Newsletter Summer 2003

 

Downloadable PDF Version*

 

Table of Contents

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
PROPERTY MANAGER'S CORNER

LANDSCAPE COMMITTEE

GROUNDS COMMITTEE

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE

SECURITY COMMITTEE

ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

SUMMER TIME CLEAN UP

OTHER NOTES OF INTEREST

 


PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Lee Evans, President

As we begin the summer season many things are happening in our community. The biggest change is that the youngsters are out of school and hopefully enjoying the playground, tennis, and swim facilities. So, please be extra careful when driving in the community and be on the lookout for children on bicycles and on foot.

Recently, new gate mechanisms were installed on all four-entrance lanes. Would you believe those gates are raised and lowered about 2,700 times a day, or 985,500 time per year. Unfortunately, we are still experiencing excessive speed from residents, visitors, and trades people exiting the area. There have been several near misses of hitting people leaving the guardhouse and far too many gate arms being broken. The Board is considering installing additional speed bumps at the gate area to better reduce the speed.

The annual "garage sale" was held on May 31st, and kicked off our playground renovation project and series of fundraisers. This year's budget includes $75,000 for repair and improvements. The project will be done in several annual phases and we hope to expand the playground easterly to include a soccer field. Rick Root and Katie Kight are championing this venture and would appreciate additional volunteers.

Our recently completed engineering study of the drainage and flood control system has provided assurances that it will function as designed and with proper maintenance will handle the so called "25 year, and 100 year storms". The study also gives us a great base of knowledge, allowing for the better planning of annual maintenance. Due to our comprehensive engineering study, we anticipate saving close to $60,000 on our five repair and replacement projects scheduled this summer.

Legal expenses continue to be difficult to forecast. While we are currently dealing with four issues, several matters were favorably resolved last year. The community is the defendant in one lawsuit involving the denial of a resident's request to construct over the building restriction line. In addition, three situations are under discussion that will hopefully be resolved without litigation. These include the failure to complete construction and/or landscaping in accordance with the submitted and approved plan, and lack of appropriate landscape maintenance. With over 910 residential units in Deerwood, four major problems clearly indicate that the majority of community residents respect and abide by the Covenants. Presently, MAY Management sends out about 12-18 advisors letters each month in which an issue is brought to the attention of a resident. Thankfully, 95% of the time the matter is resolved within a few weeks.

Between mid-June and mid- September, the JEA will be installing irrigation water pipes and new electrical cables along Hollyridge Road, north of the Club. The state is requiring country clubs to use reclaimed water for the irrigation of the fairways. Traffic will be maintained but at times it will be one lane. Flag people will direct traffic. As part of this project, JEA will repair the effected portion of Hollyridge Road. For more information about reclaimed water, refer to www.dep.state.fl.us/water/reuses/rules.htm.

We have received very little feedback from the community regarding the JTA's proposal for a Southside overpass and/or the widening of Southside Blvd. and Baymeadows Road. The local area communities are working together to stop the Southside Overpass. Chuck Hastings of the Royal Lakes Civic Association will be mailing a petition to all Deerwood residents. Please review and respond to Chuck if you oppose the overpass. A final recommendation is to be made in August. Please continue to check the Deerwood Website for updates on this and other things of interest.


 

PROPERTY MANAGER'S CORNER
Carla Bowers, Licensed Community Association Manager

For the past 18 months, MAY Management Services has been servicing the Deerwood Community through our contract with your Deerwood Improvement Association. By utilizing a consistent group of employees, each with their own area of expertise, we have been able to provide a wealth of experience, and more importantly, continuity for your community. To better serve you, when you call our offices, please indicate that you are a homeowner in the Deerwood community and your call will be forwarded to the appropriate individuals as mentioned below.

Your property manager is your main communication contact. As many of you are aware, Deerwood's Property Manager is Carla Bowers who is a licensed Community Association Manager. Carla's current schedule includes making weekly detailed property inspection tours of the community every Wednesday, plus attends board meetings. She can be reached in the Ponte Vedra office at 273-9832.

When Carla is not available her assistant, Katy Marshall, can help you, especially with any administrative duties. You can also leave a voice message for Carla if you wish her to address your specific concerns directly and she will return your call. The receptionist has general information about Deerwood to also assist you.

While Carla is the consistent continuity you see on property, a major part of the management function goes on in MAY'S offices. Some of the other individuals who make this partnership so successful are Tobe Budner, Herman Wallace, Sheli Hinson, and Cathy Savarese.

Tobe Budner serves as Deerwood's Architectural Review Coordinator by meeting with the Committee every other week and handling all correspondence regarding homeowner's requests. Tobe has a direct line in the Ponte Vedra office at 285-2519. Many of your know Herman Wallace. He serves as on site maintenance personnel for Deerwood. He takes direction through the Property Manager and the Landscape Committee Chair. Sheli Hinson works in the St. Augustine Accounting department at (904) 461-0182, extension 21 or she can be reached locally, toll free, at 355-2225. She will answer any questions regarding your assessment payment account. In addition, Cathy Savarese, is the accounting manager, overseeing Deerwood accounting.

