Evergreen Community Association

Newsletter
AUGUST 2003
www.evergreeninwoodbury.org

From the President

1. Improve the process that the board follows. This means moving to a more disciplined procedural approach to issues.
2. Focus on some of the pressing maintenance issues the affect us all. Lets face it, like our homes, the community needs attention to maintenance issues.
3. Improve communication with residents. We will renew our efforts to find out what homeowners have to say about the community at large and what issues the board should pursue.
4. Work on safety issues and concerns.

One final point: we need volunteers to help us in this effort. If you would like to serve on the Architecture Review Committee or any other committee, please let us know.

If you would like to comment on this or any issue visit our web site at www.evergreeninwoodbury.org or send me an email.

Best Regards,
Rob Peters, President
peters@evergreeninwoodbury.org

Welcome New Residents

We extend a warm welcome to residents new to Evergreen this year:

Maintenance Committee Update

Work by the Maintenance Committee this spring and early summer has concentrated on clean-up of the Radio Drive frontage and Pinehurst Road entry areas.  Work parties were held to remove litter that accumulated through the winter and which, unfortunately, gets discarded from cars entering Evergreen.

One work party also included dismantling of the Holiday Lights and startup of the spotlights on the center island trees.  Repairs necessary to bring these to full operation were identified along with other items requiring attention along the entry.  General repairs are being undertaken and bigger issues will be reviewed for action during the summer season.

Commitments were taken with outside contractors used for upkeep of the landscape along the Radio Drive frontage and Pinehurst Road entry areas.  Horticulture Services is addressing the Pinehurst Road entry with mowing, fertilizing, weed control, center island plantings, tree trimming, and irrigation system maintenance.  A site review was held with them to review their responsibilities and identify additional attention needed.

Allied Property Maintenance is again mowing the Radio Drive frontage.  With an earlier start to the mowing and possible fertilization being discussed, we hope to see better quality turf developing along the frontage.  Maywood Evergreen has replaced a number of spruce trees that did not survive the 2001/2002 season plantings as part of their responsibility for the work.

Ideas and action to enhance the Pinehurst Road entry have been discussed, but put on hold until the county completes installation of the traffic lights.  As can be seen when entering Evergreen, the project includes some additions to the roadway and frontage areas that affect the landscaping.  The County also plans to address some drainage issues that affect our area, so we will monitor their work, conditions left when the project is completed, and then review what needs to be done to restore or improve the entry area.  The activation of the signal system is scheduled for August and was completed on schedule.

Do you burn?

With everyone outside now doing yard work, and with Evergreen heavily wooded it is important to understand and adhere to City Ordinances regarding outdoor burning. The following is from the City's website:

Recreational and brush fires are allowed in the City of Woodbury by permit only. A permit may be obtained by calling the Woodbury Fire Department at (651) 714-3700 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is requested that you call at least 24 hours in advance.

Recreational fires are allowed to a maximum of three feet in diameter and must be extinguished by midnight. Pieces to be burned shall not exceed three inches in diameter. Annual permits are now available on a calendar year basis. Permit forms may be obtained online at the City of Woodbury's website or they can be obtained from the Fire Department at 2100 Radio Drive. Use the Police entrance to access Fire Administration.

Brush fires are allowed to a maximum of six feet in diameter and are limited to daylight hours only. Brush shall not exceed four inches in diameter. For larger pieces, alternative usage, such as fireplace burning or chipping, is encouraged. A permit may be issued for up to one week at a time.

Only natural wood may be burned. Treated or painted wood, plastic, rubber, leaves and grass are not allowed.  Both brush and recreational fires are limited to property owners and residents only. No commercial burning is allowed. If you are interested in obtaining a brush fire permit contact the Woodbury Fire Department. If you have additional questions feel free to e-mail the city at 
fire@ci.woodbury.mn.us.

Please note that you cannot burn the leaves, grass, nor pine needles from your yard, even with a permit. These items must be composted.

Neighbor "Etiquette"

Summer is here, and we've been spending lots of time outside in our yards and hopefully you've had a chance to do that as well as get to know, or re-acquaint yourself with your neighbors. Evergreen is a great place to live, with lots of great neighbors, the board has received complaints on a variety of issues, so we thought we should review a few points that help us be better neighbors, and practice good "Neighbor Etiquette".

Dogs

1. What a great addition to our families, but remember we are responsible for picking up after them, please be polite and responsible, don't leave any "gifts" for our neighbors!
2. Don't let your dog run loose in the neighborhood, not only is it dangerous for the dog, but for kids playing. It is also very hard to figure out where he may have left "small gifts".Your neighbors should not have to repair their damaged lawn if they don't have a pet. And there is no reason why residents without pets should have someone else's pet paying an unwelcome visit.

Yard/Garbage/Garbage Cans

1. A quick reminder, garbage cans should be put away after garbage day on Thursday. Covenants require garbage cans be stored out of view of adjacent lots and the street abutting the property.
2. Please look at your yard: front, side and back. Do you have extra things left out that could be considered an "eye sore": Boxes, old flower pots, last year's piles of old toys? It is our responsibility to keep our yards clean!

