WINTER WATER USE: Please remember, while your lawn, shrubs and trees are "dormant" during the winter, they will still need some water to stay alive until spring. Please try to "drag a hose" out once a month to take advantage of some of our warmer winter days.
SNOW REMOVAL: We contracted for snow removal at some of our "problem" intersections again this year. During negotiations, our contractor pointed out that the practice of shoveling or blowing snow from our sidewalks and driveways onto our streets -- particularly on our hilly side streets -- causes much of our icing problems. When cars run over the snow and pack it down, it is much more likely to freeze during the night time hours (or, on street areas with little or no direct sunlight). Additionally, snow builds up in our curbside gutters, resulting in ice dams that redirect melting snow and ice away from our drains and out into the street or up on the sidewalk. Please shovel and blow your snow onto your lawn, shrubs or trees whenever possible...it will help reduce the ice on our streets and your plants will love it!
P.S. We do have industrious youths in the neighborhood who will shovel sidewalks and driveways at a reasonable rate. See "Snow Removal" in our Contractor Referral area for contact information.
SIDEWALK OBSTRUCTIONS: As mentioned earlier, some of our mature shrubs (particularly junipers and pines!) extend over our sidewalks and thus interfere with clear passage. This is particularly a problem when they are weighed down with snow and ice. City Ordinance 3.4.103 requires: "Every owner and occupant of real property within the City shall keep the public sidewalks which abut or are adjacent to their real property, or public sidewalks located upon real property subject to a public easement or right of way, in a clean condition free from projections and obstructions across the surface, debris, litter, or dangerous conditions not involving the structural integrity of the sidewalk."
In addition, our Covenants require that you maintain your trees and shrubs at intersections in a manner that ensures a clear sight line of oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, we have received a number of complaints. Please check your shrubs and trees and trim them back as necessary so you won't be surprised by communication from the Board that someone else has noticed an "obstruction" and complained.