Hurricane Preparedness:  The season is upon us and becoming quite busy.  Please be thoughtful and have a plan in place prior to being notified of an approaching hurricane.  Last year, even at the last minute with the storm approaching, we had residents who were cleaning up patios and leaving trash outside of the dumpster areas.  Please prepare now so that you do not put your neighbors and our shared property in a dangerous position during a storm.  Additionally, should you have trees or foliage inside your fence that are likely to damage the building, fence, or other common area, please have it removed now.  Any damage caused to the building/fences or expense related to removal of debris or trees will be the responsibility of the homeowner.

Building Numbers:  We have installed building numbers on the side of the buildings on either the street or parking side of the building.  This was done in preparation for the shake/shingles installation project as we will not be able to install building numbers on the new product.

Shake/Shingles

We are excited to announce that this work has begun and we are really pleased with the improvement in the appearance of our buildings.  If you haven’t seen them, I am including a couple of pictures below, but encourage you to drive by Middle Court to see how this new product looks on our building mansards.  Permits were finally issued by the city of Orlando in June and work began shortly thereafter.  We knew that it would take some time and a few buildings to refine the installation process and become efficient.  A lot has been learned in the past 2 months and we believe that work will speed up from this point.  We have just begun work on building #9 and anticipate moving forward much more quickly.  A project plan which estimates the date for each building to be completed has been developed and will soon be communicated and posted.  Having said that, we want to also point out that the earlier than normal daily thunderstorms are definitely slowing the progress as well.  Weather and other unexpected situations will require constant adjustment to the project dates and changes will be posted and communicated.  Related to this work, there are some responsibilities and impacts to owners and residents that all residents should be aware of…

• Nothing, including trees or foliage can be within 4 feet of the Shakes/Shingles. If you have been notified to cut back or remove anything on your patio, please do so right away which will likely be less expensive than having the Association correct the issue and bill you for all associated costs.
• It may be necessary to use your parking space during the day in order to store material or haul debris from the work zone, or for crew parking needs. You may also be asked to move your vehicle during the day for the same reason.  Guest spaces may be used for temporary parking, or you can park on Middlebrook Road being careful to observe the Parking signs.
• Once notified of that start date for your building, some preparation will be required on your part to move items from your patio and balconies. Specific instructions will be posted on your gate.
• Scaffolding will be placed on the exterior of your building and on your patio to facilitate the tear down and replacement of the shingles.
• ACI Century will provide waste containers for the project debris in order to not fill up our needed dumpster space. These containers are for ACI use only.  Please do not throw any personal waste into these containers, and if you see others doing so, please notify them that personal waste should go into our normal dumpsters.  Your help with this is greatly appreciated.

Pressure Washing of Sidewalk/Walkways:  This annual event is scheduled to begin in Mid October.

Building Exterior Painting:  Buildings 39 through 52 were painted earlier this year.  This fiscal year, we will complete the exterior painting on buildings 53 through 65 in the spring.

Exterior Building Lights:  We have identified a new LED light fixture for the 4 sides of our buildings.  This new fixture provides a brighter and more cost-effective light for our property.  As our current HPS light fixtures fail, they will be replaced with this new LED fixture.  On this subject, please note that we depend on residents to let us know when lights are not working properly as we do not have any after dark services.  Please report any lighting issues by calling the office, or reporting it (and other maintenance issues) on the “Contact” page of the website.

Security Camera Guidelines

In the past year, we have had several homeowners request to install security cameras to monitor their entrances and vehicles.  Our Rules and Bi-laws do not permit the installation of items such as this to the fence, building exterior, or limited common areas.  However, the Board of Directors, working with our attorney, have developed and approved guidelines for the installation and use of such cameras.  Those guidelines are now posted on the “Documents” tab on the web site.  If you have already installed cameras, or are considering installation, please review and follow these guidelines to eliminate the possibility of having to remove them due to violation the rules and regulations.  Questions or concerns should be directed to our property manager, Keith.

Use of Patios and Balconies

With 344 units, it is quite a task to monitor that everyone is following the rules, notify them when they are in violation, and follow up to ensure compliance following notification.  The rules are in place to ensure that we all can live in a community that is beautiful, that we can be proud of, feel safe in, and will maintain their value.  With the construction work going on, we are spending quite a bit of time walking all areas of the property and seeing many violations.  Many of the currently visible violations are…

• Having items on patios that are above the fence level. Items such as basketball hoops, tall storage units, gazebos, ladders, and arches over the entry gate are just some examples of items that are violations that have been observed.
• Umbrellas are permitted as long as they follow the guidelines which are posted on the website “Documents” tab. Several units currently are in violation.
• Balconies should never be used for storage or hanging items on railings.
• Lights or wiring on the building, fences, or in the trees are not permitted. (Decorations are permitted during the Winter holidays as long as they are not damaging to the buildings or fences)
• Wiring for utilities or other services should not run across the exterior of the building.
• Nothing should be attached to the exterior of the fence with the exception of Board approved supplemental lights. (See guidelines on website)
• Dead or dying plant material should be removed. Additionally, any trees or foliage which are damaging or could damage any portion of the building or fence, or could be considered a safety hazard must be removed.

We have found through the years that many of these violations are due to new ownership/residency or lack of information by the resident and most will correct the situation once they are aware.  If you have any questions or need clarification of how to correct any of these issues, please contact our Property Manager, Keith.

Thanks to all of our owners/residents that are engaged in helping to ensure that our community is a great place to live and one that we can be proud of!!

Words to Live by

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”  John Wooden