Living in the Neighborhood

Maintenance Issues in Townhomes

The process of reporting and completing maintenance issues and repairs for townhome owners has been a painful process for many residents. The Council of Stewards and Abbott Enterprises have developed a more efficient process which will be mailed to all townhome owners in the near future. The July newsletter will feature these details. Until the full process is communicated, report problems to either Kara Killette, Maintenance Coordinator (ext. 106), or Maureen Floyd, Community Assistant (ext. 114), at Abbott Enterprises.

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.

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.

Traffic Safety Committee Update

At the April COS meeting, Julie Robinson presented an update from the Ad Hoc Safety Committee formed as the result of concerns about traffic safety on Fairview Lane and throughout the neighborhood. Repainting of traffic stripes, crossings, and parking spaces has been completed throughout the neighborhood. Results of a traffic study completed by the Town of Davidson were reported in the November 2009 newsletter.

Following the traffic study, residents of Fairview Lane and members of the committee feel more is needed to improve street safety. Included among options for traffic calming are speed humps. The town has already stated that they will not fund such devices, but have not ruled out the option of speed humps funded by the neighborhood. At this time, the Safety Committee is considering such devices in possibly three locations: Fairview Lane, Conroy Avenue, and O. Henry Avenue. Other locations and options are under consideration. Speed humps would cost approximately $5,000 apiece. The committee has been in contact with McConnell Neighborhood to seek support in solutions.
Obviously the proposal will cost the Association dollars not currently planned in the budget and may result in additional direct homeowner cost. To this end, the committee will pursue the following actions:

Distribute and seek neighborhood signatures on a petition requesting interest in and willingness to fund traffic calming devices in several problem areas in the neighborhood. This would most likely include a minimum of three locations. The Safety Committee is in need of representatives from Wolfe Street/O. Henry Avenue and from Conroy Avenue to help with petitions for a Traffic Calming Proposal. If you are interested, please contact Julie Robinson at 704.894.9074. Representatives and signatures have already been obtained for other streets.
With signed petitions to confirm interest and financial support, the next step would be to hire a Town of Davidson engineer to work with the committee to develop a firm proposal, including locations of speed humps if that is the proposed solution. By Town of Davidson ordinance, any proposal must have approval of the town engineer to proceed to the next step. Funding for this step would likely be requested at the next COS meeting.
Request approval from the COS for funds for the proposal or seek funding from homeowners.

Work will continue to develop options and solutions. We all want our neighborhood to be a safe place to live. Your input to the committee would be appreciated.

Annual HVAC Maintenance

The summer heat is here and it seems unlikely that any resident of New Neighborhood would not already be using that mainstay of the Old South – Air Conditioning. However, as some residents have discovered, a little annual maintenance will save big dollars in repair bills. For those homes with gas heat and electric air, the season often starts before a complete check of the system is completed. It is always wise to have a trained HVAC company check the system completely at the start of each season. The best time for this is in April or early-May when you may not be using heat or A/C.
There is one item that should be checked several times during the hot weather months. A/C units in the townhomes have an outdoor unit with compressor and fan, but the central air flow unit (fan and coils) is located in the attic space. To create low-humidity, cool air, these interior units create a lot of condensate. All units are equipped with both a primary and back-up drain. It is extremely important to insure that this line is open and passing condensate when the A/C unit is in operation. Usually a quick check of the line outside will provide evidence of good flow. Although there is a back-up line for most systems, these drains can also fail due to build-up of mold and algae. Wasps and other insects also will sometimes build nests just inside these open lines. A good maintenance tip is to flush the line at the start of each season with a Clorox® and water mix. There is usually a removable cap on the drain line at the condenser unit in the attic. This quick operation at the start of each season and periodic visual checks of good flow outside will prevent costly repairs from water damage and possible damage to the unit itself.

It is a good idea to also check these drain lines during the winter. The trap arrangement will often retain water into cold winter months. This water can freeze and result in cracked or broken condensate lines. A good annual maintenance check before starting the unit will catch this problem before water leaks into attic spaces.

Good Maintenance . . . Cool Summer!

Termite Prevention Booster Treatment

Good practice among pest control experts is to complete a booster treatment for termites within 5 to 10 years following initial foundation treatment. Neighborhood townhomes certainly fall into this time-frame and our contractor for inspections has recommended that this work be completed for all units this year.

