Category Archives: Landscaping

community, Landscaping, Maintenance

Landscaping Dos and Don’t

When people talk to me about why they love living in Peterkort Woods, they frequently mention how beautiful the landscaping is. When people complain about the conditions at Peterkort Woods, landscaping is also number one.

It’s hard to please 223 homeowners.

It is one of our most visible assets. When it looks nice, it increases the beauty and value of our homes. When it doesn’t, it is hard to see anything else.

This is why the builder spent so much effort in the landscape design of our community. It is why the Board of Directors spends an inordinate amount of time and resources on landscape issues.

If you want to be part of the process to improve our landscaping, here are some tips.

Do

  1. Learn about our landscaping. Talk to a Landscape Committee person or one of the Board of Directors. See landscape website for more.
  2. Join the committee.
  3. Come to a Board of Directors meeting.
  4. Fill out a landscape request form. see contact instructions

Don’t

  1. Alter the landscape yourself. see PKW CCRs especially 5.16. This means: no yard art, no planting, trimming, removing any item in the beds around our homes.
  2. Complain directly to the Landscapers. If you have an issue with them, contact the Board.
  3. Dig. Besides being prohibited (see #1), you could damage the sprinkler system or hit a utility.
  4. Trim the trees. (see #1)

Do you agree or disagree with my list? Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Let me know by filling out a contact form.

community, Landscaping

Linden Tree replacement schedule

To read the entire announcement from the HOA, click here: Linden Tree Project Notice-2018 January 29th

Below is the breakdown of scheduling:

  • 2/5-2/8:  Morrison St. tree removals & stump grinding (General Tree)
  • 2/8, 2/9, 2/13: Morrison St. debris removal (Willamette)
  • 2/13-2/14 (if needed extended thru 2/16): Windwood Way tree removals & stump  grinding (General Tree)
  • 2/13-2/16: Morrison St. irrigation repairs and tree install (Willamette)
  • 2/19-2/23: Windwood Way debris removal, irrigation repairs, tree install (Willamette)
  • 2/23, 2/26: Signage removed (Willamette)
  • After 4/15: Grass seed installed all areas (Willamette)

Snowcone Snowbell (Styrax japonicus) will be placed on SW Morrison.  Here is an example of a mature tree : snowconesnowbell pdf

Fireburst Paperbark Maple Acer griseum will be placed SW Windwood.  Here is an example of a mature tree with its Fall color: fireburst paperbark maple pdf

Here is what the trees will look like when they first go in: IMG_0244

IMG_0245

 

community, Landscaping

Linden Tree Plan

The Board of Directors of the Peterkort Woods Home Owners’ Association, in consultation with the Association’s Landscape Committee, has taken on the task of addressing the street trees in our community on SW Morrison and SW Windwood.

The trees lining these two streets are all Lindens.  Most of you are aware that the Lindens attract a great quantity of aphids and that the aphids create quite a mess for up to six months of the year.  Efforts to control the aphids have been difficult and the problem has grown increasingly worse.  Even following one of the harshest winters in recent history, the pests have thrived.

Equally important have been concerns regarding the appropriateness of the Lindens for our streets due to their size as well as blocking light to our homes, damage to sidewalks, and interference with our irrigation system.

Background 

Over the years, many owners have complained about these trees and have asked for their removal.  The LC has tried to address the concerns with less drastic solutions. They have consulted with arborists regarding options.

In the Fall of 2016, the BOD solicited the opinion of two arborists to assess all our trees. Both gave us advice on how to develop a long-range plan for our urban forest.  Regarding the Lindens, one of the Arborists concluded, “The Lindens on SW Windwood and SW Morrison Street have some included bark concerns, have grown large enough to have conflicts with traffic, streets, vehicles, and housing. The trees are in a tight planter strip where eventually there will be root conflicts with sidewalk and ground utilities. This planting is a prime example of what (is) great in planning when trees are small, once growth has occurred the growth overtakes the space.”

