Please join us for an Egg-citing Easter Egg Hunt on April 3rd at 2pm sharp. The event will be held in the playground area near the pool. All kids up to the age of 12 are welcome to participate. There will be a separate area for kids under the age of 5.
Please RSVP the Social Committee the number and age of children who will participate and if you could help volunteer no later than March 28th. The Social Committee can be reached via the Contact Us tab.
Rain date will be April 9th.
Due to this week’s snow storm, regular trash pickup will be delayed. Please visit the Anne Arundel County’s curbside collection website for more details.
As of November 5th, this is what the site reported:
Waste Management Update for January 5, 2022
Due to weather and road conditions resulting from Monday’s storm, all curbside collections have been delayed. Recycling and trash collection will resume as follows. Monday’s collections will occur on Wednesday, Tuesday’s collections will occur on Thursday, Thursday’s collections will occur on Friday, and Friday’s collections will occur on Saturday. Yard waste collection will not occur this week. Currently, all Waste Management Services facilities are open.
Christmas trees are treated the same as yard waste, which will not be collected this week per the notice above.
You may have noticed that the holiday lights were installed somewhat later this holiday season. Earlier this month we learned that the lights from last year needed significant repairs after many years of use, so we decided to procure new holiday lights. This added some delays to the installation process. We also found that after we installed the new lights that they had issues with the power source, so we had an electrician look into this matter. We are hoping that all of this is now resolved and we have new lights for this holiday season and many more to come. We apologize for the delay and we wish everyone a happy holiday season.
To assist homeowners in the community who are repairing, repainting, and/or replacing window shingles and doors, we have provided a list of HOA-approved colors below to be used for these projects. We hope this is helpful as you contemplate your project.
Given ongoing efforts to improve the look of the community by replacing trees, fixing sidewalks, and reseeding some of the common areas, we thought we would repost this guidance from a couple of years ago for homeowners working in the yard.
Edging, mulching, and pruning of trees along the sidewalk and street of homeowner property is the responsibility of the homeowner. Trees should be trimmed so that pedestrians may walk on the sidewalks unobstructed.
Download Proper Pruning Techniques
Download Proper Mulching Techniques
VIDEO: How to Prune a Tree
VIDEO: How to Mulch a Tree
Do your trees a favor and mulch them properly!
One common misconception is that “lots of mulch around tree trunks is a good thing.” The opposite can be true if improperly applied. Improper mulching can do more harm than good to trees. It has been observed that a number of our street trees are mulched using what is called “the volcano technique.” That is, the mulch is sloped upwardly from the ground level all the way up to the tree trunk. This causes the tree to generate additional root growth in the mulch rather than the mulch preserving moisture as it was intended to do. Please note the following information on proper techniques. Feel free to share this information from horticultural professionals with any landscaping service company you may be using.
Proper Mulching Techniques
Mulches are materials placed over the soil surface to maintain moisture and improve soil conditions. Mulching is one of the most beneficial things a home owner can do for the health of a tree. Mulch can reduce water loss from the soil, minimize weed competition, and improve soil structure. Properly applied, mulch can give landscapes a handsome, well-groomed appearance. Mulch must be applied properly; if it is too deep, it can actually cause significant harm to trees.
Not Too Much!
As beneficial as mulch is, too much can be harmful. The generally recommended mulching depth is 2 to 4 inches. Unfortunately, many landscapes are falling victim to a plague of over-mulching. A new term, “mulch volcanoes,” has emerged to describe mulch that has been piled up around the base of trees. Most organic mulches must be replenished, but the rate of decomposition varies. Some mulches, such as cypress mulch, remain intact for many years. Top dressing with new mulch annually (often for the sake of refreshing the color) creates a buildup to depths that can be unhealthy. Deep mulch can be effective in suppressing weeds and reducing maintenance, but it often causes additional problems.
Proper Mulching
It is clear that the choice of mulch and the method of application can be important to the health of landscape plants. The following are some guidelines to use when applying mulch:
–Inspect plants and soil in the area to be mulched. Determine whether drainage is adequate. Determine whether there are plants that may be affected by the choice of mulch. Most commonly available mulches work well in most landscapes. Some plants may benefit from the use of a slightly acidifying mulch such as pine bark.
–If mulch is already present, check the depth. Do not add mulch if there is a sufficient layer in place. Rake the old mulch to break up any matted layers and to refresh the appearance. Some landscape maintenance companies spray mulch with a water-soluble, vegetable-based dye to improve the appearance.
–If mulch is piled against the stems or tree trunks, pull it back several inches so that the base of the trunk and the root crown are exposed.
–Organic mulches usually are preferred to inorganic materials due to their soil-enhancing properties. If organic mulch is used, it should be well aerated and, preferably, composted. Avoid sour-smelling mulch.
–Composted wood chips can make good mulch, especially when they contain a blend of leaves, bark, and wood. Fresh wood chips also may be used around established trees and shrubs. Avoid using non-composted wood chips that have been piled deeply without exposure to oxygen.
–For well-drained sites, apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch. If there are drainage problems, a thinner layer should be used. Avoid placing mulch against the tree trunks. Place mulch out to the tree’s drip line or beyond.
Remember: If the tree had a say in the matter, its entire root system (which usually extends well beyond the drip line) would be mulched. Make sure to visit https://ngturf.com/bermuda/, to keep on reading more landscaping tips and advice.
Just a reminder that we will be discussing the proposed budget for 2022 at the upcoming board meeting on Wednesday, October 20th, at 7:00 pm. ProCom has already mailed homeowners both the call-in information and the proposed budget document. We look forward to a productive meeting.
On Tuesday, October 19th, a cleaning crew will be power-washing the three playgrounds. As a result, the playgrounds will be closed the entire day. We ask that homeowners keep children and pets away from these areas on that day to avoid the cleaning solution and the strong smell of bleach. We also ask homeowners to remove vehicles from areas in front of the playgrounds. We appreciate everyone’s assistance as we improve the playground.
On October 11th and 12th, a construction crew will be repairing sidewalks on Arkblack Terrace and Jostaberry Way. Please see the list of locations and scheduled work below.
Any cars parked near the locations listed below should be moved during this time so the construction crew has room to work. Please contact ProCom with any questions.
HOA banking services will be temporarily delayed as Union Bank’s Homeowners Association Services business moves to Pacific Western Bank.
On Friday, October 8th, access to the Union Bank customer service phone lines, the HOA Services Platform, HOA Online ACH – Digital Banking and homeowner payment links will not be available beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT and will be offline continuing throughout the weekend.
The bank anticipates that all systems will be restored and fully operational by Tuesday, October 12th, at 8:00 a.m. ET.
Previously scheduled recurring payments will not be impacted. As a reminder, your User login credentials will not change when accounts transition to Pacific Western Bank, and there will be no change to the phone number, 888.705.0600, used by homeowners. The team that handles these phone inquiries will now be U.S.-based. Homeowners can continue to make their assessment payments through the same methods they use today.
Please be careful when driving on Jostaberry Way. We learned the county is making repairs to a water pipe. We are not certain how long it will take to complete the repair. Should we learn more, we will pass it along.
