Falconbridge Homeowner News

 

President’s Corner

Frightening incident

One of our residents experienced a frightening incident recently. Her doorbell rang around 1:30 a.m. on May 23.  Through her peephole she saw a suspicious man standing outside.  He rang her doorbell two more times. She called 9-1-1, and a police officer arrived approximately 20 minutes later. He had apprehended the suspect, who was high on crack cocaine. The man apparently was walking from Chapel Hill to Raleigh and wanted a drink of water. The officer said the suspect was alone.  The resident did exactly the right thing. When in doubt, call the police and let them sort out the situation.

Falconbridge Lake

With lake ownership comes maintenance responsibility. The Falconbridge townhome owners own the lake, and the level has been dropping. By the time you get this newsletter, we hope to have fixed the leak in the overflow pipe. Foster’s Lake and Pond Specialists had to wait until the water level dropped four feet before they could install a new overflow valve and pipe. We have sought bids to remove some of the silt build-up at the clubhouse end of the lake. If we are ever going to do it, now is the time—if we can afford it. The replacement of the overflow valve and the removal of the silt build-up will be the first maintenance done on the lake since Falconbridge was incorporated. It has served us well, and this should be the only maintenance expense we incur over the next twenty years.

 

Lake clean-up

Now is an opportune time to clean up around the edge of the lake. The next time you go for a walk around the lake, please take a plastic bag and help beautify our property.

 

Landscaping

The Landscape Committee is watching, as we all are, the falling water level in the Lake. Planning for a lakeside garden continues, although no plants have been ordered. The Landscape Committee recommends that you be careful while walking around the lake because poison ivy is thriving in the moist areas. If the silt build-up is removed, the dredged sediment will be stored temporarily alongside the lake until it's oxygenized and somewhat dried. We have a number of bare-root trees that can use some dirt.

 

The invasives are here! Not only do we have a lot of healthy poison ivy, but the Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese privet, English ivy, and wild cherry are doing well, too. Because of other projects, we did not get an early jump on these nasties with Roundup; our next best chance will be late fall or early next spring. We have a booklet available at Mary McClure's, or you can pick one up at the Totten Center in Chapel Hill to learn about these invasives and how to control them.

 

Falconbridge is lucky to have a small urban forest within our neighborhood.  The Landscape Committee is planning to pay more attention to existing trees and their immediate environs. Several dead trees were removed last month and surgery was performed on the lakeside oak. You should not let ivy grow on trees in your home garden and not let Japanese honeysuckle or Virginia creeper take over your walls, heat pump, and courtyard walls.  It is the homeowner's responsibility, not the Association's, if damage occurs.

 

Please observe the plantings in the common areas near your home and water when needed. Bloomsbury has need of waterers. Mr. Moye and Mr. Smith will welcome any and all assistance.  Be sure to keep an eye on the "moonlight" garden as it grows in on Wellesley. The committee members (McClure, Padilla, Hickey, Green, Smith, Parker) hope you will contact them with suggestions, comments and volunteering in their efforts to make Falconbridge, the Beautiful!

 

Roads and sidewalks

At its May 18 meeting, the FHA Board accepted a $31,860 bid from Blalock Paving Co. for asphalt resurfacing at Farrington Place. This contract was signed on the recommendation of civil engineer Greg Tierney, who inspected the proposed project and did a cost-benefit analysis of three bids. Although the Blalock bid was higher than the lowest bid, the Board was impressed by the firm's scope of preparatory work, drainage improvements and use of DOT-grade asphalt. Blalock identified seven small problem areas on Bloomsbury that must be excavated and filled before resurfacing to a compacted depth of 1.5 inches.

The existing asphalt at Farrington Place is 25 years old. While no one can say how long a resurfacing will last, the Board is confident the Blalock contract gives us the best shot at another quarter-century.

Farrington Place residents will be notified at least 48 hours before resurfacing begins. All vehicles must be removed from Farrington Place by 7:30 a.m. on the resurfacing date. Parking is available on Falconbridge Road, though not at the Clubhouse. The Board appreciates the cooperation of Farrington Place residents and in turn will strive to hold inconveniences to a minimum.

If you have questions regarding the resurfacing, please call Bob Wilson, 323-4861, or Ron Johnston, 403-9439.

 

Pool and club house

Pool usage is up. All members of the FHA [town homes] have a fully paid membership entitling them to use of the pool, tennis courts, and clubhouse. Club membership includes Internet access, lap swimming, and swimming from dawn to dusk. You must be 21 years or older to swim during the dawn-to-dusk time, and you must sign up for the program, obtain a key, and arrange to swim with a buddy, who must be a member. Lifeguards are on duty at the regularly scheduled times. You’ll notice we have installed two new picnic benches for residents’ use. Please remember that some of us go to bed early, and noise from a few late-night party goers has occasionally been a nuisance. The pool area and picnic benches close at 10 p.m., and we will install signs to remind everyone of this. Please be mindful of residents at the pool end of the lake and observe these hours.  

 

Contact Information

 

Falconbridge Homeowners’ Association

Post Office Box 99149

Raleigh, NC 27615-9149

 

Falconbridge Homeowner News

 

Falconbridge Art Fair to be held May 3

See details later in this issue.

 

Summary of the Annual Report of the President to the Membership

Although Falconbridge is a mature townhouse community, I believe most residents will agree that the efforts of the past few years have stemmed the effects of age and begun to restore the community to its original beauty. Our annual maintenance expenses remain high, but we are getting conditions under control. This year we continued our focus on infrastructure improvements, facilities replacement, landscaping issues, road repairs, and financial management. And, for the second consecutive year, we stayed within our budget.

 

Facilities 

The facilities committee is chaired by Jason Lenhardt; an architect. We accomplished several things in 2008:

·         replaced four roofs (roofs are replaced every 20 years with 25-year shingles).

·         repaired and repainted 17 homes and privacy walls (homes and walls are repainted every six years).

·         replaced decking and rails at seven homes.

·         power-washed homes on Bloomsbury and Tottenham. 

·         addressed homeowner maintenance problems totaling more than $77,000.

 

In 2009, we will start an annual roof inspection program. If you have questions about homeowner versus FHA maintenance responsibilities, please see the FHA Maintenance Guidelines on the Talis web site under the Resources tab at www.talismanagementgroup.com. 

 

Landscaping

Thanks to a vigorous effort by Mary McClure, head of our landscaping committee, we have a landscaping plan. We are beginning to address many of the issues that were deferred because of financial shortfalls in previous years. We improved the drainage in Bloomsbury, Tottenham-Ellsworth, and Paddington, reducing and containing storm water runoff. Thanks to the efforts of Mary McClure and the landscaping committee, we have enhanced our front entrance on Highway 54.  Elsewhere, dead shrubs and trees are being removed and replaced as the budget permits. We continued our landscaping partnership initiative, which provides matching funds up to $200 to homeowners for Board-approved landscaping.

 

Streets

This was the second year of what we project to be a 10-year effort to rebuild our private streets. The goal is to preserve the good concrete and replace the bad. Eventually, asphalt will be laid over all streets and parking lots.

 

Tree roots are a challenge to good streets throughout the older sections of our community. Trees have outgrown their space, sometimes spreading their roots under street surfaces and sidewalks. We are removing problem trees and replacing them where possible with smaller, slower growing varieties, such as cherry and dogwood. This year, as part of the siding and paint program, we added sidewalk repair to eliminate tripping hazards and prolong sidewalk life by repairing and sealing cracks. Repairs were made on Paddington, Weybridge, Bayswater, Tilbury, and Bloomsbury.

 

We also installed a new Dartford Court sign and three smaller directional signs bearing unit numbers for townhomes in Dartford Court.

 

Dam and Pond

The face of the dam was replanted, and it appears the grass has taken root and stopped erosion of the dam. Broken drainage pipes from Bayswater and Weybridge were replaced or repaired.

 

Clubhouse and Pool

Overall pool usage was up dramatically as more members took advantage of this benefit. Social events were well-attended, and the clubhouse continues to be a popular venue for meetings, birthday parties and even weddings. Consider using the clubhouse, at the reduced homeowner rate, for your next office or family gathering. During 2008, we replaced the roof, repainted the clubhouse exterior, and repaired the pool deck and drain line.

 

Newsletter

Although no longer on the Board, Tom Bowers continued to act as our newsletter editor. It is published every other month and serves as our means of keeping you informed of your association’s business and community events.

 

Welcome Committee

We have a minimal turnover of homeowners within Falconbridge.  To welcome new homeowners, Ellen Roberts serves as Welcome Committee chairperson and ensures distribution of homeowner materials to new neighbors. We welcome your input about new neighbors, whether they are renters or owners.

 

Board of Directors

Members of your association’s board serve because of a deep concern for the well-being of the whole community. We want to live in a community that is healthy, attractive, and market-competitive. Some have been able to devote more time and energy than others, but all have given devoted service. FHA needs the best of its membership to serve on the board. We are always looking for “new blood.” I solicit you to talk to a Board member and learn how you can serve the community.

 

Awards

You may already be aware, but it is worth repeating that last summer Falconbridge was named Townhome Community of the Year (medium-sized communities) by the North Carolina Chapter of Community Association Institute. The award was based on the community’s commitment to addressing our facilities issues as well as innovative programs such as the homeowner landscape grants and recycling wood chips from downed trees to meet our needs for mulch and ground cover.

 

The Future

The coming year will be much like the past year. We will make incremental progress and continue with our programs for facilities, landscaping and road repair. Our commitment to you is to maintain the quality of the community in the most cost-effective way possible.

 

Finances

For 2008 we were able to stay within our budget and continue our infrastructure improvements. Hence, we raised the monthly assessment of 2009 only one-half of the projected CPI increase.

 

Ron Johnston

President

Year End Balance Sheet Summary

 

Cash Assets	Dec. 31, 2007	Dec. 31, 2008
Operating Account (checking)	$  4,170	$  52,353
General Reserve Funds	72,264	35,170
Emergency Funds	38,599	41,205
Total Cash Assets	$135,033	$128,728
Liabilities
Prepaid Assessments	$   4,366	$   9,133
Total Liabilities	$   4,366	$   9,133
Delinquent Accounts	$   9,649	$   5,147

 

 

Solar Panels

We’ve been asked if homeowners may install solar panels. From an individual homeowner’s viewpoint, while it may take several years to break even, over the long haul they reduce utility expenses and are environmentally friendly. 

 

We have no specific guidelines about solar panels. However, because the installation of panels is an architectural change, plans have to go before the Architectural Review committee and ultimately the Board. For all other modifications, the policy is that the homeowner becomes responsible for maintaining any modification. For example, if a deck is enlarged, the homeowner becomes responsible for all future deck maintenance and repairs. A similar policy would probably be adopted for solar panels. The homeowner would be responsible for any damage and leaks that arise because of the solar panel installation and for contracting for the panels’ removal and reinstallation during roof repairs.

