| From The Chair... | Facilities | Architectural Committee |
| The Green Thumb | Communications | Neighborhood Watch |
| From The Chair... | Facilities | Architectural Committee |
| The Green Thumb | Communications | Neighborhood Watch |
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PROTECT, PRESERVE, ENHANCE
A New Season Upon Us
A new spring season has arrived and with it, a new plan for our community. We presented our 2003 Planter's Row Community Plan and elected three new board members at our annual meeting on February 21st. We're very excited about the direction we've embarked upon and look forward to continuing our mission of protecting, preserving and enhancing our community.
Over the past year, we've had a number of accomplishments aimed at improving the community we live in. We repaired/painted the cabana, installed a new security system at our pool and tennis court entrances, installed a new liquid chemical feed system for the pool, installed new tennis court nets and posts, and completely renovated our irrigation system. These accomplishments would not have been made without the help from a few homeowners in our community. A big THANK-YOU to Charles Bose, Craig Turbolski, Dan Donboch, Steve Lezzer, Kent Hendrick and Dawn Gallagher.
As we embark upon our second year as a homeowner-controlled association, you'll be happy to hear we have a lot of big plans for the community this year!
We've added a new section to the newsletter called Projects-in-Progress, which will cover progress of our strategies for the year. As you read the various articles throughout this newsletter, you'll notice everything we discuss and the plans we have in place relate back to our mission. Our goal is to inspire prospective homeowners when they contemplate moving to our Planter's Row community. As we succeed in protecting, preserving, and enhancing the community, we not only maintain and enhance property values but we also have the privilege to live in a great place!
As a final note, I'd like to take a moment to thank Kent Hendrick, our outgoing president, for his service over the past year. Kent, otherwise known as the Planter's Row "Bob Vila", was very devoted to our mission of protecting, preserving and enhancing Planter's Row. A big thank you also goes out to Craig Turbolski for his help as the Communications Chair over the past several years. Craig was instrumental in starting the Community Watch Program and spearheaded our community newsletter. Craig has stepped down as Communications Chair but will maintain the lead role in our Community Watch Program. I would also like to thank Dan Donboch for his help over the past few years as our "newsletter specialist." Craig and Dan spent many hours compiling articles into newsletters that were delivered to your mailbox throughout the years. We thank each of these gentlemen for their time and dedication to our community!
After hearing feedback from numerous homeowners who want to help enhance the appearance of our community, the Board is planning our first "Community Clean Up Day". Our focus will be on the cemetery where we will be cleaning, mulching and doing general improvements Saturday, May 24th from 8:00 am until… Please mark your calendars and plan to attend!
The more the merrier!
This is a new column to keep you updated on some of the projects the board and committees are busily working on:
Fence Revitalization:
We are in the process of revitalizing the fence bordering Ashmore Bridge Road. Later this spring the fence will undergo necessary repairs. After repairs are completed, the fence will be pressure washed and a stain applied. We are currently negotiating contracts with fencing companies as well as professional painters and hope to have this project completed by mid-summer. It will be a welcome facelift and add to the curb appeal of Planters Row!!
New Entrance Monument:
A long awaited project indeed! We are preparing to build a monument at the Bel Arbor Lane entrance to The Vineyard. This is the only entrance of six that does not have a monument and we are poised to change that! The site has been surveyed and we have entered the final planning stage of the project. The estimated cost for the monument construction is $5,400. We have met with the mason who will be doing the brickwork and a final sketch is complete. We will be working with a sign company, electricians and landscape specialists to provide the lighting, irrigation and landscaping necessary to give the monument the special look we want. We are in the process of obtaining quotes for these additional services and would estimate the cost to be just under $5,000. Total cost of the project is anticipated to be $10,000 and has been budgeted in our 2003 plan. We will be making our final decisions on this project at our May board meeting. If you have any suggestions or comments regarding the project please email them to Ken Gallagher at dkgallagh@aol.com
Sidewalk Lighting:
Four new light fixtures will be installed along the sidewalk that runs from Marsh Creek Drive to the tunnel. The project should commence in April or May and will begin with the electrical wiring installation. This will require trenching along the sidewalk. After this is completed, Duke Power Co will install the lights. The lights will match those we have along our streets and will provide much needed light for those evening walks so many of you enjoy.
Sidewalk Repair:
Along the same sidewalk, some necessary repairs will be made. The recent heavy rains have caused some washout along the steps. LDG Landscaping will be making repairs and correcting the water run-off in the area to minimize reoccurrence of this problem.
Cemetery:
We are revitalizing the cemetery area located on Marsh Creek Drive. This has become a rather overgrown and neglected area. The project has already begun with the help of Planter's Row resident, Roger O'Donald. Rough grading and removal of dead trees is the first step of the project and is partially completed. We are designing a plan to develop this area into a beautiful and respectful area.
