F.Y.I. The Newsletter of Edgewood Townehouse Association
PO Box 5424, Eugene, OR 97405February 2012
Important Dates:
Next Regular Board Meeting: Tuesday, March 13, 6:30 PM
(Notices of any special board meetings are posted in the Clubhouse 3 days before date of meeting per Bylaws)
Hospitality Activities:
By-the-Brook Book Group: By-the-Brook Book Group: Wed. March 14, 2 PM
Tuesday Afternoon Teatime: March 20, 3 PM in the Clubhouse.
Contents:
Message from the Board;
Board Meeting Minutes: 2/13/12;
Reports: Quarterly Meeting; Facilities; Grounds; Website; Treasurer's; Hospitality; Clubhouse;
Monthly Banking Activities [Omitted]FYI Info:
Editor: Sara Mitchell ( )
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
Our beautiful Edgewood Townhouses have, unbeknownst to many of us, a rich and proud history. Indeed, there are a few of us still residing at Edgewood, who were here at the beginning of that history. So it is important to ensure that that history is passed along to those of us here today and for those who will come in the future.
The designers of the Edgewood Townehouses were an award-winning architecture firm known as Lutes and Amundson, Architects and Community Planners. Lutes was a 1950 graduate from the University of Oregon and began his practice in Springfield, Oregon. His business partner, John M. Amundson Jr., another graduate from the UO School of Architecture was also a professor of Architecture and Planning at the UO. These two architects became the first practice to combine architecture and urban planning in Oregon. Their vision was to build single family residences, fully utilizing the lot-size on which they were built -- not apartments, not duplexes -- but a townhouse. In addition to this goal, the envisioned the townhouses set in a private park which was reserved for the exclusive use and enjoyment of the association member. The private park included a swimming pool, a neighborhood recreation building, private driveways, streets, and walkways, with natural streams, and waterfalls. The two architects teamed with one of the premiere construction companies of the time, Breeden Bros., and the award winning landscape architects, Lloyd Bond and Associates.
At the time Edgewood Townehouses were built, Breeden Bros had already been in the house building business for nearly twenty-five years. And when they built Edgewood Townehouses, they used the best equipment, tools, materials, technology, and over one-hundred of the finest craftsmen available at the time.
So, we live in privately owned townhouses in a private park through our membership in the Edgewood Townehouse Association. You own your townhouse, the land underneath it, and joint ownership, thorough voting rights of the private park, and all of the facilities. You are entitled to be creative inside of your townhouse and patio area; but the exterior of the building and the grounds belong to us all, and are maintained to retain and preserve the natural character and design of the original plan.
I am grateful to be a member of one of the truly most beautiful and historically significant properties in the State of Oregon. I am also proud to be one of many stewards of leadership who have maintained and preserved our priceless paradise.
Bruce Trafton
President, Edgewood Townehouse Association ( )
EDGEWOOD TOWNEHOUSE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, FEBRUARY 13, 2012
CALL TO ORDER: Bruce Trafton called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM. Board members present were Toni Horodysky, Russ Fryburg, Suzy Wojcik, Linda Johnson, Doug Cone, Jolene Baron, Bruce Trafton, and Susan Klein. Also present was Frank Gaddini, ETA Director. Jennifer Smith was excused.
Approval and Acceptance of Minutes: A call was given to approve and accept the minutes of the January 10th meeting, as published in the FYI newsletter. Toni moved that we approve. Linda seconded. Motion passed.
State of Facility Report: A written report was submitted, read by Frank.
Treasurers Report: Toni reported that we have $__ in our reserves and $__ set aside. Six people were late with their dues. One is several months behind. 147 WW is now on the market. The financial business is almost all transferred from Umpqua Bank to Oregon Community Credit Union. There was some discussion about paying back the borrowed money from capital reserves.
Standing Reports
- Budget Report: See above
- Clubhouse Committee: Written report submitted.
- Architecture: No report.
- Grounds: Written report was submitted.
- Swimming Pool: Pool being maintained monthly.
- Welcome Committee: Written report submitted.
