Thanks for reading the first edition of the reboot of the Collington Neighborhood newsletter. This is being done in a digital format only. The adopted name for this newsletter is the Collington Chronicle. If you would like to submit any article ideas please use the email above. As we do this more, the better we hope it will be. This will be quarterly to start.
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Community Management
If you have any questions regarding Collington HOA, or the community, go to the website initially (
www.collingtonhoa.com
), next contact committee chairs at the e-mail listed below, or contact ACS West, Inc. if you need further assistance
Collington is professionally managed by ACS West, Inc.
ACS West, Inc. is contracted to inspect the community on a monthly basis, handle payments, manage contractors, etc. Lee Ann King is Collingtons Community Manager and she can be reached by
Constant Contact/mass email
The Collington HOA serves to keep our residents informed by using Constant Contact. An owner may sign up for email blasts on the community website at
www.collingtonhoa.com
. This distribution list is not shared. It is used to inform residents of emergency alerts, upcoming events, etc. On behalf of all our neighbors, we believe you have made an excellent decision by making Collington your new home and hope you enjoy living here as much as we do.
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COLLINGTON COMMITTEES
ALL committees are staffed by resident volunteers – ‘your neighbors’. These residents invest their time and effort into our community to keep it safe, beautiful, and a FUN place to live. If you have questions regarding any of the following areas/committees, or would like to volunteer, please contact them at the e-mail provided under each heading. If you are not sure who to contact, just send a message to your best guess and you will be given direction.
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POOL COMMITTEE
Even though ‘pool season’ is over, this committee continues to meet. Duties and responsibilities throughout the year include: reviewing, proposing, and updating rules and regulations for the pool use, preparing, updating, and maintaining a resident data base to allow access to the pool. They also coordinate with the swim team and pool management company, opening day festivities and movie nights. This committee meets several times throughout the year.
A new system has been purchased that will allow access to the pool with a membership card. This system is proposed to go into place during the 2019 season. In addition to being able to access the pool, it will also allow access to other community amenities. Be on the lookout in the coming months for information on this new system as every person in Collington will need to have a picture taken. The data base that we are currently using will not transfer pictures, so all residents, new and old, will need a new picture.
Also, keep a look out for information regarding future Pool Committee surprises: zero entry pool for smaller children, a new building for pool equipment and space for guards to meet.
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Events
This committee is happiest when residents spend time together! This fun group of residents plan regular events that include fun for all ages with family friendly events as well as events for the 21 and older crowd. You will almost always see an event monthly with other small events sprinkled in as well. Meetings are held once a month and generally last an hour. They are always looking for residents to bring their ideas to the meetings and also those who can volunteer a little time to plan and execute those ideas. Volunteers are not asked to help run ALL events, but helping with a few throughout the year helps all on the committee. Please send questions, ideas, and volunteer info to the above email.
Events brought to you so far in 2018 by your Events Committee include: Spring Fling, Cinco De Mayo, pool luau, pool movie nights, National Night Out celebration, Resident Appreciation Week, and a monthly game night just to name a few. Check out the Collington Calendar on our website regularly for more fun to come!
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Architectural Review Committee (ARC)
The Collington ARC reviews applications for additions/projects as required in the Collington Architectural Standards and Guidelines document to see that they meet the intent of the guidelines. The committee had no involvement in the original development of these standards, or in the adapting of new standards/guidelines.
The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) reviews and approves (or disapproves) many changes residents make
to their property
. Documents/forms, for approval, can be found on the Collington website
http://www.collingtonhoa.com
under the documents tab. These documents will need to be completed and submitted to this committee
before changes
are made. Changes needing approval include (but not limited to):
exterior color changes, additions to your house, patio construction, shed construction, fence construction, major yard landscaping, installation of basketball hoops or permanent and playground construction, to name a few.
Please see the Collington Website ARC section for guidelines and information regarding which documents you may need. This committee is in place to make sure our properties maintain their value and are aesthetically pleasing and safe for everyone.
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Grounds
.
The Collington Grounds Committee is in place to beautify and keep the community common areas safe and aesthetically pleasing . If you see an area in the community that needs attention please contact this committee at the email provided. It is difficult for the committee members to police
all
areas,
all
the time. Any heads up/message that regards unmowed common areas, pet station refill, trail maintenance, etc. is very helpful to the grounds committee and will be much appreciated.
