As you may recall, last winter, the Board of our HOA initiated the first‐ever Additional Assessment of $200.00 per residence to accomplish some much‐needed project work at the front entrance. The primary project list was as follows:
- Removal and replacement of the Arborvitaes along 21 Mile Rd.
- Realignment and straightening of the metal fence
- Removal of all sucker and invasive weed growth within five feet north of the fence
- Irrigation repairs and modifications to support new tree plantings
You may have noticed that this project has been in the works over the past several weeks and is now completed. Thank you for your cooperation with this Additional Assessment, and we hope you recognize that this has made a significant improvement to our association property along 21 Mile Rd. The Association owns a significant amount of property along 21 Mile, and it is important that we keep it maintained in a way that reflects the desired aesthetics of our neighborhood.
As a Board, we feel it is important to disclose to the membership how these Additional Assessment funds were spent. Below is a breakdown of the revenue and expense associated with this project.
Additional Assessment ($200 x 94 properties)
Funding from Reserves
Total funds designated for the Project
Arborvitae Trees (Turman’s Landscaping)
Stump grinding and brush removal (Turman’s Landscaping)
Fence removal, reinstall and realignment (MEI Fence)
Sprinkler repair and dripline installation (Blueline Irrigation)
Retaining wall construction (Turman’s Landscaping)
Total project cost:
$18,800
$9,294
$28,094
$15,059
$5,500
$4,200
$1,100
$2,235
$28,094
While we are pleased with the outcome of this “Phase One” part of our front entrance project, our entrance needs additional work to help restore the look to the original landscape design. Over the past 20 years, many trees that were not part of the landscape plan have grown and are “choking out” the trees that were planted as part of our landscaped front entrance design.
These undesired “scrub trees” need to be removed to restore the intended look of our front entrance and allow for more sunlight to reach the bushes and grass that are part of our front entrance landscape design. In addition, we are faced with a large amount of very aggressive Phragmites which are an invasive plant that is taking over the areas behind our entrance and are intruding into our landscaping.
These Phase II items will require a second Additional Assessment from each association residence in the amount of $200.00. These funds will be utilized for the removal of the unwanted trees, cutting down the Phragmites, and replenishing our Reserve Fund for future front entrance projects. The Board appreciates your concern that this is two years in a row with an Additional Assessment. However, this is due to a situation where the front entrance has not been proactively maintained for many years, and now we need to catch up on this necessary maintenance. It is our hope that we can add some additional ongoing maintenance to our regularly scheduled maintenance to keep these landscape issues properly maintained and not let it get so out of hand in the future.
The Phase II Additional Assessment will be due March 1, 2024. This is in addition to the Annual Dues of $275 that will be due the end of January. We are providing this advance notice so you can be prepared for these payments when they are due. JBC will be sending out invoices for these payments in a timely manner. Every Association Member (Property Owner) is required to make these Association payments, and we respectfully request that you make these payments on-time so the necessary work can be commenced in a timely manner.
We know that this feels like this is a lot in a short period of time. The reality is that with the Board maintaining a low Annual Assessment over the years, the Annual Assessment has not provided the necessary revenue to fund extra maintenance work at the entrance and now the issues have become compounded, and we need to play catchup.
We appreciate your understanding, and the Board is doing its best to keep these costs down and use the funds as efficiently as possible. As a reminder, the Association has an annual meeting every April, so we encourage you to watch for a future notice with the meeting date and please plan to attend so these issues and any concerns you have with regards to our community can be discussed with the Board and JBC Property Management.
Sincerely,
Spring Arbor Board of Directors
Curt Briguglio
Brigita Burnett
Brad VanDommelen
