Seminary Ridge. Ridge Rapport October 2013

Transcription

1 Seminary Ridge Owners Association Ridge Rapport October 2013 Seminary Ridge President s Message Dear Neighbors, It s time to celebrate another fabulous fall in Seminary Ridge! We have many exciting activities planned including the Halloween Howl and Movie night. Please see the activities area for details. There is also a bit of business to attend to in the form of the Annual HOA Meeting which takes place on November 6th at 7 pm in the Library at Riderwood Elementary. We hope to see you there. Finally, we are pleased to welcome several new neighbors to the community; details are in the Hospitality report. I hope everyone gets out to enjoy the fall weather and all that the community has to offer. -Paul Stefano

2 Seminary Ridge Fantastic Fall Events! Friday, November 1: HALLOWEEN HOWL 5-7 pm at the open space at the top of Clearfield Circle Pizza and refreshments provided Parade, costume contest, games and other fun activities! Come dressed in costume! Contact Jen Aumiller for more information: To participate in, Saturday November 9: PROGRESSIVE GOLF TOURNAMENT 3 pm -? 9 unique holes in 9 yards throughout the neighborhood Appetizer and beverage provided at each hole Host a hole in your yard or cohost with a neighbor ADULTS ONLY! Contact Carolyn Robinson for more information: krolln@verizon.net Thursday November 28: FAMILY FOOTBALL 10 am at Meadowwood Park Join your neighbors for a friendly game of football on Thanksgiving Day! All ages welcome! Contact Jay Heil for more information: heil.jay@yahoo.com *SRHOA is not sponsoring this event and is not responsible for any injuries that may occur to you or your child. Participation is at your own risk! help out with, or find out more about any of these events, please contact Carolyn Robinson at KROLLN@ Verizon.net. Please RSVP for any event you plan to attend, as this helps the committee plan properly.

3 Halloween Howl at Cemetery Ridge Date: November 1 st Time: 4:30 p.m. Where: Clearfield Circle Open Space Come in costume for a costume contest Fun Crafts Bring your unwanted candy for a candy swap Join in Games Last names A-M: Provide a sweet snack Last names N-Z: Provide a salty snack Pizza & Lemonade provided by: Seminary Ridge HOA Bring a blanket & flashlight and stay for S'mores & Movie Night!

4 Activity Report Fall is finally here & there are a lot of great activities coming up in the neighborhood. Be sure to look at the attached flyers so that you don t miss out on the fun! Looking back... The annual Rally on the Green was a huge success & despite the postponement to Sunday, a lot of people came out to join in on the fun! Thank you to Raven Morris & Mary Raley (along with their team of helpers) for all their hard work in making the Rally a memorable & fun event for everyone who came! Looking ahead... Please refer to the two included flyers to see what fun activities are coming up soon! (Halloween Howl, Progressive Golf Tourneyment and Thanksgiving Day football). December will bring Santa s annual visit to the neighborhood (the date is to be determined), & our annual luminaire lighting on Christmas Eve. More information on that at a later date! As always, volunteers are needed in order for all the activities & events to happen. PLEASE consider volunteering to help out if you haven t had a chance to do so in the past. Everyone s help (as well as ideas & suggestions for current & future activities) is greatly needed! Please contact me at any time KROLLN@verizon.net. Thank you! Carolyn Robinson

5 Open Space Report We hope all new and old residents have enjoyed the beauty of the Open Space this year. Spring welcomed in a variety of beautiful daffodils, irises, and sweet red roses. Summer abounded with daylilies and butterfly bushes and the return of the blue birds. Now that it is fall we can enjoy the sedum in the hillside garden along with the proliferation of ornamental grasses. And throughout winter we can delight in the variety of berries on the hollies and nandina. Seminary Ridge is blessed to have walking paths across 18 acres of landscaped open space. Below is a summary of the landscape program we are following to maintain and improve the wonderful asset that we have in our Open Space. Seminary Ridge Open Space Work Maintenance Plan Lawn Care Mowing, April to October: cut trim, edge. Leaf and branch pickup as needed. Winter damage: turf repair, fill sink holes, seed as needed. Garden Maintenance Leaf and weed clean-up. Shrubbery pruned for shape and health. Flower beds spot weeded, mulched, applied with pre-emergent and fertilizer. Front gate gardens mulched, weeded, treated for grubs, pruned as needed during the growing season. Plant annuals. Perennial plants divided as needed. All garden beds prepared for winter. Decorate front gate gardens for Holidays Tree Care Refreshing existing mulches as needed. Application of spring weed pre-emergent. Application of slow-release fertilizer. Spot weeding throughout the growing season. Selectively pruning for shape and health during growing season. Major pruning/removal/replacement of problem trees.

