Living in the Neighborhood


Have a Townhome Maintenance Problem?

  • Check the “Component Responsibility Spreadsheet” on the Association website.
  • If the problem is listed as a responsibility of the Association, call and report the problem to:

Abbott Enterprises – 704.527.2314
Kara Killette (Maintenance Coordinator – ext. 106
or
Maureen Floyd (Community Assistant) – ext. 114

  • The Council of Stewards and Abbott Enterprises have developed a more efficient process which will be approved at the August COS meeting and then mailed to all townhome owners.
Please provide feedback on how the system works by calling Gary Simmons (phone: 704.896.5749).

Chairperson Needed — OktoberFest 2010

Time is running out. We are looking for one or two neighbors to chair this annual event. There always seems to be an endless supply of helpers and volunteers, but we do need a chairperson. There are also plenty of notes on experience from previous years. If you are interested, please contact a member of the Council of Stewards. A chairperson must be named by August 1 to insure continuation of this tradition.

The neighborhood celebrates with a party annually in Faulkner Square. This is a budgeted event supported by the Neighborhood Association. Advance planning is required to reserve park facilities from the Town of Davidson.

 

Expanded Recycling Rules in Effect

Effective July 1, the number of items accepted for recycling in Davidson (and Mecklenburg County) expanded. More good news for most residents is that there will be no changes in the weekly recycle service in Davidson. The town voted against switching to the twice monthly recycling pick-ups with larger containers. Davidson will continue to use existing recycling bins for the weekly Wednesday collection. (Charlotte and Cornelius are shifting to the larger containers.)
New items that may be recycled include:

  • All plastic bottles and jugs, except No. 6. [Remember: It is now illegal in North Carolina for county landfills to accept any No. 1 or No. 2 plastic containers. These must be recycled.]
  • Wide-mouth plastic containers and tops (e.g.: margarine tubs, yogurt containers).
  • Rigid plastics (e.g.: Children’s toys, buckets, other household goods).
  • Empty aerosol cans.
  • Coated paper milk and juice cartons and juice boxes.

Other items acceptable now for recycle (newspapers, glass, aluminum & metal cans, cardboard, magazines, junk mail, and phone books) will continue to be picked up. [Note: Cardboard must be cut to pieces no larger than 3’ X 3’ in order to be collected.]

Items not included on the list: plastic grocery bags, plastic food trays & cups, ceramics, pots & pans, pizza boxes, paper plates, batteries, light bulbs, wire hangers, and Styrofoam. Non-recyclable items such as used electronics, batteries, household hazardous waste, and neon light bulbs may be dropped off at the North Mecklenburg Recycling Center (Highway 21, Huntersville) on Mondays through Saturdays, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

E-Mail Delivery of Your Newsletter

It is the long-term goal of the Newsletter Committee to eventually provide residents with an electronic copy of the newsletter and to drastically reduce the number of hand-delivered copies. Please send me an e-mail at davidbsmith@bellsouth.net if you are interested in an electronic copy only. Please include your name, street address, phone number, and e-mail address. This action is being taken to streamline delivery and reduce Association costs. If you are a resident owner, but have previously requested your newsletter by mail, please contact Abbott and change your delivery to e-mail and request that Abbott remove your name from their list.

Yard-of-the-Month — June and July, 2010

The Landscape & Grounds Committee congratulates Jeff & Celia Felthaus of 228 O. Henry Avenue as the June 2010 winner of the “Yard-of-the-Month.” Many of the homes along the curve on O. Henry Avenue have been in the running each month, but the Felthaus home is an eye-catching standout.

The front and both side yards are nicely landscaped and well tended. There is much seasonal color to enhance the shrubs and well trimmed yard. The area between the sidewalk and street is well kept and the two maples enhance the total picture. Plants on both sides of the front door fit the ground landscape. Rocking chairs on the front porch beg for neighbors to spend a relaxing summer evening. The best description of this winner is quite simply “neat.”

Although this is to the back of our neighborhood, please take the time to “cruise” along O. Henry Avenue and enjoy this yard and home.