During the past year the LC has addressed the most pressing tree concerns identified by the arborists including: the removal of approximately 15 cedars, several redbuds, and a few maples.

Peterkort Woods HOA – Linden Tree Survey – Fall, 2017

A survey concerning the Linden Trees was sent by email in the Fall of 2017.

Over 53% of the community responded (119/223).  Over 67% of those who live on Windwood and Morrison responded to the survey.  The response rate was 36.9% on streets that did not have Lindens.

More than 68% responded “yes” to the question “should the Board consider removal of the Lindens?” (82 of 119)  An additional 9% responded that they didn’t care.

The response was even stronger for those who live on the effected streets.  On the question of us considering removal, 70.3 % said yes compared to 65.8% yes on the other streets.

It also looks like everyone had to answer every question in the survey. Some of those who wanted the trees taken out over two or three years, didn’t want the trees taken out at all.  It was therefore useful to break the results down further.

75 of the 82 who said yes (91.5%), wanted all the trees removed and 75% of those respondents wanted them taken out at one time.

Going forward

The BOD has approved moving forward with replacing the Lindens.  We are in the process of obtaining bids for removing the 103 Lindens along SW Windwood and SW Morrison and replacing them with other Washington County approved street trees (http://www.co.washington.or.us/LUT/Divisions/CurrentPlanning/upload/StreetTrees.pdf).

This is a complex undertaking with many considerations which are being addressed.  All of the details are not available at this time, but we will provide updates as more information is available.

community, Landscaping, Maintenance

Chemicals used in Community

There has been some concerns raised recently regarding the use of chemicals in our community.  The HOA employs various vendors who apply herbicides, insecticides, moss treatments, etc.

For each chemical used, a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is posted on TMG’s website.  I have also posted them on this site under the landscaping tab.

If you have any questions regarding the materials or methods used by any of our vendors, please contact TMG or send a message to this site and I will pass it along.

community, extended neighborhood, Landscaping, Maintenance, Uncategorized

Update:COMMUNITY CLEANUP DAY April 30th, 2016

Image

More than 20 PKW residents participated in this year’s event.  The group broke up into four groups: wetlands cleanup, mailbox cleanup, picnic table assembly, and plantings.

Wetlands 

A small group of volunteers  removed trash in the wetlands area to our north.  (They were careful not to disturb any wildlife.)

Mailboxes

Tape residue, algae, dirt, and other substances were removed from the community mailboxes.

Tables

There are now two new tables at the pool and one each at the two urban parks and the great lawn gazebo.

Planting 

In cooperation with CleanWater Services, the Tualatin River Watershed Council donated 100 trees, shrubs, and plants to our HOA to be planted in the areas adjacent to the wetlands.  Our crew planted 70 of these along Johnson Creek in the Merrit Woods Natural Area.

Lunch

Lunch was served afterwards at the Clubhouse.

A special thanks to Sunrise Bagels (10902 SW Barnes Rd) for providing the sandwiches!

Original post: Help cleanup and beautify the areas surrounding our wonderful community.

We’ll break into teams and tackle several different areas such as:

Prepare ground and Plant NW Natives in selected areas of the community.

Clean Mailboxes, and TBD odd jobs within Peterkort.

Wetlands and surrounding neighborhood  trash collection.
We’ll meet at the Clubhouse at 10am for assignments and work together till noon. Lunch will be provided at the Clubhouse.
We will have basic supplies on hand such as garbage bags but please bring your own gloves if desired.
Lunch and T-shirts will be provided! To help defray the costs, please bring $5/person.

Please RSVP by April 11th so we can get a count for lunch, T-shirts, and hats. When signing up, if you have a shirt from last year, let us know! Otherwise, please indicate what size t-shirt to order or if you would prefer a baseball hat.

