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Annual Fire Alarm and Sprinkler Inspection

Friday September 22nd – Beginning at 12:00PM

From Capstone Realty Consultants:

It is time for the annual alarm and sprinkler inspection for The Mill At Tar Branch, required by the National Fire Protection Association and the local Fire Marshal’s office. As part of this test all sprinkler heads and fire alarm horn strobes and devices are required to be inspected in both the common areas and in each individual unit. During the inspection you can expect to hear the fire alarm sound at various times for extended periods.

In the event you cannot be available for the inspection you will need to contact us, in advance, to make arrangements for us to obtain a key to your unit. Or, as an alternative, you may leave a key with a board member or trusted neighbor.

Since these inspections are a coordinated effort of several companies, and require a methodical and systematic inspection process of many devices, we are unable to provide a specific time in which we will inspect the individual units. We will make every effort to move as quickly and efficiently as possible to minimize inconveniences for everyone. We anticipate the inspection will take most of the afternoon. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to leave a key with the management company if you cannot be home for most all of the afternoon.

In the event your unit is unavailable for inspection on the scheduled day, you will be responsible for scheduling the re-inspection of your unit and any charges associated with return visits.

If your unit is currently rented, please pass this message along to your tenant(s) so that they are aware of the upcoming inspection. Please keep in mind that as a unit owner you are ultimately responsible for providing access.

In closing, we recognize that these inspections are extremely inconvenient and intrusive, however, we appreciate your patience and understanding during the inspection period.

Please do not hesitate to contact Capstone at 336-494-6080 should you have questions or concerns regarding the upcoming testing.

Strings at Sunset

The Mill at Tar Branch COA Presents

STRINGS AT SUNSET

Downtown Winston-Salem Sunset

Featuring Classical + Popular Tunes

Played by Musicians

Corine Brouwer, Violin
Ruth Metheny, Violin
Natalie Parker, Cello

from the

Winston-Salem Symphony Logo

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

The Mill at Tar Branch Marshall Street Parking Lot

Gates Open –  5:45pm
Welcome – 6:05pm
One Hour Concert Begins – 6:15pm

BYO Sit Upons + Potables + Edibles

$10 Donation Suggested Per Adult – Kids Free

A portion of the proceeds will benefit

Old Salem Logo

Building 3 Fire Alarm Test

Our new commercial owners, Taylor Physical Therapy and Wellness, have scheduled the Fire Marshal to perform his inspection on Wednesday 9/6 at 10:00am.

There is a chance the Fire Marshal will request the whole building Fire Alarm System be tested. This will only be a test with no need for Building 3 occupants to take action.

318 Renovations

The new owners of 318 Indera Mills will be doing some minor renovations including adding a reception area, reconfiguring two offices, and moving a few lights – all cosmetic-type work on the interior of the unit. They plan to begin work on July 17th.

They anticipate final completion around August 21st. Magnolia Construction, a local commercial general contractor, will be doing the work and they have been provided the construction guidelines on the Tar Mill website.

They don’t anticipate many days of work that will generate noise, but they will try to coordinate with the contractor to provide advance notice. The contractor understands that disturbance to neighbors should be minimized.

The contractor will need a place for a small dumpster for the duration of the project and it will be placed in the two spots to the right of the upper Wachovia parking lot garages.

Summer 2023

Let the Sun Shine In!

Starting about 9 am Wednesday, June 14, and continuing Thursday, June 15, Wolf & Sons Window Washing will be on site for our biennial, budgeted exterior window cleaning.

All windows will be sprayed, hand washed, and squeegeed. Windowsills will be wiped out.  Any screens will be removed, sprayed, and replaced. Workers will use ladders to access Building 3 balconies and Unit 155’s below-grade terrace. Those of you with fenced patios, kindly unlock your gate for access.

Bulky Item Pick Up

The city has scheduled our neighborhood pick-up for June 26 – 30.  The Board agreed that the central location for owners to place their items would be curbside in the area just north of the Marshall Street Parking Lot ramp.

Landscaping Committee

As the Board welcomes and encourages resident participation in administrating our COA, invested residents are called upon to volunteer to serve on a soon-to-be-formed Landscaping Committee, which Nina Poe will chair. Those interested should email coa@themillattarbranch.com.

