Another meeting is in the books! We met at 5.30pm at the Carrollton Library for our scheduled meeting, below are the issues discussed by current homeowners and the answers provided by Robert Kirkland.
General Discussion:
Paving of all common areas of Phase 1 (currently built condo buildings, clubhouse, mailbox area) is on target to be completed by June 15th as long as the weather cooperates. The builder is currently doing patch tests, more information on paving dates and/or parking instructions will be shared as we learn more.
Lighting of all common areas of Phase 1 is complete.
Remider that all homeowners are allowed a max of 2 vehicles per units, unless otherwise agreed with the board of directors, and all vehicles need to have current tags and state inspection stickers, or they will be towed at the owner's expense.
Power washing of building 900 is in the planning stages, current goal is to have it done once the commercial construction of Royal Farms and Publix is complete.
A homeowner brought up the trash service and asked who is responsible for bin cleanup given that we do not have water hoses, Robert Kirkland will be looking into this and advising. In the meantime, he advised all homeowners are welcome to add numbers to their trashcans to ensure they are returned to the right place and not mixed up with neighbors.
Building 700 is getting gutter covers as they are facing the woods, completion date TBA.
Landscapers are required to go onto patios and blow dirt off if they blow it on while performing their tasks, for any issues please submit a ticket in TownSq.
Anyone who would like to make any architectural modifications to their units is required to email Colletta Ellsworth, estimated turnaround to hear back is about a week.
Billing for the water meters will be changed from every two months to every month.
All vendor contracts are currently managed by Associa Community Group, they have different terms, but all are subject to a 30-day cancellation clause as per Virginia state law. All contracts are reviewable and modifiable during the transition period when homeowners take over.
Amenities: Clubhouse, Pool, Fun Field & Dog Park:
The current target completion date for the Clubhouse, Pool, and Dog Park is Memorial Day weekend. Ideally the builder is looking at actually having everything done a week or two prior to the holiday but we will update once confirmed.
Once details on clubhouse completion will be finalized, all residents will be receiving access keys to be able to enter the building. Moreover, the clubhouse will be available for private party rentals - details and pricing will be shared at a later date and accessible online via this site. As a sneak peek, we were informed that the building includes a spacious seating area on the lower level which will be used as our new meeting spot for HOA meetings, various meeting and conference rooms, a gym, an arcade area with ping pong, poker, and pool tables, and a fully equipped kitchen.
Our advisory board is working alongside the board of directors to establish rules and regulations for the pool and clubhouse, these will be communicated to all homeowners and will be shared to this site as well.
The Fun Field is complete, but some homeowners brought up issues with drainage, as well as the fact that the "pickleball" court has turf flooring and is unusable for pickleball - all this has been brought up to Franciscus and will be addressed in the coming weeks. Additionally, we're also looking into whether or not this area is supposed to have picnic tables as it was originally advertised by the builder.
HOA Budget:
As of May 1st, 2024, the HOA fee will increase from $149 to $161, below are some of the reasons for the increase that were provided and discussed during the meeting:
The pool and clubhouse costs are being taken over by the HOA once transfer of ownership is complete.
The HOA has taken over the annual fire inspections for all units out of warranty and will continue to do so as newer units will also begin to be out of coverage.
There was a 23% increase on insurance, we are working to find a new carrier with better coverage/costs but some companies have pulled back from servicing condos, so it has been a hassle.
Pest control costs have increased as the HOA needed to establish a termite warranty for the Clubhouse, we also have an annual termite inspection/treatment policy for each one of the buildings.
Please note all late fees for May are waived due to the short notice on the fee increase and getting new vouchers sent out. If you have auto-draft enabled, please just double check the amounts and make sure to pay the difference manually if you are only debited for the old price.
We are expected to have our next meeting in the fall, current target month is September, but more details will be shared closer to that time. Please be reminded that we need 50% of homeowners to be present in order to vote on any issue, the goal will be to appoint a nominating committee and discuss the ETA of the transition from current HOA structure to homeowners running the HOA.
As usual, for any questions or concerns you are free to email Robert and/or Colletta, or submit a request through the TownSq portal.
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