LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
I hope you all are enjoying your summer and the pool as the heat has been oppressive especially in May! Finally we are getting some rain for our grass and plants but as usual we get too much at one time, but enough complaining. Speaking of complaining, I’d better leave that subject alone…
We lost our air conditioner for the clubhouse during the heat spell and had to sit through a Board and open meeting in May at some 80 plus degree heat. I do have to admit the meetings went faster than normal as everyone wanted to get home to some air conditioning. Luckily a homeowner had their unit recently replaced and was happy with the contractor’s work. So we called and he had us up and running by the end of the week. There were some hiccups though as the furnace in the attic was too big for the stair hole and they had to make some cuts to accommodate the removal and the installation of the new one. We felt we received a pretty good deal, new furnace and new AC unit for $5500.00. This will come out of the reserve monies and it is why we keep that account well-funded. All our basic appliances are getting old and probably will be breaking down. The Board will have to be making decisions on fixing or replacing these outdated items.
The Board will purchase additional cameras to observe the basketball and tennis courts at a cost of $500-$700. A resident suggested we add one for the playground also at the June meeting and we will probably do that.
While driving through another subdivision I encountered speed humps throughout the long, winding, and up and down street. Reminded me of our Centennial Commons Drive and I noticed how it kept my speed in check throughout the mile long drive. So I proposed it to the Board and we have decided to see what we can do to get Cobb County to install them here. I have heard and witnessed speeding along the street and I believe this may be a solution to those concerns. It was good to see a Cobb County officer sitting at Centennial Commons View monitoring the traffic coming in and going out yesterday.
Well I hope you enjoy the rest of the letter and the information in it. We try to provide our homeowners, who cannot make it to the open meetings, the information they need to keep abreast of the activities that they pay for.
Thanks for reading,
Don Roach, President
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT May/June 2019
FIREWORKS
Over the past years, the board has received multiple complaints and concerns from homeowners regarding fireworks. While the Board does not ban fun, we do have a very low tolerance of a large firework display in the subdivision. Our homes are very close together and the debris from these fireworks usually goes into neighboring properties or worse on top of their homes. Our subdivision is not designed to house a firework display for dozens of people to attend. If you are involved in one of these you may be fined severely by the HOA for many covenant violations. I have added the Cobb County ordinance for your reading, and also the Acworth City Noise Ordinance. Although the ordinance allows fireworks, their noise ordinance is designed to protect other residents. Our covenants are clear on noise and harming other homeowners’ property and there is absolutely no fireworks allowed on commons property.
Cobb County ordinance bans use of fireworks from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m., with several exceptions per Georgia law. The exceptions are January 1, the last Saturday and Sunday in May, July 3, July 4, the first Monday in September, and December 31 of each year. On these dates, consumer fireworks may be discharged until midnight, except on New Year’s Eve, when they may be discharged after midnight until 1:00 a.m.
City of Acworth – ARTICLE II. NOISE CONTROL
It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise or and noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others in the city.
Speaking of Fining
The Board prefers to handle violations without fining. In fact, most cases are given many days to correct. But in some egregious violations the Board can fine immediately and harshly dependent on the violation, safety factor and impact on homeowners. If we do fine immediately you can request a meeting with the Board to explain your case and the Board may reduce, eliminate or leave the fine as is and will notify you of their decision in writing.
New Clubhouse Rental Days
You may have noticed Saturday and Sunday rentals have been changed during the pool season on our calendar. After noticing the parking situation on a clubhouse rental one weekend and the increasing amount of residents using the pool, the Board decided to restrict renting the clubhouse during the weekend while the pool is open for the summer months. These restrictions will include holidays. There will be no rentals allowed on Saturday or holidays and Sunday rentals will be only 5 PM to 10 PM. Friday rentals will be allowed but will be restricted to a smaller amount of attendees and parking spaces. This was done with the majority of the residents in mind for their enjoyment of the pool and trying to avoid overflow parking on the streets. Thanks for your understanding.
POOL NEWS
The pool is open and available for residents and a FEW (4) GUESTS! This is not a municipal pool. It is for our homeowner’s enjoyment and a few of their friends. It is not for huge parties, class or church outings or any other outings including reunions. So please don’t make us send warning letters or expel
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT May/June 2019
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participants at the pool. Due to the unauthorized use and misuse of entry keys the Board added pool monitors for the weekends including Friday at a cost of about $400 weekly. The monitor will be primarily responsible for checking cards and providing information on who is attending the pool and the amount of guests being brought to the pool.
Since we’ve implemented and sent warning letters to some offenders and added the monitors we have seen a drop off of violations. If you are unfamiliar with the pool rules they are posted at the pool and on the bulletin board in the breezeway.
The major rule violations we see are allowing people in without keys, teenagers over 14 having more than 2 guests, young children under 14 coming in without adult supervision and lastly homeowners bringing more than 4 guests.
