ATLANTIS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER Atlantis Community Association Board of Directors President Conor McManus Vice President Blair Petersen Secretary Elizabeth Cologer Treasurer Stephen Gindes At-Large Members Phil Graham Cherie Loustaunau Christy McDaniel Mark Murray Mark Sindt Committees LANDSCAPING Cherie Loustaunau THE AHOY! Debbie McDaniel Shaughney WELCOMING Stephanie Ceruolo Lori Digirolamo YARD OF THE MONTH Vacant www.atlantishoa.org Atlantishoa@gmail.com Police Non- Emergency Line 410-222-8610 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE / APRIL 2019 H appy Spring, everybody! We have already experienced a lot of great weather over the past few weeks, as well as a lot of wind! I am very much looking forward to it warming up and taking advantage of the great Broadneck area and our wonderful amenities. As the weather gets warmer, you ll (hopefully) see a lot more foot traffic and children playing throughout the community. Please keep this in mind while driving at a safe pace through the neighborhood. I hope everybody is starting to beautify your curb appeal and outdoor living spaces. We ve got a lot going on in the community, so it s a great time to get involved. Please be sure to get your annual dues in, if you haven t already. The Easter Egg Hunt for community kids was on Saturday, April 6 (thank you Emily Brown for chairing). The annual community yard sale is around the corner, currently scheduled for May 11, with more detailed plans coming soon. This is a great opportunity to clean and clear out all of your excess stuff. We typically get a great amount of traffic, so hopefully we get a lot of participants. As always, we encourage all Atlantis homeowners to attend our monthly Board meetings to observe the latest discussions. If you have any topics that you d like to discuss, please be sure to send them to us in advance. We meet on the 1st Thursday of every month at Christ Our Anchor just off Green Holly Drive. The board can also be reached by emailing atlantishoa@gmail.com. Thank you for being friendly, Conor McManus President EASTER EGG HUNT 2019
THE AHOY! / PAGE 2 HOA Board Meeting Minutes Minutes of past meetings are listed in back issues of the Ahoy and online at www.atlantishoa.org. March 7, 2019 Board Members Present: Elizabeth Cologer, Steve Gindes, Cherie Loustaunau, Conor McManus, Blair Petersen and Mark Sindt. Homeowners Present: Robin Moser and Mr. Swartzell. Meeting Called to Order: 7:01 p.m. Minutes: Blair Petersen moved to approve the January and February minutes as published in The Ahoy! Cherie Loustaunau seconded. The motion carried. Financial Report: Steve Gindes delivered the financial report. Dues collection is approximately at the same pace as a year ago. The 60-day notices were send out March 4. The AT&T contract has been canceled. Blair Petersen and Conor McManus are looking into other ideas for the internet hookup of the Tot Lot and Main Park cameras. Elizabeth Cologer moved that the Board raise the budget for the Easter Egg Hunt by $100. This will allow for some capital expenditures. Cherie Loustaunau seconded. The motion carried. The budget for the event is now $350. Elizabeth Cologer will communicate with the planners to let them know. Fence Variance: Robin Moser attended the meeting to ask for a fence variance for 950 Aqua Court. The fence will be a wood fence that is 5½ feet tall. It will replace the current wood fence. The neighbors do not object to this fence. Because the lot is a corner lot, permits from Anne Arundel County government are required. Elizabeth Cologer moved to allow this variance; Blair Petersen seconded. The motion carried. Nature Trail/Main Park/Playground Equipment/Landscaping: The Board discussed several issues in the Main Park and Tot Lot. Steve Gindes walked through all of the playground equipment with an expert who made some recommendations: MAIN PARK Mulch issue for three pods for main park and swing area. More mulch needed for pod 3 (rotating swing) where children may need more distance for play on this piece Hammer in boarders around 3 pods Mulch should be up to black line on stickers on playground equipment. Raise swing seats another 2-6 Inspect swing chains for rust. TOT LOT Multiple issues found. Mulch muddy areas approximately 6 more inches throughout area. Inspect swing chains for rust Consider costlier stainless-steel chains. All of the rest of the equipment looks okay. Cherie Loustaunau and Steve Gindes will get quotes on the mulch replacement. The mulch under the Main Park swings and the Tot Lot is a playground-specific mulch. The mulch in the playground pods is a manufactured mulch. It was installed in 2013 and expected to last approximately three years. While Steve Gindes was with the play equipment inspector, he was approached by a Cape St. Claire neighbor about removing vines all the way up the trees in the Main Park and removing dead trees that may fall on other property. Assessing the health of the trees as the vines are removed is part of the (Continued on page 3)
