12 feet of flat area behind your home. You cannot trim trees! Remember that trimmed plant material should NEVER be left in the common area but must be removed as it is too tempting to pack rats. Most of our homeowners do a great job of keeping their visible yards maintained which helps the overall appearance of our community so thanks to all of you for that! I’d like to thank John Klein, Susie Struck, Pam Negri, and Guy Scharf who all helped get these documents in order.
We will be spending the remaining part of 2016 doing normal maintenance (keeping our common areas neat and tidy, trimming a few designated large trees, bi-yearly pre-emergent spraying of 37 sites, quarterly pack rat control, handling irrigation problems.)
I want to thank the homeowners who have notified us of water leaks. The faster we address these the less it will impact our water bills. Please don’t hesitate to call or email me if you notice a leak and it can be helpful if you specify the closest address and time/day you spotted the leak. As summer approaches I expect we’ll see a few more of these leaks.