- Website Committee: Written report submitted.
Old Business
Elect a vice president -Toni nominated Doug Cone. Jolene seconded. Motion passed.
Continuation of Mission Statement Discussion - It was suggested that the board wait until the next meeting to further discuss the options for a mission statement that Frank recorded at the last meeting.
Continuation of Goal Setting Discussion for 2012 - There was more discussion about the different options numbered below.
1. There was some discussion about homeowners’ insurance coverage on the individual units. The board will ask that each homeowner verify insurance on their units by providing the name of the insurance company and the policy number, on an annual basis.
2. There was some discussion about proceeding with the two signs that were proposed earlier. (One on Brookside and Brae Burn and the other on Willamette and Westbrook Way.) Toni moved that we spend $__ on signage. Jolene seconded. Motion passed.
3. There was some discussion about replacing the pool lounges as a goal.
4. The informational packets for new homeowners need a revision.
5. The CCR’s need to be updated.
Continuation of Informational Discussion on Collection of Arrear Dues and CC&R Changes -
Changes in the method would have to be brought up at the general meeting and signed and passed with 75% of the homeowners. The board will further discuss policy changes and proceed a step at a time with the changes.
New Business
Waiver requests -- The homeowners at 136 Westbrook Way would like their house sitter to be able to park in the guest parking while they are on vacation June 27 through July 30th. The homeowners at 186 Brookside Dr. requested parking of a VW Rialta in the parking area intermittently through 2012 in the guest parking on Brookside and Brae Burn. Both requests passed.
Rental Request Letter for 70 Brae Burn – The board stated that rentals of individual units will be dealt with at the time they are needed.
Door Refinishing Discussion - There was discussion regarding painting the front doors instead of refinishing them. Consensus was that the doors should be restored rather than painted.
Emergency Preparedness Follow-up - Residents should have an emergency pack for preparation for disaster and several residents attended the meeting that was held by the neighborhood association. Toni will report on the meeting.
Next Board Meeting Time:
March 13, 2012, 6:30 p.m.Respectfully submitted,
Suzy Wojcik, Secretary
EDGEWOOD TOWNEHOUSE ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY MEETING - January 24, 2012
The quarterly general town hall meeting was held January 24th at the clubhouse with 17 residents and 5 board members present, including Bruce Trafton, Suzy Wojcik, Linda Johnson, Toni Horodysky, and Jolene Baron. Also present was Frank Gaddini, Director of Operations. Introductions of new homeowners were made, including John and Anne Robertson, Bill Benson and Sandee Jones, and Merryn Gregory and Josh Gregory. Bruce thanked the board and committee chairs. He also expressed appreciation for our director of operations, Frank Gaddini.Frank Gaddini updated the group on the 759 projects in the accomplishments for 2011. We are about to start sidewalk replacements and gutter cleaning. Also proceeding will be replacing some of the garage doors and the asphalt repair. Refinishing front doors is also on the list to do.
The homeowners were invited to share their thoughts about how our operation is doing.
One homeowner is not happy with the finish on the front door. There is dry rot in the wall of siding in one of the patio areas, but the association is responsible for the repair. One homeowner asked what kind of training the contracted employees were going to get for pruning. Frank answered that the college students will be enrolled in college classes or Jerry’s Home Improvement Center at our cost, but they will save us money in the long run by reducing the work that the professional pruners will do.
Bruce explained that the homeowner dues are needed up front at the first of the month and the board is going to try to update the CC&R’s which are in place. They will not change any policies before amendments are made and voted on by the homeowners. The goal in the next two years is to revise the CC&R’s. There was some discussion regarding the revision process.
Sara Mitchell presented information on disaster preparedness. The city is trying to prepare neighborhoods for the event of disaster. Ideally there will be team captains in each section to help with response to problems. Residents were encouraged to attend a presentation by the City of Eugene on Feb. 6th at Saint Jude Church.
There were questions that Frank was able to answer including information on the grounds and building repair.
The attendees stayed after the meeting to enjoy treats and conversation.
