Living in the Neighborhood
Congratulations! We Are Winners!St. Alban’s Square Neighborhood Association has been named the Association of the Year in the category of “mixed use” by the North Carolina Chapter of the Community Association Institute. Dave Smith and other Council members will receive the award at a recognition luncheon in Raleigh on September 21. This is an exciting honor for a great neighborhood! |
In the Know in Our Neighborhood
* Amazing Maize Maze at Rural Hill *Beginning Saturday, August 25, and every Thursday through Sunday until October 21, the “Amazing Maize Maze at Rural Hill” is back. Hours begin at 10 a.m., with the last tickets sold by 5 p.m. each day. There will be two special “Moonlight Mazes” on August 31 and September 28. This year’s theme is “Land of Liberty” and features the Liberty Bell along with Independence Hall. For those that may be unfamiliar with the format, this is a corn (maize) field maze that is indeed challenging for young and old alike. It is a wonderful family event. Many students attend with their classes during weekday times. Church and social groups will also find the challenge to be fun and perhaps competitive. Rural Hill is a 265 acre historical site in Huntersville that was the original homestead of Major John Davidson and his family. This is the location of the Lake Norman Highland Games and other events during the year. The location will also host the “Rural Hill Sheep Dog Trials” on November 2-4 of this year. For further information about Rural Hill and this year’s maze, visit www.ruralhill.net. Over 19,000 folks “got lost” at Rural Hill in the 2006 maze! Don’t miss the fun in 2007!
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Reminders from Covenant Committee
The Covenant Committee’s responsibility to maintain and preserve community standards is not easy and is often an unpleasant task. Please support their efforts and help maintain our neighborhood quality. In the August meeting, the committee discussed several items for re-emphasis in the newsletter.
Pick-up of Yard Debris
Yard debris and clippings are picked up at the curb on every Wednesday. Please do not put clippings and trimmings at the curb too far in advance of this pick-up day. During heavy rains, the storm sewers and sidewalk curb drains can become clogged, creating water drainage issues. Wind, particularly in the spring, can also cause this debris to blow throughout the neighborhood. If you have questions or pick-up service problems, please call BFI, the waste management company, at 704.393.6900.
It is against the Town of Davidson’s water quality ordinance to blow grass clippings and lawn debris into the street and storm drainage system. Neighborhood Canons prohibit blowing grass clippings, leaves, and yard debris into the street. Please notify your lawn maintenance contractor if this is being done.
Recycle and Trash Pick-up
Recycle bins are picked up on Wednesday and trash bins are picked-up on Friday throughout New Neighborhood. Containers should not be rolled out any earlier than the evening before pick-up and must be pulled out of sight during the day of pick-up (within 24 hours). If you plan to be out of town, please make arrangements with a neighbor to put-out/pull-in these bins.
Similar to yard debris, loose paper and recycle material tend to blow throughout the neighborhood during windy and stormy weather. Please secure all papers and materials in recycle bins when they are put at curbside. Residents who have larger than normal recycle loads each week can obtain additional bins from the waste management service (704.393.6900).
Parking Restrictions
Recent changes to the Canons of Conduct modified parking restrictions for single-family homeowners and for guests staying overnight anywhere in the neighborhood. However, most violations are occurring among townhome owners. The Covenant Committee has authorized Abbott to send “reminder” letters to owners not in compliance with restrictions. Residents should understand that repeat or continuing violations may result in penalty assessments to their accounts.
For townhomes, parking is permitted along streets during daylight hours for brief periods, but, with the exception of house guests, street parking is NOT PERMITTED at night by residents. The obvious and intended solution is garage parking. Parking spaces located on the Common areas (pads between units in byways) have been pre-assigned to work units and to units with casitas and may not be used by other townhome residents. Possession of a third vehicle (or over-sized vehicles) and visitation by children home from school for the summer or holidays are not exceptions. Residents who may be renting property in the neighborhood are bound by the same restrictions.
Single-family homeowners are reminded that if vehicles are parked in driveways, no part of the vehicle may overlap or impede the sidewalk.
It should also be noted that parking facing traffic is prohibited by a Town of Davidson ordinance. A number of streets throughout the neighborhood are clearly posted “No Parking on This Side.” Violations of these town ordinances are subject to enforcement by the Town of Davidson Police Department.
Thank you for your help in compliance with our neighborhood Covenant and Canons of Conduct.
Yard of the Month Winner – September, 2007
The Landscape and Grounds Committee congratulates Gregg and Lesley Swartz of 310 Fairview Lane as the September 2007 winner of the “Yard-of-the-Month.” Selection of an appropriate yard was difficult this month with the devastation brought to many yards by the excessive August heat. The Swartz home, however, was a stand-out and was loaded with color, from the yellow hibiscus plants at the gate entrance to the colorful flowers in pots along the steps to the beautiful plant boxes on the garage windows. The yard itself is well kept and trimmed, including the trees planted within the picket fence. The grass between the sidewalk and the street is trimmed and the trees in this area are well maintained and mulched for an attractive appearance. The front porch and hanging baskets beckon to guests and say “Welcome!”
Gregg and Lesley have certainly put a lot of effort in their home. In addition to attractive landscaping, this house is an annual favorite among kids at Halloween. Christmas decorations provide a stunning holiday attraction in December.
Each month from May through October, a yard will be selected among single-family homes. The home will be selected one or two weeks prior to the month of the award and will be featured in the newsletter and posted on the website. If you have questions or suggestions regarding this plan, please call Judy McLean, chairperson of the Landscape & Grounds Committee.