Felthaus home

The American flag hangs proudly along with the “Star of Excellence.” Once again, my photography cannot possibly describe the color and comfort expressed by this winner!

Congratulations to the Felthaus Family!

The Landscape & Grounds Committee congratulates Pat and Mike Stenhouse of 115 Caldwell Avenue as the July 2010 winner of the “Yard-of-the-Month.” The Stenhouse’s are not new to the Star of Excellence. Their yard was also chosen in August 2006 and will now enter the Neighborhood Honor Roll of repeat winners!

As a corner lot (Caldwell Lane and Twain Avenue), there is much work to be done in order to present a winning face. Mike and Pat have both spent many hours working in their yard and they have done an outstanding job. The entire yard and all shrubs are well trimmed and enhanced with seasonal color. The trees, shrubs and flowers give great visual appeal from every angle and are well mulched and tended. The black iron fencing is accented with brick columns. This bright yellow Charleston-style home with black shutters should not be missed. Whether seated on the lower porch or relaxing in the hammock on the upper porch, there is a welcome appeal to this month’s winner!

Stenhouse home

The American flag hangs proudly at the “front door.” Charleston home addresses are always determined by the street facing the front porch side door. The Star of Excellence will be a proud addition during July.

Congratulations to Mike and Pat Stenhouse!

Thank You, Judy McLean

The neighborhood owes a special Thank You to Judy McLean for mowing and upkeep of the grass area next to the off-leash dog park and along property lines for homes on the east side of Clemens Place. Judy gives the “Star of Excellence” each month to a winning yard. This month, Judy herself receives a big “Gold Star” for work above-and-beyond the call of duty.
Note: I feel certain that other volunteers to complete this task would be welcome!

Ad Hoc Neighborhood Beautification Committee Formed

In the June Council of Stewards meeting, discussion centered on current budget shortfalls for the Town of Davidson and an increasing lack of maintenance by the town in neighborhood park areas. Since most of the New Neighborhood parks are owned by the Town of Davidson, there is an obvious concern by all residents regarding the drop in upkeep and appearance. Faulkner Square has suffered the most. Davidson has notified the Association that tasks previously covered under their responsibility will likely fall short of past expectations and may not be done at all. This includes the planting of seasonal color, painting of arbors, repair and painting of fences, and tree maintenance. Some needed road and curb damage may possibly be covered under federal stimulus funds, but are not a guarantee since these funds have not yet been earmarked for specific jobs.

Owners and residents have repeatedly expressed dismay and frustration and are looking for a solution to the problem. At the COS meeting, Gary Simmons and Dave Stout agreed to co-chair an ad hoc Neighborhood Beautification Committee in order to look at alternative means of care and maintenance. The mission of this committee is to explore what measures might be necessary to maintain the appearance and maintenance standards established for our neighborhood parks owned and maintained by the Town of Davidson. The new committee is working with the town to determine what level of service the town will still be able to provide and what the neighborhood might be willing to assume above this basic level to help maintain our standards. This committee is exploring what projects can be performed by neighborhood volunteers and/or civic groups interested in helping with such town beautification projects. Members are also investigating what projects the Association may want to fund and contract out to avoid deterioration or damage that may result from a lack of maintenance.

The first meeting of this new committee was held on June 25. Current members include Dave Stout and Gary Simmons (co-chairs), Sam Coleman, Judy McLean, and Dave Smith. Additional volunteers to help with the committee are welcome. Dave Smith has agreed to act as liaison between our neighborhood and the Town of Davidson to identify what services the town is still able to provide and what tasks they will be unable to provide. Immediate needs are obvious, but the list may fluctuate from year to year as the town’s budget changes. The plan will be updated as needed.

The following items were identified as priority projects that will need immediate action:

  • The Town of Davidson will continue to mow the grass in Faulkner Square. However, the park is in need of additional maintenance (e.g.: trimming and mulching shrubs & trees, cleaning and painting the pergolas, and planting of seasonal color in beds).
  • Other parks (Ashby & Forest Parks) are in need of mulching and soil control to avoid further erosion and exposure of tree roots that could lead to dead trees and potential safety & appearance issues.
  • Some fencing within the neighborhood (particularly around sports fields) has been damaged and is in need of repair and painting. Long-term maintenance may be a bigger issue.
  • Some street trees, normally maintained by the Town of Davidson, have died and been removed. Others are suffering disease and are not healthy.
  • There are dead trees in Ashby Park (and perhaps others) that may present a future safety issue if not removed.