 

Even if the homeowner is willing to pay for the cost of installation and future maintenance, the issue is whether we should authorize the installation of solar panels, knowing that they will change the look of the community. We want your comments. Please send them to Ron Johnston at FHASolarPanels@AOL.com.

 

More Landscaping News

Landscape lines will be forming when our extreme makeover at the front entry is completed. Of course, they may be the traffic lanes on Highway 54, waiting for the light to change. By the time you read this, weather delays not withstanding, the transformation will have begun. This is our single biggest project this year!

 

We renewed the maintenance contract with Southern Seasons for one year. We have been working with the crew on Mondays for the past two months while they pruned rather than sheared. If you do not want the shrubbery in front or rear of your home touched, please come to 16 Bayswater to get a yellow stake from the basket and place it in a prominent spot where the crew can see it.

 

We are adding a symbol to the yellow stake to indicate "no blowing." Use a permanent marker in the basket to draw a circle with a backslash through it to mean NO PRUNING and NO BLOWING. This also means you will be responsible for keeping plant material under control as well as the bed tidy. If you find you cannot, simply return the stake. You should tell the committee also.

 

Thinking ahead to fall, we will ask the contractor to deposit ground-up leaves to be used as mulch in bare areas where it has been difficult to grow grass or where runoff has eroded the soil. These areas will be mulched to start building up new soil. This is not a fast process, but we need to start.

 

Wellesley has a new garden, but it is not fully planted. It will be fun to experience the old adage, "first year sleeps, second year creeps, third year leaps." A few plants won't be available until warmer weather. The purpose of this garden is to slow runoff and erosion. When we did the initial planting, we discovered difficult clay soil that makes this bed a challenge.

 

We hope to get a start on the pondside plantings; we've asked the contractor to mow the pond edge only once a month. We'll see how this works, and we welcome your comments. A new bed for a shade garden is shaping up near the picnic table. The logs are being used for erosion control and will mark where we'll be adding soil and mulch over time. We can add only two inches a year without suffocating the tree roots.

 

Please offer suggestions, advice, help, anytime at all.  Falconbridge, the beautiful!

 

Mary McClure

 

Watch your step!

Some residents are still allowing their dogs to soil community property and create walking and health hazards. Please clean up after your pet.

 

Falconbridge Art Fair to be held May 3

Don’t miss the annual Falconbridge Art Fair on May 3, from 1 to 5 at the Falconbridge Community Club, 6400 Falconbridge Road. Surrounding the beautiful lake and pool will be more than 20 artisans displaying and selling their products. Watercolors, photography, jewelry, pottery, lavender goods and more—perfect for Mother’s Day or early holiday shopping!  Food will also be available. There will be no admission charge.

 

The Falconbridge Art Fair will benefit Residential Services Inc, a nonprofit organization in Chapel Hill that provides living options to people of all ages with developmental disabilities. 

 

We can always use Falconbridge volunteers to help with set-up, tear-down, traffic control, booth monitors, and more. Please contact Michelle Wolff, mwolff1@nc.rr.com or Conni Rivers, riverstilbury@yahoo.com with questions or to volunteer.

 

Art from the Heart

Gloria Roberts and Vincent Daddiego have been long-time residents of Falconbridge and have been professional artists for most of their lives. Although they have exhibited with excellent galleries in the U.S. and Europe, they particularly welcome collectors at their home studio. Gloria and Vincent have created a wide range of traditional and modern paintings, sculptures and wall hangings. Should you purchase a piece, Gloria and Vincent will return 30 percent of the price to the Falconbridge Homeowners Association. You will also save the usual art gallery markup. Our association can always use extra funds, and this is a case of Art from the Heart. Call Vincent at 490-6098 for an appointment.

Contact Information

 

Falconbridge Homeowners’ Association

Post Office Box 99149

Raleigh, NC 27615-9149

 

Falconbridge Homeowner News

President’s Corner

 

 

 

Falconbridge Neighboring Notches Up

A newly formed support team of Falconbridge neighbors—both men and women—completed Project Compassion Leadership training in January. The Falconbridge support team program, part of the Falconbridge Village program initiated by Rosemary Hyde and Ellen Scheiner, follows the model developed by Project Compassion, a Chapel Hill based non-profit organization.

Teams of neighbors work together to help with health-related needs, temporary or longer-term.  Support teams do not replace professional services, but they focus on the ways in which friends and family members can help someone get through a difficult time. 

Support team members may visit, run errands, drive to appointments, or provide other neighborly support. Team members do things they enjoy doing and that their neighbors have requested. Teams distribute tasks so that no one feels burdened.

Support team services are available to Falconbridge neighbors at no cost. If you know a Falconbridge resident or family who is experiencing health-related issues, please inform them about the availability of support team assistance in our neighborhood and suggest that they request information.

And yes, more volunteer help is always appreciated!  Volunteers may include students wanting to fulfill community service requirements.

For more information, please contact Dan Fox (5 Vauxhall Place) or Bill Brown (7007 Knotty Pine), or e-mail falvillage@mindspring.com.

 

 

 

 

Note: this should be a separate page.

HOMEOWNER'S REQUEST FOR MATCHING FUNDS

FOR LANDSCAPING PROJECTS

 

This request is for matching funds not to exceed $200—one-half the cost of the project up to a total project cost of $400. For example, if a project costs $100, you are eligible for a $50 grant, if it costs $400 or more, you are eligible for $200. This will be authorized upon approval and paid upon completion with receipts attached. Grants are not available for landscaping projects inside homeowners’ courtyards.

 

Landscaping projects on both homeowner plots and common areas next to units are appropriate. It is expected that the grantee will maintain any project.  Grants are primarily for the front and sides of the unit.

 

Date submitted:              __________________________

 

Date of Completion:            __________________________

 

Amount requested:              _____________.

 

Address:                           ____________________________________

 

Name:                                       ________________________________________

 

Contact Info:                     Tel Number:  _______________________ (H or W)

 

                                       Best time to call:   ___________________

 

                                       Email:  _____________________________________

 

Please include the following in your request: 

·        Location and dimensions of the proposed planting

·        List of plants proposed and costs

·        Sketch of proposed planting area showing dimensions and plants

·        Photograph if possible (digital printout is fine)

 

Be mindful of animals that live in our community: deer, rabbits, squirrels. FHA policy does not permit fences, but for a temporary period of up to seven months, the board will approve a temporary fence of not more than three feet high to protect plants and give them a chance to get established. Remember that if the deer like it, it's going to get eaten even after the fence comes down.

 

 

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowners’ Association

Post Office Box 99149

Raleigh, NC 27615-9149

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowner News

 

Annual meeting: April 20, 7 p.m., in the Clubhouse

 

President’s Corner

As we start the year, it’s hard not to be optimistic. We live in a beautiful neighborhood, and it’s getting better. We’ll end the year in sound financial shape, with slightly more cash than we had at the end of 2008 and with fewer delinquencies.

 

While much remains to be done, we’ve avoided major winter damage. The landscaping improvements we started last fall are beginning to take shape, and the grass on the side of the dam appears to have taken root. 

 

We’re planning for our annual meeting and board elections on April 20. We have three board members whose terms are expiring, and all three (Bob Wilson, Kathy King, and myself) have agreed to stand for reelection. That doesn’t mean you don’t have an opportunity to serve; you can volunteer and stand for election. Even if you are not elected, you are likely to be asked to serve on the board. Typically, we lose one or two board members every year because they move or experience a personal issue that prevents them from serving. We always consider prior board nominees to fill those open positions. If you are interested in serving, please contact Ron Johnston at rtj2ljj@aol.com.

 

Watch your step!

Some residents are still allowing their dogs to soil community property and create walking and health hazards. Please clean up after your pet.

 

Facilities

This year will mark the beginning of a new roof inspection program aimed at identifying and rectifying issues before they become more serious problems. Please make Talis aware of any existing conditions that you think need to be looked at, so they can be addressed while the inspectors are onsite.  Expect a Talis postcard in early March that will provide additional information.

 

Items to consider during exterior spring cleaning:

 

·         Removing debris such as pine needles and leaves from your deck will help it stay moisture-free and prevent premature decay of deck boards.

·         Many layers of built-up mulch can lead to direct contact of mulch to wood siding or base trim. This can cause moisture to seep under the trim or siding and cause decay and provide a convenient path for termites. Removing old mulch prior to adding a new layer is an effective way to avoid direct contact.

·         We are in the process of surveying and making scheduled repairs to privacy walls (stucco) in front of many town homes. Ivy and other vining plants should not be allowed to grow on the wall or the side of the house. Those plants prevent proper surveying of the privacy walls and can also damage the siding and prevent paint from adhering properly.

 

Ron Johnston

 

Landscaping

Clip, snip, prune, chop; when will it ever end? Soon……. The pruning season is mostly behind us, with trees and shrubs beginning their spring flush. Crepe myrtles are being brought under control, and infested cedars are being removed (with bagworms galore). In February, our contractor spread wood chips from the "surgery" on the grand old white oak, pruned shrubs, and did early fertilization.

 

We did not get to the suckering Bradford pear on Bloomsbury, but it's on the list. If you notice any damaged limbs, low branches, or plants that don't look right, please call it to our attention via our manager, Joel Strangis, or directly to me at: mcmcclure@pobox.com. (Use FHOA in the subject line, please.)

 

If you have a new tree in front of your home, will you please fill the Treegator (when they get here) from your hose?  Please work out a schedule with a neighbor so the tree gets one gallon of water a week. It's important that the newly planted trees get the attention and moisture they deserve.

 

Ivy and other creeping, climbing, invading things: We have at least four of the ten most invasive plants of North Carolina right here in pond city! They are Chinese privet, Japanese honeysuckle, English ivy, and eleagnus. We are removing them as we can. No ivy should be growing on courtyard walls, period! Save your committee members’ backs and take it off yourself. If you leave it in a pile near the street, the contractor will take it away on Monday. You can also use the brown bin from the City of Durham.

 

Mowing season is almost here; the committee has taken your wishes into the contract negotiations and is establishing no-ride zones. We are not sure how we'll mark these, but over the growing season, we will establish these as well as no-blow zones. If you have a situation that we've overlooked, please let us know. Remember the yellow stakes (available at 16 Bayswater) are notices to the contractor to avoid maintenance.  

 

We will soon begin the work on the makeover of our front entry on Highway 54 and the stabilization of Wellesley terrace with plant material. As we work to define our long-range plan, we'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions. And, please, do pick up after your pooch! The rest of us will love you forever!!

