Single Family Village Board Meeting

The Single Family Village will hold a board meeting at the VG Activity Center this Thursday, November 15th starting at 7P.   A formal agenda is still being drafted but topics will include beaver damage, new construction updates, Master Board updates, financials and more.

As always, SFV residents are encouraged to attend. There will be a portion of the agenda set aside for a resident forum.

Hope to see you there!

Long Term Planning Committee Meeting Notes - Nov. 8, 2012

VICTOR GARDENS

LONG TERM PLANNING COMMITTEE

11-8-12

MEMBERS PRESENT:

DAWN LA FONTSEE

KAREN RAY

KIM SCANLAN

SINCE THIS WAS THE COMMITTEE’S FIRST MEETING WE WANTED TO ESTABLISH OUR PURPOSE.  WE SEE THIS COMMITTEE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MASTER BOARD BASED ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.  WE ARE SPECIFICALLY INTERESTED IN LAND USE, DEMOGRAPHICS, VOLUNTEERISM, COMMUNICATION, AND ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LONG TERM PLANNING COMMITTEES WITHIN OUR LARGER COMMUNITY.

OUR ACTION PLAN:

1.     CREATE A SURVEY TO DISTRIBUTE TO THE VICTOR GARDENS THROUGH THE VARIOUS SUB-ASSOCIATIONS.  WE WOULD LIKE TO DETERMINE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE AREA, ESTABLISH DESIRED COMMUNICATION METHODS, AND ASK WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM CONCERNING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.  WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS WHAT THE ORIGINAL VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY WAS.

2.     WE WOULD LIKE TO PLAN ANOTHER MEETING TO INCLUDE OUR OTHER MEMBER, RACHEL BERGER BEFORE PROCEEDING ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS.

3.     WE WILL ASK THE MASTER BOARD FOR A BUDGET TO HELP WITH ANY INITIAL COSTS INCLUDING POSTAGE, ETC, AND TO USE IN THE EVENT WE NEED TO PAY FOR A SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL BID.  INITIALLY WE WILL ASK FOR $1,000.  IF WE GET INTO A SPECIFIC PROJECT WHERE FUNDS ARE NEEDED WE WILL APPROACH THE MASTER BOARD FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS ALONG WITH APPROVAL.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM THE SURVEY WITH THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND POSSIBLY CREATE SEVERAL FOCUS GROUPS TO HELP DIRECT OUR EFFORTS.  WE ALSO SEE SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE CITY OF HUGO’S LONG TERM PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND BECOMING INVOLVED WITH THEIR AGENDA WHERE IT MAY AFFECT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE SURVEY SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO RESIDENTS VIA E-MAIL, FACEBOOK, AND ON PAPER FOR THOSE NOT CONNECTED BY COMPUTER.  WE CAN POSSIBLY GET A NOTICE OUT THAT SURVEYS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP AT A MASTER BOARD MEETING.

AGENDA:

WE ORIGINALLY HAD TWO ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA, THE PROPERTY NEXT TO THE POOL, AND MONUMENT SIGNS.  WE DECIDED TO TABLE THE SIGN ISSUE UNTIL WE CAN CONFIRM THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO RESIDENTS VIA THE SURVEY.

WE ALL AGREED THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO WORK ON THE VACANT LAND BY THE POOL, AND PROVIDE OPTIONS TO THE MASTER BOARD.  RACHEL BERGER WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT INSIGHT ON THIS MATTER SO WE WILL ADDRESS THE TOPIC AT THE NEXT MEETING.

NEXT MEETING:

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26^TH 7:00 P.M. AT THE HOME OF KIM SCANLAN, 4767 DAHLIA WAY IN CREEKSIDE VILLAS.

Goetz Offers Holiday Lighting Special Offer Benefitting Food Shelf

Goetz Landscape is offering FREE Holiday Light estimates to all Victor Gardens Residents. We can hang your own lights for you, or provide you commercial grade LED lights. 

In appreciation of Victor Gardens residents using a local company for their Holiday Light provider, we will donate 5% of total proceeds to the Hugo Food Shelf just in time for the Holidays. Please contact Goetz Landscape @ 651-426-2136 or www.goetzlandscape.com to schedule your appointment.

- submitted by Goetz Landscape

Disclosure

City Requests Boulevard Tree Pruning This Winter

Boulevard trees require
pruning this winter.