Suzy Wojcik, Secretary
OPERATIONS AND FACILITIES REPORT
Under normal circumstances, and after all of the seasonal holidays pass, one would expect a time of extended quiet and tranquility. But, at Edgewood Townehouse, January 2012 has not been very quiet month. Although we concluded our leaf blowing management program earlier this month, we continued to hear the roar of power equipment, trucks, and workers through the end of a very busy month. Chain saws, roof and gutter cleaning, and sidewalk improvement projects added to the cacophony of sounds in our community. By the 31st of the month, we cleaned roofs, gutters and applied moss deterrent to thirteen (13) of our homes. As planned, we demolished and disposed almost fifteen hundred (1,460) square feet of sidewalk. We also performed and completed seventy-six (76) discrete jobs during January that included significant pruning and clean-up along the banks of Brae Burn Creek.
Behind the scenes, planning ensued for logistics required to deploy work on our nine (9) major Capital Improvement Projects over the fiscal year. We will be planning for more asphalt resurfacing in our remaining driveways, continuing on with siding restoration, repainting, exterior brick chimney cleaning, and the first phase of overhead garage door replacement as a sampling of the upcoming projects. Of course, one of our most significant Capital Improvement Projects will soon be completed by the time of this publication. That project was the replacement of the concrete intersection at the south side of the Long Wood Bridge over the Brae Burn Creek, as well as the north intersection of the Small Wood Bridge. The Small Wood Bridge intersection project also included safety amendments to the handrail systems.
As we move into February 2012, we will be completing our Sidewalk Repair Project and our next round of thirty (30) roofs and gutter cleaning project. Planning also ensued for this year’s upcoming exterior Chimney Cleaning Project which will begin in late February and early March. The tracks have been laid for our maintenance, repair, and restoration projects for the remainder of this Fiscal Year 2012, and I am looking forward to keeping our momentum energized through the end of the year.
Frank Gaddini, Facilities and Operations Director ( )
GROUNDS COMMITTEE REPORT
Most of the debris from the first winter storm has been removed. There is a fallen oak south of Westbrook Way, which will be removed in the near future.
A plan to have Sperry Tree prune and/or eliminate obtrusive or unsightly rhododendrons is being developed by the Grounds Committee and the ETA Manager.
The hourly contracted employees have been clearing, by hand, the blackberry growth along both sides of the creek, and they will start eliminating foliage where it impacts a walker’s view, especially near the two creek bridges.
Jerry Wojcik, ETA Grounds Committee Chair ( )
EDGEWOOD TOWNEHOUSE ASSOCIATION WEBSITE REPORT
Our website, www.edgewoodhoa.org had 38 visitors who looked at 64 pages during the period January 7 to February 10.Toni Horodysky ( )
TREASURER’S REPORT
Our Capital Improvement Budget of $___ for 2012 included $__ for Concrete Walkways. As you walk our paths you can see the major change that recent expenditure has made in the safety and appearance of our sidewalks near both bridges.In the Operations part of our Budget we planned for $__ in Tree Services. Removal of a dangerous, enormous, cottonwood near Willamette Street and the disposal of two trees that uprooted in the January storm totaled $__.
Toni Horodysky, Treasurer ( )
HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE REPORT
Anne and John Robertson, 75 WW, are our first new residents of 2012. They received their welcome basket in January. They transitioned slowly, since their previous home was being sold. They are transplants from the university area. They enjoy the quiet and beauty of our natural setting. They also appreciate the friendliness of our community. Welcome, Anne and John!
Fran Gaddini, Hospitality Chair ( )
CLUBHOUSE COMMITTEE REPORT
The clubhouse is ready for your meeting or party. There’s not much on the calendar right now so please use it. It’s a great venue and only takes a minute to reserve. Just check the calendar, if the date you want is blank, fill in your name and event time, complete the reservation form and return it to the clubhouse mail slot with your deposit check. If everything is clean and tidy when you leave, your deposit will be returned. How easy is that?
If you have any questions or suggestions for improvements we can make, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you.
Bev Day, Clubhouse Chair ( )
[Phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and street addresses have been removed for privacy reasons.]