PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
Past President – Bill Kight
Isn’t it wonderful to live in Deerwood in the spring? Thank you, Karen Merrell, for organizing all of those wonderful flowers for all these years as our Landscape Liason and past Chairperson. Also, great thanks to Bob Powell for his wonderful guidance as our Architect-In-Residence and liaison and Chair of our Architectural Review Committee for these past years. Your contributions have greatly benefited (and will continue to benefit) our community.
March was also my last meeting as your DIA President. We had a busy year completing the Pavilion and Playground, the Lighting Study and Implementation Plan and a myriad of negotiations to keep Deerwood safe, beautiful and a fun place to live – and we did not increase the DIA Annual Assessment in 2008. We also assimilated the Collins development within Deerwood’s covenants and restrictions.
Don’t forget to check our website, www.mydeerwood.com
for up-to-date information on DIA and community issues and meetings.
Current President – Cynthia Glazier
Welcome to a new year at the DIA! We have recently held elections of new DIA Board members and officers for the upcoming year. Thanks to our great slate of candidates and please continue with your interest and join a DIA committee. Deerwood needs you. Please check www.mydeerwood.com or call Doug Scott to sign up.
Congratulations to Glynn Thomas, Miffy Calhoun, John Heijmans and Bill Kight who were all elected to 3 year Board membership. Your Board officers are: Cyndy Glazier, President; Bill Kight, Vice-President; John Heijmans, Treasurer; Holly Kartsonis, Secretary. Please contact them or other Board members with your questions.
At the DIA annual meeting, we had many complaints about lack of compliance with our Covenants. This reflects poorly on Deerwood and we are determined to address those concerns this year. Let’s all take a hard look at our own homes and correct those things we can, such as weeds, dead trees, dead grass and paint. Please be a good neighbor!
This Newsletter’s focus is to educate residents on some
common problems and questions on our covenants and restrictions.
Please take a look at the C & R’s for your unit,
they are on the website.
Remember, if you are planning to make any changes to the
exterior of your home, you must contact Tobe’ Budner for ARC
approval.
Property Manager
On
a weekly basis, I “tour” Deerwood to ensure it is kept up to
your quality standards. I need your help. Please check your yard
for weeds and bare spots and your fences, basketball hoops,
required yard address signs (should be visible from the street)
and walkways for maintenance needs and make those repairs. This
drastically improves the aesthetics of your home and the look of
Deerwood. At the Annual Meeting, homeowners complained about
Deerwood homes with poor maintenance including mold and mildew
on homes, especially roofs. If you receive a DIA letter
regarding mildew on your roof, it will include a list of vendors
that are professional roof cleaners. If you need suggested
vendors for any of this maintenance, please give me a call.
Deerwood is one
of my favorite communities and I am proud to be your Property
Manager. Please call if I can help.
Covenants & Restrictions
Our Deerwood community is governed by covenants and restrictions (C&Rs) which keep Deerwood, Deerwood. Basically, they stipulate fence height, distance between homes, where to keep your trash, where to park your cars, etc. When these are not followed, our Property Manager follows a procedure to assist the homeowner to comply or face fines and legal action. Deficiencies are largely maintenance and include:
Lack of roof, yard, house, driveway maintenance;
Dead trees and tree limbs;
Yard trash or trash cans visible from the street (should be in your car court at all times);
Dogs & cats roaming in the neighborhood;
Missing or improper green house number sign;
Excessive noise; and
Cars ROUTINELY parked in areas other than the car court.
Deerwood was established in 1963 as a Deed Restricted Community to create a quality residential environment. The deed conveying ownership of your Deerwood property specifically references the C&Rs to which your unit is subject. That means when you bought your home, you specifically agreed to be bound by the restrictions in those covenants.
We now have 23 separate and distinct “units” in Deerwood including Unit 1 – 14 (the new area being developed behind Little Fox): The Courtyards, Courtyards Estates, Fountain Lake, Estates 1-3, Deerwood Pointe and Villas I & II; many with slightly different C&Rs. Details as well as “Highlights” of the C&Rs are available on
www.mydeerwood.com. The units are divided into 8 Districts with 3 At-Large Members for your DIA Board and we employ a Property Management Company to assist in day-to-day matters. Our lovely community is one of the oldest and largest in Jacksonville and has an interesting history. If you have an anecdote that you would like to share, email or mail it to our Property Manager for possible inclusion in future newsletters and/or our website.