Mary McClure

 

Roads and Streets

The board expects to spend $30,000 this spring on street resurfacing and rebuilding, about $20,000 less than in 2008. The largest item this year is resurfacing Bloomsbury Court with 1.5 inches of asphalt. Community manager Joel Strangis has received two bids for this work, ranging from $21,800 to $28,950. He is seeking a third bid.

The board also wants to replace segments of crumbling concrete on Tottenham Lane and put two coats of sealer on last year's asphalt resurfacing at Waltham Place and upper and lower Dartford Court. Application of a sealer prolongs the useful life of asphalt by preventing water from entering the paving via small cracks that invariably appear as the asphalt expands and contracts in response to winter and summer temperatures. This work is relatively inexpensive, costing $750 for Waltham Place with comparable figures for upper and lower Dartford.

Bids are being sought on replacing several segments of Tottenham Lane, from units 8 to 4. This crumbling concrete is 14 years old, and like most original concrete streets in Falconbridge, was laid without construction joints that would have prolonged its life.

No matter how much street work the board authorizes, some Falconbridge residents will be inconvenienced, particularly with replacement of concrete. As in the past, the board will notify all affected residents at least 48 hours before work begins (including rain dates). Parking will be available on nearby streets. Residents needing help with garbage and recycling pickup should contact either board president Ron Johnston (493-5889) or streets chairman Bob Wilson (323-4861) for assistance.
Bob Wilson

 

Falconbridge Neighboring Notches Up

A newly formed support team of Falconbridge neighbors—men and women—completed Project Compassion Leadership training in January. The Falconbridge support team program, part of the Falconbridge Village program initiated by Rosemary Hyde and Ellen Scheiner, follows the model developed by Project Compassion, a Chapel Hill based non-profit organization.

Teams of neighbors work together to help with health-related needs, temporary or longer-term. Support teams do not replace professional services, but they focus on the ways in which friends and family members can help someone get through a difficult time. Support team members may visit, run errands, drive to appointments, or provide other neighborly support. Team members do things they enjoy doing and that their neighbors have requested. Teams distribute tasks so that no one feels burdened.

Support team services are available to Falconbridge neighbors at no cost. If you know a Falconbridge resident or family who is experiencing health-related issues, please inform them about the availability of support team assistance in our neighborhood and suggest that they request information.

And yes, more volunteer help is always appreciated! Volunteers may include students wanting to fulfill community service requirements. For more information, please contact Dan Fox (5 Vauxhall Place) or Bill Brown (7007 Knotty Pine), or e-mail falvillage@mindspring.com.

 

Annual Meeting

Monday, April 20, 7 p.m.

Falconbridge Clubhouse

 

 

HOMEOWNER'S REQUEST FOR MATCHING FUNDS

FOR LANDSCAPING PROJECTS

 

This request is for matching funds not to exceed $200—one-half the cost of the project up to a total project cost of $400. For example, if a project costs $100, you are eligible for a $50 grant, if it costs $400 or more, you are eligible for $200. This will be authorized upon approval and paid upon completion with receipts attached. Grants are not available for landscaping projects inside homeowners’ courtyards.

 

Landscaping projects on both homeowner plots and common areas next to units are appropriate. It is expected that the grantee will maintain any project.  Grants are primarily for the front and sides of the unit.

 

Date submitted:             __________________________

 

Date of Completion:                   __________________________

 

Amount requested:                     _____________.

 

Address:                                   ____________________________________

 

Name:                                       ________________________________________

 

Contact Info:                              Tel Number:  _______________________ (H or W)

 

                                                Best time to call:   ___________________

 

                                                Email:  _____________________________________

 

Please include the following in your request: 

·         Location and dimensions of the proposed planting

·         List of plants proposed and costs

·         Sketch of proposed planting area showing dimensions and plants

·         Photograph if possible (digital printout is fine)

 

Be mindful of animals that live in our community: deer, rabbits, squirrels. FHA policy does not permit fences, but for a temporary period of up to seven months, the board will approve a temporary fence of not more than three feet high to protect plants and give them a chance to get established. Remember that if the deer like it, it's going to get eaten even after the fence comes down.

 

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowners’ Association

Post Office Box 99149

Raleigh, NC 27615-9149

Annual Meeting: April 20 at 7 p.m.

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowner News

President’s Corner

I’m proud to say that we operated within our budget for the second year in a row. I see no reason why this should change as long as we continue to adjust our monthly assessments for inflation, as measured by the CPI.

 

Plans for 2009 include continued infrastructure improvements, specifically the resurfacing of Bloomsbury and minor road repairs elsewhere. This year, for the first time in several years, we will devote resources to area beautification. We have an active landscaping committee that has surveyed the neighborhood and is developing plans for 2009. You can read about those plans in the landscaping committee report that follows.

 

With winter comes damage to our units. Under our covenants, the resources of FHA, derived from monthly assessments of all homeowners, are to be used to maintain the common areas and to maintain and repair the exterior of individual townhouses, as required by normal usage and weathering. External maintenance and repair includes roofs, skylights, gutters, downspouts, exterior building surfaces, decks, patio screening walls, etc. Most such repair and maintenance functions are undertaken on a periodic basis: Townhouses are re-roofed every 20 years, repainted every six years, and gutters are cleaned annually. For specific questions about maintenance responsibilities, read the covenant guidelines at www.talisecommunity.com/Falconbridge.

 

FHA has an architectural review committee and a landscaping committee. Each is responsible for ensuring that remodeling or exterior modification is consistent with the look and feel of the neighborhood. Before making any exterior changes in your unit, including door and window replacement, or in landscaping any area outside your own plat, you need to submit your plan to the appropriate committee. The committee will review your proposal within 30 days. The request form is available on the Talis website or by calling Talis. Send the completed application to Talis, who will forward it to the appropriate committee.

 

Ron Johnston

 

Landscaping.

Trees, trees, more and fewer trees. Over the winter, several trees, including pink dogwoods on Dartford and white redbuds on Bloomsbury, and a tree on Tottenham were planted. The biggest tree job was the rescue work on the Weybridge White Oak (WWO for short). This tree is probably 75 years old and well into a tree’s mature age. An oak tree uses its roots to feed specific limbs. That is, root A feeds limb A, and so on. If root A is cut or damaged, limb A will suffer or die. In most other trees, cut or damaged roots affect the overall tree limbs. We believe that many years ago, construction efforts cut some WWO roots and allowed a pathogen to enter and attack the tree. Although the tree tried to fight it off, severe stress, such as droughts of the last five years, took their toll and lessened the tree's ability to fight the pathogen. It is a slow process, and no one can predict just how long our lovely tree will survive. We have removed the dead and dying branches—most of which were on one side—and inoculated it for pathogens, although this ultimately will be a losing battle for the tree. Fertilizer was injected into the root area, and we plan to mulch and rope off the area to minimize further compaction and to protect this valuable tree.

 

Several other dead trees were removed, including some that caused structural damage to courtyard walls and sidewalks. Over the next several years, more dead trees will be removed. Hazardous trees that threaten property or streets will come down as soon as is possible. Not all trees will be replaced.

 

Colors by Falconbridge: The landscape committee is working with the landscape maintenance contractor, Southern Seasons, to address a number of issues raised by homeowners. The response to our survey indicated some changes in techniques to be used; e.g., blowing of leaves. Timely shrub pruning and removal are also being addressed. We are marking shrubs that are not to be pruned with blue tape. If you see these tapes fluttering in the breeze, please be patient until the crews are properly trained to leave them alone. We use pink tape to mark trees to be removed. Yellow stakes indicate that the space should be left alone by the contractor's crew. If you would like a yellow stake, call the chair, Mary McClure or come to 16 Bayswater Place.

 

The committee hopes that a front entry makeover will start soon. Some of the existing plant material will be transplanted to cul-de-sac entrances, but some is not worth the effort. The addition of a water faucet on one side will make maintenance easier. The cherry trees are near the end of their lives and will have to be replaced in the next few years. There are exciting new varieties available for many of the trees and shrubs we have in our community, and as the old plants die off, we look forward to a beautiful enhancement of the common areas.

 

The dam had soil added to the back side and was seeded with tall fescue grass. We hope the recent sledding did no damage; it's the climbing up the dam that hurts. The grass on the dam will be mowed only twice a year to minimize erosion. The shoreline protection plan is still in development, but we envision testing some attractive water's edge planting near the picnic tables.

 

We could always use volunteers to help monitor the maintenance crews. It requires an hour or so a week and a report to the committee. We can provide you with a checklist that you can use to alert the committee to potential problems.

 

We invite participation in several projects: 

• bluebird trail in cooperation with the Falconbridge Community Association;
• kite-flying day;
• community garden, perhaps on the space adjoining Weybridge or another suitable site;
• new bridge on the far side of the pond;
• duck nesting box;
• raptor pole on the east side of the neighborhood to help with rabbit control.

 

Let us know what we can do to help you with your gardening and landscaping projects. Our grant program is underway. With the submission and approval of a plan (showing dimensions and proposed plants) and receipts, the committee chair will stop by and approve it. Voila, a check from Talis! This is your monthly dues at work.

 

Know your soil before you plant. Soil sample forms and boxes are available from Mary McClure. The N.C. Department of Agriculture provides this free service. Take your sample to the Totten Center at UNC Botanical Gardens. They send the sample to the lab in Raleigh, and you can retrieve your report online.

 

Check our website for a preview of the front entry plan.

 

Mary McClure

 

 

 

 

Note: this should be a separate page.

HOMEOWNER'S REQUEST FOR MATCHING FUNDS

FOR LANDSCAPING PROJECTS

 

This request is for matching funds not to exceed $200—one-half the cost of the project up to a total project cost of $400. For example, if a project costs $100, you are eligible for a $50 grant, if it costs $400 or more, you are eligible for $200. This will be authorized upon approval and paid upon completion with receipts attached. Grants are not available for landscaping projects inside homeowners’ courtyards.

 

Landscaping projects on both homeowner plots and common areas next to units are appropriate. It is expected that the grantee will maintain any project.  Grants are primarily for the front and sides of the unit.

 

Date submitted:              __________________________

 

Date of Completion:            __________________________

 

Amount requested:              _____________.

 

Address:                           ____________________________________

 

Name:                                       ________________________________________

 

Contact Info:                     Tel Number:  _______________________ (H or W)

 

                                       Best time to call:   ___________________

 

                                       Email:  _____________________________________

 

Please include the following in your request: 

·        Location and dimensions of the proposed planting

·        List of plants proposed and costs

·        Sketch of proposed planting area showing dimensions and plants

·        Photograph if possible (digital printout is fine)

 

Be mindful of animals that live in our community: deer, rabbits, squirrels. FHA policy does not permit fences, but for a temporary period of up to seven months, the board will approve a temporary fence of not more than three feet high to protect plants and give them a chance to get established. Remember that if the deer like it, it's going to get eaten even after the fence comes down.

