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| THE COLONY NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2024 | 9 The Landscape Department staff is reminding all homeowners to fill out Property Service Request forms for even the most minor request. The reason is that they have been receiving too many phone calls asking for something to be done, and the Landscape Department does not want there to be lost or forgotten requests for service. Colony landscape terms, unwrapped! Are you confused as to what's considered your front yard? A planter? A tree well? Boulder? Stone mulch? Hardscape? Front yard: This is the area from the curb to your front gate (if you have one), or your side gate (if you don't have a front gate). It includes turf, hardscape, plants, trees. You own the front yard, and the Association maintains it. Planter: If your front yard has soil with plants in it (not grass), that area is considered your "planter." Certain items may be in your planter, such as trees, shrubs, plants, and mulch which covers the soil. The mulch may be of ground-up wood or stones. Stones such as river rocks (2"-3" in size) or smaller stones are known as stone mulch and can be placed in the front yards between the sidewalk and the side of the house, but never next to turf. Stone mulch may only be applied by the landscape contractor, but residents may purchase the stones elsewhere and have them approved by the Landscape Department before being installed. The wood mulch is provided by the Landscape Department and no outside purchase of wood mulch is allowed. Decorative Artifacts (manufactured items): Pinwheels, birdhouses, statues, and other such decorative artifacts may only be placed in the planter areas, and nothing should be hanging from the trees. No items are allowed in tree wells. One fabric "welcome" f lag may be placed in the planter area, but no more than one to a home. Holiday decorations are the exception and are subject to other rules as to how long they may be up. Do these rules apply to items on walls, pylons or attached to the house? Nope. If it's in the soil, it comes under "Landscape" rules. If it's on the house, walls, or gates, it's under "Architecture" rules. Boulders (natural rocks 6"-18" in height) may be placed in your front yard in planter areas, but no more than six to a home. They are to remain in a natural state and not painted. Street tree vs planter tree: If the tree is growing in the turf in your front or side yard, it's considered your street tree. Every lot must have a street tree unless the lot is too small or the electrical boxes, utility vaults, etc. are in the way. Planter trees are trees in the soil of the planter. These trees are optional. On some streets here, the builder incorporated the street trees into the design of the planters, leaving essentially too little turf to add a street tree. These streets have been identified and these homeowners are not required to add another tree. During our survey of lots without street trees, we also identified the few lots which should have a street tree but don't for some reason; and unless an exception has been recorded in the files, the homeowners have been notified that this needs to be remedied. Tree wells: This is the ground area around your street tree which is devoid of turf. This is done to allow more irrigation water to sink directly into the tree roots and not compete with the grass. Hardscape: This is any hard surface, such as cement, paver stones, sidewalks, etc. DEAD OR MISSING PLANTS: If you see dead or missing plants as you go out walking, please know that all the areas in The Colony were assessed by the LAC representatives this past spring. The information was compiled by our Landscape Department and sent to the landscape contractor for pricing. The resulting information was sent on to the HOA Board, which approved replacement plants/ trees. The contractor is scheduling the plantings for when the weather cools. LANDSCAPE ADVISORY By Jan Foster, Chair COMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY By Greg Hill The dedicated CATCOM crew recently embarked on an ambitious project, conducting video interviews with the five candidates vying for the four HOA Board of Directors positions. The process was designed to ensure fairness and spontaneity: each candidate faced the same set of questions without prior knowledge of what they would be asked. This approach aimed to provide genuine insights into each candidate's views and capabilities. With a commitment to authenticity, the crew established a strict no-editing and no-retakes policy. This meant that what viewers would see was a raw and unfiltered representation of each candidate's responses, capturing their true personalities and perspectives. The interviews showcased not only the candidates' qualifications but also their passion for the community. By the time you read this, the interviews should be available on The Colony's YouTube channel, where residents can also find recordings of previous HOA Board meetings. This initiative reflects CATCOM'S commitment to transparency and engagement, empowering the community to make informed decisions about their future leadership. Be sure to check out the interviews and get to know the candidates before casting your vote!

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