Hope everyone had a great winter! Spring has arrived and even though the pool is closed, we have been very busy planning for the 2003 swim/tennis season! The 2003 pool schedule is enclosed, be sure to keep this on hand for reference throughout the summer. Please note we have extended the pool season past Labor Day in response to your input at our annual meeting. We are very excited to have Upstate Pools providing lifeguard supervision again this year. We have also contracted with Upstate to provide cleaning and maintenance services of the pool and cabana. Having Upstate provide all services will ensure a smooth pool season. You may have noticed the pool was partially drained in March in preparation for repairs and cleaning. We have a few small areas in the bottom of the pool that required several "wet patches" in 2002. The pool will be completely drained, allowing Upstate to complete a proper repair of the surface cracks. They will also be performing an acid wash of the pool surface, making it sparkle!
If you're a tennis player, you may have noticed a few additions to the tennis courts! We purchased two benches and two "Court-Mates" to hold your drink and keys! We will be installing a "Miracle Sweep" to help those tennis buffs dry the court after a rain shower. Also, a light timer was installed for evening play. In order to turn on the lights, you must first enter the courts and then turn the timer dial on. The timer box is located just inside the gate, above the exit button. Speaking of the exit button, this will be replaced with a new button inside a protective cover. The current button was damaged, perhaps by a wild over-head smash!
For those of you new to Planters Row, we have a security system at the pool cabana as well as the tennis courts. You can only enter these areas with the use of an active access card. If you purchased an existing home, you should have received the cards from the previous owner at closing. Residents in a newly constructed home will receive access cards along with a Planters Row Resource Guide, as soon as we're notified by our property management company you have moved in. If you have not received your access cards, please call Cathy Bell at Goldsmith Property Management at 297-4970.
Please be sure to read the new Facilities Guidelines. This was included in the Planters Row Resource Guide delivered to your home earlier this year. There are several changes and you'll want to be "in the know"! If you did not receive a Resource Guide, email me and I'll get you a copy.
If anyone is interested in planning and coordinating pool party(s) or a tennis tournament for the neighborhood, we'd love to hear from you!
Hope everyone has a great spring! We look forward to seeing you at the pool and on the tennis courts!!!
Swim Team Invitation!
Brookside - a neighboring Mauldin subdivision, has extended an invitation to all Planters Row children to join the Brookside Swim Team! Brookside is located about 2 miles from Planters Row and their swim team has been in existence for more than ten years. They are a small team of 25-50 members. They compete in the Blue Division as a combined team with Knollwood and Orchard Farms. Most teams in this division have 125 swimmers per team, so joining an existing blended team of other subdivisions would allow your children the opportunity to compete in this division.
Children from the ages of 5 to18 are eligible to swim. (Four-year-olds can join if they are able to swim ˝ way across the pool. However, they will compete in the 8 and under age group.) Practice starts May 19th after school and will be held each evening Monday through Thursday until the start of meets in early June, and Monday through Wednesday thereafter. An optional morning practice will be held Monday through Thursday at the Knollwood Pool in Mauldin after school is out. The season continues until the middle of July and includes 5 Thursday night swim meets, divisionals, championships and the classics. The fee to join the Brookside Swim Team is $125.00 for the first child and $45.00 for each additional family member. The fee covers all coaching charges, use of the Brookside pool for practice and swim meets insurance through SAIL and entry fees for Divisionals.
The final deadline for sign-ups is June 2, 2003, which is four days before the first swim meet. If your children are interested, please contact Tracey Tanzey, a Brookside Pool Board Member, at yeznataj@msn.com as soon as possible for additional information or to join the team! The Brookside team caters to swimmers of all ability levels from the new, novice swimmers to the high school and year round competitors. You'll have a great time!
The start of spring has finally sprung, or has it? I see a lot of homeowners putting out tender annuals and tropicals in March and April…Then we get nailed with a late season frost and its back to the drawing board! Remember, our last frost date is April 15 for planting annuals and bringing out tender tropicals from the house to put back on the deck.
April and May are now the times to aerate your bermuda. If you did it last year you could let it slide this year if you use a push mower. Have you ever considered a vertical mowing of your bermuda? Core aeration puts holes in your turf, which has several advantages; it allows water, air band nutrients to pass down into the root zone and relieves compaction, which will improve the overall look of your bermuda for the upcoming growing season. Vertical mowing is a technique which cuts the bermuda vertically…taking the long runners and cutting them into multiple pieces of grass which in turn will encourage the grass to thicken and add to the overall health of your lawn. So, if you aerated last year, you may want to think about vertical mowing this year and rotating that schedule on a biyearly basis.
