I wanted to take a moment to thank the various residents who has communicated with the Covenant Compliance Committee concerning their lawns. Let’s face it – it’s downright unpleasant to have to even write these letters. But by now, you know the spiel…the Board of Directors is bound to enforce our deed restrictions and the policies that support them.

You’ve probably seen me mention this before, but I will mention it again: when I was Vice President, I received 2 lawn letters myself. Pretty embarrassing, I must say. I was supposed to be setting the example. But the lawn was atrocious and I feel bad NOW that my neighbors had to look at it day in and day out for as long as they did.

No one will deny we had a very tough winter. Without my lawn service I probably would have lost a good portion of my grass. I know most of our residents are working diligently to get their lawns back into shape and we certainly appreciate that. Remember, Florida-friendly Landscaping is an EXCELLENT alternative to lawns and the Board has developed wonderful contacts to assist residents with this type of landscaping.

Before you curse me and crumple this newsletter, I would ask you do 1 more thing: drive through some neighborhoods WITHOUT lawn restrictions and compare them to Westlake Village. I grew up down the road in Wilshire Estates (Belcher & Solon) and Wexford West (off CR1 south of Tampa Rd). I drove through Wilshire Estates last Saturday and I was blown away at the appalling conditions of the lawns in the neighborhood. After that, drive over to Wexford East…nice homes but NO HOA. While you’re out, drive through Beacon Groves, which is a deed-restricted community that does not apparently enforce lawn restrictions. Again, a very stark difference between their communities and ours. It really gave me a deep sense of appreciation for our rules, as they keep us ALL honest and ensure our home values stay (more) stable than other areas.

Trust me when I say that enforcing deed restrictions is not pleasant for those tasked to do it. It’s a thankless job that angers most people who are on the receiving end – my pride was hurt when I received those letters about my own lawn. But, like taxes, the dentist, and in-laws, it’s a painful necessity. I would also say that, ultimately, it’s a benefit to EACH OWNER in our community, especially when they sell their home.

As always, thank you for your time and understanding as we work to make your community better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow.

This and That

1) Thank you to the residents who have been calling me to inform us about our irrigation (or lack thereof). we recently became aware of 2 major irrigation issues that have stymied our efforts to keep our common areas as attractive as possible. On the N end of the Blvd, we had a contactor burn out on our well pump. That has been fixed ($150). Just north of the tennis courts, our timer has been non-functioning. Unable to get power to the computer, Palm Harbor Electric has diagnosed a short in the main line feeding the computer. We will continue efforts to get power back and the irrigation on asap.

The warm weather is here and our pool is open from 8a - dusk. Please ensure any loose trash is bagged before throwing it in the large trash cans. We try to keep them as clean as possible so you can't smell them when you are enjoying the pool and deck.

With the return of more seasonal weather, the Board is going to begin re-focusing on making sure our lawns look the best they can. Remember, you do NOT need to have St. Augustine grass to meet the deed restrictions. Florida-friendly landscaping is fully embraced and accepted in our community - the Board has numerous contacts with organizations that can help you draft a plan and execute it. FL Friendly lawns needs little to no fertilization/pest control and by definition exist on our natural rainfall. Regardless of what avenue you select (St. Augustine, bahia, Fl-Friendly landscaping, etc) each homeowner is expected to maintain their property in a "neat and attractive" manner according to our deed restrictions. After all, the overall appearance of our community DIRECTLY affects your homes value.

As always, we're looking for volunteers to help us run this beautiful community. The donation of time is always free and everyone that helps makes us more of a "family".