6 Covenants Report Please remember that all changes and modifications (addition, siding, roof, windows, deck/patio, shed, exterior painting, fences, etc.) need to be pre-approved by the Covenant s Committee. A request form is provided at the end of this newsletter and is also available at You can your request directly to covenants@seminaryridge.org or contact Jenn Busse at Thank you for your continued cooperation with our community covenants. Community List Our community system is the fastest, most cost effective and environmentally friendly way to distribute information about our community. If you would like to add your e- mail to the distribution list, simply send a message to communications@seminary-ridge.org. WELCOME WAGON Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our newest neighbors! 8319 Tally Ho: The Clark Family. Andrew, Beth, Ben (3) and Anna (7 months). The Clarks recently moved in from nearby Wellington Valley Tally Ho: The Lewis Family. Eric, Minda, Nathan (9), Adilyn (5), Lily (3) and Rylinn (8 months). The Lewises also came from nearby historic Lutherville.

7 Great Neighbors Keeping Our Neighborhood Great The goal of this section is to provide more information about current issues facing our community as well as things we can all do to keep it looking great. Thanks to everyone for your continued help with these matters. Overgrown Bradford Pears: Baltimore County will remove and grind the stumps of overgrown and problem trees located between the street and sidewalks. This is a free service and more information is available from Baltimore County at (trees & general inquiries) or publicworks/highways (click tree removal). Sidewalks: As our sidewalks have aged, some hazardous situations have developed and one resident recently sustained seriously injuries from a fall caused by uneven sidewalk sections. Please protect yourselves and your neighbors from harm! The Baltimore County code for raised sidewalks is no more than 1 inch and the county will repair sidewalks at a reasonable rate (see below). For more in-formation call Baltimore County (sidewalks) or (click concrete replacement). From Baltimore County s Website The repair and maintenance of sidewalks, pedestrian pathways, and driveway aprons within the Baltimore County right of way are the responsibility of each respective property owner. All sidewalks, pathways and driveway aprons must be maintained in a safe condition, free from obstructions and tripping hazards as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. To aid the property owner in the repair and maintenance of sidewalks, pathways and driveway aprons, Baltimore County offers a program that allows the property owner to request that the necessary repairs be made by the Bureau of High-ways.... The costs incurred will be placed on the property tax bill, spread evenly over a five year period, interest free. The cost for concrete sidewalk replacement is $6.50 per square foot. The cost for driveway replacement is $9.50 per square foot. Typically there is a waiting period of up to one year before the work can be completed under this program; however, should you choose not to wait, you may elect to hire a private contractor at any time. Open Space: The common property belonging to the Association and all its Members is collectively designated Open Space. This land was originally designated and recorded as the Members private recreational facility and sanctuary by the developer, as opposed to being deeded to Baltimore County for use as a public park. Only Board-approved placements including certain landscaping, access paths and area benches are permitted on this land. Any other type of structure (temporary or permanent), personal landscaping, vegetable gardens, wood piles and the like which belong personally to an individual owner are strictly prohibited. Also, no motorized vehicles are permitted on the Open Space. Trash Pick-Up: Baltimore County stipulates that trash, yard and recycling should be placed out after 6 p.m. the night before collection. Please try to secure trash and recyclables against the wind. There are often yard pick-ups on Tuesday afternoon, in addition to scheduled Wednesday morning. Curbs: Understandably, due to age of the community, streets and curbs, some weeding is encouraged so that the community appears neater and more desirable. Dogs: Dogs must be on leashes per Baltimore County s Leashed Law. Please clean up after dogs on bike path as well as on neighbors lawns, around trees and on the sidewalks. Storm Drains: Please clean off sticks and lawn debris year round and remove snow in the winter to ensure proper draining and less back-up of water. Fire Hydrants: Clear snow for easy access for the Fire Department in an emergency. Utility Boxes: Trim bushes to expedite restoration of power/telephone after storms.

8 Seminary Ridge Owners Association Request for Addition or External Change to Property The Covenants & Restrictions were originally filed among the Land Records of Baltimore County on every lot in Seminary Ridge by the developer, James Keelty & Co., Inc. As a result, any addition or exterior change to any property must be approved by the Covenants Committee prior to commencement. Property owners must submit requests in writing to: Chair, Covenants Committee, Seminary Ridge Owners Association. Thorough completion of this form, with attachments as necessary, will in most cases suffice as a written application. Date: Name(s) of Property Owner: Address of Property Owner: Telephone(s)/ (s): Expected Start/Finish Date: Description of Addition or Change, including, but not limited to, dimensions, colors, materials (use separate sheet if necessary): Location on Property (include distance from house and relevant property lines). A diagram or photo may help the Committee better assess your plan. Please provide one if available, on a separate sheet. Does this requested alteration involve improvements outside the Baltimore County setback lines for the property? If so, please address the reasons for any necessary waiver from the county s property setback requirements. If a building permit is necessary, please so indicate and attach a copy, or send when available. Please submit completed form with all necessary details, including drawings and photos, to covenants@ seminary-ridge.org. If unable to submit via , you must provide seven copies of the request form & documentation to the Covenants Committee, and keep a copy for your records. Please allow 15 business days for a response. Rev. 06/2009 Thank you for your cooperation.