How's your fescue looking? Most of us should have the greenest, nicest back yards of the entire year. But, have you ever let your fescue grow out? What did you see? Do you have a lot of different types of grass mixed in with your fescue? Don't worry, there are chemicals out there to clean up your fescue back yard without hurting the good grass you already have established. Consult a turf supplier or professional landscaper for information on the various chemicals on the market and the details on how to use them correctly.
Lastly, for this edition of the Green Thumb, I would like to encourage all homeowners to keep their front yards edged and weeded to keep the entire neighborhood looking neat and clean from the roadways within our community. I see several homes in our community that have grass 8 inches high growing in their tree rings in their front yards accompanied by bermuda 6-8 inches long growing over their curb into the street. This makes the entire area around a front yard like this look bad, not just the individual homeowner who is not keeping up with his or her front yard. Let's all take pride in our community and show it by keeping our yards looking good! And a big Thank You to everyone who does this on a regular basis.
YARD OF THE MONTH
Look for the signs as the "Yard of the Month" will be starting in May 2003. So let's all get out there and get those yards in shape for the upcoming growing season. "Yard of the Month" winners will again be receiving a gift certificate from our friends at Alexander's Other Door nursery on Butler road.
With the arrival of spring comes many outdoor activities including sprucing up our house and landscaping after the ravishes of winter. For some of you this will include more ambitious projects such as expanding or enclosing your deck, putting up a fence, building a tool shed, doing a major landscape renovation or cutting down trees that caused safety concerns during the ice storms. These are just a few of the exterior home improvements that require Architectural Control Committee approval.
A form for this purpose (Request for Approval of an Exterior Improvement or Alteration) can be found on our web site (www.plantersrow.net). On the home page click on Architectural Control and then on the Architectural Control page click on ACC Application Form. Also, a copy of this form is included in the Planters Row Resource Guide package that was distributed to each homeowner in February 2003.
As to whether or not your planned improvement or alteration requires ACC approval, please refer to the Planter's Row Homeowners Association, Architectural Control Committee Manual (ACC Manual), dated 1-13-03. A copy of this manual was included in the Resource Guide package mentioned above. Also, a copy on this manual can found on our web site. Please note that this manual, dated 1-13-03, replaces the Landscaping & Fencing Guidelines manual, dated 6-15-2000.
We have attempted to make the 1-13-03 manual as user friendly as this rather legalistic subject matter can be. A table of contents has been added with the subjects arranged alphabetically within each section: Improvements and Alterations, Maintenance, and Use Restrictions. We ask that you review this new manual and familiarize yourself with its purpose, the homeowner's responsibilities for exterior maintenance, the guidelines for exterior changes, and community restrictions.
Our current goal is to publish and distribute a minimum of 4 issues of the newsletter per year.
We are in the process of gathering information and updating the website. Take a minute and check it out. Let us know what you think!
Spring time signals the beginning of many different things, including vacation plans for the family. Before heading out to the beach, mountains or wherever your excursion takes you, please take preventative measures to deter potential crime while you are gone. The following steps provide a simple approach to enhance your home's security:
Know when criminal activity is most likely to occur. Two-thirds of burglaries occur when residents are away, with most taking place between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Burglaries also increase during the summer vacation season, particularly in August. Sunday mornings are also an opportune time for crooks.
Always give the impression that someone is home. There is no greater deterrent for criminals than a well-lit residence. Inexpensive timers can be used to turn lights on and off when you are away, while photoelectric sensors are excellent for outdoor backyard lighting. Keep a vehicle in the driveway when you are on vacation. If you are traveling for an extended period of time, ask a neighbor to move the vehicle several times during your trip. Ensure that someone can pick up your mail and newspapers as well.
Keep your residence properly secured. This may sound obvious, but many burglaries in our area have occurred because homeowners were too casual in securing their doors and windows. It is wise to keep your house locked even if you're home. Also, don't overlook exterior garage doors or the interior door between the garage and residence. Protect sliding glass doors from being moved off their tracks. Keep foliage around windows low.
Take advantage of our Neighborhood Watch program. Let your block captain know when you will be away. He or she can help watch out for your home.
On another note, the growing size of our community has overcome my ability to fully keep up with our Neighborhood Watch program. The bulk of the program's work has been done with the majority of the neighborhoods mapped out and represented. I need someone who is willing to split coverage of the community to ensure that blocks remain represented and that new residents are identified, welcomed and made aware of our Neighborhood Watch program. The time needed to do this is minimal. If you can lend me a hand, please call me at 213-9378 or send me an e-mail at craigturbo@worldnet.att.net