Information for Residents of The Mill at Tar Branch
This morning, a sign on the recycling bins cited problems with materials left in the recycling bins, which resulted in the city not emptying some of our bins.
According to the guidelines, pizza boxes and loose plastic bags are not eligible for the recycling program.
PLEASE be mindful of what you put in the blue bins. We have many people using only a few bins and cannot afford to have them not emptied weekly. Please refer to Forsyth County guidelines for what is and is not accepted.
The landscaping team will be trimming shrubs throughout the community tomorrow.
If you park your car in the large Wachovia lot along the hedge row that borders the creek, we ask that you park elsewhere tomorrow to allow workers to use ladders.
Thank you,
The Mill at Tar Branch COA
Attention Building 3 Owners:
The last part of the Mill Painting project is to be completed this week starting Wednesday June 15th. We assume the project will take a few day to complete. The Wachovia Street Entrance to building 3 will be patched to repair the cracks and then painted. Please refrain from using that door until the project is complete. All other building 3 entrances will be available to use.
Hello neighbors! Our friends from the Tanners Park HOA have invited The Mill at Tar Branch to their new weekly get-together. See the invitation below.
We are starting up a weekly Monday get-together to reconnect and say hello to new neighbors.
Bring a chair and your favorite beverage
We hope to see you at the bottom of the hill on Marshall View Ct
Tanners Park HOA
The Mill at Tar Branch Condominium Association held its Annual Meeting via Zoom on Saturday, January 23, 2022 at 10am. After verifying the presence of a quorum in person and by proxy, the Association conducted business.
Due to the age and historic nature of our community, frequently there are unexpected repair and maintenance expenses. Outgoing Board President Robert Bowman provided an overview of 2021’s unbudgeted capital projects:
Our largest budgeted expense, by far, is the replacement of all the roofs in our community. In 2020, we replaced one-third of the B1 roof and the full roof on B2, with plans to assess the remaining roofs in approximately 2025. If that future assessment determines the remaining roofs (two-thirds of B1, all of B3, each garage structure, and Unit 155) all need immediate replacement, then it is unlikely we will have sufficient funds for the entire roof replacement. If, however, the future assessment shows that only some roofs need immediate replacement, while other roofs can wait for another assessment in five (5) years, then it is likely we will have sufficient funds for the roofing expense.
The timing issue for when the balance of our roofs require replacing could significantly impact our ability to pay for those new roofs. Our Board will continue to be aware of this possible budgetary issue and plan towards that.
We are also addressing several minor roof leaks in buildings 1 and 2. According to Colin de Jong, our roofing contractor, flat roofs are notorious for such small leaks, especially with very wet weather conditions. A number of these leaks have been stanched, and Colin will inspect and repair the others once the weather allows.
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
Sherry Moss, Vice President
Unit 114
mosss@wfu.edu
336.406.4844
Rebecca Bender, Treasurer
Unit 212
rebecca.j.bender@icloud.com
336.978.4134
Barbara Fehribach, Secretary
Unit 326
fehribach@aol.com
336.339.6575
Lloyd Dillon, At Large
Unit 325
lloyd.dillon@bhhscarolinas.com
336.575.4751
Owners have expressed concerns that landscaping pine needles blown by weather beyond the planting beds are a slip hazard after rains. Not to mention messy. With this in mind, the Landscaping Committee continues the transition from the needles to living ground cover such as liriope and pachysandra throughout the community. Point of information: As of this coming November, North Carolina will follow the example of our neighbors to the south by outlawing pine needles for landscaping due to their flammability.
After much handwringing and arborist consultations, the Board approved Building 1 owners’ request to remove four towering crepe myrtles located along the north side that structure. The trees had become a nuisance by dropping copious amounts of tree debris on the patios — exacerbated by a summer aphid infestation — and breaching the concrete of the walkway with their shallow, lateral-growing roots. B1 owners are working together to research appropriate replacements, and will share the cost for the new plantings.
Cars in the Lower Wachovia Lot have had gasoline syphoned from their tanks, and catalytic converters stolen. These recent thefts have happened during daylight. If you see something, say something. Further, remember to keep your vehicles locked when parked in surface spaces or on the street. Leave nothing inside your car to provoke a crime of opportunity. The Board is investigating what action to take. In the meantime, the Winston-Salem Police Department is aware of the thefts, and have been invited to park in our lots for officer breaks and writing up reports to show an onsite presence.
Welcome to new owners Kenneth Gack and Holly Rickett (Unit 214) and Wilson Pace (Unit 218). Lisa Menefee and Andy Comer (Unit 155) have decamped to the country to provide temporary housing to Lisa’s brother and sister-in-law from Charlottesville VA — Charlie Menefee and Lois Perry — and their Labrador Macchi.
Best wishes to longtime owners Josh and Nadja Moe, their daughter Riley, and dog Kona who have listed their Unit 312 for sale.
Mind your pets. We know inclement weather makes walking our furry friends more challenging. Per city ordinance, dogs must be under control and leashed when not on their owner’s property. Keep an eye on your pets and where they do their business. Clean up and dispose of their mess immediately. Respect the tidiness of our community, and your neighbors.
The Board of Directors has set the time for the Annual Meeting as 10:00 AM on January 22, 2022. This year, in accordance with social distancing requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be held virtually. A login link has been provided via email.
