I received a note from a resident who recently witnessed Coyotes in the neighborhood. These wild animals can pose a danger to pets and children. I also have been told that our rural neighbors to the East and South of Victor Gardens have also regularly seen and heard Coyotes outside the boundaries of our neighborhood.
"I live at 4333 Victor Path, Unit 8. This last Sunday night at about midnight, I was taking my two little dogs out. I bumped into two of the other neighbors, and we stopped to chat at the bottom of my stairs. I had my two little dogs on their leashes, and they were no less than three feet away from me when a wolf or very large coyote came loping down the street, clearly intending to grab one of them. For whatever reason, he passed by (although by only a few feet), and ran into the yard and stopped to watch us for a second on the top of that little hill in the grass. He finally headed down the back of the hill, I imagine into the brush that leads back into that training/apprenticeship facility.
I reported this to the Washington County Sheriff's Department. They said that it was the first report from Hugo, and that it may be a good idea for the association to send out flyers to notify people. They said that there has been a recent sharp increase in coyote reports, mostly in Woodbury, and that they will attack cats, dogs (even with their owners standing right there with them on a leash!!), and toddlers. I informed the neighbors around me who have pets or children -- it ran right into the yard where they all play with their kids and walk their pets, and it would be so easy to grab a little dog or child, run into those trees, and be gone for good. One of the neighbors said that he heard them howling nearby a few nights ago, and that he's been walking his puppy elsewhere. I heard them howling last night, so it sounds like they're staying in the area for the time being, which means no dog-walking around or after dusk.
Again, I hope that one of you can act on this, or redirect me to someone who can. I don't want to alarm people, but it shouldn't be taken lightly either. The Sheriff's Dept stressed that coyotes can be very bold, aggressive, and unafraid of people, and there is evidence of a pack in the area."
-Rebecca L. Brune
If you are interested in being on this committee, please meet at Arbre Park on Wednesday, June 11th at 7:00PM. We are hoping that we can get representation from each sub-association on our committee so we can plan activities that interest the entire neighborhood.
Single Family Village homeowners wishing to make repairs to their homes' exteriors must follow the ARC review process described in the Covenants. For storm-related damage, your Board has streamlined this process into a one-page questionnaire. The Simplified Change/Repair Application form will be hand delivered to each of the homes in the next few days. Downloadable copies of the Simplified form are also available by clicking this link.
Forms must be completed and returned to Josh Berger before work begins. Simplified Change/Repair Applications will receive top priority for review. In most cases, homeowners not making any stylistic, color, or qualitative changes to their exteriors will find the process easy and fast. If homeowners wish to make changes outside the scope of the Simplified Application, then the standard Architectural Change Application form will be needed. Those applications will also be reviewed as quickly as possible. Email Josh Berger for more information.
Dear Single Family Village Homeowners,
We are all saddened by the loss of life and injuries caused by Sunday’s tornado. Damage to our Hugo neighbor’s homes of was catastrophic. Efforts are already underway for our residents to help in various ways. Donation and volunteer information can be found on the City of Hugo’s official website: http://ci.hugo.mn.us
Most of our homes were also damaged during Sunday’s storm, including broken windows, screens, and siding. Less visible is the hail and wind damage to many of our roofs in the neighborhood.
The unfortunate reality of an influx of contractors has already begun. A few reputable contractors have been consulting with residents, assessing the damage. To avoid the predatory contractors, your Single Family Village Board recommends that residents ask neighbors for recommendations of reputable contractors. A list including of few neighbor-recommended contractors has already been posted and on our resident website. You are encouraged to contribute to the list by adding your signed comments to the post. Click here for contractor recommendations link.
Please remember, to retain the character and value of Victor Gardens the Architectural Review process must be followed regarding any exterior changes to Single Family Village homes. There are covenants, rules, and guidelines to abide by. Specifically, there are standards in roofing materials and installation methods that must be considered by assessors and estimating contractors. Understanding the delicate nature of the situation, your Board is working to streamline this ARC approval process. More information will be announced later today.
Last night the Single Family Village Board formed a SFV ARC Committee and confirmed Josh Berger, as the subcommittee’s Chairperson. Josh has experience with the ARC process as a homeowner, and as our Association’s elected liaison to the Master ARC. The SFV Board is still accepting applications for ARC member volunteers. Please contact one of your Board Members if you’d like to serve in this way.
Thank you,
Victor Gardens Single Family Village Board of Directors
Michael Warner, President, John Roehrich, Vice President, Dan Sjoquist, Treasurer, Mark Vlker, Secretary
Disaster relief information from the City of Hugo is changing rapidly as more donations come in and volunteers have signed up. The most recently updated official information is always available on the City of Hugo's website. Specific donations requested by the City, volunteer requests, status updates and more are available at the City's website.