TermiTech South of Charlotte, our current pest control contractor, has recently changed its name and address. Its phone number remains unchanged.

Apex Exterminating, Inc.
P.O. Box 1127
Troutman, NC 28166
Phone: 704-528-8037

The booster treatment was approved by the COS at the April meeting at a total cost of $15,600 for all townhome units. This treatment involves rod injection of chemical every foot around the outside perimeter of townhome units. The chemical used will be applied at a volume of 4 gallons per every 10 feet. Townhomes with patios that have open dirt areas or soil gardens will need to have these areas treated with the injected chemical. The definition of treatment across garage aprons in the byways is not complete.

The booster treatment work is expected to start in May or June and will likely begin with units near St. Alban’s Church to avoid interference with the painting project work on O. Henry Avenue. Residents with patios containing soil areas will need to make courtyards available to the Apex Exterminating crew. This is likely to apply only to patios on the outside of multi-unit buildings. Home entry is not expected to be required during this treatment. As with the start of annual inspections, Apex is being requested to provide communication via a door flyer in advance of this work.

Yard-of-the-Month — May, 2010

Following a bitterly cold and wet winter, the spring has been pleasant. This has enhanced the neighborhood appearance and added to the bright greens and colorful flowers of the season. This created some tough decisions for our Yard-of-the-Month Committee.

The Landscape & Grounds Committee congratulates Mike & Nancy Kota of 112 Caldwell Lane as the May 2010 winner of the “Yard-of-the-Month.” The Kota’s join a rich history of past winners on Caldwell Lane and their yard certainly deserves the Star of Excellence. Lovely rhododendrons accent the entire front yard with more than one color. Colorful begonias are just starting to burst with color in the freshly mulched front beds. This ground color will fill in even more in the next two months and will have a stunning effect. Shrubs and yard are well kept and bright green. The two maple trees along the front sidewalk have an attractive treatment of ground cover at the base in addition to mulch. Flagstones along the side yard lead to the backyard setting. Although not visible from the street, the Kota’s have spent many hours developing a stunning terraced backyard with stone steps and patios complete with a magnificent water feature and nature path.

This Charleston home with its upper and lower porches with ceiling fans provides an inviting Southern appearance. The lower porch includes two rocking chairs with table and lamp. This begs total relaxation on a cool summer eve! The bench by the front door adds an attractive touch to a warm entrance.

Each month from May through October, a yard will be selected among single-family homes. If you have questions or suggestions regarding this plan, please call Judy McLean at 704.895.0940.

Kota home

The first Yard-of-the-Month each year stands as an example of the coming months. This “Star of Excellence” will certainly carry on the tradition. Remember, both the rhododendrons and begonias will continue to peak in the next two months. Don’t miss this home!

Congratulations to Mike & Nancy Kota!

New Termite Inspection Guidelines

The response to the March newsletter article and to a mailing from Abbott Enterprises regarding townhome owner responsibility and liability for termite damage was good. TermiTech South has been more than generous in offering additional time for inspections during March and April. As of the end of April, there are only thirteen townhome resident/owners (13 of 139) who have not completed the inspections started in 2009.

The Association has contracted TermiTech South of Charlotte as a bonded agent to inspect townhomes annually and to cover treatment and/or damage caused by any termites that are found during the inspections. The goal to maintain appropriate coverage for all units is 100% compliance.

The thirteen owners who have not complied with the inspection will receive a letter from Abbott reminding them that if termites are found in a unit that has not been inspected, the owner becomes responsible for treatment and all damages incurred as a result of the infestation. Neither TermiTech nor the Association has the responsibility in this situation to cover costs. In addition, if termites are found in adjoining units to a townhome that was not inspected and are determined to have spread from the slab or structure that was uninspected, the owner of that uninspected unit can be held liable for damages to the units that were inspected. Failure to complete an inspection may also become a property disclosure issue if the unit is subsequently put on the market.

In order to reach more owners early in the season, the 2010 inspections will be moved from October/November to September/October. To add incentive to owners for 100% compliance, the Council of Stewards agreed at the April meeting to assess a fine (following the 2010 inspections) for all townhome owners who do not comply with the inspection within the 60-day timeframe. In addition, owners may be required to pay the pest contractor for actual cost of inspections completed beyond the 60 days.