This years committee successes include: updating contract for mowing of common areas with landscaping contractors, painting all street posts, marking dead trees for cutting in the entire community common areas that pose a danger to residents property, repairing and painting fencing, contracting for irrigation and landscaping/beautification in community medians, improved planting at entrances, mulching in common areas and playgrounds, maintenance of trails and sidewalks, choosing Yard of Month, etc. This committee works during all seasons. Committee members actually have carried water tanks through out the community to keep plants in the common areas water! That is dedication!
A few tips from the grounds committee:
1.) Please be courteous to your neighbors and trim your trees that hang over the sidewalks. This will avoid injury to those walking.
2.) Walkers and runners; please walk or run facing the traffic so you can see cars and they can see you. Also, please use sidewalks if possible to prevent accidents in the community.
3.) Last, but not least, we love dogs; big ones and small ones. One thing nobody loves is dog poop. We have doggie bag dispensers placed throughout the community. Please use them or bring your own bags. The walkers, runners, children playing, and your neighbors will appreciate it.
Keep a look out for a resident survey regarding the following possible additions to our community: Community Garden plots, RV/camper secure parking, and a dog park! Please contact the committee chair at the email provided if you would like to volunteer. This group has your interests at heart.
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Welcome
Shortly after moving to Collington, residents are welcomed by a smiling face bearing important information and a gift! This ‘goodie bag’ includes information relating to Collington’s amenities, contacts for committees, ACSWest (our community manager), website info., and how to get connected through ‘constant contact), and a gift card for local businesses plus a Collington tumbler. What a great way to start your day in a new home!! This committee has welcome over 90 new residents thus far in 2018.
Collington has many sections within the community. Each section has a ‘welcome committee’ representative, sometimes more than one. Please feel free to contact this committee at
[email protected]
to be a representative in your section of this
terrific community.
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FAVORITE FALL RECIPES
CRANBERRY AND APPLE COBBLER
2 c. fresh cranberries, washed and stems removed
5 c. peeled, sliced (small) cooking apples
1 and ¼ c. sugar
2 and ½ Tbs. quick-cooking tapioca
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbs. butter
For the topping:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
½ c. half and half
1/3 c. melted butter
¼ c. finely chopped walnuts
Combine cranberries, apples, sugar, tapioca and vanilla; toss gently. Spoon fruit mixture into a lightly greased 12X8X2-inch baking dish. Dot with butter; set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir well and set aside. Combine egg, half-and-half and butter; mix well. Add flour mixture, beating until smooth; pour over apples. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.
Good served warm, topped with vanilla ice cream.
Yield: 6 servings
Submitted by Barbara Judge
(Please submit your favorite recipes for our next newsletter to collingtonhoa.com)
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CLUBHOUSE COORDINATOR
CLUBHOUSE RENTAL
Collington has a beautiful recently renovated clubhouse for hosting anything from showers to business or family functions.
Residents can find the Clubhouse Rental Contract and Community Calendar on the
collingtonhoa.com
website under ‘clubhouse’. Please check the community calendar well ahead of time to make sure the date needed is available – first come first serve based on time and date of request email. The Clubhouse Coordinator has a two business day reply turnaround for requests.
The rental fee is $250. + $200. security deposit = total of $450. The deposit is refunded as long as the clubhouse is cleaned and pending no damages. Payments/cancelations must be received 15 days prior to rental or cancellation. There will be a pre-function and post-function walk through with the Clubhouse Coordinator and renter. Additional information regarding criteria for hanging decorations, etc. can be found on the clubhouse rental contract form. If you have plans for a function please contact the Clubhouse Coordinator at the e-mail provided for a ‘look see’ of the Collington Clubhouse. We think you will love it!