The following small projects were identified for immediate attention and assigned to committee members for immediate action:

  • Gary Simmons and Judy McLean will address damage to the fencing along the entrance from Grey Road with our current landscaping contractor to see what repairs they may be willing to resolve. Plans will be addressed to prevent further deterioration.
  • Sam Coleman and Gary Simmons will research needed repairs and maintenance on the Faulkner Square pergolas (i.e.: arbors) and alternatives for cleaning and painting.
  • Dave Stout will take responsibility for replacing missing pickets in park fences and other minor repairs.
  • Judy McLean will continue to work with the town in regards to regular mowing of neighborhood parks, including the areas around and within the off-leash dog park.
  • Dave Smith will work with the Town of Davidson to provide free mulch for parks and possibly restore dead street trees. Removal of currently dead trees in parks is a safety priority.

Obviously, there is plenty of work to do and a big need for volunteers. Here is a golden opportunity to make a lasting contribution to your neighborhood! The committee is particularly interested in volunteers with landscaping expertise or painting and light carpentry skills. We all want to maintain high standards of living and beauty within the neighborhood while upholding property values. The Association and the committee will continue to work with the Town of Davidson and are in hopes that future years will present fewer budget restrictions. However, in practical terms, this approach may become the norm.

If you are interested in volunteering or if you have suggestions regarding specific issues, please contact Gary Simmons (phone: 704.896.5749; e-mail: 1garysimmons1@bellsouth.net) or Dave Stout (phone: 704.895.9117; e-mail: david.stout@allstate.com).

Now is a perfect time to step up as a volunteer for our neighborhood!

Correct Abbott & Website Personal Data

Abbott Enterprises and the Association are continuing to experience major problems due to incorrect personal data (especially post office box numbers) in the database. For new residents, post office box numbers are supposed to be listed at closing. However, frequently this data is not available at that time. Since billing information, billing coupon books, and other important or official information cannot be delivered by Abbott to a street address, it is imperative that this key piece of data be given to Abbott as soon as possible. Abbott can then correct their database for official mailings. Remember: Phone number changes and e-mail changes are also important to Abbott.

As most owners and residents are aware, there is also a neighborhood website which includes an on-line (and printable) directory. Due to new owners failing to enter data and current residents or owners failing to make changes when appropriate, this database has become inaccurate and unreliable. The Association does not download the Abbott database due to technical problems in doing so. Instead, it relies on owners and residents making changes to that database on-line.

Unfortunately, the neighborhood website is full of the names of residents no longer living in New Neighborhood. In order to correct this problem, new owners are requested to let Steve Lee, Webmaster, know when a name and associated data need to be removed. There is an e-mail contact tab for the Webmaster on the website. You may not change or delete another person’s personal data. The Webmaster must do this.

In order to change your own personal data (i.e.: P. O. Box number changes, new e-mail addresses, new phone numbers), enter the website (www.stalbanssq.org) and enter the “MEMBER’S AREA.” Then click on “VIEW AND UPDATE MY DIRECTORY INFORMATION” and make the appropriate addition or change. If you have forgotten your password to information in the Member’s Area, there is a menu item to request a new password from the Webmaster. This can usually be done in less than a day.

Newsletter Delivery Volunteers

Thanks go to all of our delivery volunteers! The May crew included Adria & Woody Appleby, Harold & Paula Bell, Barbara Dillman, Joyce Feir, Tom Fischer, Jo & Bob Herman, Anne Jerands, and Dave Smith. Some neighbors have been faithfully helping for many months and new volunteers are always welcome in order to provide a little “vacation” for these folks!

If you wish to volunteer, please call Dave Smith at 704.987.1472 (e-mail davidbsmith@bellsouth.net).

 

St. Albans Square Neighborhood Associationfountain