Monthly Meeting of the Stonegate HOA 14 Jan 2003

The homeowner is responsible for replacing mailboxes or paying a fine for not having a properly-maintained mailbox. It costs about 120 dollars to replace a mailbox of the style found at most homes (the only one allowed by the board).

The board has a policy of no mailbox changes. The board believes the consistency is important to keep property values high in our neighborhood.

Furthermore, the city has strict rules about the amount of sidewalk space that must be present between the mailbox and one's lawn. The mailbox placement established by the developer is not consistent with the current rules. Existing mailbox placement is grandfathered, but changes require the sidewalk to be widened at the homeowner's expense.

There was a robbery break-in on Greystone. It appears to have been an inside job as it was done in 20 minutes including the opening of a locked safe.

The board will soon be sending out a letter instructing owners to put can behind gate. Those not placing their trash cans behind the gate by noon the day after collection will be subject to a fine. The CC&Rs state that cans are to be placed out of sight, but the board is taking a slightly more lenient stance, allowing cans that are visible but behind the gate.

A homeowner at 25417 Stagg asked the board about the rules regarding trimming hedges just past the fence at 25409 Stagg. The owners of both properties were present. The board said it would have to visit the properties in question before resolving the discussion. The owner at '17 stated that his view from his yard of the city is blocked by hedges growing up on the other side of the fence. The owner at '09 said that the hedges have been trimmed to the top of the fence. The board expressed uncertainty as to whether the CC&Rs contained provisions for views across lots to the left or the right (rather than clearly covered "downslope" lots).

One homeowner asked about trimming a tree that was on his property. After learning that the tree was not in a Landscape Maintenance Area (LMA), the board informed the owner that he was free to cut the tree as much as he wished, including completely removing it.

The board took this opportunity to reiterate its position on view-blocking poplars in Landscape Maintenance Areas. An owner who has a view obstructed by a tree can hire someone to plant a new tree near the one blocking the view. After one year has passed and the new tree has taken root, the owner can hire someone to remove the view-blocking tree, which costs between $500 and $1000.