The Deerwood Improvement Association is ultimately the governing body of the Deerwood Community. MAY Management Services, Inc., serves only as an agent to assist the Association, receiving specific authorization for any actions it takes from the Board of Directors. Since MAY takes direction from the board, this means, we can only respond to individual owners as the Board has authorized, or issues on which the board has set policy.


LANDSCAPE COMMITTEE
Dottie Teetor, Chairperson

Many of us deal with the difficult task of controlling dollar weed in our yard. Dollar weed is an aquatic plant and prefers to grow in sites that are excessively wet. Check with your nearest plant nursery for chemicals that can be used on St. Augustine grass. Most chemicals for dollar weed need to be applied before hot weather. Some products are for use for pre-emergence and early post-emergence broadleaf control.

We have been working hard to maintain and improve our common areas. We have been pruning our mature Sasanqua Camellias on the large island where Hunters Grove and Crosswicks merge, which provides a much more open feel. We are continuing our improvements in the Courtyard beds, and have added shrubs around the power boxes at the playground. Our new annuals have been planted, and we are working on the islands on Acorn Ridge. We have planted native grasses along the two sections of fence on Oak Hammock. That area has no irrigation, so we are using plant material that will be self-supporting in dry times.

The Landscape Committee is most appreciative of the able assistance of Herman Wallace. He is always more than willing to help us with improving the appearance of Deerwood.

The DIA and the landscape committee send a sincere thanks to the Deerwood Garden Circle, which generously donated $6,000 for landscape improvements to our community.

 


GROUNDS COMMITTEE
Tom McConnell, Chairperson

I am please to report that the Grounds Committee's four major efforts, which have been underway over the last few months, are all nearing completion.

All of the Deerwood maps, including streets, lakes, lots and drainage pipe locations have been digitized and inputted to a computer through an AutoCAD program. This will greatly facilitate all future updating and analysis. While this was a significant undertaking, it will reduce future costs and timeliness.

A modeling study of Deerwood drainage was completed in late February. This study, which included a computer analysis, estimates the effectiveness of the drainage under 25-year and 100-year flooding conditions. Fortunately, only minor deficiencies were detected and these are being addressed.

Along with the modeling study, a complete inventory of all drainage pipes in the largest and oldest part of Deerwood was commissioned. This inventory identified all of the, approximately 400, existing drainage structures and determined such characteristics as size, material of construction, date of installation and estimated condition. The inventory, itself, is finished and an analysis of this information is now currently underway. This entire process will assist with planning for future repair and replacement needs and costs.

Finally, engineers have completed the surveys, and the request for bids have gone out, to repair or replace five major drainage structures that have either collapsed or broken. These drainage structures were highlighted at the Annual Meeting. After receiving several bids, we have granted the contract to the most competitive bid. Repairs are expected to commence soon and will be completed as quickly as possible.

Maintaining the 35-40 lakes in Deerwood that are the responsibility of DIA is a massive task. While we have an excellent chemical service that sprays all of the lakes every month during the growing season, a good bit of the cause of the unsatisfactory and unsightly conditions comes from the homeowners' property maintenance. Landscapers are blowing grass clippings and other debris into the lakes. Combine this with the run-off of chemicals and fertilizers, weeds and algae are not only surviving, but growing. We urge you to take an active interest, by monitoring your yard people and cautioning them to not add materials to the lakes.


PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Katie Kight, Chairperson

The public relations committee is now in full swing, with our first playground fundraiser completed. The annual garage sale was a big success, and all those who attended had a great time. We rented 27 tables, and with the food sales, and DIA donation tables the event grossed just over $1,000. A very special thanks to the following people who helped make this event a success: Elicia Duross and her dad, Stacy Hudgens, David Kight, Arlene & Bill Kight, and Bennie Margol!

We are currently planning a fall fundraiser and other community activities. If you are interested in lending your time and helping out your community we welcome you to join the public relations committee. For more information, please contact Katie Kight at 645-3514 or kkight@attbi.com.

Because many of you do not have access our community cable channel 118, we will be replacing that channel with out website as our main source of up to the minute communication in the community. Beginning in July, channel 118 will no longer be operational. At this time, the website will not be accepting any advertising. If you have other information which needs to be added to the website, please e-mail the information to Katie Kight at kkight@attbi.com by the 15th of the month for inclusion the following month. If you have not been to the DIA website, you definitely want to take check it out at, www.deerwoodhomeowners.com or www.dia-jax.com. We hope you will agree this is a great communication tool for our community.

PLAYGROUND UPDATE

Phase I of the playground renovations will begin this summer. In addition to the $75,000 designated for the kick-off of this project, all PR fund-raisers will directly benefit this effort. If you are interested in getting involved with the playground project, please contact Rick Root at 642-0682


SECURITY COMMITTEE
Jim O'Connor, Chairperson

Your Association recently authorized the installation of new incoming gates to more properly control incoming traffic for security and convenience. All residents and vendors were slowed by this work and your Association thanks all residents for their patience. The new system will be fine-tuned and we ask all drivers to approach the gates, both incoming and outgoing, slowly and with care to avoid any mishaps.