Long Term Storage of boats, campers, trailers, etc.

This is always a tough one, each year we have many complaints about incorrect storage in yards (front, back and side) so here are the quick rules;

1. In general there is no long-term storage of items like boats, trailers, semi-trailers, snowmobiles etc.You may keep them there for up to five days while you load/unload, get ready for a trip etc.
2. Although the covenants do allow storage if it is hidden through the use of landscaping or a structure that meets all applicable design criteria, as set forth herein, including Section 6.1. If you have questions, please refer to you covenants, or call a member of the Architectural Review Committee

Fences

This is right up there with long-term storage as one of the areas with lots of complaints and issues, again, let's think of our neighbors and remember the covenants, they are what we agreed to when we moved in;

1. The original intent for Evergreen, was to not have fences, they were strongly discouraged by the covenants, especially where natural vegetation and shrubbery could be used as alternatives to fences.
2. We do realize there are sometimes still a need for fences, if that is the case, because of a pool or other hazard, please contact the ARC for approval, prior to building. There are very specific rules as to what types of materials can be used and how it workswith the neighborhood.
3. If you do have a fence up, it is your responsibility to keep it looking nice and in repair.We've recently had some complaints about fencing that is falling into disrepair, please be respectful of your neighbors and keep them looking nice.

Those are the main ones we hear about, but in general, treat your neighbors like you would like to be treated and we will all be great neighbors!

Planning on a BIG CHANGE?

Remember if you are planning to remodel or make changes to the exterior of your house, the covenants do require approval from the Architectural Review Committee to insure the changes are in compliance with the covenants. If you are planning to make a change, there is a form you can fill out at www.evergreeninwoodbury.org or feel free to call the ARC committee for a form.

Evergreen Tree Health: Are your trees healthy?

Have you been noticing some of the Pine trees or Spruce trees in your yard turning brown or looking unhealthy? According to Pete Rudquist of St. Croix Tree Service, there are a few pests and diseases in our area that could be causing the problem. The Pine Tree Moth attacks our White pines (generally, long needle trees) and feeds on the new growth. The early signs of this pest are new green shoots falling off the tree and, later, the branches may begin to turn brown. A fungus, Diplodia Shoot Blite, also attacks new growth on Pines and kills the tip. This disease progresses by working back on the branch to the trunk, killing branches as it goes and eventually, the whole tree may die.

Spruce trees (short needles) are also having some problems. Spruce aphids, spider mites, and the Spruce needle miner have all been found in the Woodbury area.

Again, these tend to affect the new growth and show various signs of needles and tips of branches turning brown. Several fungi can also be affecting Spruce trees in our area. The first, Cytospora Canker, affects the larger parts of branches and can be detected by a telltale white resin leakage at the base of the branch near the trunk of the tree. At an early stage of this disease, the needles turn light green. Later they turn brown and begin to fall off. Another fungus, Rhizosphaera Needlecast, particularly likes Colorado Spruce. It feeds on the needles and starts at the bottom third of the tree and moves up from there. The tree begins to look like it is thinning out at the bottom and generally just looks unsightly.

Insect attacks on trees tend to stay fairly localized, not generally moving broadly over an area the size of Woodbury or Evergreen. Fungi, however, can and do spread over a larger area with the spores carried on the wind from tree to tree. Pete assures us that all of these conditions are treatable if caught early. If your trees have any of these signs, you should call a tree service specialist for an evaluation and advice about how to treat the problem. Let's keep our trees healthy and green!

Is your mailbox in need of replacement?

Evergreen has standards for mailboxes and the posts that support them. Information on those standards is available on our website. We also have a program where we can provide you with the posts, built to Evergreen Standards at a nominal cost. Details are available on our website under Frequently Asked Questions (www.evergreeninwoodbury.org) 

So, what issues are being looked at by the Board right now?

The following is a short list of the projects the Board is tackling:

• Identity theft and its impact on our mailbox standards.
• Fencing issues, mailbox issues and other things that are detracting from the beauty of our neighborhood as Evergreen ages.
• The speed of traffic along Pinehurst Ave, what can we do? If you have ideas on this topic please submit them via the email link on our website, by emailing a board member or by coming to a board meeting. 
• Have ideas on promoting neighborhood activities? If you do please email Jacquie Hart. And, we are in the process of printing the new Evergreen phone directories. If you have changes to your information that is in the directory currently, please let us know by e-mail on the website or by contacting Jackie Hart.
• Are there other issues that we should be working on? Please feel free to contact one of the Board Members either by e-mail, mail or by phone, we love to hear from our neighbors what is important to you!

Who is on the current Evergreen Homeowners Association Board?

This newsletter is the responsibility of the Evergreen Community Association and is produced by the The Communications Committee. Please send your articles in to the ECA, P. O. Box 25603, Woodbury, MN 55125. ATTN: Newsletter. If possible provide your article on a diskette in MS Word or RTF format.You can also submit articles as an attachment to an email to communications@evergreeninwoodbury.org