PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
I hope everyone
is enjoying the look of our new street signs. The Board realized
that many of our existing street signs were posted on the light
poles. As the light poles are being replaced, it required moving
the signs. The new ones are much more readable (especially at
night) and are placed at the regulation height of 8 feet.
Our lighting
project is well under way and within budget. The first phase
should be completed in November. The Lighting Committee will
then evaluate the spacing and make a decision on which area is
most in need for the second phase of the work next year.
Many residents
have made comments to me about safety within Deerwood and I have
been asked to remind residents of several points:
Walkers:
When walking or skating, please walk against traffic.
Until all of our lights are replaced, there are many areas of
Deerwood that are dark. If you are out at night, remember a
driver may not see you, wear reflective clothing and carry a
light. Also, be courteous of drivers and step into the grass
where you can, to allow cars to pass. Be especially cautious
around the medians as the roads narrow there and also be aware
of the many curves in our roads; drivers may not be able to see
you until they are almost upon you.
Bikers:
Ride with traffic. Children under the age of 16 are
required by law to wear a protective helmet. Do not think that
because we are in a small community, we are immune from bike
accidents. My younger son was in a bike accident several years
ago and the helmet saved his life. Don’t take chances.
Drivers: While
it may be aggravating to you to have to go around walkers and
bikers, please slow down and give them plenty of room. Our
streets are very narrow and the walkers do not have to step into
the grass, as they have the right of way. Many of our residents
walk or bike with small children or pets; they need space for
the sake of safety.
We want all our
residents to be safe as they benefit from the opportunity of
walking and riding within our lovely community. Let’s all be
courteous neighbors and enjoy the great community that is
Deerwood!
Don’t forget
to check our website, www.mydeerwood.com
for up-to-date information on DIA and community issues and
meetings.
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
I’d like to update everyone
on a couple of projects underway within the community.
Phase 1 of the streetlight
project is almost complete. C&C Powerline has finished
installing all the underground wires and the poles and fixtures
are being installed. This is a joint effort between JEA, C&C
Powerline and the DIA to utilize our funds efficiently with the
most effective outcome.
The street sign project is
almost completed as well. There are a small number of
corrections and additions in process. If you are still
interested in obtaining an old street sign as a souvenir, please
give me a call.
These projects are but two of
the ongoing projects in Deerwood and I am pleased at the
tremendous difference they have made in the community.
If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact me at 273-3033.
Did
You Know:
It is your responsibility to
keep your yard free of weeds, dead trees, overgrown bushes and
other unsightly items.
You must have a trash yard to
keep your trash cans out of sight.
Trash cans and yard trash are
not to be pulled down to the street.
Boats and trailers are not
allowed to be parked in your driveway. We have a boat yard for
storage of those items.
Cars are not to be parked
overnight in front of your house.
No golf carts are to be driven
on Deerwood streets.
You are only allowed 1 for
sale sign in your yard and it can be no bigger than 2 square
feet.
You need DIA approval to make any
changes to the exterior of your house.
You can be fined for failing
to abide by the Covenants and Restrictions of Deerwood.
These and other requirements
can be found in your Covenants and Restrictions; a copy is also
on the website.
Access
Control
Our new Security System provides us
with better information and frees the Access Control staff to
attend to other duties. Please remember the Call-In Number for
the New automated system is 642-1604. The clarity of the video
is also much improved.
We continue to experience
vandalism to our common areas, particularly from car tires on
wet grass. Please call the Gate (642-1633) if you observe
vandalism in Deerwood. Also remember that while we are a gated
community, we still have thefts. Please make sure not to leave
valuables in your car, lock your car while outside, and lock
your home.
Taking a few precautions will
go a long way to safeguarding your assets.
Landscape
Enjoy the brisk fall weather
as you walk, bike, or jog around our Deerwood community. Think
about some fall decorations or plantings for your yards.
Pumpkins or chrysanthemums add so much to a front porch. Annuals
such as pansies, petunias, snapdragons, or flowering cabbage
will bloom throughout the fall, winter, and spring. Color
makes our community sparkle.
For fall cleanup remove any
leaning or decaying trees and low lying limbs. Blackjack oaks
have a short lifespan and will easily snap and break during
windy storms or nor’easters. Trees need regular pruning.
Always replace trees with evergreen, live oak, magnolia, or
holly trees. Deciduous crape myrtles add color all summer long.
These trees will beautify Deerwood for future generations.
Watch for 28 more projects to
be completed this fall by our community. Our landscape committee
is always looking for helpful suggestions. Call Herb Monroe,
Committee Chair, at 642-5359.
Grounds
Our new lights are up and
running. We hope you have had the opportunity to see them. If
not, head over to the oldest section of our neighborhood,
Hollyridge Road and Hollyridge Circle, to see how nice these
look. We feel these lights provide more safety on our streets
without lighting us up like Wal-Mart.
We started in the oldest section as the
existing lights there were in the worse shape. The Committee
will now get together to see which area has the greatest need
for the next phase of this long term project.
Upon deciding to take down the existing
lights, it was noted that many of our street signs were attached
to the old light poles. As the old light poles were coming down,
we realized we needed new street signs. While these may seem
high after having street signs only 5 feet off of the ground for
so many years, they are regulation height.
Be patient as we fix signs that were
misspelled or incorrect and those blank slots on the poles will
soon all be in filled in.
Architectural Review
Before making any exterior changes to your
home, yard, fence or driveway, please contact the ARC
Coordinator, Tobe' Budner, at 285-2519.
"I'm thinking about doing
some updating. Now where did I put those homeowner
documents?"
You're in luck! You don't have
to go searching for them. Check out the DIA website (mydeerwood.com),
click on the "Covenants" link, and you can view and
print your Covenants.
For the five Deerwood
Condominium Associations, just click on the link for your
association for current officers/directors, Declaration of
Condominium, rules, etc., and the DIA Covenants.
"O.k., I've got the
Covenants. Now what do I do?" Formalize your request to the
ARC. Click on the "ARC" link and you can view and
print the application and information needed for submitting your
request. You may also call Tobe' for copies. Tobe' is also
available to answer your questions during the entire renovation
project.
Realtors, just click on the
"Realtor" link for all the information you will need
to sell a home in Deerwood. For additional information please
contact Tobe', ARC Coordinator, at 285-2519 or Doug Scott, DIA
Manager, at 273-3033.
The ARC's goal is to work with
the homeowner to insure the renovations will be aesthetically
pleasing to both the homeowner and Deerwood. This is not an easy
task! Most communities have one set of Covenants. Deerwood has
21. While all 21 are basically the same, there are differences.
If you see a change to a home not permitted by your covenants,
it may be permitted under the owner's covenants.
One reason Deerwood remains a
prestigious community is because of you. Keeping Deerwood
beautiful is an ongoing process. This is a team effort! The ARC
thanks you for doing your part.
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