 

 

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowners’ Association

Post Office Box 99149

Raleigh, NC 27615-9149

 

 

January 2009

 

 

 

Landscaping

The year's end and new beginnings. . . . The committee has worked hard to develop a long range plan. The five focus areas—dam, pond, front entry, common areas, and communication—have sub-focus areas. You may have noticed that the backside of the dam has had new topsoil added, been reseeded with Kentucky 31 fescue, and had an erosion-control blanket applied. We hope this will keep the terracing problem from recurring for a long time.

 

It has been a slow process to get multiple bids for tree pruning and removal and a backflow preventer and design for the front entry. The Weybridge White Oak is suffering from a fungus and needs serious pruning. We hope pruning, fertilizing, and mulching will give the lovely old tree many more years of life. It will be a multiyear project to remove dead trees as needed because of budget constraints, but hazardous trees will be removed immediately.

 

Judy Harmon has been selected to do a design for the front entry. Drought-tolerant, deer-tolerant, street-tough, and pretty! What did we forget?

 

The committee thanks everyone for participating in our survey, which showed that the front entry was the top concern. We hope to respond to your concerns after the results are compiled. We also welcome all volunteers; trust me, you will be called. 

 

Included in this newsletter is a grant application for you to use when you want to upgrade the landscaping at your home. It is primarily for the street side of your unit and should be submitted prior to incurring any costs. We promise prompt replies—as long as the money holds out! If you do not wish the landscape maintenance crews to maintain any area about your home, please place a yellow stake where it can be easily seen. These are available from me at 16 Bayswater—email at mcmcclure@pobox.com. You can pick it up or I will deliver itf.

 

The promised trees for Bloomsbury and Dartford will be planted over the winter. Bloomsbury will have a pretty “Oklahoma” redbud, and Dartford will get a “Cherokee Princess” pink dogwood'.

 

We hope to start improving the cul-de-sac entries as well as several open areas that need attention. As always, feel free to contact any of the committee or me at the above email address.

 

Mary McClure

 

 

 

 

 

Note: this should be a separate page.

HOMEOWNER'S REQUEST FOR MATCHING FUNDS

FOR LANDSCAPING PROJECTS

 

This request is for matching funds not to exceed $200—one-half the cost of the project up to a total project cost of $400. For example, if a project costs $100, you are eligible for a $50 grant, if it costs $400 or more, you are eligible for $200. This will be authorized upon approval and paid upon completion with receipts attached. Grants are not available for landscaping projects inside homeowners’ courtyards.

 

Landscaping projects on both homeowner plots and common areas next to units are appropriate. It is expected that the grantee will maintain any project.  Grants are primarily for the front and sides of the unit.

 

Date submitted:              __________________________

 

Date of Completion:            __________________________

 

Amount requested:              _____________.

 

Address:                           ____________________________________

 

Name:                                       ________________________________________

 

Contact Info:                     Tel Number:  _______________________ (H or W)

 

                                       Best time to call:   ___________________

 

                                       Email:  _____________________________________

 

Please include the following in your request: 

·        Location and dimensions of the proposed planting

·        List of plants proposed and costs

·        Sketch of proposed planting area showing dimensions and plants

·        Photograph if possible (digital printout is fine)

 

Be mindful of animals that live in our community: deer, rabbits, squirrels. FHA policy does not permit fences, but for a temporary period of up to seven months, the board will approve a temporary fence of not more than three feet high to protect plants and give them a chance to get established. Remember that if the deer like it, it's going to get eaten even after the fence comes down.

 

 

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowners’ Association

Post Office Box 99149

Raleigh, NC 27615-9149

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowner News

 

November 2008

 

FHA Wins Prestigious Honor

On Sept. 26, the Community Associations Institute of North Carolina (CAIC) formally recognized what many FHA residents already knew: Falconbridge is a nice place to live. CAIC gave Falconbridge the group's 2008 Medium Townhome/Condo Community of the Year Award at its annual meeting at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte.

Joel Strangis, Talis Management’s community manager for FHA, nominated Falconbridge for the award. In announcing the award to the board of directors, he said, “I am very pleased to be associated with the Falconbridge community and its leadership. I hope it shows, and all of Talis is pleased as well. Congratulations on the good work you do and the leadership you give your community.”

Strangis and FHA board members Bob Wilson and Ellen Roberts drove to the Queen City for the event. Board secretary Bob Wilson accepted the award plaque on behalf of FHA. Coincidentally, CAIC's executive director, Chapel Hill-based Sara Stubbins, was our community manager in the 1990s. The award’s criteria include not only a community's physical assets, such as appearance and maintenance, but also its quality of life. Thus, the award recognizes the contributions of all residents of Falconbridge to the community's high ranking among its peers in North Carolina.

 CAIC’s North Carolina chapter serves its members' educational, business and networking needs. Members include condominium, cooperative and homeowner associations as well as organizations that provide services and products to associations. The North Carolina chapter has more than 600 members, including nearly 50 businesses, and more than 40 community associations representing 6,000 households. The chapter is one of 56 CAIC chapters in the nation.

 In his nomination, Strangis cited Falconbridge as an outstanding example of an older community that has revitalized itself to meet growing challenges. The community, he said, had confronted and overcome problems of insufficient funding and initiated innovative programs to beautify the community, respect the environment and conserve funds. He cited the example of how members had approved a 22 percent increase in monthly fees to increase the association’s financial reserves and give the association an added $78,000 to spend on facilities.

 

The nomination also lauded FHA for its painting program, repairs of privacy walls, replacement of wood decks and new sidewalks. The largest single use of increased funding was $40,000 in 2007 and $40,000 in 2008 to repair private streets in the community.

 

The award also praised FHA’s Homeowner Advancement Program, which provides matching grants to owners to upgrade the areas in front of their homes. FHA was also commended for its program of providing owners with free mulch from trees in the community. The third area of recognition was the arrangement to give FHA members membership in the community swimming pool. That allowed FHA to minimize expenses by sharing governance and expenses with owners of single-family homes.

 

Our award plaque will be on permanent display in the clubhouse.

President's Corner

From the number of emails I get, it's obvious that parking is an issue in some of our communities. The bylaws state that each unit is entitled to two automobile parking spaces. That means if you have more than two cars, the third car must be parked on one of our public roads, such as Brookhollow. Failure to abide by our bylaws can result in a $100 fine per occurrence. No board member wants to be the parking police, but if you can't get your neighbors to cooperate, contact Talis, who will bring it to the board for action.

Periodically, I hear an owner say that are units are supposed to be “maintenance-free”, which is far from the truth. First, we do not have an inspection team that routinely inspects the units, so we need homeowners to report maintenance needs. Second, the association could never afford to pay for all the maintenance associated with owning a home. Hence, we have FHA and homeowner guidelines. You'll find them on the Falconbridge Homeowners web site: http://www.FHOA.org. For example, FHA is responsible for repair or replacement of deteriorated or damaged siding and trim, repair of holes in siding—including those caused by animals—and repair and replacement of roofs, including skylights. But FHA is not responsible for modification or repair of damage attributable to original construction defects. The homeowner is responsible for maintenance of private plantings, such as gardens, trees, shrubs or flowers installed by current or past homeowners, and ensuring that plantings do not interfere with or cause damage to siding, roofs or other exterior surfaces or facilities, including patio walls, foundations or drains. If you are aware of a problem that you think is FHA’s responsibility or if you have questions, contact Talis at 919-878-8787 x228. Don't wait until the problem is really a big problem.

Finding a place to hold a holiday party can be a problem when our homes are not large enough. If you've searched local restaurants and banquet facilities, you've found most are already booked and charge exorbitant prices. You may not realize that our community clubhouse can be rented for private functions at a very reasonable rate of $40 for the first two hours and $20 for each hour after that. You just have to agree to be responsible for the cleanup. If you are interested in renting our facility, call 490-0068.

Ron Johnston

Landscaping

The landscape committee has been working on a long-range plan for the common areas of our community and asks for input from members. A survey enclosed in this newsletter can be returned by email to mcmcclure@pobox.com; by hand to 16 Bayswater Place; or by mail to M. C. McClure, 16 Bayswater Place, Chapel Hill, NC, 27517. The results will give direction and priority to the five areas identified by Curt Robbins, who resigned from the committee this fall; Bob Wilson, board member; and committee members Mary McClure, Dave Suwala, Guy Hickey and George Padilla. Sandy Holland and Tim Smith also serve as special projects volunteers. \

The pond and trees give beauty and distinction to our community. The pond needs care and attention as well as the dam. Our entry way from Highway 54 sets the tone of the community and requires attention and care as well. Common-area trees and courtyard shrubs add to the appearance. Some are too large, some are damaged, some are dying and some are thriving almost beyond belief. The committee hopes to inventory our tree population and assess their health and environment. The committee looks forward to the community's response to the survey and will keep you informed through the website and the newsletter.

Mary McClure

 

 

 

Pool and clubhouse news

The pool is closed and year end maintenance and repair are in full swing. We've just recently replaced the clubhouse roof, and interior repainting should begin shortly.  

Danielle Ports

Roads -- Bob Wilson

The board has authorized Southern Seasons Landscaping, our grounds maintenance contractor, to rehabilitate the greenery at the intersection of Ellsworth and Tottenham. This involves removing some planted and volunteer shrubs at the corner of the two streets, followed by new landscaping designed to help control erosion after heavy rains. Southern Seasons will also add soil to restore the grass and improve drainage on the eastern side of Tottenham, from the intersection with Ellsworth to the Brookhollow entrance. In connection with the landscape work, Southern Seasons plans to improve the flow through the 8-inch pipe that carries water from the drainage grate at the intersection.

Southern Seasons isn't doing all the work. Several weeks ago, Sherry Wogen and other Ellsworth residents planted Knockout roses and other perennials in the long-neglected flower bed that had become overgrown with pampas grass. The board paid Southern Seasons to remove the huge grass plants, and the Ellsworth residents quickly followed through on a pledge to rehabilitate the flower bed. The board reimbursed them for plant materials, but the labor was pro bono. The result is very pleasing to the eye, easily the equal of professional work. The board encourages neighborhood groups, working in concert with the Landscape Committee and its chairwoman, Mary McClure, to pursue such improvements at street corners, mail boxes and other sites.

The board authorized Talis to install a new wood sign for the entrance to Dartford Court, and it should be in place in the next two or three weeks. The sign will be in the style and color of other street signs. In addition, the board plans to have smaller directional signs made for Dartford Court's three streets. These unit signs will direct fire, police and emergency services vehicles to Dartford Court units.  

