While there still has not been any agenda item or open discussion about the problems found with the clogged Stormwater Drainage Facilities reported in July of 2023. While it initially appeared to be a problem caused by the Public Improvement District #30 (PID#30) failing to follow it’s own written Bylaws, the hot potato landed in the lap of the POHOA Board. There’s never been a written response to emails on the subject, which of course the Board probably labels as “voluminous” due to follow ups necessary to get action.
I documented this in these articles:
HOT POTATO: PID Claims POHOA Responsible For Outlot Concrete Drainage
HOT POTATO, AGAIN: Landscape Committee Bounces Stormwater Drainage Maintenance Back To POHOA Board
NO MAN’S LAND: POHOA Ignores Maintenance At Mercer Canal. Oh, And We Own A Bridge?
But, if we judge this based upon outcomes, it appears that the POHOA Board is no longer sending Irve Denenberg out with his lawn mower, thankfully.
Instead has hired qualified contractors who actually have made the East End drainage look better than it has in more than a decade. Not only was there mowing of grasses and weeds that were already 2 feet tall in May due to the recent heavy rains, but they came by with weed wackers and leaf blowers to clean up the debris that had been clogging the drainage (and causing concrete to sink).
Well, after sending an email about what the plan was in early May, I didn’t get a reply. But, we found one day that contractors were mowing and weed whacking, and the result is actually aesthetically pleasing as well as functional to deal with the debris accumulation problem.
We also saw some other improvements in that the drainage at the end of Bubbling Brook was finally mowed (I had been doing along the sidewalk myself, as the grasses were overtaking it early again this year), and the contractor also made a wide path for those walking their dogs or just walking the backlots so that they aren’t walking through the tall weeds.
Not only that, but they’ve actually put up a sign saying that they’ve sprayed chemicals for weeds. I know not everyone cares about this for themselves or their pets, but for those who do (and in particular for our neighbors who are outside of POHOA internal communications – there was an email sent), a warning sign is a nice touch!
Now, the POHOA Board has recently been critical of this website/blog for bringing up such issues contending than they cast a negative light on the neighborhood, thereby driving down home prices or making it less desirable for buyers. But, I think that the lack of maintenance, which anyone could see if they went into this popular area for dog-walking, that there was a lack of care and maintenance.
The question is whether posting 4 articles on the subject and sending “voluminous emails” was necessary to change our maintenance program. It appears so, as the Board has offered no excuses about why this was ignored for years, or why there is a change this year. So, while documenting the issues and being direct with the Board earns me no friends, it is, in my own way, a contribution to the community. Certainly no one else is speaking up at at meetings (or attending them), and it remains to be seen if anyone has written about any of this – the Board contains I’m the only one who cares.
And, if Irve Denenberg is the Boards unofficial spokesperson, his last words to me on this subject were “No one cares about this, Andy”. Apparently, thats not true, based upon the results.
Now, while I am quite happy to see this improvement, we still have the issue of the fence that has been laying in the drainage area for nearly 6 weeks now. And, there’s still the sunken concrete creating a mosquito breeding pool as a result of the years that the maintenance was ignored. And, to a lesser degree, the fire hydrant that has had an orange bag over it for half a year (disabling it).
So, for now, I am grateful for the progress and hopeful that this signals the POHOA Board is not taking this maintenance seriously and that the remaining items will be addressed soon. I do not understand why the POHOA Board would attack me or this website/blog for raising legitimate issues in good faith for the betterment of the community and Association.
