Oakbrook Townhouses Landscaping Policy

NOTICE TO OAKBROOK TOWNHOUSES MEMBERS

ON LANDSCAPING POLICY

Approved by the Board of Directors May 9, 2016

 

The Oakbrook Townhouses Board has been considering how to enhance the landscaping of the community.

On September 8, 2014 the Board adopted a set of Landscaping Principles to guide Board and member behavior on landscaping.  A copy is attached.

The Landscaping Principles recognize the multiple values of good landscaping, and reflect the primary responsibility of the Board for managing landscaping in the common areas, while recognizing that member involvement can enhance the Board’s landscaping activities.

During 2015, the Board took several specific actions regarding its landscaping responsibilities:

1. It sent to the membership a set of Smart Watering guidelines, aimed at ensuring adequate, but not over-watering, of landscaped areas.

2. It inventoried and corrected a number of deficiencies in the OT irrigation system

3. It conducted a visual inspection of the landscaping in the entire common area for which it has primary responsibility, and prepared a photographic inventory of that area

4. It adopted a set of principles to guide its own activities and those of members

5. It agreed to adopt a clear written policy to govern its activities and those of our members

6. It agreed to adopt a set of landscaping goals, and to assess whether our current contract(s) are sufficient to achieve those goals

7. It agreed to conduct a regular assessment of the condition of landscaping as the basis for future activity

8. It received and adopted a set of recommendations for enhancement of our landscaping

9. It implemented, on a trial basis, one of those recommendations (that of barking the area around buildings 5, 6, and 7, which was completed in December, 2015

10. It conducted, through landscaping contractors, a preliminary assessment of the baseline condition of our current landscaping

11. It approved one of several proposals to correct problems created by previous owners unaware of proper landscaping criteria (in this case the planting of bamboo, whose subsequent uncontrolled growth has threatened to damage or destroy adjacent vegetation, underground piping, sidewalks, and driveways)

12. It recognized from the inventory and assessment activities mentioned above that there may be many such situations, where certain landscaping actions of past owners are creating problems for the community and increasing remediation costs to the association and its members.

At its May 9, 2016 meeting, the Board adopted the following policy to manage landscaping.  It builds on the Board’s primary responsibility for landscaping while recognizing the value of proper individual actions.

1. Any member may propose an improvement to landscaping in the front of, or adjacent to the side of existing buildings, by submitting such a proposal, in writing, to any member of the Board, or to Northwest Properties.  Such proposals will be sent to the Board for approval. (NOTE: this is the same process we use for all other requests for work to be done by OT).

2. Any member wishing to enhance the landscaped area immediately adjacent to his/her own unit shall submit to the Board for approval a written request for such proposed action.  Such requests shall include, but not be limited to, the placement,  removal, or trimming of any trees, shrubs, other living vegetation; or any rocks, gravel, or other non-living items; except medium to dark-brown mulching bark and annual flowers.  Annual flowers and bulbs are exempt from the review process; however, the Board reserves the right to remove them if they are not suitable for the site. (NOTE: this is the same process we use for all other owner requests for approval from the Board (eg., mailbox replacements, fences, ground level deck extensions, garage doors, painting touch-ups, etc.)

3. The Board shall consider such proposals, in a timely manner, and approve, reject, or propose modification of such proposal, based on its conformance to the landscaping guidelines adopted by the Board.

4. No owner or renter may take any action to modify the landscaped area immediately adjacent to their own unit without the explicit written permission from the Board.

5. Any items requiring approval from the Board, which are placed, removed, or trimmed in violation of the provisions of this policy will be subject to being removed or replaced, as the case may be, as the Board may determine is appropriate, at the expense of the owner who has caused the violation of the policy.

6. Any owner who receives approval to make such landscaping modifications shall do so with the explicit understanding that the owner is responsible for any required maintenance.

7. Any new owner shall assume the landscaping responsibilities of the previous owner.