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowner News

 

 September 2008

 

President’s Corner

Homeowners can get important information from two Web sites. Our community web site, maintained by Dave Suwala at www.FHOA.org, has photos and items of interest. Dave has posted the July newsletter, and it can be accessed by clicking on the Newsletter button in the left column.  The opening page has a new photo of the Fourth of July parade and a description of the Falconbridge Village movement that has started in Falconbridge the last few months.  Their newsletter is also posted on the website  and can be accessed by clicking on Falconbridge Village News.  It describes the many happy activities that are happening these days. The Talis Web site is at www.Talismanagementgroup.com.  

 

We have had a couple of auto break-ins recently. The police believe these incidents were targets of opportunity because the vehicles were not locked. If you see people who look like they don’t belong, introduce yourself and ask if you can be of assistance. It’s neighborly and it tells them they have been observed. Short of installing a burglar-alarm system, you can do other things to help minimize the chances of such break-ins:

 

• Make sure newspapers do not pile up in front of your unit when you are gone. Arrange for neighbors to pick them up.
• Buy light timers to turn selected lights on and off when you are gone. You can find them at home-supply stores. Some digital models can be programmed to turn on and off at different times and randomly. Sylvania makes a model that is synchronized with the time of sunset in our region and can turn the lights on and off at random times in the evening. Some people operate such timers even when they are home and turn them off manually as necessary.
• When you leave home during the day, you can turn on a radio to create the impression that someone is at home.
• You can cut a 1-inch wooden dowel rod to brace the sliding part of the door against a stationary part. Put rubber furniture caps over the ends to protect the wood.
• Hide valuables in your home. The worst thing to do is to put them in a jewelry box on top of a dresser because thieves will grab the box and run. Be creative—but remember where you hid them. Make sure you have an inventory of such items and that you have supplemental insurance coverage for the more valuable items. 

 

We have completed this year’s road work. To get an independent evaluation of the contractor's work, the Board hired James Haggie, a respected civil engineer with ECS Carolinas of Raleigh. James inspected this year's and last year's paving. His inspection report concluded that last year’s Tottenham paving is showing tiny cracks in the surface of the concrete. The cracks are associated with shrinkage of the concrete and are a common occurrence in concrete roadways. The cracks can be repaired with an epoxy compound and should not affect the long-term durability of the street. Cracking is also occurring in construction joint surfaces, an indication that the street design is performing as planned. James observed the subgrade exposed by the removal of old concrete on Tottenham and found it able to accept new concrete. To help mitigate potential long-term effects of seepage on the Ellsworth trench grate, James suggested that we put aggregate along the side of new concrete. The complete report is available from Talis.

 

Ron Johnson

President

 

Change in Collections Procedures for Delinquent Accounts

Your Board appreciates the many homeowners who pay their monthly assessment in a timely manner. However, in response to national concern about rising delinquency rates on mortgages and HOA assessments, the Board has revised the collection procedures for delinquent accounts. These new procedures streamline the collections process while reducing attorneys’ fees. The new procedures take effect September 1, 2008. You can review or download the new procedures at www.talismanagementgroup.com.  Check on the Falconbridge site under "Resource Center."  If you can’t get the policy electronically and would like a copy, call Autumn Thomas at Talis at 878-8787, ext. 237.

 

Landscaping

The hot summer months of July and August are here, and so far we have not experienced the drought conditions that so highly stressed our foliage last year. The heat, however, places our landscaping at risk, so please water plants in common areas near your home.

 

We are already assessing the damage in various places and will deal with replanting a few trees in the fall, to the extent our budget permits. We will use native varieties that are more drought-resistant than what has been planted in the past.

 

Meanwhile, the main focus of our landscaping effort remains the elimination of trees that are likely to cause damage to the foundations of our townhomes, as well as our courtyard walls, sidewalks and roads. We have made notable progress and hope this will result in spending less money on structural repairs in the future. Replacing sidewalks and rebuilding courtyard walls is expensive. All replanting in the fall will be with an eye toward smaller trees with less invasive root systems than the Bradford Pear trees that have given us so much trouble in recent years.  

 

At some point, possibly this year, we are going to have to begin to deal with the substantial erosion that has occurred on the rear face of the dam. Our landscaping contractor has visited the site with members of the Board and recommends adding several truck loads of topsoil and seeding Bermuda grass, which has a very extensive root system and is more drought-resistant than fescue. The need is not immediate in terms of dam safety, but it must be done in the next year or so.

 

With the coming of fall, I again encourage individual homeowners and groups of homeowners to take advantage of the landscaping grants available through the HOA. For further information on this subject, please contact me directly or Joel Strangis at Talis Management. Several successful small projects have been put together by individuals, and we hope to see more. We all benefit from them.

 

If you happen to see tree-company employees with a truck of mulch, they're likely to give it to you if you ask. It's not as decorative as the mulch you can purchase by the bag but it lasts longer and the price is certainly right! My neighbor, Guy Hickey, and I managed to cover most of the bank along Weybridge with three truckloads to build up the topsoil in preparation for eventual planting. We soon hope to have funds to extend the wall on Bayswater down to Weybridge and replant that bank. Suggestions will be invited when that time comes.

 

With landscaping, the board is trying to be wise and judicious in spending your dues. Building maintenance and roads come first, along with building adequate cash reserves for future emergencies. We do the best we can with what we have to spend. That's why the grants and individual homeowners' efforts are so important.

 

Dam and pond. The Board contacted the Raleigh Region Officer, who recently inspected the dam. He believes the dam is in good shape except for the back side of the dam, which needs resodding of the bare areas and additional channeling of the water that is released from the overflow channel. We have requested bids to address both of these issues (see landscaping discussion). 

 

Silt continues to slowly build up in the pond. The Board contacted the Durham Storm Water Services office to determine if public funds were available to assist in cleaning and mitigating the build up problems. The answer was no; pond maintenance is a homeowner association responsibility. As funds become available, we will investigate solutions that restrict the silt reaching the pond.

 

Bob Wilson

Landscaping Chairman

 

Pool and Clubhouse Closing

The pool will close for the season on Monday, September 14.  In October, we plan to reroof the clubhouse.

 

Clotheslines

According to the Falconbridge HOA Policy on the use of clotheslines, no clotheslines are permitted, but homeowners may use clothes racks that do not exceed 48 inches in height and that are not visible above their deck railings for the drying or airing of clothes, swim suits, rugs, and other items.

 

Falconbridge Village Organizes a More Supportive Community

Study after study shows how essential it is to good health and vitality to belong to a cohesive, supportive and responsive community. In March 2008, about 50 Falconbridge residents met at the clubhouse to brainstorm how our neighborhood can become a stronger, friendlier community. In the past six months, many residents have collaborated to start building the Falconbridge Village organization, based on the ideas we collected at that meeting. The goal of Falconbridge Village is to create opportunities for residents of townhouses and single homes in Falconbridge to become true good neighbors. If we can build the kinds of opportunities available in traditional villages for sharing activities and creating friendships, life in Falconbridge can feel safer, grow friendlier, and indeed become more convenient and satisfying. 

 

The Falconbridge Village organization is coordinated by a steering committee. The organization is in the process of incorporating as a nonprofit. Participants are enjoying neighborhood activity groups: walking, attending cultural events, listening to music, discussing books, playing bridge, sharing writing, and coordinating a playgroup for kids. Every other Friday from 5 to 6:30, participants gather to enjoy the dramatically successful “Travelling Pub” in various Falconbridge homes. We have started to organize a Project Compassion “support team” to provide neighborly help when residents find themselves in health-related emergencies. We have assembled a vetted list of service providers that neighbors have used and recommend highly. We are working with the Durham Senior Citizens Council to create supportive programs such as transportation and health care management for people who need these services to remain in their own homes. We have been talking to the Durham Public Library to bring the bookmobile to our neighborhood on a regular basis. We have organized a weekly delivery co-op of fresh food directly from a local farm. 

 

The Falconbridge Village Fall Fair will be on October 19 from 3-5:30 at the clubhouse. The Fair will bring us together to share with neighbors the products of our interests and skills—arts, crafts, cooking, performances, and games. It’s fun to know the interests and admire the skills of neighbors and friends, and the Fair will provide the chance to do that

 

To receive more information on any of these activities, and to receive notices of new developments and opportunities for Falconbridge Village participants, please send an e-mail with your interests or ideas to falvillage@mindspring.com We’ll look forward to hearing from you and getting to know you.

 

Rosemary Hyde

 

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

The Society has a program called Team in Training (TNT), which supports blood cancer research and patient services. Martha Beach, one of our neighborhood early morning walkers (she lives in Bloomsbury Court) is looking for sponsors to support her participation as a TNT distance walking team member in November in "The City of Oaks Marathon," a public marathon race with about 4,000 participants. If you are interested in sponsoring her by contributing to LLS please send an email to watersedge01@hotmail.com or call Martha  at 919 942-4643.

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowner News

July 2008

 

President’s Corner

We live in a beautiful neighborhood and it’s getting better. We’re completing the second round of street repairs, landscaping improvements are starting to pay off, and members are using and enjoying the clubhouse and pool. Our annual painting, deck repair, and roof replacement activities are about to begin.

 

Some owners have asked if they can landscape their front areas. The landscaping budget provides limited funds for the maintenance of common areas, grass cutting, and leaf blowing.  Landscaping changes and improvements for the area immediately in front of your unit is largely a personal responsibility. However, as we announced at the annual meeting and in earlier newsletters, the Board of Directors encourages all homeowners to consider upgrading the plants in their area. To achieve that goal, the board created a planting-grants program that provides up to $200 in matching funds per homeowner for association-approved plantings.

 

We have removed several trees that were damaging or had the potential to damage foundations and roads. You’ll see some replaced with smaller, slow-growing trees this fall.

 

It seems we went straight from a cool, wet spring to a hot, dry summer. Please water the plants in the common areas near your home as needed—and in accordance with Durham’s water conservation policy.

 

--Ron Johnston

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Streets
With the completion of resurfacing work on Tottenham and Ellsworth; the board has met its street repair and reconstruction goals for 2008. The Tottenham and Ellsworth work was more difficult than expected and took longer than anticipated. Existing concrete on those streets was thicker than what we experienced on other streets last year. Instead of 6 inches of concrete, in some places the pavement was 9 to 11 inches thick. It took longer to remove and required more fiber-reinforced concrete to replace it.

 

The Dartford repaving was completed in a day, but the Tottenham and Ellsworth project took almost three weeks. For several days, the rattle of the jackhammer replaced the chirping of birds on those streets. The board appreciates the patience of Tottenham and Ellsworth residents during that trying period.

