Falconbridge
Homeowner News
Newsletter of the Falconbridge Homeowners Association
December 2009
President’s Corner
We
recently held our first joint community celebration, “Falconbridge Together,” sponsored
by your Falconbridge Homeowners’ Association, the Community Club of
Falconbridge (pool association), the Falconbridge Community Association and the
Falconbridge Village Association (no wonder some residents do not know who is
responsible for what). As a townhome owner, you belong to both the Falconbridge
Homeowners Association and the Community Club of Falconbridge. The event was
highly successful and fun for all. The activities included lake cleanup, a dog
walk with ribbons and prizes for everyone, games and a pot luck dinner. Next
year should be even more successful. Thanks to Tim Smith for leading the lake
cleanup crews.
After
a summer of brown retreating shore lines, the lake has finally filled up. I
just checked and the new overflow system is working perfectly. Once we get the
grass restored to the dam slopes, the lake and dam system should be in shape
for another 50 years.
Where
to hold a holiday party is always a problem; our homes simply are not large
enough. If you’ve searched local restaurants and banquet facilities, you’ve
found most are already booked and charge exorbitant prices. Our community
clubhouse can be rented for private functions at a 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’re interested in renting the clubhouse,
call 490-0068.
Periodically, I hear
someone say that are units are supposed to be “maintenance-free,” which is far
from the truth. First, because we do not have an inspection team that routinely
inspects the units, 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 the FHA
is not responsible for “modification of or repair of damage attributable to
original construction defects.” The homeowner is responsible for “maintenance
of any private plantings, such as gardens, trees, shrubs or flowers installed
by current or past homeowner, and ensuring that such plantings do not interfere
with or cause damage to siding, roofs or other exterior surfaces or facilities,
including patio walls, foundations, or drain.”
If
it is a problem that is the responsibility of FHA or you still have questions,
contact Talis at 919-878-8787 x228.
Don’t wait until the problem is really a big problem.
---Ron Johnston
Landscape Committee
THANKS
to all who participated on our Octoberfest cleanup activities. Remarkable progress
was made toward clearing out the smilax and poison ivy at the boardwalk. To be
sure, both will return in spring, but with the cutting and Roundup spray, we've
inhibited the rank growth. THANKS to the plant-swap swappers! Keep this in mind
next September and come share with the community.
Bloomsbury
is our next major focus area. Since the street has been repaved, painting is
on-going. Now's the time to get the parking islands ready for late winter
planting. We ask for your input and your help in a couple of projects: clearing the weeds from the rhodendron and azalea
bed in the rear of No. 29, helping your self to the chips placed in the pad
area, and suggesting which trees to keep and which to remove.
Leaves
are turning, falling, piling up, swirling, and seeking a place of rest. The
Landscape Committee has asked Southern Seasons to "rest" the leaves
in the sewer right-of-way behind the tree border of Hwy 54. The locations were selected because the truck
can get to those areas to dump the leaves; the leaves will be out of the way;
and, leaves can compost over the winter and spring for use next year as mulch.
While we're on the subject, let us say a few words about our trees and shrubs.
Most of the shrubs in our community were planted more than 15 years ago; some
appear not to have been touched since then and look a bit ratty or just
downright ugly, overgrown, full of dead wood, etc. Many are shrubs that never
should have been planted where they are; for example, a variety of lorapetulum
that naturally grows to about 8' by 8' that has been planted along a walkway to
the front door; or a holly border alongside a front walk—spines just waiting to
attack! These misplaced shrubs are cost-intensive to maintain and generate
calls and emails about cutting back. Either nothing has been done or too much
has been done. Sooner or later, we hope to address this issue on a case-by-case,
budget-sensitive basis. Please think about what you've planted or was planted
before you came, and let's talk alternatives.
If
you do your own gardening maintenance, please use Durham's yard waste bin (can
be ordered by calling 560-1200) for
recycling. Common areas are not compost sites.
Pond
report: Guess what…. The owls are back!
The geese visit during the day but have not come out of the pond at all
on the townhome side… Yyeeeaaaa!!!! The riparian buffer helps a lot; this
buffer will be replaced with pondside plants, and we're starting with pickerel,
arrowroot, and two kinds of iris. There will be a temporary fence put up to
keep geese, carp, and dogs away from these plants. It's going to take a while,
so please be patient.
We
want to say thanks to two of our committee members who are moving: Dave Suwala
and Guy Hickey. Both gentlemen have devoted many, many hours to the improvement
of Falconbridge. We owe them our gratitude and appreciation. Dave and Guy, best
of everything to you and your families.
Please,
new volunteers for the committee are wanted! And, thank you, dog walkers.
---Mary McClure
Contact
Information
FHA
Board of Directors
Ron Johnston, 4 Tottenham Lane, RTJ2LJJ@aol.com, 403.9439 (President)
Kathy King, 6 Wellsley Place, kking@unch.unc.edu, 768.6769 (Treasurer)
Ellen Roberts, 9 Tottenham Lane, erobertsnmn@mindspring.com, 767.5968
Mary McClure, 16 Bayswater, mcmcclure@pobox.com 812-2905
(Landscaping)
Saianand Balu,
Danielle Ports, 19 Bloomsbury Court, Daneilleportsocall@gmail.com, 408.0368
Jason Lenhardt, 3 Tilbury,
J.sonel@gmail.com
Falconbridge
Home Owners Association Web site
Newsletter
Editor
Tom Bowers,
Talis
Management Team
Voice: 878.8787
Fax:
376.8800
Joel Strangis, jstrangis@talismgmt.com, 878.8787.ext
237 (Community Manager)
Autumn Thomas, athomas@talismgmt.com, ext. 261 (Community Services Administrator)
Valerie Miles, vmiles@talismgmt.com, ext. 260
(Financial Manager)
To report a problem, please call
Talis instead of a board member. In case of emergencies after hours or on
weekends, call 878.8787.ext 234.
Falconbridge
Web site maintained by Talis
www.TalisManagementGroup.com.
Your source for covenants, architectural guidelines, requests for exterior
maintenance repair, access to assessment accounts, and more.
Falconbridge
Homeowners’ Association
Post
Office Box 99149
Raleigh,
NC 27615-9149