We still need your assistance in reporting to security instances of erratic drivers on our streets. Do not try to stop the drivers, but do try to get enough data to possibly identify these inconsiderate people.

Our hurricane season officially begins in June, but there has already been one tropical storm in the Atlantic. Deerwood has a comprehensive plan in the event we face a hurricane here. Do you know where your copy is located? Are you a new resident? Copies of our plan will be available in the Administrative Office shortly, for your review and to have on hand.

Just a reminder, be sure to call the Baymeadows gate ahead of time to pre-authorize any visitors. This allows all guests to enter Deerwood faster. When the guards have to make a phone call it slows the line down, especially between 8:00 am and 10:00 am. The Southside gate is fully operational and is an option during the morning rush. We appreciate everyone's patients during the four days that gate repairs were necessary and some traffic had to be re-routed


ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
Marty Eltrich, Chairperson

The role of the ARC (Architectural Review Committee) is to review improvement plans to insure that they comply with the applicable Covenants and Restrictions, and are in harmony with the aesthetic standards of the community. This review protects property values for the community and protects the property owner from the prospect of undoing improvements that are unapproved and unacceptable.

Since January of this year the ARC has reviewed ninety-five submittals/requests. That number includes 12 new roofs, 15 tree removals, 5 pools and/or screens, 3 room additions, 1 tear down and rebuild, 13 fences and 46 miscellaneous items such as exterior color changes, landscaping, patio extensions, satellite dishes, etc. Most of these submittals have been approved as submitted or with relatively minor modifications. Some had to be resubmitted with additional information or plan modifications. Less than 5% of the plans submitted were disapproved.

Please remember that all exterior changes/additions require ARC approval prior to commencement. Architectural Review Application forms can be obtained at the Deerwood Administration office, from our website, www.dia-jax.com, or by calling May Management. Should you have any questions concerning this or any other architectural issue please call the ARC Coordinator at 285-2519.

RESIDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY AESTHETICS AND PROPERTY VALUES BY ATTENDING TO LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE MATTERS IN THEIR YARDS PROMPTLY ONCE PROBLEMS BECOME NOTICEABLE.

-Trimming/removal of dead tree branches including palms
-Weed treatment of lawns and plant beds, especially for dollar weed
-Proper irrigation, timing and coverage
-Turf fertilization
-Sod replacement where needed
-Shrub and ornamental tree trimming away from side of house and roof
-Edge and add mulch to plant beds to hold moisture and detour weeds
-Edge along roadway and all concrete driveways and pathways


SUMMER TIME CLEAN UP

Are you handling your trash and landscape debris appropriately and in compliance with the Covenants?

Leave your bins and cans inside the utility yard area, as every home in Deerwood is required to have a utility yard according to the Covenants. Most are using the motor court area outside the garage as their utility yard. Please place all trash and landscape debris in an area that is accessible and visible to the waste company, but not to your neighbors.

The Covenants & Restrictions do not permit placing any cans, bins, or yard clippings at the curb. Yard clippings, trash and recyclables are scheduled to be picked up all on the same day, either Monday or Thursday, depending on what area you live in. For an additional fee, a second weekly pick-up is available if you have signed up for that service.

We encourage homeowners having a lot of landscape work completed to have the contractor remove the debris. Debris is not allowed at the curb at any time. Landscape debris should be bagged or in a container. Long pieces that are 3' to 5' long should be bundled, with a maximum of 40 pounds. Waste Management will only pick up a pile that is smaller then five cubic yards. Any more than that will sit until the next pick up unless you call Waste Management to make special arrangements and pay for the service.

Please follow these rules and allow the waste removal company to do their job here in Deerwood. You can contact Waste Management at 260-1592 for trash pick-up problems, to be notified of scheduled pick up days, and to schedule extra service. If you are not getting a response from calling them and continue to have a problem, please contact the property manager at MAY Management Services.


OTHER NOTES OF INTEREST

-Roof Mildew: Some of the homes in Deerwood have developed a dark, streaking stain on the roof shingles and side walls. This is a common problem that all homeowners in Florida will eventually face, which can deteriorate your shingles. Roof cleaning services spray a chemical to treat this and often offer a general roof maintenance program.

Flag - If you know of a death in the community, please call the captain at the gate at 642-1633 to lower the flag to half-mast until after the funeral. Your Cares Committee will also want to bring food to the family and can be contacted through MAY Management Services.

Deerwood License plates - are now being sold at the Deerwood Club Administrative building for $5 each to Deerwood homeowners.

 


*You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the pdf documents - to get a free copy the Acrobat Reader click here.
You can download the newsletter to your computer by Right-clicking on the link to the newsletter and selecting "Save Target As..."



Home | Covenants | Board & Committees | Community Info
FAQ's | Maps | Newsletter | President's Letter | Contact Us

©2003-2008  Computer Technology Web Services, Inc.
This site Designed, Hosted and Maintained by:
Computer Technology Web Services, Inc.