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Area 12 Update: Las Lomas Demo Is Nearly Completed

UCI's demolition of the east side of the Las Lomas Apartments is expected to be completed by the end of October, 2023. Work hours are Monday through Friday, 7am to 5pm; Saturdays 9am to 5pm. Streets and sidewalks will remain open. Once demolition is officially completed, ICHA will begin the process of developing for-sale townhomes on that site. Construction is expected to begin around the end of 2023. When it does begin, some sidewalks on Los Trancos and the Engineering paseo may be temporarily closed. We will communicate details as soon as they become available.

In May, the UC Regents approved a new design to build up to 104 for-sale townhomes. In addition to affordability and proximity to campus, incoming faculty have said a townhome design is preferable to the stacked flat configuration featured in previous plans (see the Area 12 Project page for renderings and background materials). The Area 12 page also includes links to videos of the multiple public meetings that have been held for University Hills residents.

ICHA is committed to keeping the community engaged and informed about the progress of Area 12. Look for ongoing updates as the project continues!

Billing Statement Will Be Sent Out This Week

The billing issues that have delayed statements in recent months have been largely resolved. Be on the lookout for two monthly statements—one for Ground Rent and one for ICHA monthly fees—to arrive this week. The statements will combine multiple months of charges. ACH withdrawals for September and October will be processed together on October 13. Thank you for your patience with this process.

Attention Check Writers

• ICHA software issues delayed your billing by four months, so we would like to give you four months to catch up on paying charges, with no penalties or late fees. You may pay outstanding charges in one lump sum or in separate payments, as long as all charges have been paid by February 10, 2024.
• All payments received through September 26 have been applied to your account.
• If you are interested in signing up for ACH (auto payment from your bank), ICHA recommends waiting until you have caught up. Otherwise, the full amount due would be pulled at once.
• Write account number (as shown on your statement) on checks, and make checks out to the proper payee as noted below.

MAINTENANCE ASSESSMENT PAYMENTS

• Make maintenance assessment checks payable to: ICHA

• Write check for the correct amount according to your ICHA statement.

• Write account number on your check. 

GROUND RENT PAYMENTS

• Make ground rent checks payable to: ICHA REAL ESTATE

• Write check for the correct amount according to your GROUND RENT statement.

• Write account number on your check. 

Coming Soon: Homeowner's Portal to Submit Requests, Update Info + More

University Hills homeowners will soon receive an email invitation from Enumerate to register for an account for the new University Hills Homeowner Portal.

The new portal will allow you to update your address, email and phone, submit architectural requests, submit common area maintenance requests and more, from your desktop or via mobile app. We expect to email invitations to join the portal soon. We will send out alerts with additional details at that time.

We are excited to introduce this new tool and we hope it enhances our efforts to provide you with excellent service!

Social Center Lounge and Media Room Walk-In Use

Residents are reminded that the Media Room and Lounge have always been open as casual "walk-in" facilities at the Community Center. The Media Room/Lounge is also reservable for a small fee.

In recent months, larger groups (over 12 people) have been dropping in to use the rooms.  Though these ad hoc meetings are welcome, regular use by these larger groups ends up monopolizing the rooms, making these spaces unusable by others who elect to drop in.  ICHA recommends that larger groups and regular events make a reservation.  This ensures that the facilities can be most fairly used by all. (For assistance with reservations, see uhills.org, or email reservations@uhills.org)

Should you have a proposed casual-use need, we ask that you please check with ICHA's Community Center Administrator Robyn Stelk to ensure appropriate use and if necessary, reservation responsibilities. Robyn can be reached at (949) 824-2425 or Robyn.Stelk@icha.uci.edu.

Over 100 residents attended the first annual 2023 University Hills Garden Tour and Home Improvement Vendor Faire. Seven homeowners showcased their gardens. The walking tour offered two routes; a water-wise option that included four gardens and a traditional garden path that highlighted three residences. Over 15 vendors set up booths at the Community Center to discuss improvement options with owners.

Thank you to the community for making this the first of what is sure to be a popular regular event! Click here to sign up for future Home & Garden Tours.

RESOURCES:

List of Home Lenders

Home Maintenance Guide 

Property Improvement Application 

University Hills Property Use and Maintenance Regulations

Architectural Guidelines 

Solar Energy Systems  

Get UCI Police Department Blotter & Resources

The UCI Police Department website is a great resource for police activity statistics and more. Click here to view an interactive map and logs showing real time police actions the department is taking to keep UCI and University Hills safe.

Organic Weed Control Is Sustainable—and Cost Effective

ICHA has moved weed control and abatement into an almost totally organic spectrum. For several years, O'Connell Landscape has been directed to use only organic herbicides. Spray delivery is the most effective method to control the ever-pressing invasion of weeds. Prior to spraying, signs are posted across the spray area (see photo).

Licensed and trained personnel using personal backpack systems with a handheld wand deliver just the right amount of herbicide inches above the target material. This limits—if not completely restricts—product drift and helps target the invasive plants amongst our other ornamental materials. Some of the organics are blended with components that ensure the water-based chemistry adheres to the weed leaf surfaces for maximum absorption.

Some odors do rise from a recently-sprayed application zone, but the air soon clears as the spray dries. Although a considerable amount of weeding is still performed by hand, spraying has helped to keep costs in check. Under special and limited circumstances, ICHA reserves the right to use other products permitted by the UC Regents and the CA Department of Agriculture.  Please contact Andrew Herndon at ICHA if you have any questions. 

Please Curb Your Pet: It's the Neighborly Thing to Do



As a courtesy to other residents and neighbors, please do not allow pets to defecate in courtyard areas or playgrounds around the community. All residents are required to curb their pets. Your neighbors will thank you.

UHills residents are also City of Irvine residents. That means access to resident rates on Irvine facilities reservations and permits, Great Park attractions, amenities and events, and City of Irvine classes and camps. Use these links for listings and information!

https://www.cityofirvine.org/facility-reservations https://www.cityofirvine.org/great-park/great-park-events

https://secure.yourirvine.org/CA/city-of-irvine/catalog

Winter weather is coming. Clear rain gutters and drains before the rainy season arrives (blowing dry debris before rain is easier than removing wet material). Flush landscape yard drains. Start with the drain furthest from the street and wash from the rear of the property to the front to clear debris and sediment from drains. Don't forget to prune vegetation away from and off roof areas.

Bulk Waste Pickup

Renters: Large, oversized, bulky items should not be placed in the trash bins. Please contact the Rental Department at 824-6254 to arrange for a special pick-up. Please break down cardboard boxes before discarding.

Homeowners/Whitman Condo Residents: Waste Management provides four free curbside pickups for oversized items per year at no added cost. Contact WM at (888) 904-8168

Schubert Condo Residents: Do not leave any items inside the trash enclosures. For items that cannot fit in the trash dumpsters, residents should contact Kim Hockings (kim.hockings@icha.uci.edu) for a special pick up.  

icha.uci.edu

ICHA reserves the right to send to an unsubscribed e-mail certain important communications such as construction notifications or emergencies. The unsubscribed status will be respected for all other communications.