2010 Painting Project Set to Start

Phase VI of a six-year repainting project for townhomes is set to start by the week of May 17. The contractor is Foreman’s Painting Company. Townhomes on O. Henry Avenue are included in this year’s work. Residents are requested to leave gates open to patio spaces as this painting includes the patio walls and doors into the unit and garage. The project includes carpentry work to replace rotting wood trim and pressure washing with a mild chlorine solution to pre-clean all surfaces before painting. The contractor has been requested to provide his own water for washing from portable tanks. Two coats of paint are applied to complete the work.

In preparation for this work, residents on O. Henry Avenue are asked to “clean” patios and front porches to provide easy access to painted surfaces. Good clearance is needed for ladders and supports. Please do not rely on the painting crew to move plants and furniture with the risk of possible damage. If you have sensitive plants or furniture that may be affected by use of a chorine solution, please relocate these items during the painting preparation work. The job is expected to be complete in three to four weeks (June 12).

Foreman’s Painting has been awarded the bid for all painting done to this point. Experience has been good with only a few problem spots. If you do experience problems with the work, please contact a member of the Townhome Building Maintenance Committee (Gary Simmons, chairperson) or call Abbott Enterprises direct.

In addition to the painting work on O. Henry Avenue, Foreman’s has also been contracted to repair/replace all stairway support posts in the front of townhomes on the south side of Harper Lee Street. This work was completed for O. Henry Avenue units in 2009. The original materials have started to rot and become unstable due to contact with soil and mulch. Treated wood and non-wood products will be used as replacement materials. This work will include pressure washing, replacement of caps, and repainting of all repaired posts to match current paint.

Water Feature Abuse Problems Continue!

The front fountain and the Clemens Place water feature were installed for the enjoyment of all residents and have become an attractive focal point of the neighborhood. However, as stated in numerous past newsletter articles, these areas are not meant to be a children’s pool or playground. The rocks are not all stable and often shift as the result of water flow. The maintenance contractor has stocked the Clemens Place water feature with several gold fish and maintains water plants throughout the year.

Unfortunately, children continue to be seen playing in and around the water with no adult supervision. Our plants have been overturned and destroyed and the fish killed on more than one occasion. The Association cannot afford to continue maintenance of these fountains if such abuse continues. Parents are asked again to firmly remind children that they should not play in this water or on the rocks. Residents along Clemens Place and O. Henry Avenue are asked to pay particular attention to inappropriate behavior during the summer months.

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.

Newsletter Delivery Volunteers

Thanks go to all of our delivery volunteers! The April crew included Harold & Paula Bell, Barbara Dillman, Joyce Feir, Tom Fischer, Jo & Bob Herman, Anne Jerands, and Dave Smith. A number of regular volunteers on our list have moved. New volunteers are always welcome!

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

New Members to Council of Stewards

The Council of Stewards has recently had to fill two vacancies which became available unexpectedly. Kathy Cockrill was appointed to complete the term (expires August, 2010) of Lemie Richards since Lemie and Norm were moving out of the neighborhood.

To bring past experience to the Council, Sam Coleman agreed to accept an appointment on the COS to fill Steve Kessler’s vacancy and to complete his term (expires August, 2011). A brief profile of each of these new members follows:

Kathy Cockrill (154 Clemens Place)
Kathy and Bill Cockrill will have lived in Davidson three years this summer. They came to our neighborhood from Huntsville, Alabama, when Bill was appointed interim pastor at Davidson College Presbyterian Church (DCPC). Kathy is an original Carolina Tarheel from Roanoke Rapids and graduated from Queens College (now Queens University) with a degree in music. Her interests are reading, needlepoint, and gardening and she has a passion for animals. In addition to her position on the Council of Stewards, Kathy also serves as COS representative to the Landscape & Grounds Committee.

Sam Coleman (219 North Faulkner Way)
Sam has been a resident of New Neighborhood for 7 years, but has lived in the Lake Norman area for over 18 years. He has two grown children, a daughter in the Cornelius area and a son in the Columbia, SC area. His interests include reading and just about any outdoor activity, including sailing, cycling and golf. Sam previously served on the Council from June, 2006 until August 2008 and is a past vice-president of the Association. Sam currently serves on the Covenant Committee and as a member of the Townhome Building & Maintenance Committee.

The Association expresses thanks to both Kathy and Sam for agreeing to serve our neighborhood. As per the By-Laws of the Association, the COS may fill vacancies. However, all appointed members must be voted on by a quorum of the membership at the next annual meeting, which will be held in September.