If you have children in the pool be sure that they act appropriately around others in the pool. Screaming, throwing items, squirting water at other people are annoying and needs to be addressed by the adult responsible for the offending child. Also large floats need to be removed when not being used and will not be allowed in the pool when there are a large amount of people in the pool and block the lifeguards ability to see swimmers.
With the increase of young families moving into our community we have seen an uptick in use of the pool. That’s why we had an additional filter to the pool system last fall. For some, the increased pool use has hindered their ability to do laps or have a large area that is not occupied by others. This has led to some complaints and asking for an adult swim. Our partner/vendor, Splash, has advised us not to have an adult swim the past 4 or 5 years as it is illegal. My advice to those that want to have a more exclusive use of the pool is go before 11 AM.
Someone mentioned building a pool on the vacant lot on the hill for adults only. First, there is a reason that lot is vacant, it’s been designated as a watershed area and no building can be constructed on the lot. Also does anyone have an idea how much an in ground pool would cost or where the attendees would park?
Thanks for your help in trying to get along and make sure you or your family are not the ones making someone’s experience a bad one at the pool…
LANDSCAPING NEWS – Kathy Andregg
Our next shrub pruning will likely be in 4 weeks or around the 1st or 2nd week of July. During our last pruning a few homeowners tried to offer cash or intimidate the crews into trimming their backyard also. This type of behavior makes it awkward for all parties concerned and hinders the production of the work group. 4 Seasons has asked us to ask you not to do this. Please respect the crews for what they are supposed to do and not entice them to do something they are not!
I hope that you all have noticed and enjoyed our new front entrance landscaping on both sides. Our designer, our very own resident Barb Pipher deserves a very special “Thank You” for the layout and creativity of her design that should provide lots of beautiful color throughout the season without as much maintenance as what we had before with the old landscaping. We also have better sight distance
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT May/June 2019
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looking up on Woodstock Rd. as a result of the new design. Thanks to Barb and 4 Seasons for a job well done.
Our spring dressing of pine straw will likely be placed on your front and side beds by the time you read this as that should start June 10, barring any more delays due to heavy rain.
We got word from 4 Seasons that our next turf treatment will be starting on June 19, Wednesday into June 20, Thursday. This will be a granular fertilizer so please pay attention to the weather and, if it gets hot and dry, water in your application to avoid “burning” your grass.
For folks that have signed up already for the backyard treatment all you need to do is ensure that your side gate is unlocked on June 19/20 to let Tru-Green in.
If you are new to the neighborhood and would like to get on the backyard treatment list for FUTURE applications you may call Linda Lane at 4 Seasons, 770-452-4455 to sign up. Each treatment is $16.00 and there are 6 treatments during the growing season. IT IS TOO LATE FOR NEW RESIDENTS TO SIGN UP FOR THE JUNE 19, 20 APPLICATION.
Several of you have noticed weird circular dead spots in your yards this spring and we saw them as early as April and brought it to the attention of 4 Seasons. They consulted with Tru-Green and have concluded that it is the work of a fungus that is active only during the late fall/winter and not during the spring through summer. During the growing seasons the Bermuda grass will grow back over these spots but when winter comes the fungus will once again kill back the Bermuda roots resulting in the same issues over and over. The Board is going to review our options on how to treat this issue. It will likely need a liquid fungicide applied throughout all of the yards in the subdivision in the late fall or winter when the fungus is active. In fact, it may take multiple annual applications of this fungicide to rid us of this problem. We will keep you informed on this.
Amenity News
Thanks to Chuck Whitaker who is our Director of Amenities the BB Court revival is complete. Chuck also had his crew take out the stone around the tennis court by the playground and replace it with cement. We were finding those rocks in the mulch at the playground and on the tennis courts. We have added more rubber mulch in the playground and added rubber pellets around the refinished BB court. We also added a broom to help with sweeping off the pellets when the ball bounces off them. It sounded like a good idea to add a soft landing area for the players but now…
The tennis court is showing cracks in the foundation. These have grown and spread open over the last two years and are an indication we need to resurface the courts soon. Unless something bad happens we will plan on doing this next year. The cost, off the top of my head, will be over $10,000.00. This again is a good reason to keep our reserve fund at a very high level.
Parking
Try to park on one side of the street if you have to park on the street. Don’t create a blockage on the road and be mindful of your neighbor’s ability to get out of their driveway. Long term parking on the street is prohibited.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT May/June 2019
Upcoming Social Events
Pool Parties will begin in June. First party was June 15, and then July13 and the last one is Aug. 10. The HOA provides meat (usually hot dogs and hamburgers, sometimes we try other things but the chefs are not happy about special cooking requirements), buns, plates, utensils and the condiments. You will need to bring a dish to share and your own drinks. This food is not to go. We want you to meet your neighbors and have fun.
Music will be provided by Mikey who has played at most all of our events the past few years.
Water Aerobics
Water aerobics is happening again this year at 10:00 a.m. Monday thru Friday. Contact Cathy Mattocks at mattockscathy@gmail.com for more information.