The “Star of Excellence”” is a natural for this home in so many ways. Don’t miss this winner at the corner of Fairview Lane and North Faulkner Way.
Congratulations to the Swartz Family!
Procedures for Rental Units
Several owners have recently inquired about what is required by the Covenant in regard to renting a unit (single-family home, townhome, or casita) in the neighborhood. This issue is covered under Article IV [Use and Conduct], Section 4.5 [Restrictions on Use], sub-section (b) [Leasing]:
“Leasing,” for purposes of this Covenant, is defined as regular, exclusive occupancy and use of a Unit by any person, other than the Owner for which the Owner receives any consideration or benefit, including, but not limited to, a fee, service, gratuity, or emolument. All leases shall be in writing. . . . The Council may require a minimum lease term, which requirements may vary from Peer Group to Peer Group. Notice of any lease, together with such additional information as may be required by the Council, shall be given to the Council by the Unit Owner within 10 days of execution of the lease. The Owner must make available to the lessee copies of the Covenant, By-Laws, and the Canons of Conduct.
Note that the lease must be in writing. The Council of Stewards requests that the owner furnish a copy of this lease with notice to the Council. In order to avoid confusion regarding official communications, it is also advised that the notice be sent to Abbott Enterprises as well as the Council. At this time the Council has not imposed a minimum lease requirement or required additional information regarding such transactions.
The most frequently overlooked part of this issue is the requirement that the owner furnish the lessee copies of neighborhood governing documents. This is important for compliance of renters with the Covenants and Canons of Conduct.
Prescription for Yards During Drought
Thanks go to John Williamson (O. Henry Avenue) for preparation of this article. John, our newest member to the Council of Stewards, has often been a good reference on landscaping issues.
Mecklenburg County has just issued mandatory water restrictions, but all of us are painfully aware that our yards, shrubs and trees are suffering from this summer’s high temperatures and severe lack of rain. Accordingly, this might be a good time to make plans for immediate and future care of our lawns and landscape plantings.
Our landscape maintenance contractor will make adjustments to comply with the water usage restrictions. Watering systems will be set to function two days per week at night and, for now, townhome lawns and common areas should continue to “hold their own.” Just remember that replacement of dead plants must necessarily wait until cooler and, hopefully, moister fall dates. Persons in single-family homes with sprinkler systems should re-set their control units to water on designated days. Addresses with odd numbers are allowed to water on Tuesdays and Saturdays while addresses with even numbers are allowed to water on Thursdays and Sundays. No watering is allowed anywhere on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. When you water, try to do so very early in the morning or very late in the afternoon to minimize evaporative water loss and “scalding” of plants in the hot sun. Watering during mid-afternoon might be worse that not watering at all!
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
website, “hand-held
hoses with sprays or hand-held watering containers and drip irrigation
and soaker hoses” are okay to use at other times. This seems
logical, for localized watering – “root watering” of
shrubs and small trees – makes maximum use of small volumes
of water and minimizes water loss due to evaporation. (Please visit
the county website for specifics regarding exceptions. This is best
found under the section of “Frequently Asked Questions.”)
My position is that we should be good citizens and try to conserve
water during this extended drought. At the same time, we should concentrate
on “saving” our landscape shrubs and trees, while not
worrying excessively about the appearances of our lawns. Do this
by using hand watering and soaker hoses. Under current conditions,
we should place less emphasis on our lawns. The major grass is fescue
which normally goes dormant in hot weather. Sure, our lawns “look
dead,” but given some cooler temperatures and rain, they will
recover. Granted, there will be weeds and “dead areas,” but
standard techniques of rejuvenation will return lawns to their desired
emerald green after the drought has broken. Make plans now to aerate,
fertilize and reseed in late September or October – after we
get some much needed rain. You should consider using a lot more lime
and less fertilizer in this process and use fertilizer with much
lower phosphorus and potassium (the second and third number in the
fertilizer’s composition). Our red clay soil already has more
than enough acidity and liming will raise the pH to a more healthy
range.
Assistant (Recording) Secretary Vacancy on Council of Stewards
The COS is still looking for a Recording Secretary and would welcome volunteers. This is a non-elected position that includes the taking of minutes at all Council meetings and issuing them to the Secretary for final approval. Other functions include recordkeeping for annual membership meetings. Please call Dave Smith at 704.987.1472 or e-mail at davidbsmith@bellsouth.net if interested. This is a great opportunity for someone to serve the neighborhood while staying “in-the-know.”
Newsletter Delivery by Mail
At the Annual Membership Meeting, a question was raised regarding
mail delivery of newsletters. Many of our neighborhood residents
are away for a large portion of the time and prefer not to receive
the “door-to-door” style delivery. This can be arranged
in such cases, but please limit this request to such absentee situations.
Mail delivery is obviously an added expense to the Association.
If you want the newsletter mailed instead of delivered to your door,
please write to Abbott Enterprises, Inc. (5970 Fairview Rd., Suite
710, Charlotte, NC 28210) requesting the change. It is also important
to notify the newsletter editor, Dave Smith, by phone at 704.987.1472
or e-mail at davidbsmith@bellsouth.net.
Association information and newsletters are automatically mailed
to all non-resident owners.
Newsletter Delivery Volunteers
Many thanks are due our newsletter delivery team. Our “hot” August volunteers included Adria & Woody Appleby, Barbara Doster, Tom Fischer, Sherman Kahn, 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).