 

The board commissioned an independent civil engineer (James Haggie of ECS Carolinas, LLP) to assess the quality of last year's concrete work on Tottenham, where a few small cracks have appeared. Most of the cracks are where new concrete abuts old.

 

Haggie said the spider cracks are not unusual in concrete streets. Concrete poured horizontally is a brittle substance, and some cracks are to be expected, especially where new concrete abuts old because of compression from heavy loads—the city's trash and recycling trucks. Those cracks can be repaired. (The new concrete consists of much smaller segments than before. If a segment fails, it can be replaced without having to rip up a large expanse of the street.)

 

Haggie also said he believes the concrete poured last year and this year on Tottenham and Ellsworth is fundamentally sound. The concrete was poured over Triassic clay, which provides a firmer foundation than other soils, such as sand. But we should remember that even if we rebuilt our concrete streets to the standards of an interstate highway, those streets would still develop cracks under heavy loads. Haggie’s report to the board will be to interested homeowners.

 

The total cost of repaving Dartford Court-east and the lower Dartford parking lots, rebuilding parts of Tottenham and Ellsworth (including the grated entrance to Ellsworth), preparing Bloomsbury for resurfacing in 2009, and sidewalk rebuilding and repair was $58,843.

 

For budgeting purposes and to save money by getting better, more efficient, and more cost-effective bids, we are looking at road repair projects in two-year timeframes. That permits FHA to do a major project every other year, getting more bang for the buck and a lesser effort the next year. After the major projects this year, street work in 2009 will be on a lesser scale, primarily repaving Bloomsbury as well as some concrete work yet to be determined.

 

Bob Wilson

___________________________________________________________________

Drainage

 

In February the board commissioned Bob Giles to conduct a storm water drainage study of Falconbridge. The purpose was to identify areas where storm water runoff could result in significant property damage. Eight potential problem areas were identified. To date, two of those areas been addressed. One is the retrenching at the intersection of Ellsworth and Tottenham Lane to allow the runoff to flow into the existing storm water drainage system. The other is the standing water issue in the vicinity of Bloomsbury Court No. 17. Work will begin soon on rebuilding the swale and drainage system in the vicinity of Bloomsbury No. 1 and the creation of a new drainage ditch behind Ellsworth Court to carry water into the existing wooded area and creek.

___________________________________________________________________

Pool & Clubhouse News

 

The summer season is here again! It was such a delight to have the Falconbridge clubhouse and pool opening day on May 17th and the annual cookout on May 18^th.  Despite the storm that forced members and guests to move from the outside deck to the inside facility, everyone had a festive time meeting new neighbors and reflecting on the past events that have been celebrated throughout the years. As a resident of 14 years, I have enjoyed the pool for swimming laps and the convenience of walking to the clubhouse. As everyone knows, rising gas prices should make everyone welcome the convenience of walking or riding a short distance to enjoy the pleasures of the clubhouse. Club membership includes Internet access, lap swimming, water aerobics, and swimming from dawn to dusk. You must be 21 years or older to swim during the dawn-to-dusk time, and you must sign up for the program and arrange to swim with a buddy, who must be a member. Lifeguards are on duty at the regularly scheduled times from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

All members of the FHA [town homes] have a fully paid membership entitling them to use of the pool, tennis courts, and clubhouse. Residents of Falconbridge single-family homes and surrounding communities are eligible to join the Community Club of Falconbridge for a fee, ranging from $195 to $550, depending on the type of membership. I hope to see you there!

 

Daneille Ports   

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PLEASE DON'T FEED THE GEESE

 

Those beautiful but messy Canada Geese are still here!  Please don't extend their visit any longer by feeding them. The pleasure of walking around the pond is seriously diminished when you're trying to avoid droppings and food scraps.

 

 

September 2007

Newsletter of the Falconbridge Homeowners Association

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Recent burglaries call for vigilance

Two townhomes were burglarized in recent months, and FHA leaders are advising residents to be especially vigilant and careful.

 

One incident was in July in the Dartford Court neighborhood. A resident left his home briefly in the morning and discovered on his return that burglars had pulled out the electric meter on the outside of his townhouse, cutting off the electricity, apparently thinking that would disarm an alarm system. (There was no system, but stickers on the doors indicated that there was one.) The intruders were able to pry a patio door off its track enough to spring the door lock and bypass the bottom lock. They opened the patio door just enough for an individual to come in sideways. They did not vandalize or destroy anything, but they opened every closet and armoire in the house and stole jewelry items they could carry. The resident thinks workers in the area may have seen him leave and took advantage of his absence.

 

Another break-in occurred earlier when a unit on Bloomsbury was burglarized at the same time gutters were being cleaned. A Weybridge resident believes there is a connection between recent car break-ins and the times that workers were in the area, but Joel Strangis, Talis Management’s community manager for Falconbridge, said Talis has not had any problems with any of the companies that do work in the community.

 

Curt Robbins, a member of the board, said the break-ins call for increased vigilance: “I think it would benefit all of us to pay very close attention to strangers we see in the neighborhood. I personally make it a point to identify myself and ask who someone is if I don't know them. I'm going to start making notes about the contractors I see in my immediate area as well.

If anyone has an idea they think might help, I'm certainly willing to give a little more of my time to this. I hate this going on in our neighborhood. I would really, really like to catch whoever is doing this.”

 

In addition to increased vigilance and short of installing a burglar-alarm system, residents can do other things to help minimize the chances of such break-ins:

 

• Make sure newspapers do not pile up in front of your unit when you are gone. Arrange for neighbors to pick them up.
• Buy light timers to turn selected lights on and off when you are gone. You can find them at home-supply stores. Some digital models can be programmed to turn on and off at different times and randomly. Sylvania makes one that is synchronized with the time of sunset in our region and can turn the lights on and off at random times in the evening. Some people operate such timers even when they are home and turn them off manually as necessary.
• When you leave home during the day, you can turn on a radio to create the impression that someone is at home.
• You can cut a 1-inch wooden dowel rod to brace the sliding part of the door against a stationary part. Put rubber furniture caps over the ends to protect the wood.
• Hide valuables in your home. The worst thing to do is to put them in a jewelry box on top of a dresser. Be creative—but remember where you hid them. Make sure you have an inventory of such items and that you have supplemental insurance coverage for the more valuable items.

 

President’s Corner

Many areas in our community suffer from drainage problems resulting from poor initial grading, contractor landscaping mistakes and years of erosion. We have hired a consultant to do a drainage study so we don’t compound the issue and create new problems while trying to solve current drainage problems with piecemeal solutions. Once the study is complete, we will have a plan to enable us to prioritize association-wide drainage issues. 

 

Funds are always limited, so many Boards ago, a set of Homeowner Guidelines was developed to assist both homeowners and the Board to define homeowner and association responsibilities.  You may see these guidelines at http://www.talisecommunity.com/Falconbridge/ . If you find your problem falls under association responsibilities, or is ill-defined, a work order can be completed at the same time on the work-order tab, or by calling Talis at 919-878-8787, ext 228.

 

A few residents have reported car and home break-ins. (See the previous story.) The car incidents appeared to the police to be targets of opportunities, when a car was left unlocked, or valuables left exposed inside the car. We are meeting with a representative of the Durham Police Crime Watch Program and need a representative to attend the Durham Crime Watch monthly meetings. Please contact me (rtj2ljj@aol.com) if you are willing to assist. In the meantime, when you see a stranger, introduce yourself and ask if you can be of assistance. The police say that letting a potential thief know he has been observed will help to prevent break-ins.

 

The Board has contacted Captain Williams, head of Durham Community Watch, and is scheduling a meeting with the local Watch Coordinator, Tony Paylor, to learn more about what can be done and how we as a community can assist.

 

Landscaping continues to be a hot issue. As part of our ongoing maintenance program, we are periodically forced to remove trees or tree branches that pose a safety threat, significantly over hang roofs, or have roots that damage roads. Homeowners who believe trees have erroneously been marked for removal may address the Board at the monthly meeting about their concerns and alternatives to the proposed action. All Board members like trees, and if we can avoid the expense of unnecessary trimming and removal, we’re in favor of it. Several Bloomsbury residents have volunteered to review their landscaping issues and present a recommendation to the Board. I’d like to see similar actions in other communities.

 

 

Landscaping

For those who have not seen it already, the retaining wall built by Sitescapes on Bayswater is finished. The old wall, with its crumbling facade and drainage issues, is gone forever. Good riddance to a community eyesore!

 

I'd like to thank Eddie Durham for pressure-washing the footbridge along the lake. Those of you who regularly take walks there have probably noted for a while now that it was in need of a good cleaning. It's been pressure washed and treated, which makes it look a lot better and will keep it in good shape for all of us for the next several years. We intend to tackle the marshy area around the lake with its barely usable planking sometime this fall when the weather is cooler. We plan to make another footbridge and make the area more passable.

 

 

Streets

We expect to resume work on our private streets in the spring. Four projects are on the agenda: the two upper Dartford Court parking lots and the lower Dartford lot, all in Falconbridge, as well as Bloomsbury in Farrington Place. Those projects likely will consume most, if not all, of our 2008 street budget.

 

Several Bloomsbury residents have expressed concern about removing Bradford pear trees along the street. The roots of those trees, which date from the construction of Farrington Place in the mid-1980s, are buckling the street and sidewalk. We cannot spend an estimated $20,000 to resurface Bloomsbury knowing the Bradford pear trees will buckle the new asphalt. At the same time, the Board realizes the aesthetic and environmental value of trees, which have an intangible effect on property values. Any Bradford pear trees removed on Bloomsbury will be replaced with "street-friendly" varieties.

 

Although some of our older concrete streets, such as Ellsworth and Tottenham, continue to deteriorate, we expect to turn to them and others in the 2009 budget year. Replacing concrete is more labor intensive and more expensive than paving with asphalt. Once the asphalt work is done, however, we can concentrate our street budget on replacing concrete.

 

Several residents have asked if the new concrete on Tottenham Lane is defective, pointing to cracks in construction joints. In fact, the concrete, which tested well above contract specifications, is cracking where the Board and the engineers want it to crack—along the construction joints that run through the middle of street segments. This is part of the normal curing process for properly laid concrete. The construction joints preempt nature's insatiable desire to crack concrete in the wrong places, examples of which can be seen on Tottenham Lane, Bayswater and other streets in Falconbridge. Some of these older streets were laid without construction joints.

 

Removal of the old Bayswater retaining wall and construction of the new one left numerous oil stains on the concrete street. The Board expects to address this issue, as well as landscaping above the new wall, at its August meeting.

 

 

Pool

The Board has received a suggestion that we have a social event at the pool just for townhome residents. We need to determine how much interest there would be in such an event.  If interested, please email April Grossman at april@aprilgrossman.com.