Other previous topics published but good information
New Residents take note; I have noticed that there are turf treatment signs out at a few resident’s homes during my walks around the neighborhood that do not coincide with our regularly scheduled treatments with Tru-Green through 4 Seasons. 4 Seasons subcontracts out 6 turf treatments during the growing season for your front and side yards so there is no need for a resident to hire a separate company to do your front and side yards. In fact, doing that can actually harm the health of your turf by doubling up on fertilizer and weed control that can weaken and kill your grass. The 6 turf treatments that we get from Tru-Green are included as part of your monthly dues so they are already paid for. So save your money and let our neighborhood contract with Tru-Green do the work for you.
One other item I will mention, there we will be major changes to our front entrance landscaping in the next month to replace the 16 year old, over mature shrubs that we have out there right now and improve sight distance uphill on Woodstock Rd.
Homeowners must be present with any visitors using the amenities
If you or your family brings or allows visitors to use the HOA amenities some adult from your household must be with them continuously while they are using the amenities. We have had numerous occasions of visitors who are unaware of our rules and become offended when we tell them to follow the rules and procedures. Please help us with this issue.
Complaints
I know we have addressed this before but bear with me as I try to educate those that may have not read down far enough to see my previous writings on this subject.
- The Board does not intend to be your intermediary in any of your disagreements with your neighbors. You need to resolve them if possible with the neighbor. If the offense is covered in the covenants, the violation will be processed through CMA. That’s why we pay them. The Board has to live with those that live here. We do not take sides except the side of the covenants.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT May/June 2019
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- If you are unsure of your available options you can submit your complaint via our website at https://centennialcommonshoa.org under “contact us” or write us at centennialcommoner@yahoo.com.
- You may also contact Melody Daniels at CMA. Melodydaniel@cmacommunities.com. We do prefer you include the Board in your communications with CMA as we can help track the progress and ensure that timely actions are taking place.
- The Board does not do drive arounds to look for violations. CMA does a drive through twice a month. But they will not see everything, nor do they know if a car has been parked for a long period of time.
If you have an issue, you need to alert them as explained previously. Will it require some pictures, addresses and information that only you are aware of? YES. So be prepared to provide that if you want resolution.
Pickleball
The pickleball group had started back up playing with the warmer weather arriving but things sort of stopped because of a lack of players. If you are interested in playing let us know at centennialcommoner@yahoo.com. A paddle and balls are supplied so all you need to do is wear comfortable clothing and tennis shoes.
Instructions will be provided. They usually play every Saturday at 10 AM until June and then move the time back to 9 AM due to the Atlanta heat.
Holiday Decorations: Remember to put decorations in the pine straw. Decorations should be removed promptly after the holiday is over. Thank you.
Volunteers
We are always looking for resident volunteers for committees. If you have a little extra time and would like to help, please email us at centennialcommoner@yahoo.com
Tennis Court Usage
The tennis courts are made for playing tennis and pickle ball. Any other activities can result in damage to the courts, nets and fencing. Skateboarding and roller blades will result in damage to the surface. Additionally, proper footwear is required to protect the surface and the user. The costs to maintain the courts are in the thousands and therefore we need to follow the procedures for playing at the courts. Please respect this amenity.
In home businesses
There are certain restrictions in our Covenants for running a business out of your home. Refer to Article 8.1 Residential Use for a detailed explanation.
Dog Feces
We have received many complaints regarding homeowners who walk their dogs and do not pick up after their dog. The residents have asked us to do something about this. As much as we agree that this is a very inconsiderate action, neither the board nor CMA has any recourse to this action without specific information.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT May/June 2019
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In order to notify CMA to issue a violation, we must have either the dog owners name and/or address. Also, if possible take a photo and include it, would be helpful. Just a photo by itself, without any other
information renders us helpless to pursue the homeowner. All names of those filing a complaint are kept completely confidential as we protect the privacy of our homeowners.
Facebook page
Our Facebook page is the best and fastest way to get immediate information regarding the subdivision, i.e.; looking for recommendations on home issues, posting events in the community, lost dogs, found dogs, and yes, even our recent bear sighting! If you have not already done so, please go to CCHOA in Acworth on Facebook and ask to join the group. We need to remind homeowners that this page is not somewhere to post a personal grievance that you feel the board should handle. If you want the board to act on a complaint, make sure to send an email to centennialcommoner@yahoo.com. Your email will be forwarded to the proper person to handle. (Make sure to take the time to read the conduct policy regarding all posts.)
The other way to get information is to join our email list. You are getting this because we have your email information and can send you important information quickly. If your neighbor doesn’t know why they are not getting this, it’s because the Secretary, Shirley Cox, does not have their info. Tell them to drop her a line at shirleycchoa@gmail.com. And she will add you to our community email list.
Thanks for reading,
Don Roach, President and the Board of Centennial Commons, Directors, Kathy Andregg, Landscape, Chuck Whitaker, Amenities, Cindi Endsley, ACC Coordinator and Shirley Cox, Secretary.