Since this is a duly authorized meeting of the Association, a quorum is required. The Bylaws establish quorum as the presence in person or by proxy of Members entitled to cast more than 25% of the votes of the membership. Therefore, you are encouraged to either attend the meeting, or complete the emailed proxy, and deliver it to any Board member or Capstone 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.
Board member elections are also scheduled for the meeting. The Board kindly requests nominations from Members of the Association who are willing to serve as a director. If you are interested in serving as a director, please submit nominations to the Board, or Capstone Realty Consultants, no later than January 21 to ensure that nominees are added to the ballot prior to the meeting.
In accordance with the Declarations and Bylaws, the following documents have been sent via email:
Since all agenda items will be discussed in detail at the meeting, we ask that you please withhold any questions that you may have regarding these matters until the meeting, but please do not hesitate to contact any Board member, or Capstone at 336-494-6080 if you have any questions or comments related to the logistics of the meeting or completing the proxy.
A number of Owners have expressed concerns about the increasing nuisance of the four Crepe Myrtle trees planted along the north side of Building 1.
Over the years, these Crepes have become overgrown, particularly for the 4-foot-wide area between the enclosed patios’ concrete slabs and the common sidewalk. Their roots have encroached under the slabs and sidewalks resulting in what will soon become a costly repair project. Crepe Myrtle roots do not sink taproots deep into the ground. In fact, the entire Crepe Myrtle root system is shallow and fibrous, spreading out horizontally up to three times as far as the canopy is wide. The trees and their root systems are much too expansive for the limited spaces along the walkway.
The Crepes shed husks, flowers, leaves, and bark for three quarters of the year. This debris clogs the gutters and causes damage to the roofs of the garage units. If not trimmed at least annually, the limbs hang over Building 1 and the garages, enabling pests to access the roofs. The debris also congests the walkway drains resulting in standing water after most rains. This past summer, aphids invaded the trees, generating a black tar-like substance that dripped onto the plantings below, the sidewalk, and patios creating a sticky mess.
After much research, the Board first considered “Crepe Murdering”. This practice was decided against because severe pruning or topping of Crepe Myrtles (down to 10 feet) removes strong, viable limbs and encourages the growth of weak and flimsy shoots that often are not strong enough to support the blooms come spring and summer. The cuts made at pruning can allow disease and rot to enter the tree which can eventually result in its untimely demise. Plus, adopting a yearly program of denuding would not address the spreading root issues, and would substantially increase annual landscaping expense.
Although the beautiful Crepe canopy enhances the common walkway, the current and predicted nuisance and damage concerns remain. The Board has unanimously (although reluctantly) decided the trees must be removed. Our contract landscaper, Legacy Landscapes & Tree Service, will be taking down the Crepes in early November.
Building 1 Unit Owners will collaborate to choose a variety of trees with smaller root systems, less debris, and lower maintenance that will ultimately soften the spaces once shaded by the Crepe Myrtles. Further, the Owners have generously agreed to cover the acquisition and planting costs.
A message from Capstone:
The Mill at Tar Branch recently experienced a water leak requiring immediate after-hours service. During this event, there was a substantial delay in our response due to the manner the need was reported to us. In an effort to make sure all homeowners are able to receive a prompt response when the need for emergency maintenance is required after-hours, we wanted to reiterate the process for contacting us after-hours.
In the event of any after-hours maintenance emergency related to the common area that requires our immediate attention, you should contact us by calling our main telephone number at 336-494-6080, following the voice prompts to leave a message for our on call property manager (please include in your message the following information: your name, phone number, property location and the nature of the emergency). Someone will retrieve the message and then contact you. To ensure you receive the quickest response, and best service, requests for after-hours emergency maintenance should not be sent via email.
Capstone Realty Consultants, Inc.
336-494-6080
A message from Summit Services Group
Dear Capstone Clients and Occupants:
We thought it important to let each of you know what Summit Services Group’s operating plan is while we are asked to shelter-in-place.
Summit is considered an essential business. That designation allows us to continue to provide maintenance services for those properties under Capstone’s management. Summit’s team intends to continue working throughout the crises provided we remain healthy. We have developed the following plan to facilitate our continuing operations.
Our maintenance technicians are taking the following steps to protect their health as well as yours.
We kindly ask that you take appropriate steps to protect both yourself and the maintenance technician during the service call.
We would also appreciate if you allow our service technicians to utilize any disinfectant that you may have during the service call. This will allow us to conserve our supplies to keep our technicians healthy and ensure supplies are available when there are none on hand at the service location.
Summit will prioritize service requests as follows:
Please understand response times may be lengthened depending upon the situation and the number of personnel Summit is able to deploy at any given time. Please do not hesitate to contact first responders if the situation warrants.
We thank you in advance for your assistance during this time. We are committed to keeping all of us as safe and comfortable as possible.
We find ourselves living in unprecedented times, adapting and coping with the worldwide effects of COVID-19.
To wit, the COA Board has approved a stepped up cleaning regime focused on high-touch areas within our community:
What we do together makes a difference. Remember each of us has the responsibility to abide by health guidelines as we navigate this new normal. Be mindful of washing hands frequently; avoiding contact with eyes, nose and mouth;
and maintaining social distancing.
Thanks to Holly Willis for generously providing the sanitizing wipes stationed at each key pad!
BE SURE TO USE THEM!