 

 

Durham County

Durham County was created in 1881, when a large section of Orange County was split away to form the new county. This area was originally part of the Granville District of the colony created in North America by Parliament and King Charles II of England and granted to the Lords Proprietors in 1663. The colony encompassed the area between the 31^st and 36^th parallels “from the Atlantic Ocean to the South Seas” and included what is now South Carolina, which became a separate colony in 1710. Sir Walter Raleigh first visited the area of North Carolina in 1584, and settlers from Virginia had started moving south into North Carolina before 1663. 

Fowler School

Fowler School (for white children) stood near the current location of the Hardee’s restaurant in the Falconbridge shopping center. It is hard to pinpoint the location because Highway 54 and Farrington Road have been relocated.

 

 

Falconbridge Homeowner News

 

July 2007

Newsletter of the Falconbridge Homeowners Association

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Owners can get grants for new plantings

Owners of Falconbridge townhomes can get grants of up to $200 to pay half the cost of homeowner planting, under a new program created by the Falconbridge Board of Directors to encourage homeowners to upgrade plants in their area.

 

The program is restricted to owners of townhomes whose assessment account is in good standing. Renters may apply through homeowners.

 

Plants can be placed near the homeowner's home or in a nearby common area. Projects that include multiple neighbors are encouraged, but grants will be per homeowner. Plants must be outside courtyards.

 

Homeowners must submit a written plan showing location, types and size of plants, and cost. Plans must include a simple drawing showing location of new and existing plants and consider the amount of sun available, nearby plants and appropriate distances from walls, siding and other community-maintained facilities. Plans should include soil enrichment and mulch or pine straw around the plants after installation. Plants must be perennials and should be slow- to moderate-growing. Check the list of preferred plants on the Falconbridge website, www.fhoa.org, or call Talis Management, 878-8787, ext. 248. Homeowners will be expected to water their plants.

 

Plans must be submitted to Talis by Aug. 15, 2007. To qualify for reimbursement, plans must be approved in advance.

 

 

President’s Column

We live in a beautiful neighborhood, and it’s getting better. We’re finishing the first round of street repairs, landscaping improvements are starting to pay off, members are using and enjoying the clubhouse and pool, and repair and maintenance costs are within our budget. 

 

Some owners have asked if they can landscape their front areas. The landscaping budget provides limited funds for the maintenance of common areas, grass cutting, and leaf blowing.  Landscaping changes and improvements to the area immediately in front of your unit is largely a personal responsibility. But, as announced at the annual meeting, the Board of Directors encourages all homeowners to upgrade plants in their area. To help achieve that goal, the Board has created a planting grants program, which provides up to $200 in matching funds per homeowner for association-approved plantings. You can read details in the story above.  

 

Summer heat has arrived, so please water plants in common areas near your home.

 

We continue to need volunteers for landscaping or lake maintenance projects. Help us to make this a better community and improve your property value while doing it. Please contact Curt Robbins or me and offer your services.

Questions periodically arise about when and how to report problems with your unit. If in doubt, contact Talis at 919-878-8787 x228.  Don’t wait until the problem gets really big. Generally, the association is responsible for exterior repairs and the homeowner for interior repairs.

 

FHOA has its own sewer lift station behind Tilbury Lane for all units west (downhill) of Huntingridge Road. The association recently spent $750 to repair the station because someone flushed a travel-size stick deodorant into the sewer system.  I’m sure it was an accident, but please watch what you flush down the toilet.

 

At the annual meeting, we made a commitment to hire an independent consultant to oversee road repairs and ensure that the work met specifications. The contract required that the pavement meet city specifications of 3,000 psi. I’m happy to report that the results from the lab show that the work exceeded the requirement: Core samples were from 3,600 to 4,200 psi.

 

 

Community pool opens

The pool opened on Saturday, May 19^th, a perfect, sunny day. The water was slightly chilly, but it didn’t keep a happy group of swimmers, old and young alike, out of the water after a long winter wait. The potluck meal brought out many new residents who had just moved into the Falconbridge community, and it was fun to see all the new faces.

 

This year is the 20^th anniversary of the community pool at Falconbridge. It opened for the first time in 1987, and the Community Club of Falconbridge was formed in 1989.

 

The water has warmed up, and many more townhome residents enjoyed the pool now that the new rules give us membership without any additional fee. Several members have said they feel a real change in the atmosphere of the pool—a more balanced demographic perhaps.

 

 

Landscaping work needs volunteers

In conversations I've had with more than a few of my neighbors, most have told me they chose to buy a home here because of the lake, the many trees, and the natural beauty of our little enclave. We have the feel of living in the country while still being close to most of the urban amenities we all enjoy. We also have the freedom to express our individuality and beautify not only the areas around our own townhomes, but also the immediate common areas as well. This is not possible in most townhome communities. I personally dislike the sterility of the landscaping I see in many newer developments, and I suspect many of you feel the same.

 

That being said, this all comes with a price, as most good things do. Small trees grow into large ones that threaten our outside walls, sidewalks, streets, and the very foundations of our homes. In June, we removed a number of them that had been identified by individual homeowners, as well as by Bob Wilson and me. We turned them into mulch we can use in common areas because that was cheaper than hauling them off.

 

I hope we can do this again in the fall, our budget permitting, because we will not be able to remove all of these problem trees in one day. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Joel Strangis of Talis Management if you have a tree you consider to be a potential problem that did not get addressed with this first round of tree removal. I hope everyone understands that it's better to deal with them now before they damage our individual or common property. We already have specific instances where damage has occurred, and we cannot incur the future cost of repairs. More will be coming on that issue in the future.

 

Meanwhile, I urge owners who want to beautify the area around their homes to take advantage of the upcoming landscaping grants. Get together with your neighbors and discuss what you would like to see done on your street. It's possible and probably even better to get three or four homeowners together and tackle projects that one homeowner cannot handle alone. That is exactly what I intend to do on Weybridge where I live. I hope more than a few of you decide to do the same.

 

To continue on the topic of community involvement, my plea for volunteers for a working landscape committee in the last newsletter went largely unanswered, other than Guy Hickey, who volunteered his time and energy, and Dave Suwala, who previously volunteered to provide his invaluable expertise. So again I ask for community help. If you can volunteer your time and energy as little as one day every second or third month, we can get a lot done as a community.

 

By the time you read this newsletter, we hope to have begun work on the retaining wall at the end of Bayswater. I hope to remove the dying juniper bushes along Weybridge and the entrance to Bayswater and have the area heavily mulched to begin building topsoil to be ready for fall planting with the landscaping grants. The work on the retaining wall has to be done by professionals and paid for by our dues. The removal of the junipers will be done by volunteers and serve as an example of what can be accomplished if homeowners help each other.

 

Some of you who regularly walk around the lake have noted the mulch that was spread in the area around the picnic tables and the big oak on the other side. That was done to try to prevent runoff each time we get a heavy rain. I did this work myself because it needed doing and I didn't want to have to pay our landscaping contractor to do it.

 

The main issue is that our monthly dues cannot pay for landscaping problems everyone would like to see addressed. It would be nice if they did, and I certainly understand that many of you bought a home here with the understanding that all landscaping and grounds maintenance issues would be handled by maintenance contractors. Sadly, there is simply not enough money without dramatically raising monthly dues, and the Board has no choice but to prioritize and deal with the most pressing issues first.

 

 

Street repairs completed for this year

With the June paving of Waltham Place, we reached the end of our planned 2007 street work. It began with much noise and dust on Tottenham Lane, where a badly degraded stretch of concrete was replaced by our contractor, Asphalt Medic Inc. of Apex. That work was followed by smaller projects on Wellesley, Weybridge and Bayswater.

 

All the concrete projects tested higher than 3,000 psi, meaning we have concrete much stronger than the concrete that was poured 14-25 years ago. Unlike the original concrete, the new batch has construction joints to help prevent long-axis fractures in the middle of street segments.

This year's street work is the beginning of a multiyear effort to replace or resurface virtually every square foot of our streets and parking spaces. We expect to spend about $40,000 a year for at least 10 years. This work is a direct benefit of FHOA homeowners' approval in January of a $40 a month increase in our assessment.

 

In 2008, plans call for paving upper and lower Dartford Court and resurfacing Bloomsbury in Farrington Place. Those projects will probably consume our street budget next year because of the high price of asphalt, currently about $53 a ton.

 

Street work always requires compromises of one kind or another, particularly with residents who are moving. Two owners moved during the work this year, but we accommodated both the contractor and departing residents with little difficulty. I am sure I speak for the entire FHOA board when I say that we greatly appreciate residents' patience throughout this process.

 

Bob Wilson

 

Facilities maintenance scheduled

The 2007 maintenance program is underway. Scheduled roofing and wall repair and painting of all but one of the scheduled units have been completed.

 

Bids for painting, including prep work and power washing, have been requested from several companies. Work is expected to begin in July and continue throughout the summer.

 

Pat Tucker

 

Please don't feed the geese

Flush with care

Fendal Southerland

The following is another in a series of articles about some of the history of the area around our Falconbridge community. The editor invites residents to submit articles as well.

 

Fendal Southerland was born in North Carolina in 1800 and owned 1,435 acres in the area that is now adjacent to the south side of the Falconbridge subdivision. When he was 24, he became manager of Thomas Bennehan’s Stagville Plantation in what is now the Treyburn area north of Durham. A health problem forced Southerland to quit the Treyburn job in 1850. He had impressed his employer so much that Bennehan gave him $500 that he had planned to give Southerland when he died. Southerland used the money to purchase the land south of what is now Falconbridge. It was between New Hope and Little creeks and considered good land for growing cotton.

 

Southerland was a widower, and his daughter and son-in-law, Thomas and Jane Hogan, lived with him and their two children, Fendal and Mary. According to the 1860 census, the land was valued at $15,000, and the personal property was worth $39,620. The personal property value almost certainly included 32 slaves. The census also said he produced 20 bales of cotton in 1860, making him the third-largest producer in the county. (The average production in the county was 2-3 bales.) In addition to growing cotton, Southerland built and used a cotton gin and press on the property. Part of the cotton press remains in the barn.

 

When Union forces went through Southerland’s property in April 1865, they did not damage or loot the property, unlike what they did at the neighboring Leigh farm. According to the 1870 census, the value of the land and personal property had dropped to $6,000 and $5,000. Thomas, Jane and Fendal Hogan still lived with him. Southerland continued to farm until Jan. 22, 1878, when he hanged himself in the barn at age 78, supposedly despondent because of the collapse of the cotton market. 