THE AHOY! / PAGE 3 HOA Board Meeting Minutes (Continued from page 2) contract that the Board has with Sustainable Resources. Additionally, Steve Gindes walked the property lines at the front entrance to look at several trees. It was suggested that the Board hire an arborist to look at many of the trees in the neighborhood and make a priority list of trees that can be saved and trees to remove. Cherie Loustaunau will speak to Brian Knox about looking at trees, since he has the qualifications. Davy Tree gave a quote for removing the tree that is dead on HOA property next to 803 Sea Green Drive as well as a quote for tree work in the Main Park. The quote for the Main Park appeared to address a different tree than the one the Board wanted cut and lowered to the ground. The quote mentioned a tree behind 820 Chestnut Tree Drive, but the one the Board was concerned about was behind 1186 Southview Drive. It was mentioned that someone had removed the tree behind 1186 Southview Drive and removed the wood. The Board maintains that only licensed professionals should be involved in tree removal on HOA property, and part of the overall plan for that area was to leave the wood in place to leave habitat for wildlife and future composted nutrients to the ground. Conor McManus moved to spend up to $1,600 to remove the dead tree on Sea Green Drive and perhaps some tree work in Main Park. Blair Petersen seconded, and the motion carried. Elizabeth Cologer volunteered to go look at the area behind 1186 Southview Drive and 820 Chestnut Tree Drive and report back to the Board. Snow and Ice Removal: ART Landscaping provided quotes on snow and ice removal on the sidewalks that front the HOA-owned property; most notably, the area in front of the Tot Lot where there is a bus stop. Conor McManus moved to approve this money for snow and ice removal; Blair Petersen seconded. The motion carried. Front Entrance Parking: Blair Petersen will contact Anne Arundel County government about having the signs go up on or about May 1. Parking on the side of Sea Green Drive with the Atlantis sign will be prohibited at all times. Adjournment: Elizabeth Cologer moved to adjourn; Blair Petersen seconded. The motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m. April 4, 2019 Board Members Present: Elizabeth Cologer, Steve Gindes, Phil Graham, Christy McDaniel, Conor McManus and Mark Sindt. Homeowner Present: Mr. Swartzell. Meeting Called to Order: 7 p.m. Financial Report: Steve Gindes delivered the financial report. There are currently 25 homes unpaid, including the one that is with the lawyer for collection. This is about the same pace as last year. (Continued on page 4)
THE AHOY! / PAGE 4 HOA Board Meeting Minutes / News (Continued from page 3) Nature Trail/Marine Park/Playground Equipment/Landscaping: Mark Sindt presented information about the Watershed Stewards Academy Clean Up that will occur on Saturday, April 13. The Nature Trail was added as a site this year. Residents are encouraged to volunteer to remove debris from the trail, they just need to show up Saturday morning. The WSA will provide bags and gloves. The Board received a bid for $6,288 to deliver and spread playground-quality mulch for the Tot Lot, the play pods at the Main Park and the swings at the Main Park. Elizabeth Cologer moved to spend up to $6,300 on mulch. Conor McManus seconded and the motion carried. This mulch is part of maintenance and the Board needs to be aware of the cost recurring approximately every five years. The Eco-Goats will arrive in the Main Park to eat the vines on approximately May 1. Mosquito Joe began spraying this week. The common areas will be sprayed approximately 10 times this year. Front Entrance Parking: Blair Petersen contacted Anne Arundel County government about the parking signs. Miss Utility will need to mark the area and then the signs will be installed. There are currently small white flags in the area. All parking on the side of Sea Green Drive with the Atlantis sign will be prohibited at all times. Yard Sale/Bake Sale: The yard sale/bake sale is scheduled for May 11. There are several volunteers working on it. The proceeds from the sale will be returned to the community to use for other events. There has been some discussion about having a cookout or picnic, and the budget could help with that if a volunteer steps forward to organize it. Receipts for Items Purchased for Community Activities: The HOA reimburses volunteers for expenses for community activities, but needs receipts and proof of expenses. The Board appreciates all of the effort that volunteers put into the activities but must maintain this rule. Chair s Discretion: COVENANTS The Board received a letter about covenant enforcement from a resident and there was a brief discussion about this. PIER Phil Graham says he will take a look at the pier to see if there are nails that need to be pounded in or other maintenance issues. The Board discussed the tree growth in the area and the rotting pylons holding the rope. Adjournment: Elizabeth Cologer moved to adjourn; Conor McManus seconded. The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 7:27 p.m. SATURDAY MAY 11 8 A.M.-NOON ATLANTIS HOA MEETINGS The Atlantis HOA Board of Directors meets on the first Thursday each month at 7 p.m. at Christ Our Anchor Presbyterian Church at 1281 Green Holly Drive. Join us on May 2 and June 6.