Update 11/29/12:
Previously the headline of this post used the word "Required". This was incorrect and the corresponding text has also been updated.  Although the City is not requiring owners do this, there are many good reasons to do so.  More info is avaivalbe in a 11/29/12 post.

Hugo's Public Works Director, Scott Anderson has been discussing Victor Gardens' boulevard trees with VG's Community Manager, Kari Miller, VG's landscape contractor Goetz Landscape, and myself.  Mr. Anderson has asked me to reach out to residents via email and the website.

Background info:
Boulevard trees are generally described as the trees planted between the sidewalk and the street curb. This area is part of the City's “street right-of-way” easement.  According to VG's Covenants, each individual Single Family Village (SFV) owner is responsible for the health and upkeep of their own boulevard trees.  If a SFV boulevard tree dies, the owner must replace the tree. Over the last few years, the City of Hugo's crews have begun pruning boulevard trees within Victor Gardens' city-owned parks.  These include Arbre Park, Victor Square and Val Jean Park. The time has come for the rest of the neighborhood's boulevard trees to be maintained.

Q: Why do my boulevard trees need to be pruned?
Pruning provides clearance for buses, garbage trucks, street sweepers, moving vans and other large curbside vehicles that can damage, or be damaged by, low branching. Pruning provides overhead clearance for pedestrians, and also facilitates visibility of traffic signs and allows motorists a clear view of intersections and driveways.  Some varieties of trees also cast a dense shadow. Trimming them allows sunlight to penetrate lawn and shrub areas. In some cases, removing lower branches will eventually increases nighttime security because streetlights can bathe a broader area.

Q: How high up do my boulevard trees need to be pruned?
Branches on trees in the boulevard are generally pruned to provide more clearance than trees in parks, golf courses or on private property. The City of Hugo is asking that we prune our boulevard trees so that there is a 12 to 15 foot clearance to the ground.  This provides enough clearance and will develop the attractive tree lined street canopy envisioned by the original development plan.

Q: Why should seemingly healthy lower limbs be removed?
Lower limbs that will eventually become problems because of their location are best removed when the tree is young. Low limbs do not rise higher as the tree gets older, but they do bend closer to the ground as the tree matures.

Q: What other kind of pruning is healthy for the trees?
Pruning trees to remove dead wood, rubbing branches, crossed limbs, split or hollow limbs, storm damage, shattered wood and trunk sprouts are great ways to keep trees healthy.  Pruning when the tree is young is less stressful and looks better than pruning a mature tree.

Q: My trees seem too small to prune now. Isn't it too early?
It's important to develop a strong primary (scaffold) branching structure while the tree is still young. As they grow, these trees will possess a stronger branching framework that requires less corrective pruning maintenance and will be able to withstand wind, ice, or snow events. With the smaller size of some of our neighborhood's newer trees, this may be difficult and still have the tree's canopy look good.  In these cases, lower limb pruning to a 15 foot clearance may be spread over a course of a few years.

Q: What time of year is best for pruning?
Winter is the best season for pruning.  Trees are dormant during winter and are less susceptible to stress and introduction of disease and pests.  Spring will bring a new flush of growth in the top of the tree and the upper branches and will provide nutrients for the lower portion to heal properly.  Winter's also a great time because problem branches are easily spotted without leaves obstructing the view.


Q: When should this pruning take place?
This winter, before new buds start to form.

Q: Are trees other than my boulevard trees involved?
The City is primarily interested in you properly maintaining your boulevard trees.  Many of the same reasons for pruning boulevard trees also applies to other trees on your property. Thoughtful pruning is a good way to promote healthy growth and sturdy structure. 

Q: What do I need to do now?

In the next few weeks, I'll follow up with more information on what SFV residents need to do regarding their boulevard trees this winter.  I've included some links below to give everyone a better idea of what's involved:

Pruning Instructions:

• How to Prune Trees (USDA Forest Service)
• How to Prune Trees (USDA Forest Service) - PDF
• Pruning Young Trees (ISA)
• Pruning Mature Trees (ISA)

Mail Delivery Snafu

This morning a neighbor asked me to share this with you:

"I discovered on Saturday that a substitute mail delivery person had placed ALL the mail for Provence Way North in a big stack in one of the gray slots to the side of the actual locked mail boxes. I delivered all the mail to my neighbors by hand, as there were bills, bank statements and paychecks in the stack and I was concerned about theft. I contacted the post office this morning to report my concerns and they are looking into it. If any other mailstops in the neighborhood ran into the same situation it would be a good idea to report it to the Hugo Post Office Manager, Craig."

