The Nor’westener newsletter for May 2
Attached is the latest issue of The Nor’westener newsletter. Serving Concerned Readers in Clark Pines, Cottage Grove, Hidden Lake, Holly Park, Lazybrook, Oak Forest, Shady Acres, Greater Timbergrove and Woodcrest.
Comments, column suggestions and submissions are always appreciated. Positive comments on a given column helps to ensure its continuation.
Ben Crabb
2502 Haverhill
713-861-5354
bncrabb@comcast.net
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Architectural Review and Deed Restriction Volunteer Meeting
I invite your participation in a special meeting of the AR/DR committee. If you are interested in volunteering, or continuing to volunteer, we are asking that you please make every effort to attend a special AR/DR meeting to be held on Tuesday April 15th at my home on 2110 Millwood at 7pm. Since there is no chair and no formal record of who is on the committee we will be reopening all positions to volunteers at this meeting. Furthermore, until or if it is changed, the responsibilities of the committee includes both Architectural Review (pre-construction plan reviews) and Deed Restrictions (reporting and enforcement).
The agenda is as follows:
- Review Committee and Chairpersons responsibilities
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Recognize and fill all 7 committee openings
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Solicit a volunteer and appoint a committee chair
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Review the following outstanding items and submissions
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Three on-going construction submissions
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In advance of the meeting, I have also drafted a some items that should hopefully facilitate our discussion.
Draft Responsibilities of the Committee:
- Report deed restriction violations to the committee and the city or other agency.
- Review, provide feedback and vote on review submittals.
- Assist the chair with any administrative or communications duties as requested.
Draft Responsibilities of the Committee Chair
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Be the primary person responsible for communication to Civic Club, homeowner(s), builder/architect(s), and the city or other agency.
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Organize the monthly (or as needed) review sessions (i.e. solicit feedback and votes on submissions, review any violations).
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Distribute or provide access to plans for review.
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Record approvals or rejection of Review submittals and Deed Restriction violations.
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Be the final or deciding vote on pending reviews.
Thanks in advance for your participation. The completion of this committee’s responsibilities is vital to the preservation and future of our neighborhood.
Letter From the President
Firstly, I would like to thank the residents of Lazybrook for the vote of confidence in allowing me to assume the role of President of the Lazybrook Civic Club. Lazybrook has been home for my family for 5 years and we have become connected to the community and are excited to take our community support to another level. I would really like to see our Civic Club become a vital part of the neighborhood as it was in past years and am willing to do whatever necessary to support that happening.
Over the course of Lazybrook’s history, the Civic Club has been integral to community activities. Since we moved to the neighborhood, some of our more significant accomplishments included:
- Completing a significant beautification and planting project in the medians running up and down TC Jester and 18th. Most of the younger trees and shrubs were planted during this project.
- Saving many of those same trees and shrubs during the drought a few years ago. The volunteer time of residents aided to keep the trees adequately mulched to provide more resistant and supplemental watering both worked to preserve our investment.
- Revitalizing our National Night Out program to include a neighborhood parade and block parties which have been some of our biggest turnout nights in years.
- Piloting a mosquito spraying program to help control our mosquito populations during the summer
- Coordinating with the City of Houston to ensure our bayous and watersheds are properly maintained
- Donating and contributing to the revitalization of surrounding parks
Looking forward to 2014, we want to continue building on these accomplishments. However, the truth is that have many challenges facing us and we need our residents to step forward more than ever. Last year was our lowest resident participation level on record at only 36%. We also have some critical leadership roles that help support our fundraising efforts that are vacant. Without resident support through membership and volunteering, the future of the Civic Club will be at risk. It is essential for us to preserve this organization to ensure that our neighborhood continues to be a vital, well maintained place with manicured medians, enforced deed restrictions, and a voice within our broader Houston community. Without a Civic Club, it will be difficult for any of those things to occur.
I want to start my term as President with a plea to each and every resident. If you haven’t joined the Civic Club yet, please consider doing so. If you are a member, please consider increasing your commitment by volunteering to serve in a leadership role. If you have any ideas on other ways to support Lazybrook and make the neighborhood and the club a better place, please reach out to me via email at president@lazybrook.org and let’s have a conversation. The Executive Committee has met and started planning how we can change things for the better. We are exploring ways to increase membership and reduce operating costs to begin balancing our budget. But we can only turn our course around with your support and ideas.
Yard of the Month is back!
It’s Back!
By popular demand, the Lazybrook Civic Club has re-launched the “Yard of the Month” program! The purpose of the program is to recognize Lazybrook neighbors who demonstrate above-average efforts in maintaining their property and contributing to the overall appearance of our community.
The program will run from January through November. The annual neighborhood holiday decorating winners will take the place of a December “Yard of the Month” winner. Winners will receive a “Lazybrook Civic Club Yard of the Month” lawn sign that will be placed on their property for the duration of their award month.
The Lazybrook CC encourages all neighbors to join the efforts of these homeowners in keeping their yards and homes beautiful!
Yard of the Month Guidelines
- All current Lazybrook properties and homeowners are automatically eligible to win.
- Award winners are selected based on the recommended selection criteria listed below.
- The upkeep of the yard can reflect the efforts of the residents themselves or that of a professional landscaper or groundskeeper.
- Neighbors may only win Yard of the Month one time a year. At least 12 months must elapse between awards for the same yard.
- Winners may be disqualified if their property is in violation of any HOA covenants or city regulations at any time during the month in which they win “Yard of the Month”.
- Neighbors may nominate their neighbors for this honor. You can nominate your neighbors by emailing the “Yard of the Month” chairman listed on the front of the newsletter.
- A Yard of the Month sign will be placed in the winning yard.
- Should a homeowner decline to participate upon notification of winning, the second place house will become “Yard of the Month”.
- While a neighbor’s home is being recognized as a “Yard of the Month,” they are expected to maintain their yard in the same manner that allowed them to win the honor.
Suggested Criteria to Win Yard of the Month
- Lawn: mowed, trimmed and weed free
- Edging: driveway, walks, curbs
- Shrubs, Bushes, and Trees: healthy, neatly pruned, in proportion/scale with home
- Pleasant appearance that makes the property an asset to the neighborhood (no unsightly debris, broken gutters, etc.)
- Color (green grass, colorful living plants, mulch, other landscape design material, etc…)
- Overall look of landscaping: inviting look of front entryway (hanging baskets, pots, cleanliness etc.) Originality/creativity (any special touches of the owner i.e., yard art, bird feeders, etc.)