Minutes Summerplace Improvement Association, Inc. Board Meeting
February 21, 2018
A meeting of the Summerplace Improvement Association, Inc. Board was held on Wednesday, February 21, 2018. The meeting took place at 1820 E Barefoot Place, the home of SIA member Dave Courage.
Attending: SIA Board President Walter Garrard, Board members Mary Beasman, Craig Colligan, Dave Courage, Bart Heikes and Steve Melchiori. Also attending: SIA property owner Joel Graff
SIA President Walter Garrard called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m.
Discussion of Graff residence 1841 E. Shell Lane:
Walter opened the meeting by noting SIA property owner Joel Graff was in attendance after requesting to meet with the Board to discuss the lack of a required wood or a wood-like exterior on the house he constructed at 1841 E. Shell Lane. Walter provided the following summary of this situation:
- Due to an issue regarding the setback for his house, there was a Court Ordered Mediation between SIA and Mr. Graff in 2011. The Court Order, resulted from the Mediation dated May 11, 2011 allowed the setback. It also required the Association to approve for “construction of the (Graff) residence be consistent with the Guidelines of the ARC.” The construction plans submitted to the ARC by Mr. Graff per ordered court mediation showed wood-like wrapping around the entire house he planned to build. These plans were approved by the ARC. However, the residence was constructed without the wood-like appearance or an approved amended plan.
- It is the SIA Board’s legal responsibility to insure the May 11, 2011 Court Order is complied with by both parties. In previous communications, verbal and written (December 2016) with Mr. Graff regarding this, the Board offered several options to settle this issue.
- Following this summary Mr. Graff aired various grievances regarding his dealings with SIA boards in the past. Several Board members present stressed that these issues had been with previous Boards and the current Board was interested in resolving this issue to comply with a wood-like exterior. An amendment to the original construction plans was suggested to Mr. Graff. He advised he would take this under consideration and get back to the Board regarding his decision.
Discussion of E. Shell cul de sac
At the SIA Annual Meeting on November 18, 2017, Michael Flax expressed concern regarding the cul de sac on E. Shell that was replanted following the removal of an invasive Australian pine in the cul de sac. As noted in the minutes of that meeting, “the Australian pine was taken down, as were several others throughout SIA, due to the state-wide requirement to remove any invasive species already growing on properties”. F
Following the removal of the invasive Australian pine in the E. Shell cul de sac, this area was replanted, and railroad ties added around the border by residents of E. Shell Lane. The Board was not consulted on decisions regarding this area, including a decision to reject the donation of three cabbage palms from Jim Lewin to replace the Australian pine.
At the 2017 Annual meeting of the E. Shell Lane cul de sac “Haidee Williams advised all SIA cul de sacs were established by the residents who live on the cul de sacs. Additionally, these residents maintain their cul de sacs year- round except for any major trimming which is done during the SIA annual trimming each fall. A motion was made, seconded and approved for the residents of the E. Shell Lane cul de sac to propose a plan to the Board regarding the landscape and the tending of the cul de sac. Discussion included the importance of using only drought and salt tolerant plantings in this area. “
Subsequently, Michael Flax secured a proposal from Busy Bee Lawn and Garden Center to replant the East Shell Lane cul de sac. This proposal from Busy Bee totaled approximately, $1,950. Additionally, of the five plantings suggested in this plan, three of the these, an arboricola, a Geiger tree and a hibiscus tree, are problematic during dry spells. This was confirmed by the Busy Bee employee who provided the plan for the E. Shell Lane cul de sac. He reviewed this plan for the Board and explained Busy Bee would install the various plantings and make sure they were off to a good start. However, once successfully planted, several of the plants, as indicated above, would require ongoing maintenance, with daily or every other day watering, especially during dry periods, for 3-5 years until they were well established.
In considering the E. Shell Lane cul de sac proposal, the Board focused on the example of the other four cul de sacs within SIA. Each one of these areas was planted originally by SIA members living on these cul de sacs. These areas are maintained now by the SIA members who currently reside in each of the cul de sacs. The plantings in these four cul de sacs are drought and salt resistant, requiring little or no maintenance other than trimming.
Based on this historical precedent, the Board unanimously agreed that the proposed plan for the E. Shell cul de sac could proceed only with a vote by the residents of E. Shell Lane to approve the plan, to pay for installing the plantings and then, to maintain the E. Shell cul de sac themselves, as is done with the other cul de sacs in our community. The Board is responsible for the annual trimming each fall which includes all of the SIA cul de sacs. Additionally, if the residents of E. Shell Lane approve removing the railroad ties from their cul de sac, the Board will hire and pay a contractor to take care of this.
With no further new business, the meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Beasman, Secretary