Landscape Updates

The Grounds Team heard your message at the June Master Plan review meeting. We want to be responsive to your comments and have focused on finding ways to reduce the cost of improvements while achieving the main objectives of the plan.

During the last two months, members of your Grounds Team have met several times with DPW management discussing the need for improvements in the North Entrance area leading into our subdivision. We have reached agreement with DPW that they will join forces with SLA and do much of the work outlined in the original Master Plan.

As a result of the DPW agreement and a few changes to the plan, we have been able to reduce SLA’s cost of the North Entrance work to about $20k; less than 1/2 of the architect’s original estimate.

North Entrance area work will be executed in two phases. PHASE 1 will be completed this fall. Phase 2, if approved by the Association, will take place in the spring.

Major DPW components of the PHASE 1 Project are:

· Repair sidewalks on both sides of Lake Sherwood Ave. N. from Sherwood Forest Blvd. to the subdivision Entrance Arches.

· Prune the 11 Live Oak Trees on the sides of Lake Sherwood Ave. N.

· Remove 2 large trees and 6 smaller trees from the Lake Sherwood Ave. N. median strip.

· Remove 8 tree stumps from the median strip and 1 from the sidewalk area.

· Plant 1 new Live Oak to replace the tree removed after lightning damage.

· Provide mulch for the area under the Live Oaks between road and sidewalks.

Major components of the PHASE 1 Project under SLA’s responsibility are:

· Remove the old azalea shrubs from the median area.

· Recondition the median area sprinkler system as needed following DPW’s removal of the median trees.

· Replace sod in the median area as needed following removal of shrubs and trees.

· Prepare the brick wall behind planter for installation of a new Entrance Sign.

The major components of the project deferred to PHASE 2 (to be done next spring) are:

· Relocate the present Lake Sherwood Acres sign in the Entrance Planter to the subdivision Entrance Arch.

· Finalize design and install a new Lake Sherwood sign at the Entrance Planter.

· Remove all plants in the Entrance Planter and replace with new plants and shrubs.

· Install up-lighting under the 12 Live Oak trees lining both sides of the entrance area.

We feel very fortunate to be working with Steve Shurtz, a senior manager with DPW. Steve is a registered arborist and landscape architect. He has been instrumental in reaching agreements with DPW and in planning our joint project. Steve has agreed to provide valuable support during execution of the work as well as for the design of needed electrical facilities, permitting and interfaces with Entergy.

Cost for SLA’s portion of PHASE 1 is well below the landscaping improvement in this year’s budget, and we think it is a bargain. PHASE 2 plans will be reviewed in the upcoming Budget Forum and Annual meetings. Our objective is to continue looking for opportunities to minimize the cost of landscape improvements in 2010 and beyond. At this point we anticipate that improvement costs will stay within the levels shown in the last 5-year plan. We will ask your formal approval for funding in the 2010 budget.

Feel free to contact any of the Grounds Team members if you have questions or comments on the plan. Team members are: Jim Rogstad. Gloria Brown, David Patout, Don Frattini, Scott Shean, Dick Hevey and Leif Grotness, Chairperson.

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If you have any questions or need to contact a board member and cannot locate the correct email or phone number via this site,
email : info@lakesherwoodacres.com