THE AHOY! / PAGE 5 Landscaping Committee News T he Board has been very busy over the last six months or more working on projects to improve the common spaces in our great community. In the entry garden, we added over 200 additional crocuses and snowdrops last fall, most of which survived the weather and squirrels to show up in substantial numbers early this spring. The purple and white flowers were followed, for the second year, by lots of beautiful daffodils. They have not only come back but are reproducing and will give us more and more lovely flowers in future years. The daffodils have been followed by the blue and pink creeping phlox, which are also doing very well and spreading. Nevertheless, the Landscaping Committee will add more of these plants in the coming weeks. A survey of the garden in early April confirms that many of the new perennials planted last June are returning with gusto. The lovely wood asters have self-sowed prolifically and are taking over the shadier side of the garden along Ramblewood Drive. They will provide clouds of delicate white and lavender flowers in the fall. Several other new plants, including the mountain mint and bee balm, are also returning. Along with the butterfly weed and milkweed planted two years ago, they will provide color throughout the late spring and summer. Our structural plantings are also doing very well, including the yucca, sweet fern and little blue stem. In fact, the grass, little blue stem, isn t so little any more and is trying to take hold in the middle of the garden! That plant will be moved to the side with its colleagues in the coming weeks, as well. As we reported earlier and many of you have noticed, the Board has also launched a multi-year project to restore the woodland surrounding the Nature Trail. The bamboo has been removed and will be monitored on a regular basis to halt its efforts to come back. The Board is working to get the trash out of the area. A Watershed Stewards Academy Clean Up will occur on Saturday, April 13 and the Nature Trail was added as a site this year. Residents can volunteer to remove debris from the trail and just need to show up. Watch for signs posted with cleanup times. The Eco-Goats arrive in early May and stay a couple of weeks to feast on all of the invasive plants that have grown up along the rest of the trail where it connects to the Main Park. They enjoy visitors, so please come down to the park and welcome them! We are also adding mulch to the areas under all the playground equipment in the Main Park and to the Tot Lot. Come to our monthly meetings or send emails to the HOA (atlantishoa@gmail.com) to give us your thoughts and ideas on our landscaping. We are working to address concerns about the lack of color in the entry garden, and hopefully succeeding. We welcome your thoughts on the area surrounding the Nature Trail! Cherie Loustaunau Landscaping Committee Chair
THE AHOY! / PAGE 6 2019 Volunteer Opportunities Can you spare a few hours to help improve your community? Email your name, phone number, address and the position you are interested in to AtlantisHOA@gmail.com. Any HOA board-approved expenses involved in events are reimbursed when the volunteer submits receipts to the HOA treasurer. Help make Atlantis an even better place to live in 2019. YARD OF THE MONTH If you walk the neighborhood on a regular basis, or if you just appreciate the efforts that your neighbors put into their yards, this may be the perfect volunteer position for you. The Board provides a Yard of the Month sign and funds for the gift certificates. You get to set the criteria, publicize it in The Ahoy! and pick out the worthy winner and runners-up each month. The Ahoy! editor will take a photo of the homeowners with the sign and work with you on an article about why that house was chosen. The growing season is under way let s bring back this friendly contest. LANDSCAPING COMMITTEE Help maintain our native perennial garden at the community entrance. Work sessions take place several times a year to move plants, install new plantings, weed and water. This is a great way to meet fellow gardeners. WATER PEOPLE Help our plants at the entrance stay hydrated during the hot growing season. We need volunteers to help the Landscaping Committee water the garden. Every gallon of water you bring helps! You can even volunteer to water one set of plants or water one day a week. Or, share water duties with another neighbor. Let s help Mother Nature keep our entrance garden looking fabulous!