Neighbors

Past Board President Robert Bowman has sold his commercial unit [318], and Lisa Menefee’s unit [155] is under contract.  Watch for details of our newest neighbors later this summer.

Asphalt Repair Project Scheduled

Lower Wachovia Parking Lot

Thursday, May 25, 7 am – Saturday, May 27, 7 am – WEATHER PERMITTING

Beginning Thursday, May 25, 7 am and continuing until Saturday, May 27, 7 am there will be NO PARKING in the Lower Wachovia Lot’s northside spaces perpendicular to Wachovia Lot, as well as the northeast spaces adjacent to the recycling bins. Additionally, the two garage structures will not be accessible by vehicle for the same period. There will be limited access to the remaining parking spaces and the far south garage structure during the repair.  An aerial photo is included for reference.

It is vital that all vehicles are removed from the area of work.
Any remaining vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense.

The Board apologizes for any inconvenience and asks for your full cooperation during this improvement to our community. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Board at coa@themillattarbranch.com.

Background

The Board has approved an excavation and repair project for asphalt in the Lower Wachovia Parking Lot.  The area of concern runs west-to-east from the street ramp to the dumpster enclosure, parallel to the striped parking spaces on the north and the two garage structures on the south.  

In 2018, the Board contracted with Boles Paving Services to fill asphalt cracks, seal coat, and stripe spaces in all three parking lots. Five years later, the broadly recognized deficient outcome is now most noticeable in the Lower Wachovia Parking Lot. The repetitive heavy-duty service traffic — specifically waste management and recycling trucks — has exacerbated the damage. The Board has addressed these causes by requesting a smaller dumpster management truck, and by relocating the recycling bins to the northwest corner of the lower lot.  

Previously filled cracks have widened, there is a pronounced lateral depression along the corridor and new “alligatoring” in the surrounding asphalt. When small cracks are left untreated, they permit moisture to reach the base and sub-base. The water can erode the foundation, and freezing temperatures worsen the problem. The surface can no longer withstand the weight of the traffic, so an extensive cracking pattern has occurred. In 2022, the Board solicited and received two responsible bids for asphalt excavation and repair for this area. The Board approved the bid from CACTX and agreed to budget the work to be accomplished in Q2 2023.

Spring 2023 Edition

ANNUAL MEETING

The Mill at Tar Branch Condominium Association held its Annual Meeting via Zoom on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at 10:30 am.  After verifying the presence of a quorum in person and by proxy, the Association conducted business.

President’s Report 2022

Alison Turner wished all participating a happy new year and thanked all who joined the meeting.

She welcomed new residential neighbors Whitney Ray [Unit 212], Jamon Dark [Unit 214], Del and Kim Long [Unit 312], and new businesses Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods and Forsyth Futures [Unit 313], and Fontenot and Oyler, PLLC [Unit 314].

Alison highlighted three notable improvements last year:

  • Painting all exterior + interior common doors, including the People Doors on the garage structures.
  • Removal of nuisance trees whose roots were encroaching on the paved sidewalks. Thanks to the Building 1 Owners who researched viable replacements and financed new trees to offset COA costs for this Common Area improvement.
  • Replacement of the overhead doors on the Marshall Street garage structure. The original doors had significantly degraded over the years and were upgraded to doors of lighter, more durable materials. Thanks to the Garage Owners who researched and funded 50% of this Common Area improvement.

2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board Members serve three one-year terms and guide the well-being of our community. They meet in person regularly throughout the year and are available ad hoc to residents for clarity on governing, protocol, and assistance on all issues related to life at The Mill. Residents should not hesitate to contact any member with questions, concerns, and positive feedback.

Alison Turner, President
Unit 328
alison@alisonturner.com
336.972.3868

Alison Turner
President
Unit 328
alison@alisonturner.com
336.972.3868

Rebecca Bender, Vice President
Unit 212
rebecca.j.bender@icloud.com
336.978.4134

Rebecca Bender
Vice President
Unit 212
rebecca.j.bender@icloud.com
336.978.4134

Barbara Fehribach, Secretary
Unit 326
fehribach@aol.com
336.339.6575

Barbara Fehribach
Secretary
Unit 326
fehribach@aol.com
336.339.6575

Jessie Fontenot, At Large
Unit 314
jfontenot@fandofirm.com
404.218.5801

Jessie Fontenot
At Large
Unit 314
jfontenot@fandofirm.com
404.218.5801

Nina Poe, At Large
Unit 213
ninapoe@gmail.com
650.704.6446

Nina Poe
At Large
Unit 213
ninapoe@gmail.com
650.704.6446

LET THERE BE LIGHT!

