(posted: 11/24/08)

July 31, 2008

To: Chestnut Hill Residents (Lakeshore and Highland Creek III & IV)
From: Larry Newton
Subject: Irrigation Water and the New Pavement

Last Thursday I was out in Lakeshore – Wiltown Ct. to be exact - checking on the new paving. As luck would have it, the City of Columbia Paving Inspector was there too. He motioned me over to see water rising out of the ground between the cement gutter and the edge of the newly paved road. It was this condition that led to a large number of failures that required extremely deep trenches and 12” to 16” deep asphalt patches as part of the previous week’s repairs. The problem is related to irrigation - the closeness of the irrigation heads to the street, the slope of the front yard, and the amount of water (a function of irrigation time) that flows down to the gutter. Unfortunately a fair amount of the water sinks into the ground just before the gutter, and

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Posted by Larry Newton (7-31-08)

Conservation Matters - My 10 Minutes of Radio Fame

On Thursday July 31st, I had the opportunity to be on the air with Frank Knapp and his show "UNeed2Know". The subject was Green Building and the "Importance of the Building Envelope". As it turned out, this was a subject that could hardly be addressed in 10 minutes. Still, it was an opportunity to reach a number of people who now have some small idea what Green Building can do for them. For all the good things about Green Building, the Building Envelope and its impact on both Energy Conservation and the reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions is its heart and soul. If you get this right, the rest of the building falls into place. The reason - you can add most of the other features after the fact, but it is very hard to undo the structure to correct for deficiencies.

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This morning approximately 20 people assembled at the Entrance to Lakeshore to finalize both the test requirement for substandard areas and the remedial work necessary for the final paving. Present were people representing the Paving Contractor, the City Engineering Department, a Technical Consultant, the Developer, the HOA Board, and Neighborhood Residents. At issue were two requirements:
a) frequency of road surface testing when failures occurred, and
b) remedial work to correct the failed areas.
The testing method involved “proof rolls” where a heavily loaded dump truck traveled slowly over the road surface. Any indication of “surface collapse” or an “active wave pattern” during the time the truck traveled over the road surface was considered a failure.

Both Lakeshore and Highland Creek had been tested in this manner. Failures required the road to be dug down to a certain depth, soil cement applied and allowed to cure in some instances, and then subsequent “proof rolls” to assure the repairs were successful. Significant areas of roadway had been torn up with the expectation they would soon be paved. Unfortunately, successive proof rolls turned up additional failures. After several repeat failures it was apparent that continued testing and repairs were leading to more testing and more repairs with no final paving taking place. At this point both the City and the Paving Contractor took a time out.

Today the intent was to observe the “proof rolls” throughout Lakeshore (Phase I). The “proof roll” truck traveled the entire area, testing first the right hand side of the road within inches of the curb, and then completing the same test on the left hand side. All failed areas were marked with red paint. Repairs require that each area that was marked today be dug down to solid ground (another 6” to 8”). Once an area has been dug out, it will be immediately filled with fresh asphalt to the same height as the current road surface. This process will continue until all “deep repairs” are complete. Shallow repairs (down to the gravel base) will also be paved to the same height as the current road surface. When all this is complete, the final asphalt paving will be done. Every effort will be made not to inconvenience the residents during the process.

At Highland Creek, the final “proof rolls” were conducted in late April. No further testing is planned.

The repair schedule is as follows:
a) July 21: Start repair work at Lakeshore with completion expected by August 1st.
b) August 4: Start repair work at Highland Creek III & IV with completion expected by August 15th.
(Note: Depending on road conditions and weather this schedule may vary.)

During this time efforts will be made to clean up the debris along Gauley Drive in Lakeshore. To facilitate mowing and maintenance in the common area, it will be necessary to grade the sections closest to the road. HOA maintenance of this area will involve rough mowing every two to four weeks.

Also under consideration is the installation of two more stop signs along Gauley Drive at River Run and an “Adults and Children at Play” sign. Additional cleanup at the model home and along the street is also planned.

Submitted by,
Larry Newton (7/8/08)

Click on the Link below for the Notes from our June 30th Special Neighborhood Meeting.

June 30th HOA Meeting

(posted: LN - 7/11/08)

OTHER

(1) The Notes from Special Neighborhood Meeting on June 30th Concerning Road Paving Issues in Lakeshore and Highland Creek III & IV are available on line. You can find them in the Home Owners Assoc. section under "Monthly Meetings".
(2) Lost and Found - Man's Ring on Tennis Courts. Check "Lost and Found" (under section Links & Ads) for Details.

After several programming delays, we are finally up and running with virtually all our features in place. All told, there are approximately 40 web pages that can be modified, rewritten or expanded. There is also a section for CHP Documents and another for Photos. Several features are interactive, allowing for communication in both directions. And if this is not enough, the web site can be expanded to allow for additional areas of interest, and creation of supporting pages.

**Documents - CHP Covenants and Restrictions, application forms
**Events Calendar – what’s going on, when and where
**Owner/Resident Directory
**Secure sections that only CHP Residents can access, plus individual user names and passwords
**Creation of Neighborhood mailing Lists – keep in touch with one another, plan your own neighborhood event
**Surveys – a chance to actually find out what the community really thinks about critical issues
**Sections for Community News and Neighborhood News
**Amenities – what we have that is available to everyone
**Association Government – what goes on, what you need to know
**Lost and Found
**Service Ads with interactive features to outside links and e-mail
**Report a Landscape Problem such as a broken Sprinkler head at the Tab “Landscape Repairs”
**Classified Ads – garage sales, personal services
**Message Boards – an opportunity for residents to communicate with one another on topics off general concern
**Online Clubhouse Scheduling – Find out Clubhouse availability instantly. Requests for use can be communicated by e-mail, as well as by phone.