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RESIDENT SERVICES
Are you a teenager looking to offer babysitting, grass cutting, or driveway shoveling services? Are you a resident handyman looking for work cleaning gutters or painting? The HOA is considering posting these services in forthcoming newsletters. The initial thought is to provide free advertising for teens, and charging a small fee to residents that provide professional (resident owned) services. If this interests you, please contact the HOA newsletter at collingtonhoa.com
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Fall Lawn and Landscaping Hints
from Dr. J & K
Sponsored by Collington Grounds Commitee
Hey! September is here, time to relax and slack off on yard work until Spring…….NOT!!!!!! Believe it or not, 80 to 90 percent of yard work is done in the Fall and Winter. And you thought cutting the grass sucked.
1.)
Cutting grass in Fall to get rid of leaves
If you are lazy, like we are, and hate raking leaves, keep cutting your grass. Leaves, if left on your lawn, will kill it very quickly. Some say don’t use the mower bag and leave the cut up leaves as mulch for the grass. The problem with this strategy is that in Collington there are so many trees/leaves they start “clumping”. Wherever a clump is allowed to stay, the grass will die. To stop leaf/grass clumping you will probably have to cut your lawn twice as much as if you use a bag. But, think of cutting grass is great exercise! Every time you cut your lawn it counts as 2,500 steps, or one mile. Can you tell we use a Fit Bit. So because (1) we are lazy, and (2) we don’t want to cut our grass any more than we have to, we use a bag. Two different strategies….both work.
2.)
Setting the level of the mower deck
Remember; keep your lawnmower set at its highest or second highest setting all summer, up through mid-September. Year after year we see neighbors drop the setting way down so they don’t have to cut the grass as often. With the usual summer heat Richmond gets, a yard can become a dust bowl and/or brown out very quickly: Most folks new to the area just can’t figure out what they did wrong. Fescue grass is a shade grass and if cut tall the blades act as shade for the roots. Setting your mower deck high will help your lawn look greener and feel soft and lush. Longer grass also hides small bare spots in the lawn from the casual observer. A couple of weeks after seeding, you can drop the mower setting down so the new seed gets more sunlight. (see below- ‘seeding your lawn’)
3.)
Aerating your lawn
With the clay they call soil in Collington, aerating is essential. We never thought we would say that, as we have never aerated. We never bothered aerating in our past homes. Remember, (1) we are lazy and (2) our grass was always green without it. But this fall we will be heading to our local home improvement store and renting an aerator machine. You might want to go in with several neighbors and rent one as it only takes an hour to complete a normal size yard. After completing the task your group will have a good excuse to have a party to celebrate checking off one item on your Fall to do list. Oh yes, we use any excuse to party with our neighbors!
4.)
Seeding and Fertilizing
When spring arrives, stores like Walmart, local home improvement stores, and Cross Creek Nursery have tons of seed and fertilizer. The problem is………Fall is the best time to seed and fertilize. Folks are just not in the mood to do it in the fall. So the stores hype it in the spring with trees, flowers, and shrubs, when we all have spring fever. Seeds put down in the spring just don’t have a chance in the July and August heat. The seeds will come up and look good until July and August and then die and
not
come back in the fall. (This summer with all the rain is probably the first exception to this rule we have seen in 20 years.) When seeding and fertilizing remember “SON” (September, October, and November). Fescue grass is the primary plant used in Collington. The seed is called Kentucky 31 fescue. It’s a lot more expensive than you would expect. But what isn’t now a days. If you have a dry place to store it, a big bag is the best value. Next year look for Memorial Day Sales and save the seed until September. If you aerate in mid to late September you can seed after you aerate and the seeds fall into the holes and won’t wash away.
Fertilizing in the fall is really important. It gives the plants a chance to absorb the nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium and get ready for spring. Bags of fertilizer always have three numbers to tell you what the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are (N-P-K). A fertilizer having 13-25-12 values should represent a good healthy meal for your grass. Very few times will you find the exact values as above. Don’t panic. Look for a fertilizer that approximates the above. We use a 10-10-10 because (1) its cheap, and (2) virtually all stores have it. They usually put it way in the back so you will buy the cool stuff in the fancy bag. We actually spread 10-10-10 once in September, once in October, and once in November lightly so we don’t burn out the grass. In early March we hit the lawn one last time……just to make sure our lawn looks better than all the neighbors. (we are not too competitive)
Please don’t try to fertilizer and seed by hand. We have used Scotts ‘Turfbuilder Edge Guide spreader’. We got our spreader from Lowes (approximately $30), but they are sold in most stores. The size spreader you purchase is your personal preference. We found the smaller one was difficult to push (small wheels) and would probably purchase the larger one next time. A good strategy is go in with your neighbor on the purchase, so you both don’t have to store the dumb thing. We did this in our former neighborhood and it worked great. The only rule is it must be returned clean. Returning clean equipment is an upfront rule, everyone plays fair.
