LAWN MAINTENANCE ISSUES

There have been a large number of homeowners who don’t cut their grass on a regular basis. The HOA (http://www.snowdensmill.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/LawnYardCarePolicy.pdf) and the county both have strict grass maintenance and height guidelines. The BOD can’t be everywhere, if you see a lawn that is overgrown, please let us know.  The HOA will send the homeowner a letter to cut their grass within a specific period of time or the HOA will contract with someone to cut the grass and bill their account. Through our covenants, the HOA has the right to go onto a homeowner’s property to correct exterior issues if the homeowner fails to correct them.  If the homeowner fails to reimburse the HOA, a lien can be placed on a home. Thankfully, the HOA has only had to do this a few times. We have a great community, with members who care about the appearance of their homes

FAIRLAND MASTER PLAN

The 2023 Fairland master plan will soon be approved by the county council. The Fairland master plan was developed in 1997. Our master plan provides guidelines and recommendations for land use, zoning, and development. For Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, these plans are initiated through the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) and approved by the respective county council.  You can read all about the new Fairland master plan at the following link [need to add the link]. The plan is almost complete with the last public comment meeting held on May 4. The five tenants of the new master plan include prioritizing the development of the US 29 corridor, the creation of more community gathering places, creation of more greenways with trails and paths connecting areas, creation of a center that could service the community in an emergency and more options for groceries, a regular farmers market and space for gardens. It is expected that the county council will approve the new master plan.

More information is available here.

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT ACROSS FROM FORCEY CHURCH

The BOD has been updating you on the proposed new development at the southwest corner of the Old Columbia Pike and East Randolph Road intersection. Planned was a Lidl grocery store, 78 town homes and a 5-story apartment building. There were many people from all around the area that came out in opposition to the development. We learned recently that the developers have dropped their plans for developing the site.

TRASH CANS

The Board continues to receive complaints of homeowners leaving their trash cans out after their pickup day and/or leaving out items that weren’t picked up at the curb. Please do not put trash out earlier than the scheduled pick up. If the county doesn’t remove something that you have left out for collection, it is your responsibility to remove it from the curb. Leaves and grass cuttings must be in a dedicated refuse container or paper bags. More information is available here. 

DOG POOP

There have been several complaints regarding people walking their dogs and not cleaning up the dog poop. Montgomery County has laws requiring owners to pick up their dog’s waste. Anyone who violates any Animal Control Law “shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine up to $100.00. 

Not cleaning up after your dog is not only inconsiderate of your neighbors, but is also a health concern. A responsible dog owner will clean up after their dog.

NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES

Snowdens Mill HOA Board of Directors

smhoa.bod@comsource.com

Snowdens Mill HOA Covenant Enforcement Committee

smhoa.ce@comsource.com

Snowdens Mill HOA Managing Agent (Charles Laskey)

clasky@comsource.com

CREATING AN ECO-FRIENDLY GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE

There have been many gardening trends from trying to eliminate all bugs in the garden to full blown organic gardening. Eco-friendly gardening is a sensible approach of encouraging sustainable gardening practices that encourages healthy plant growth with minimal insecticides and less chemical fertilizers. 

Eco-friendly gardening strives to: 

1. Eliminate wasting water

Not all plants need the same amount of water. Turf grasses that we use for our lawns take far more water than most trees and shrubs. Chemicals we use such as weed killers, insecticides and cleansers that are not used properly wash into our watersheds. How much pollution do you think an area the size of the DMV uses that ends up in storm water overflow and eventually into our watersheds and then our drinking water? Remember, Montgomery County ordinances ban the use of most synthetic pesticides, including “weed & feed” and pre-emergent products, used for lawn care. Only organic pesticides and herbicides can be used in the county. Violations could result in a fine.

2. Propping up failing plants with chemicals

All plants have needs in order to thrive. Some plants need more sun than others and some need more shade. Some need more iron and others more phosphate. Plants planted where they will perform well will need fewer chemicals or don’t need chemicals at all to thrive. If you are constantly having to treat a plant to get it to grow, it may be planted in the wrong place. 

3. Our county offers lawn waste recycling on a regular basis

Please don’t dump lawn waste or anything else on our common land. We see many people using paper lawn waste bags to dispose of their lawn waste. A more economical and ecofriendly way to is to purchase a reusable trash can dedicated for lawn waste. They will last for many years, save you money and reduce resources used to make the paper bags. The county will pick- yard waste each week on your trash day.

COVERNANT INSPECTION UPDATE

The biennial covenant inspection is ongoing. During the first inspection our contractor identified about 135 violations of our maintenance standards, with the most prevalent maintenance issue being dirty siding. This is 40 fewer violations than the previous inspection. Way to go! The entire process will consist of a total of three consecutive inspections. Those who haven’t resolved their maintenance issues after receiving the letter from the third inspection, will be handed off to the HOA attorney to resolve through legal means. The second inspection is planned for June 9th. If you need additional time to resolve your violation, please let us know. We pride ourselves in working with our neighbors. It is the fiscal responsibility of the board of directors to maintain property values by ensuring that the homes in our community are in good condition. 

CASSOULET VERT

This is a vegetarian version of the original that contained any kind of meat. 

Ingredients:

• ½ pound shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 
• 4 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3.5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
• 2 shallots, finely diced 
• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 1½ cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ recipe cooked white beans 
• ½ cup reserved cooking liquid from the beans 
• ½ bunch red kale, torn into 1 inch pieces
• ½ baguette, torn into 1-inch pieces 

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a medium stockpot on medium high heat. Add garlic, shallots, and mushrooms, and sauté until tender. 
3. Reduce heat to simmer and add flour and butter. Stir until well combined with mushroom mixture, then add the vegetable stock and white wine, stirring until everything is combined. 
4. Bring back to medium-high heat and add the beans and liquid from the beans. Let the mixture reduce for about 7 to 10 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. 
5. Meanwhile in a medium-size saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat and add baguette pieces. Toss until baguette is coated in olive oil and lightly browned. 
6. Once mushroom mixture has thickened, add torn pieces of kale, and stir until everything is well combined. 
7. Transfer the mushroom, white bean, and kale mixture to a medium-size casserole dish and add the torn pieces of baguette on top, poking some pieces of the baguette into the cassoulet to soak up the good stuff. 
8. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, watch to ensure the bread doesn’t burn. Let cool a little before serving.