Living in the Neighborhood

Spring Landscaping Plans

Don’t forget! – Mecklenburg County water restrictions are still in effect and likely to remain unchanged until mid-year, depending on rainfall amounts. If you are unsure about these restrictions and want details, visit www.charmeck.org /Departments /Utilities /WaterSmart or revisit the October 2007 newsletter issue (page 3) by viewing past issues on our website.

With the restrictions in mind, the following landscaping actions will be followed:

Watering with conventional irrigation systems is not permitted. The neighborhood irrigation systems will not be checked out or turned back on until this restriction is lifted.
In four to six weeks, fresh mulch will be applied in all townhome and common areas as usual.
Fertilizer and over seeding will occur as usual. If rainfall amounts continue at normal levels, this should improve visual appearance even without irrigation.
Spring plantings in common areas will occur in April or May. Plantings this year will be types that require little water to grow and survive.
The front fountain will remain off. The Clemens Square water feature will continue to run since there are fish in that fountain.
The landscaping upgrade on Twain Avenue will remain on hold until later in the year. It was originally thought that continuing with this project would not be a problem since irrigation was going to be converted to a soaker system. However, if Charlotte-Mecklenburg goes to the next level of restriction by summer, even soaker systems will be prohibited, putting new growth at risk.

Coleman Burnett of Coleman Burnett, Inc., the Association’s landscaping service contractor, requests your continuing patience during the water shortage period. His crew will continue to do what they can to keep our neighborhood the visual showcase that it is.

SPINN 2008 Volunteers Needed — Now!

For the last five years, the neighborhood has celebrated SPINN (Spring Party in New Neighborhood) in Faulkner Square. This is an annually budgeted event supported by the Neighborhood Association. However, it does require organization and communication in order to occur and be a success.

Adria & Woody Appleby (St. Alban’s Lane) chaired the event in 2007 and did an outstanding job. They have agreed to help again this year, but we need one or two volunteers to work as chairpersons for 2008.

This is the second call for volunteers. We need your help! Our neighborhood has been blessed with many neighbors who have been willing to help and work hard, but we need to develop new volunteers. This is a perfect opportunity to get involved. As always, this is not a one person (or one couple) job. It takes a lot of good volunteers to make a successful team. Lots of notes and boxes of supplies are available from past years to jump-start the planning process. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Dave Smith (704.987.1472) or any other member of the Council of Stewards.

This is a great way to celebrate New Neighborhood each spring and to meet both old and new neighbors. We are expecting the biggest party yet in 2008!

Common Problems in David Weekly Homes

Several residents in David Weekly homes, especially on Fairview Lane, have noted two problems that seem to be widespread among these homes. The first problem involves premature rotting and failure of wood trim, particularly around windows and doors. Another problem with the wood material has been noticed in those homes with fake dormers nailed to the roof. The trim appears to be a press-board composite that is particularly sensitive to moisture once the surface or caulking is compromised.

Wood Trim Issues

When approached by individual residents, David Weekly has been of little help in resolving this issue. The material does not appear to still be under warranty, even though some homes were seeing problems within the first year of use.

The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) makes the following recommendations regarding this problem:

The affected homeowners should meet as a group and form a committee to pursue a solution.
There is a state law that requires structural warranty for new homes. The effective time is believed to be five years. It was under this warranty that Cunnane decided to repair the Charleston home porticos that appeared to have both structural and design problems. According to Mike Stenhouse of the ARC, this law does not require the homeowner to use the original contractor for repair. NOTE: Many of the homes on Fairview Lane may already be out of the warranty period, even at five years. Homeowners should investigate this law as a group and determine applicability.
If action as a group does not generate help from David Weekly, homeowners may get the best solution, schedule, and price by hiring a single qualified contractor to repair all homes using the same best materials and design practices. In the case of the Charleston home porticos, trim was replaced with a fiber-cement material known as Hardy Plank. This material has now been specified in a standard for the porticos and is also the material used by the painting contractor as townhome units are repaired.
In working on the porticos, a design flaw was also discovered. If such design problems become evident among the David Weekly homes, changes will have to be reviewed and approved by the ARC. However, the ARC will work with homeowners and the contractor to provide a blanket approval for the work to be done.

HVAC Unit Issues

The ARC can be of little help with this problem. Homeowners that have already had systems replaced were told that the original units were marginal and are no longer being made. According to one homeowner, Carrier, the manufacturer of the failed units, has placed blame on faulty installation by the original contractor. David Weekly Homes has stated that this problem was so common that they have pursued some sort of compensation from Carrier. However, no further update is available on this possibility. Again, homeowners as a group will want to follow-up on this with David Weekly.