We also created a Site Map (click here) that provides a diagram of where everything is located and a brief description what it does. If you would like to surf with a purpose in mind, this is a great place to start.

The Residential Directory is a wonderful feature that allows every resident the opportunity to provide phone numbers and e-mail addresses for others in the community. As currently set-up, it only provides home owner names and addresses. To personalize you entry, click here to review a complete set of instructions. All this information is in a secure section that is password protected.

You will also find there are areas that you might want to contribute to. Got some interesting photos you would like to share? Send them in. We can even create photo albums by category. How about an article on your neighborhood? We created a Space for each Neighborhood with lots of space for our creative writers. Other opportunities - a great canoe trip you took on the Broad River, or a wonderful event you enjoyed at the Clubhouse, or a favorite recipe. Maybe you would like to start a Garden Club and share your experiences. We could create a tab just for that. And then there is the Message Board – is there an issue you would like to dialogue with others? Post some comments and see what happens. It is really limitless. As anyone who has ever maintained a web site knows, it has an insatiable appetite for new stuff. So we need all of you to help us keep it fed.

One final comment on User Names and Passwords: these are case sensitive, so use care in typing these in. Also, if you want to change your password to something a little easier to remember, just scroll further down the "Log In" Page. There you will find these instructions:
** Change your password
** Forgotten password?
** Request a new user account

To make a Comment or the Contribution of a written article, just click on the link Contact site administrator (in tiny print) at the bottom of the page.

Happy Surfing!

(posted: 5-5-08)

The location, nestled between the Pool and Tennis courts with the pond as a backdrop, is a natural compliment to our other recreation areas.

Fund Raising to date has produced nearly $1,000 in addition to the $7,000 budgeted by the Home Owner's Association. Our projected total fund requirement is $66,307, with approximately half that amount needed to install the Tot's portion of the Playground.

Fund Raising Status:
Campaign Goal..........$66,307
HOA Contribution..........7,000
Personalized Brick Sales....369
Donations......................125
Raffles............................36
Special Events................200
Goal Balance...........$58,587

In this case a lot - 1904 to be exact. But this can be approached in a number of ways:
a) Corporate Donations
b) Personal Donations
c) The Purchase of Personalized Bricks
All that matters at the end of the drive is that all the money adds up to the price of one Playground.

Corporate Donations will be sought from vendors, service providers, and community businesses. Large dontions ($2,500 or more) that purchase equipment will be honored with plaques that note the contributor and visibility on the entrance sign to the playground as a major donor.

Our personalized bricks will be used to pave the walkways to the play area and the picnic pavilion. Ask your friends, neighbors, family, amd business colleagues to be a part of this exciting project for our community and order your personalized brick today. To access our form to purchase Your Personalized Brick, Just Click Here or go to Documents and find "Playyground - Personalized Brick Form" in the section Other/Misc.

(posted 5/23/07)

On January 28, 2008 the City of Columbia celebrated Andrew Talkish Day. Who would have thought three (3) years ago, when Andrew became involved with recycling, that he would someday be featured in the State Newspaper, WLTX TV, and finally invited to appear on the Ellen Degeneras Show. But that is indeed what happened.

It all began with Mr. Vincent Gallman, the recycling driver for the City of Columbia. Andrew early on developed a desire for helping out. Pretty soon he had his own goggles and gloves, and every Tuesday Andrew and Mr. Gallman teamed up to collect all the recylables in Cedar Ridge. Pretty soon Andrew expanded his horizons, organizing his home, and then his school. He developed an in-depth understanding of what could be recycled and what couldn't, and ultimately a keen appreciation for the how all this benefitted the planet Earth. His love for recycling became a passion - one he readily shares with others. When asked why he does this, Andrew simply replies, "God made this world for us and he is not going to make another so we have to take care of what he gave us." But let his Proclamation tell the story - it captures this moment in a marvelous way. Click here for Andrew's Proclamation

Andrew Featured on Other Media

WLTX Video Clip

Local Recycler to be on Ellen Degeneras Show

Ellen Degeneras Show

(posted 5/23/08)

This is the first year we have operated on our own without Developer contributions. 10 months year to date, we are good financial condition. We have in excess of $46,000 on hand with two months remaining in the year.

Almost all our funding is derived from Home Owner Association Dues paid by residents. This year we budgeted $288,000 (640 x $450/yr), up from 620 homes last year. This reflects the continuation of home construction at Lake Shore by Wickersham Homes, along with their involvement in the Bluff. It also represents no increase in Homeowner's Dues for 2009.

In order to appreciate what goes into managing Chestnut Hill, it is useful to look at the financial statements (included in the area “For Homeowners” under the Tabs “Homeowner Assoc” – “Budget & Finances”). Here you will find:
a) The 2009 Budget to be presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting on December 1st, 2008
b) The Balance Sheet as of 10/31/08
c) The Income Statement as of 10/31/08

Click Here to view thee documents.

At the Annual Meeting we will cover all the above items, plus current status of operations and programs, along with improvements made over the past year.

Agenda

(posted 11-24-08)