Meeting with the County Concerning the Ponds and Streams

August 19, 2008

Office of Erosion and Sediment Control:

Brad Butler

Tom Fecteau

Sam Pixley

Sylva Southwell, PM

Jake Bernard. Board Member

Property and Grounds Committee:

Bill Spring, Cindy Horan

-The County would like to have all bonds released this fall.

-The pond bottoms need to be cut; weed whacking is recommended

-October or November is a good time to weed whack the pond bottoms, but it may need to be done before then if the county is ready to release the bonds.

-The question of esthetics is not a question the county can solve. 

-Ideally, pond bottoms are mowed twice a year, but the FRCA is free to make the determination of how frequently the pond bottoms are to be mowed.

-County maintained ponds are mowed twice a year, and the grass clippings are left in the pond bottom.

-Maintenance of pond slopes is determined by the Association. 

-The county determined that the landscape contractor is cutting the grass too short in many areas of the common ground.  A height of 6 inches is ideal.  They also said that it is impossible to raise the big mowers to a height of 6 inches.

Pond 3, Gladstone Pond:

1.  The riser needs cleaning, it is holding water in the concrete trickle ditch.  (Sylva is in the process of contracting with a company that will clean around the opening of  the pond drains and will do cleanup maintenance of the ponds.) 

2.  A better strand of grass is needed across the dam.  Pulte will be told to reseed.

3  The pond bottom and slopes needs to be weed whacked before bond is released.  Ideal height, 6 inches.

4.  The dam height will not be raised.  The as-builts have been filed and accepted by the county.

Pond 4:

1.  Tom Fecteau stated that the pond is in the best shape it can be, considering its size and the amount of continuing run-off from the drainage ditches above it, and the irrigation systems from the surrounding homes.

2.  Trees along the guardrail on Bridgewater can stay because the road goes across the dam.  This is an allowed exception to the rule of no trees on a dam.

3.  Willow trees can be planted, or allowed to spring up, in the bottom of the pond.  This would help take up any standing water in the pond bottom.

4.  The pond bottom and slopes needs to be weed whacked before bond is released.  Ideal height, 6 inches

Pond 4A:

1. Willow trees in the pond bottom can stay, but they cannot be allowed to spring up any closer to the drain.

2. The pond bottom and slopes needs to be weed whacked before bond is released.  Ideal height, 6 inches

3.   The dam height will not be raised.  The as-builts have been filed and accepted by the county.

4.  A better strand of grass is needed across the dam.  Pulte will be told to reseed.

5.  No trees can be planted on top of the dam, or across the back of the dam.

6.  The back of the dam, down to the toe, needs to be cleared of all growth.  That includes the shrubs and small trees that have sprung up from the tree line to the no mow areas established this spring.  Pulte will be asked to take care of this.

7.  The willow tree on the side of the pond will be removed and the drain pipe repaired.  This will be done by Pulte.

Pond 5:

1.  The top of the dam needs to be cut clean, no trees or tall grass.

Area of Three Rivers, along the Walking Path:

1.  Any grass or weeds growing in the rip rap needs to weed whacked, making sure that trees do not take root in the rocks.

2.  The county is ok with the decreased mowing along the rip-rap; it is an association issue.

3.  The county is waiting for Pulte to complete work on the three rivers area.

Drainage Ditch at Shadwell:

1.  The rip rap needs to be reworked.  Pulte will do this.

2.  The no mow area around the ditch needs to be removed.

Drainage Ditch at Sugargrove:

1.  Grass and small trees need to be removed from the rip-rap.  

Some decisions need to be made:

-Do we ask Shenandoah to weed whack the pond bottoms now, or wait another few weeks, closer to the requested bond release?  There is still work to be done by Pulte before the bonds are released, so we do have time. Shenandoah would like to wait until the fall before they weed whack.  The county will be looking to Pulte to do some of the work, especially the toe area at pond 4A.  Should we wait until we see how much of the work will be done by Pulte?

-There is such a high level of resistance for the no mow areas. Is it time to eliminate them?