The units are not likely to be under manufacturer’s warranty at this point and repair will be the responsibility of the homeowner. Caution in selecting a contractor for repair and/or replacement is important.

The newsletter is our best communication tool in New Neighborhood to report on common problems in order to seek solutions. The Association will continue to help where possible to seek recommendations and solutions through appropriate committees or resources. Please contact Dave Smith (davidbsmith@bellsouth.net or 704.987.1472) if you think you have a common problem and others could benefit from knowing about it. Past examples of such issues include Charleston home porticos, failing shutters on Charleston homes, frozen pipes, the GE/Sears oven-microwave recall, and byway lighting. Although townhomes have a good work and repair history, the Association must rely on communication directly from homeowners in single-family homes.

Remember!

Turn those clocks forward on Sunday, March 9. Daylight Saving Time begins.

Covenant Committee — Update

The Covenant Committee meets on the first Wednesday of every other month (next meeting – April 2). The following items have been under review, with actions as discussed:

1. Garbage and Recycle Bin Collection and Disposal Guidelines – The committee has had this topic under review for a good part of the past year. Association Covenants and Canons of Conduct stipulate that garbage/recycle containers must be stored out-of-sight after collection, but do not address the details regarding timing. There is a fine for violation shown in the Association table of penalty fees, but not enough information to fairly levy assessments. To this end, the committee has researched the Town of Davidson Municipal Codes and found the following applicable regulation:

Article II, Sec. 62-38(b) – “Rollout carts may be placed at the curb on the night before the scheduled pick-up. Rollout containers and other receptacles must be removed from the curb and placed out of sight by 8:00 am on the day after they are collected. It is the responsibility of the householder to pick up loose debris around the collection area.”

This code is very clear and the neighborhood cannot develop guidelines or canons that are any less strict. Therefore, the Association and the Covenant Committee will utilize the Town of Davidson Code for purposes of enforcement. Please note that any resident concerned about any code being broken may also contact the Town of Davidson for enforcement.

2. Problem Parking Spaces and No Parking Zones – Several residents have continued to be concerned about safety regarding street parking in some locations. In particular, there are issues along Clemens Place, South Faulkner Way, Twain Avenue, and the corner of Caldwell Lane and Twain Avenue. These issues relate to both visibility and access. The Covenant Committee plans to meet with Doug Wright, the new town Public Works Director, to review problem areas. This will possibly require removal of some parking markings and the addition of some “NO PARKING” signs.

3. Overnight Parking Violations – Although much improved, this issue continues to be a problem. Repeat offenders can expect to see tighter enforcement and potential fines recommended. NOTE: It is not permissible to park overnight in byways except on assigned parking pads. The Covenant Committee has done an outstanding job and is to be thanked for its hard work. Cooperation with neighborhood governing documents is appreciated.

Shredding Service Available at UPS Store

Early last year, several residents expressed an interest in and/or need to have documents shredded. The Association made several inquiries in hopes of making arrangements to have a mobile shredding service truck come to the neighborhood. The interest level was not sufficient enough to support the cost and planning involved in setting up this activity.

Neighbor Paula Bell recently took several boxes of documents to be shredded at the UPS Store in Cornelius. Paula was pleased with their service and recommends this location to others in the neighborhood who may still have the need to shred large volumes of old documents. The cost is 40 cents per pound or $35 per hundred pounds. Recognizing the sensitivity of shredding documents, the UPS Store does the shredding while you wait. The store has a large shredder and, in most cases, this is a quick process.

The UPS Store is located at 19706-B One Norman Boulevard, Cornelius (next to the Salvation Army Store). For questions about the service or to arrange a visit, call 704.892.9760.

NOTE: The UPS Store has copied our neighborhood newsletter for over two years and has always provided pleasant, timely, and cost effective service. Owners Joe & Shirley Lawrence would welcome any additional neighborhood business.

Newsletter Delivery Volunteers

Neither rain nor snow, cold nor heat, storm nor wind shall deter the brave hearts of our newsletter delivery team. Thanks go to all! Our February crew included Adria & Woody Appleby, Paula Bell, Barbara & Tom Doster, Tom Fischer, Norm Reid, Norman Richards, Dave Smith, and John & Marcia Williamson.

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