 

 

 

Community Cleanup 2016 putting tables together2 Community Cleanup 2016 putting tables together Community Cleanup 2016 Planting4 Community Cleanup 2016 Planting3 Community Cleanup 2016 Planting2 Community Cleanup 2016 Planting Community Cleanup 2016 lunch Community Cleanup 2016 lunch 2 Community Cleanup 2016 clubhouse

Landscaping, Maintenance, meetings, Public safety and crime

Board Meeting June 8th

The HOA Board of Directors met at the Clubhouse on June 8th, 2015 at 600pm.  Items discussed included: Fire in PKW, delinquency report, door staining, clubhouse security, FOB system, new plants in the landscape, repair work on railings, concrete work, tables at the pool, and the chemical controller for the pool.

Fire: See separate post on this site, “Fire 10192 SW Morrison Street”.

Delinquency report: We have one home in our community where the owner passed away and no estate has been created.  There is a substantial debt owed to the HOA.  There is also a substantial mortgage on the home.  The Board asked our attorneys for direction in this matter.  The Board voted to follow the advice of the attorneys and wait for the lender to initiate foreclosure proceedings and suspend this account for six months (dues will continue to accrue).

Door staining: West Coast Forensics was retained for quality control on the door staining project.  They recommended a higher quality clear coat than was original chosen by the staining contractor.  Depending on the availability of the product, work will start on June 25th or mid July.  Affected owners will be notified by TMG of the exact date and will be given further instructions.

Clubhouse: The Board voted to install a new security camera system in the clubhouse.

The pool and clubhouse FOB system was updated the week of May 18th.  Most of the bugs have been worked out.  Some of the FOBs had to be reprogrammed.  If your FOB does not work on the pool gates, please notify TMG.

Landscaping: The second half of the community will receive new plants beginning on June 11th.

Repair work: There was some work done on a few of our front stair railings.  Some railings have yet to receive a final coat of paint.  The contractor is working to remove any stains on the concrete caused by the work.  In an unrelated work order, a lose rear balcony railing was repaired by the HOA.

Concrete work: There are a few areas in need of concrete work throughout our community.  A bid has been requested from a contractor.  Please notify TMG if you know of any concrete in a common area in need of repair.

Pool furniture: The tables at the pool will be painted starting this week.  Watch for wet paint signs.

Pool: A chemical controller for the pool was installed by Orca.  Our pool is maintained by WetKat.  It appears that the controller may not be operating correctly. The Board approved a plan to correct the problem immediately.

Draft minutes of this meeting should be posted soon on TMG’s site.  The minutes become official when approved by the Board, usually at the next Board Meeting. The next scheduled Board Meeting is July 13th at 600pm.

Landscaping, Maintenance, meetings

Board Meeting April 13th

The HOA Board of Directors met at the Clubhouse on April 13th, 2015 at 600pm.  Items discussed included: the appointment of a new Board member, a chemical controller for the pool and a vendor to clean the pool, ARC requests,  staining of Forest unit front doors, and ongoing maintenance issues.

New Board member: Board VP, Bob Balaski sold his home last month and moved to a nearby neighborhood.  The Board unanimously agreed on Ken Cumings to replace him on the Board.  Mike Hildenbrand will now be the Vice-President and Ken will be the Board Member At Large.

Pool: Orca Pacific has been contracted to install an automatic chemical controller.  This should keep the chlorine and PH levels consistent and reduce the need to close the pool or call someone to fix the imbalances.  Wet Kat has been retained to clean the pool.  They did our pool maintenance last year and were the only vendor wiling to respond on Saturdays and Sundays.  We are in the process of hiring a pool monitor.  The Board decided to have them start in June rather than wait until July as in previous years.

ARC: There were two requests form a homeowner to modify the exterior of their home.  The first request was in regards to an exterior mounted security camera.  The Board approved the request with some conditions regarding color and installation method.  The second request involved attaching artwork to an exterior wall using a screw.  The Board denied the request to penetrate the exterior with screws.  An alternative method of displaying the artwork was suggested.  The Board urges all homeowners to submit any request to modify the exterior of their homes BEFORE they make the modification.