As was brought forward at the Annual Meeting and then discussed at the Board level earlier this month, there are resident concerns about the lack of lighting on our two brick stairways.

Bobby Fehribach has identified appropriate solar illumination. These very well-constructed lights will have a long life in this application. The COA purchased the fixtures and once they are delivered, Bobby will do the installation gratis. In the meantime, carry a torch for safety.

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

Back in 1999, The Mill at Tar Branch joined other historically significant structures on the National Register of Historic Places.  Patrick Turner [Unit 328] and Board Secretary Barbara Fehribach [Unit 326] collaborated on sourcing elegant brass plaques spotlighting this US Department of the Interior designation. Earlier this month, Bobby Fehribach mounted the six plaques of various dimensions on our masonry walls. Thanks to the neighbors who answered Barbara’s fundraising call and generously contributed towards our crowd-funded project. So very exciting to have these permanent reminders of what a special place it is where we together live and work!

PARTY!

Rick Miller [Unit 223], during the Open Forum portion of our Annual Meeting, pointed out that it’s high time we meet in person rather than virtually.  The Board agrees! How about a late spring/early summer Sunday afternoon get-together in our Common Area? Looking for several neighbors to team up and plan this potluck social event. Those interested should reach out to Alison Turner at alison@alisonturner.com.

SEE A WEED, PLUCK IT UP! ALL DAY LONG, YOU’LL HAVE GOOD LUCK!

by Sherry Moss [Unit 114]

To paraphrase the “See Something, Say Something” campaign enacted by the Department of Homeland Security to bring potential terrorist activities to the attention of authorities, I’d like to wage a war on weeds by asking those who are able to “See It, Pluck It”. We are indeed in weed season, my friends! As I walk my dog up and down the sidewalk behind Building 1, I find myself constantly pulling up weeds from their roots and properly disposing of the offenders. But I know there are weeds everywhere on our beautiful campus. I ask all who are able to pull up a weed if you see one to do so. This will spread the responsibility of removing unsightly “volunteers” to willing residents and reduce the need to spray harmful chemicals on our grounds to control unwanted sprouts.

Next time you walk to your car, the mailbox, or to the recycle bins, look down and see if you can contribute to the “Pluck It Up” movement!

2023 Annual Meeting

The Board of Directors for The Mill at Tar Branch Condominium Owners Association, Inc. has set the Annual Meeting date for Saturday, January 21, 2023, at 10:30 AM via Zoom. Directions for logging into the meeting were sent via email.

Since this is a duly authorized meeting of the Association, a quorum is required, which is 25% of all unit owners, or 8 members. Therefore, you are encouraged to either attend the meeting or complete a proxy, and deliver it to any Board member or Capstone Realty Consultants prior to the meeting. Proxies and or designations shall become effective only after it has been filed with the Secretary either during or prior to the meeting.

In accordance with the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions, the following documents were included in the email:

  • Agenda
  • Proxy
  • 2022 Annual Meeting Minutes
  • Biographical information for Board candidates

Since all agenda items will be discussed in detail at the meeting, we ask that you please withhold any questions that you may have until the meeting, but please do not hesitate to contact any Board member or Capstone if you have any questions or comments related to the logistics of the meeting or completing the proxy.

Recycle Bin Placement

Good afternoon neighbors,

The COA has approved an upcoming project to replace a section of asphalt near the recycling bins due to wear and tear from heavy trash and recycling trucks driving weekly on it.

In an attempt to reduce, by half, this wear and tear, we have moved the recycling bins to the western part of the lower Wachovia lot near the creek. You may have to take a few more steps to get to the recycling bins, but this will prevent us from spending unnecessarily on continuous asphalt deterioration and restoration. We will assess over the next few weeks f this is a viable place for the bins moving forward.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

The Board of The Mill at Tar Branch