Architectural Review
Before making any exterior changes to your home, yard, fence or
driveway, please contact the ARC Coordinator, Tobe' Budner, at
285-2519.
The volunteers and paid members of our
ARC review any major landscape changes and/or additions to
your Deerwood home and yard. Some of the costs for these reviews
(which help keep Deerwood beautiful) are passed on by fees.
Information and forms for submitting requests to the ARC are
also available on the DIA website. We
recently had the question: My neighbor received a variance
from the ARC many years ago. Why was my recent request for
the same variance denied? The
answer is that in 1999, Deerwood’s past owner, Gate Petroleum,
Inc. transferred control with the purchase of Deerwood by the
residents and DIA is not bound by exceptions to the C & R’s
allowed by Boards during the tenure of Gate
Petroleum. What was approved when Gate Petroleum was
in control, is not required for the Board since our
independence. The ARC and the Board try very hard to be
consistent in the enforcement of the covenants and are extremely
selective in any variance.
We have a lot of construction and renovation in Deerwood. Along
with the approval from ARC, these homeowners receive a letter
from ARC listing restrictions placed on vendors such as noise
and parking while providing their services. Remember no
workers are allowed in on Sunday.
If your vendor damages DIA property (such as islands), you are
responsible to have them repair it. Please be a good neighbor
during your construction.
Landscape
The Landscape Committee started the year off by beautifying the clock tower on the Baymeadows Gate with an illuminated deer and lighting four lovely holly trees visible as you exit the Baymeadows Gate.
The new plantings at the Southside Gate and the knock out roses will soon be in full bloom. They have bloomed almost year round! There are ten new live oaks on James Island Way, new crape myrtles on Oak Hammock and new azaleas and camellias on Bahia Blanca Road and Court.
We’ve tweaked bare spots by adding extra azaleas, razzleberry, Aztec grass, and society garlic. Roses will bloom on Summit Ridge and extra crape myrtles will improve an area on Deerwood Club Road.
Please share your ideas for improvements and join our meeting on the Second Tuesday of every month at the Deerwood Country Club Boardroom.
Grounds
DIA
has completed several large projects which include improving
drainage and managing other DIA common areas. DIA has also paved
streets and replaced some broken drainage grates. We are
pursuing the phased installation of new lights and will be
replacing street signs. As our community ages, your DIA Board
and Committees are working hard to manage and update our
infrastructure within our budgetary constraints.
We expect the Boatyard to open
soon. We are currently installing a fence, utilities and
landscaping. There are still some spaces available so if you are
interested in renting a space, please call our Property Manager.
After the Boatyard opens, RVs, trailers and Boats may no longer
be stored in your car court.
Community
News
From Baywatch:
The 9A/Baymeadows Regional
Park opened with soccer fields, a playground, pavilion and
restrooms; however Phase 2 of the park is yet to be funded so
contact your councilperson and the Mayor to encourage funding.
Baywatch will host a Relay for Life on May 16-17 from 4
p.m.-10 a.m. at the 9A/Baymeadows Park. They are
looking for a few committee members as well as teams that will
participate in the relay. Please contact Cindy.Sullivan@cancer.org
to help.
A Town Hall Meeting took place 2/28/08 regarding the
storm water utility fee. Communities utilizing retention
ponds may get a storm water credit or the fee may range from $30
- $60 per year.
Baywatch is seeking homeowners from Hampton Glen, Hampton Park,
Reedy Branch, The Overlook, Royal Lakes, James Island, South
Chase and Deerwood to join our group of volunteers. We
meet the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. for 1-2
hours at the East Hampton Clubhouse. We work closely
with the City and developers to help make our community a better
place to live. Please call Hank Houpert at 538-7471.
Access
Control
Please
return your updated PERSONAL PROFILE to the Baymeadows Gate. It
is imperative that we have CORRECT CONTACT numbers for you in
case of an emergency.
Remember you can update your
own VISITORS/GUESTS on our website under EZ-Gate.
Access Control Committee
meetings are the Third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at
the Deerwood clubhouse.
Special points of interest:
-
Visitor Authorization Number: 642-1633
-
Call 911 first for emergencies
-
DIA Property Manager/Doug Scott: 273-3033
-
Web site: www.mydeerwood.com
-
Tobe Budner/ ARC coordinator: 285-2519
Thanks Herb Monroe for organizing the
Deerwood Garage Sale, April 12, 2008!!
Great Job!
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