Door staining:  Routine staining of the Forest doors was not scheduled for a couple of years.  However, several of the doors are in poor shape and many others are getting close to being in need of refinishing.  At the last meeting, the Board selected a vendor to do the work.  Since then, the Board members have surveyed the 110 Forest unit doors and selected approximately one third for immediate refinishing.  All of the doors in the following buildings will be refinished: 1, 4, 11, 14, 17, and 18.  There are a few other doors in poor shape that will also be done at this time.  Affected homeowners will be notified before any work is done.

Maintenance: Metal railings throughout the community are in the process of being repaired and repainted. There are also several landscape projects that are in the process of completion, including: plant replacement, tree pruning, and general hardscaping. This is just a summary of the Board Meeting and should not be considered as a replacement for the official meeting minutes.

Draft minutes of the meeting should be posted soon on TMG’s site.  The minutes become official when approved by the Board, usually at the next Board Meeting. The next scheduled Board Meeting is May 11th at 600pm.

community, Landscaping, meetings

Board Meeting March 9th

The Board of directors met at the clubhouse March 9th and discussed the following topics: landscaping issues, maintenance of entry railings and Forest exterior doors, pool maintenance vendors, and a system for the pool that would monitor and adjust the chlorine levels.

Landscaping: Robert Littleton (Landscape Committee Chair) gave a report.  Half of our community had new plants installed.  The second half will be done in the next few months.   We have sent  plant list to our vendor for a quote.  Some rock has been installed in the landscape.  This also is still a work in progress.

Pool Maintenance: The Board agreed to install a system that will automatically monitor and adjust the chlorine in our pool.  At the next meeting will choose a maintenance vendor and pool monitors.

Forest doors refinishing: ‘Color Perfexion’ was hired to work on two Forest doors.  This work was compared to the work of Two Brothers.  The Board has decided to go with Color Perfexion.  Approximately 30 of the most needy doors will be addressed in the first phase this year.  (If you believe your door should be included in this group, please let the Board know ASAP.)

Ongoing maintenance: Crews will be in our neighborhood in March cleaning gutters (Windwood, Trillium, and Foresta), fixing some metal railings, and tree trimming.

In addition to the Board and a TMG representative, twelve homeowners were in attendance.  After the meeting, there was an informal gathering downstairs.

Meeting minutes will not be official until approved by the Board at the April 13th meeting.  All meeting minutes are posted on TMG’s site.

Landscaping, meetings

Board Meeting February 9th

The Board of directors met at the clubhouse February 9th and discussed the following topics: end of year financial statement, landscaping issues, maintenance of entry railings and Forest exterior doors, Clubhouse reservations, and a system for the pool that would monitor and/or adjust the chlorine levels.

Year end financial statement: We finished the year in the black.  One of the budget items was deferred until this budget year (plant replacements) .  Still, revenues exceeded expenses.

Landscaping issues: The Board agreed to a three year plan for tree pruning (funded from reserves).  This was recommended by the landscaping committee.  Also, a large broken tree behind 10152 SW Windwood Way will be removed on Feb 16th.   Landscapers will be at the clubhouse on the same day trimming trees. A proposal for fixing a drainage issue near 10198 SW Morrison was approved.

Exterior doors: Some of the Forest doors are in need of repair or refinishing.  We have been unable to make contact with the original vendor. The same vendor who recently painted our homes was hired to repair one door on Taylor.  The Board also tasked another vendor to repair one door on Windwood and one door on Morrison.  The work on these two doors is pending warmer weather.

The Board amended to Clubhouse Reservation Policy by removing the clause that limited the user to the lower level.

Repair work to some entry railings will be done in the next few weeks (weather permitting).

For more details, see TM’s site or contact your favorite Board Member.