When pricing any of the above you might want to end with Walmart. If they have it, the price is usually better. Nurseries are the most expensive but have folks who can answer any questions you have. We found nurseries are usually 10 to 15% more costly but have a wider variety of plants, trees, flowers, etc.
5.)
Weeds from the Summer
For once…..don’t do anything. Almost all will die after the first frost. The next edition of the Collington newsletter will tell you how to eliminate 90% of them for summer 2019.
6.)
Topics in the next news letter
January’s newsletter topics will include: A.) how to trim trees and shrubs (particularly Crape Myrtles and larger trees in your yard). You guessed it. It’s not in the spring, B.) sprinkler systems, C.) Backflow system - did you know you are supposed to have your backflow valve inspected annually? Big fine if you don’t. Did you know you can save hundreds of dollars each summer by installing a companion water meter? It can be done over the winter so you are all ready for the summer. D.) Lastly, we will share a time proven strategy to eliminate next summer’s weeds. Have a great Fall and “see ya around the hood”.
(This article written by a Collington resident with over 50 years experience, and lots of trial and error – it does not in any way reflect the gospel of the grounds committee to Collington residents.
Dr. J and K
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HOA ANNUAL MEETING OCTOBER 4TH, 6:00 PM -
SPRING RUN ELEMENTARY CAFETERIA
Residents, please plan to attend this important meeting to be informed of news within the community. There will be reports from board members and committees. A time will be allowed for residents to ask questions as well. If you can not attend please make sure you submit the proxy form sent to you via snail mail. If a vote is required on any issue your voice/proxy is VERY important. There must be a quorum by presence or proxy to finalize issues that affect our community. Know what is happening in the community in the present and future!
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Covenant Corner
As Fall arrives and leaves are off the trees, our homes are even more on display to our neighbors. As you refresh your flower pots with fall colors and hang new wreaths on the doors keep in mind the view of your front and back yards. Remember to trim bushes and trees. Dispose of old pots and debris; move the left over mulch bags and potting soil in your driveway or back yard out of sight (especially if it can be viewed by a next door or backyard neighbor). Its a good time to check your mailbox for repainting or just a good cleaning as well as check for fading paint on shutters and doors. The customary temperatures for this area can have us mowing and maintaining our yards through October. Collington is a beautiful place to live, we can all show pride in our property.
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Helpful Chesterfield County Phone Numbers and Websites:
Chesterfield County Phone Numbers:
General Information-748-1000
Emergency-911
Police Non-Emergency-748-1251
Fire and Emergency Medical Services
Non-Emergency-748-1360
24-Hour Citizens Line-751-INFO
Chesterfield County/Colonial Heights Crime Solvers-748-0660
Animal Bites-748-1683
Animal Shelter, Animal Control-748-1683
Barking Dogs, Police Department-748-1251
Birth Certificates, Virginia Department of Health-662-6200
Chesterfield County Job Line, Human Resource Management-768-7777
Child Safety, Police Department-318-8699
Child Safety Seat Program, Health Department-(800) 732-8333
Concealed Weapons Permit, Circuit Court Clerk-748-1547
Courts
Circuit Court Clerk’s Office-748-1241
General District Court-748-1231
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court-748-1379
Dog License, Treasurer’s Office-748-1201
Elections, General Registrar-748-1471
Flu Shots, Health Department-748-1691
Leaf Burning, Fire and Life Safety Division-748-1426
Pavement Repair, Virginia Department of Transportation-(800) 367-7623
Real Estate Assessments-748-1321
Recycling, Waste and Resource Recovery-748-1297
Smoke Detector Installation, Fire and Life Safety Division-748-1426
Speakers Bureau, Public Affairs-748-1161
Storm Water, Water Quality Section-748-1035
Wells, Environmental Health-748-1610
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