 

Tom Bowers

Editor

 

   

Falconbridge Homeowner News

 

August 2006

Newsletter of the Falconbridge Homeowners’ Association

 

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Welcome to a rejuvenated newsletter of the Falconbridge Homeowners’ Association, the legally constituted organization of owners of townhomes in Falconbridge. Activities of FHA and other similar associations are governed by the N.C. Planned Community Act and the Condominium Act. The FHA Board of Directors will use this newsletter periodically to inform owners and renters of important news and issues.  The newsletter editor is Tom Bowers, who welcomes suggestions, corrections and items for inclusion in the newsletter.  He lives at 17 Dartford Court and can be reached at 402.9194 or tbowers@email.unc.edu. 

 

The Board is responsible for upkeep and appearance of the community, with the goal of improving the neighborhood and maintaining the value of the units. The Board delegates management of the community to Talis Management Group of Raleigh, which manages approximately 120 community associations with more than 125,000 residents in the Research Triangle area. The relationship between the Board and Talis is analogous to a town: The Board acts as the town council and Talis as the town manager. Contact information about the Board and Talis can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.

 

The Board meets at the Community Club of Falconbridge (on Falconbridge Road near Farmington Drive) at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. A Homeowners Forum at the start of each meeting is for homeowner comments and questions. Homeowners may stay and observe the remainder of the meeting, but only board members may participate.

 

Two Web sites are useful to unit owners and renters. The Talis site is www.talismgmt.net. At the opening page, place your cursor over the letter F and select Falconbridge. You may have to update your telephone number, email address and password. This Web site allows you to contact Talis at any time with concerns or requests, including submitting service requests, downloading architectural forms and other community documents, and viewing contact information for Talis and the Board. You can also access your account information and make on-line payments with a credit card. The “Home Services Guide” lists companies with whom Talis has an established relationship, and “eSale to Resale” allows you to post household items for sale.

 

Another site, www.fhoa.org, has even more information about the Falconbridge community and the association. It lists new residents in the community and has information about facilities and landscaping. You can also find the Falconbridge covenant there.

 

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President’s Corner

 

I’m honored to serve as president of your association, which includes only the townhouses.  I’ve lived in Falconbridge for 12 years, and I have no plans to move in the foreseeable future.  I will use this column to give you my assessment of the health of our association.  Others will discuss landscaping, facilities maintenance and repair. 

 

Your Board of Directors is made up of nine volunteers, many of whom have a full-time job.  Like you, they find themselves pressed to meet family obligations and community responsibilities.  Volunteers and committee members are always needed, even if it’s only for a one-time project, an afternoon or whatever. If you’re willing to help, contact me or any other Board member.

 

The association is responsible for exterior maintenance of residential buildings and landscaping of common areas. The Board’s objective is to protect the value of your property by maintaining the appearance of the community, common areas, and residential buildings.  We see an immediate need for more landscaping improvements, road repair, and pond maintenance while continuing with scheduled repainting and roof replacement.

 

We are financially sound and can meet annual expenses. However, we have no excess funds and have only $50,000 set aside for one-time emergency expenses. The major challenge facing the community is maintenance of our private roads.  (Only Huntingridge, Brookhollow, Farmington, and Falconbridge are city streets maintained by the city of Durham.) All private streets in the community are in need of repair, but no funds have been set aside or reserved for their upkeep.  A consultant is helping the Board investigate temporary and long-term repair options.

 

Day-to-day operations are managed by Talis Management Group. You should call them in case of a problem that you believe is the association’s responsibility.  (You can find contact information elsewhere in this newsletter.)

 

Ron Johnston

 

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Woody Plants on the Dam

Cause of Concern

The pond is an attractive feature of our community, but the growth of woody plants on the dam has become a cause for concern. When such plants die, their decaying roots can create deep channels in the dirt of the dam. Those channels allow water to penetrate deep into the dam, which can loosen the soil and cause the back side of the dam to give way. The dam could start to leak and even collapse in a worst-case scenario.

Bob Wilson has volunteered to lead a team to remove tree sprouts and small shrubs on the water side of the dam. Shade trees will be left untouched because cutting them down will cause more of a problem than leaving them.

The date for the work party is 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, with a rain date on Sep. 16.  Please contact Bob at 7 Tottenham Lane, jamesrwil2@earthlink.net, 493.8749, to volunteer.

 

Voter Registration

 

If you are new to the area and want to register to vote in Durham County, go to www.co.durham.nc.us/elec, where you can download a voter registration form, find your polling place, learn about absentee ballots, and learn who your elected officials are.

 

Please pick up after your dog

 

A recurring problem around Falconbridge is dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs. Some residents have children or grandchildren, and they should not have to worry about those children being exposed to dog waste. The germs carried by pets can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, dehydration, fever, or a cough. In some cases, parasites in pet waste can even cause vision loss or birth defects if a pregnant woman becomes infected. Please take a bag or a pooper-scooper and pick up your pet’s waste and dispose of it by putting it in your trash or flushing it down the toilet.

 

 

Traffic Signal

 

The scheduled completion date for the traffic signal at Huntingridge Road and N.C. Highway 54 is Aug. 15.

 

 

Avoid Water Disaster

 

It is a good idea to turn off all water service if you are going to be away for an extended period of time. That was the lesson learned by residents of a Falconbridge home this past winter. A water heater sprang a leak while they were on a cruise. A plumber was unable to enter the premises, so he turned off the water at the street. The safest way is to go into the crawl space and find the pipe going into the water heater (feel for the cold one).  Turn off that faucet and prevent the heartbreak of water damage and mildew. You can also turn off water going into commode tanks. It is also a good idea to leave emergency contact information with a neighbor and Talis.

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Facilities Report

 

Five units on Bloomsbury, two on Ellsworth and four on Bayswater have been reroofed.  All gutters in the community were cleaned just in time for recent rains.  We also gave the units on Dartford a facelift that involved the pruning of branches and shrubs off roofs and sides of buildings. This was done not only to prepare for painting but also to keep vegetation off roof and building surfaces. This will be followed by the repair of courtyard walls. A few walls have been damaged due to foundation settling, and under the covenant, those are not covered by FHA.  They are the homeowner’s responsibility, and they have been notified.  Closely following the wall repair will be pre-painting carpentry repairs to ready units for the final stage of painting.  By then it will be fall and time to start planning for 2007.

 

As a side note to the above, it is extremely important to the upkeep of our homes that all vines (ivy, clematis, whatever) be kept off of concrete walls and siding.  Vines have tendrils that attach to surfaces and cause damage.  Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

 

We are seeking at least one volunteer from each street to be a ‘point person’ in assisting the board with a variety of small tasks—such as picking up newspapers that accumulate in front of a unit when someone is away, informally welcoming new neighbors, occasionally checking on work that is being done and anything else that would make each street and the entire community a safer and better place to live.  This person will not have to handle complaints; that’s why we have a Property Manager.  Please call Pat Coke (419-8678) or Sandy Holland (489-4319) if you are willing to volunteer.

 

Pat Coke, Facilities Chair

 

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Landscaping Report

 

Trees

This year’s tropical storms have been a blessing to Falconbridge, after recent drought years cost us dearly. We had to cut down dozens of trees in the last two years, but this year should see less stress in our community.

 

In early 2005, Board members planted 70 tree seedlings throughout Falconbridge, and a few dozen survived last year’s dry conditions. Some residents added to those plantings, such Arizona cypress and azaleas, in a few empty beds on Tottenham Lane. Azalea owners may have noticed the damage that thrips have done. Blighted leaves with black spots on the bottom are a sure sign. Spray insecticide soap or diazinon on the bottom of leaves to control those pests.

 

An objective in 2006 will be to plant evergreen seedlings under the trees along Bayswater Place to provide a screen against road noise from Huntingridge Road and Route 54. So far I have planted two cedar seedlings and one nandina bush. Those were volunteers I found under shrubs in front of my courtyard. We need your help to find and plant more shrubs and trees to establish a healthy understory screen. Those small sprouts will be the trees that will replace pine trees that succumb to the pine bark beetle in the future.

 

 Turf

A new problem has appeared under our feet. Our soils have become depleted after 20 or so years, and our turf has suffered from the drought years as well.  In early June, Bob Wilson and I surveyed the damage to grassy areas in the community. The worst areas are along Huntingridge Road between Route 54 and Brookhollow Lane.  We estimated that 6,500 square feet are in sorry shape, and erosion is already taking soil into runoff drains.

 

This will be our first priority in the fall.  Southern Seasons Landscaping will rototill to a depth of six inches, amend the clay with a premium topsoil, rake to prepare the seed bed, apply seed and rake to set the seed. Other areas, such as the top of the field above Weybridge Place, the top of the dam, and both sides of Brookhollow Lane, will also have to be restored to a healthy condition. In all, 20,000 square feet of turf will have to be repaired. This will be done in stages over the next few years in the spring and fall as our budget allows.

 

Entrance Gates

The flowerbeds that flank the entrance to Huntingridge Road are the responsibility of FHA. Your Landscaping Committee has tried to install hardy plants there, but the only ones that do well are desert plants. You may have seen the dramatic blooms on the Yucca plants in early June.

The installation of the traffic signal at Huntingridge Road has presented a special opportunity. The engineers had to survey water, sewer and TV lines for their excavation work. The Board has approved the installation of water service at the right side bed at the Huntingridge entrance at a cost of $1,900. This will allow us to plant more dramatic annuals and perennials and water them properly, at a site where potential buyers for our townhouses enter the community. It will also allow Southern Seasons Landscaping crews to refill their tanks when they apply fertilizer and herbicide to our lawns. This will be a prudent investment in the future of Falconbridge.

Homeowner Planting

Homeowners are encouraged to plant annuals and (smaller) perennials of their choice in front of their homes. Landscaping creates a greener, richer community. The planting beds in Falconbridge are diminutive, a fraction of the size of a typical English garden. For that reason, we recommend only planting materials that grow slowly, one to four inches a year. Although it is not all inclusive, I have a spreadsheet that lists dozens of plants and shrubs that meet this criterion. Contact me at 419-8257 for a copy of the list. The list is also posted on the website, http://fhoa.org.Very few trees are appropriate in beds less than 10 feet wide. Dwarf Japanese maples (acer palmatum), dogwoods, and other understory trees will fit in without overpowering a garden.  Please consult with me before selecting a tree for planting in front of courtyard walls.  Perennials, shrubs, and trees should not be planted within three feet of the wall to prevent structural damage to the wall. Homeowner plantings should be marked with a yellow stake/ribbon to prevent accidental cutting by the maintenance crew (contact me for information on the stakes).  Additionally, residents are asked to monitor the condition of the plants near them; watering them if they look wilted; fertilizing them if the leaves look yellow; etc.  Happy gardening!

Dave Suwala, Landscaping Chair _____________________________________________________________________________