Last Chance for Discounted Sprinkler Blow-out - $50

$50 Sprinkler Blow-Out

Today and tomorrow, Shawn Herman, of Classic Lawnscape Inc., offering discounted services for VG residents.  Each year, Shawn offers a Victor Gardens resident discount to perform seasonal blowing out and shut-down of individual sprinkler systems. He always does a thorough and professional job.

Shawn's price for blowing-out sprinklers today (Saturday, October 20) and tomorrow (Sunday, October 21) is $50.00 per home.

Please contact Shawn Herman directly at (612) 366-6088 or shawn@classiclawnscape.com

*Disclosure

Fall Inspection Guide & Checklist - From This Old House

Giving your house a yearly checkup is one way to keep big repairs at bay. Here's a 5-step plan for inspecting your home, from the pros at This Old House.

Here's a printable yearly home inspection checklist.

Former Land Office Site - Update

For years, the small parcel adjacent to Victor Gardens' Activity Center & Pool parking lot has been a source of frustration for many of our residents.  Many of us remember the Victor Gardens Land Office that once stood there. It's trees, roses, pond and fountain were a nice addition to the neighborhood and in a prime location.  

Even before the Developer turned over the master and sub-associations to the owners, there was talk about the great potential of that site.  I remember meetings in which a number of interesting ideas were floated.  They included, a formal french-style ornamental garden, a vegetable garden, a small park, a playground, etc.  There were a number of combinations of possibilities for that spot.  

Former land office site is part of a larger parcel
 owned by Victor Gardens' Master Assn.

Recently, one of our residents asked the Board a question about an auction that she had seen listed in the newspaper.  She, and I believed it was an auction for that former land office site.  In hindsight, we now know that the auction was for a different parcel in a different location.  With the Board's interest peaked on the land office site, Gary Sykes (of the North Village) and Josh Berger (who represents the SFV) did some more checking.  Ultimately, the City of Hugo informed Josh that the site was never subdivided.  We all were under the impression that the small property was owned by a bank.  As it turns out though, the site was owned by Victor Gardens Community Association (the Master Assn) all along.   It was part of the same parcel that contains the Activity Center, pool and pond.

Now that the question of ownership is finally settled, Victor Gardens' Long Term Planning Committee will be taking a closer look at the possibilities for this property.

VG's Long Term Planning Committee Begins

A few months ago, Victor Gardens Community Association (The Master Association) formed a Long Term Planning Committee (LTPC) to assist with a number of ideas. These now include: 

• Installing irrigation and sod on the boulevards between the Ryland-built homes in the Single Family Village and the Creek Side Village. 
• Developing and installing a landscaping plan for the Everton Ave. Bridge that connects the Single Family Village and the Creek Side Village.
• Re-visiting the idea of installing Victor Gardens monument signage at our neighborhood's entrances.
• Developing concepts towards developing the former land office site into a neighborhood amenity.  (Not a new residential or commercial building).

The LTPC is just starting out, and they have a number of interesting projects to consider.  If you're interested in volunteering for this committee and shaping the future of Victor Gardens, please contact Victor Gardens LTPC Chair Dawn LaFontsee at dawnlafontsee@gmail.com .

New Model Home Approved

Colfax Companies and Architect Tim Whitten have received the ARC's approval to build a new Arts & Crafts style home at 14254 Val Jean Blvd. This lot is across from Val Jean Park's tennis court.  Colfax is eager to get started right away.  The home is intended to be a model home for Colfax.

ARC Meeting Rescheduled to Monday

Due to members' scheduling conflicts, Tuesday evening's ARC meeting has been cancelled.

The meeting has been rescheduled for this coming Monday, Oct. 15, 6:30pm at Victor Gardens Neighborhood Activity Center.  Homeowners are welcome to attend these open meetings.

Beaver Damage Update

I'm sure many of you are noticing the beaver damage almost daily around our neighborhood.  The Master Association and Kari Miller have been working closely with Tom Schmidt from the Rice Creek Watershed District to resolve this problem.  Sounds like beaver trapping season doesn't officially start until 10/27/12, but Tom has applied for a special permit from the DNR which has been approved so likely he will be out early next week to assess the situation and hire a trapper.  Let's hope he gets them all so we can save our trees from ruin!

If you see any additional beaver damage or spot any dam building by the beavers, please call Tom Schmidt (763-398-3076) and/or Kari Miller to report it.