Stonehouse Glen Newsletter
April 2009

SPRING BARBEQUE
Mark your calendars!  We are planning a barbeque at our playground area for Stonehouse Glen Residents on May 2^nd at 3:00PM. Rain date is May 16^th.  We will find some fun events for the children as well.  A nice way to get to know our neighbors J  Bring a dish to share, lawn chair and drinks.  Grills will be available if you would like to grill for your family.  Tables and paper products will be provided. Please RSVP if you are able to attend to colleenlynch96@gmail.com..

 LANDSCAPING
Our Advisory Committee has hired a new landscaping Company.  Brickman Landscaping has an excellent reputation and does work at many corporate and church properties in our area.  They will begin April 1.The plan is to set established improvement goals, with monthly progress (walk-through) reviews.  Everyone wants our property to be spectacular, a neighborhood we all can be proud of. 

 STONEHOUSE GLEN WEBSITE
We have a Website: http://www.stonehouseglen.info  Please take the time to review this important resource.  We are an association and uniform standards have been established to protect our community.   Being informed about these rules can save you time, money and aggravation.  “But I didn’t know” could be construed as a weak response, if you are approached on an infraction.

POOL & CLUBHOUSE UPDATE
GS Virginia is continuing to move forward with the pool and clubhouse.  They have resubmitted plans to the county and are still on track to break ground early this summer.  Opening day is scheduled for Memorial Day Weekend 2010.  If you haven’t had an opportunity to see the renderings of Laurel Grove Park and Laurel Cottage, I will have a copy available to see at the neighborhood picnic.  

EMAIL ALERT
In the future, our quarterly newsletters will be posted on our website.  If you would like to be informed about future newsletter postings, please email abjanes@cox.net with your contact information:  Name, Address, Phone, Email Address.  Keeping track of ‘who’s who’ will allow us to communicate clearly in the future, whether it is by email, mail or phone.  Bruce Janes residing at 9309 Marrin Court #757-250-3425 will keep your information confidential and all alerts will be sent in a blind copy mode for your protection.  Thank You!

 FINANCIALS & MEETING MINUTES  (see Stonehouse Glen Website for 2009 details)

 GENTLE REMINDERS  (from our rules & regulations)

 Application Procedure:  Plans need to be submitted to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) before commencing with the construction, erection, planting or installation, as applicable, of any building, addition, patio, deck, fence, wall, animal pen or shelter, landscaping, exterior lighting, sign, mailbox or mailbox support, improvement or other structure (each of the foregoing being hereinafter referred to as an “Improvement”) on any Lot.  Please see our website for information on application forms and instructions.

 All garbage and trash stored on the Properties shall be kept in covered containers, and, except when placed at pick-up site the evening prior to pick-up and removed the evening after pick-up, shall be kept out of view from the street and your neighbors.

 A speed limit of 15 MPH should be observed within the parking areas and streets unless otherwise posted.  Let’s keep our children and all residents safe.

 Residents are strongly encouraged to participate in the County’s curbside recycling program, which is funded by County taxes. For more information about the County’s recycling program, residents should visit the County’s website James City County Recycling or contact the Recycling Office by calling (757) 565-4000.  County pickup is scheduled every Monday AM.  Hazardous waste drop-off location:  JCSA Staff Parking Lot -107 Tewning Road (off Ironbound Road)  Williamsburg - 9:00AM-1:00PM on 4/11, 6/13, 8/8, 10/10…2009 only.

 Pet owners are responsible for the immediate removal and proper disposal of animal waste on all portions of the Property.  We have had problems at the playground area! Pets should be leased when taken off of their property and they should not be allowed to run wild unless electric fences have been installed.  Loose pets can scare our neighbors and frequently get into trouble—digging where they shouldn’t, getting into garbage. 

 Lawn Maintenance:  Owners shall maintain and mow their yards (including without limitation, any portion of their yards located between their Lot lines and the curb or edge of pavement of adjacent road right-of-ways).  A consistent look of properly maintained properties protects our investments.  Resource: Virginia Cooperative Extension #757-564-2170 www.ext.vt.edu/offices/james.city  Services provided include soil analysis, watering techniques, property square footage measurements, schedules for fertilization/lime/weed control.  Neighbors have had positive results.  Others have been happy following the complete Scott Products Regiment. 

Antennas/Satellite Dishes: The following priorities shall be observed in determining antenna locations:
     i. Mounted directly on the roof of the house, on a roof plane facing the rear, or on the backside of a chimney.   ii. Mounted on the ground in the rear yard.   iii. Mounted on a pole, an existing structure or a tree in the rear yard.
     iv. If no clear acceptable quality signal may be obtained in any of the above locations, mounted on the ground or, if necessary, on a pole in the front yard, or on the front plane of the house.  To the extent feasible, antennas should not be visible from the street. In so far as possible, visibility of antennas should be minimized using one or both of the following methods: i. Screen the antenna from view from the street with natural plantings, trees and shrubs, to the extent they do not preclude an acceptable quality signal.  It is encouraged that existing trees and shrubs be utilized, when possible.  ii. Use antennas with a dark or muted color, or paint the antenna a muted color to blend with the background surface of the surrounding landscape.
 Satellite dishes that are greater than one meter in diameter do require prior ARC approval.  Residents are encouraged to uphold Stonehouse Owners Foundation’s high standards when considering placement of an antenna or satellite dish.

 Common Courtesy:  It is not polite to walk through a neighbor’s property without permission.  Some of our young people are making new ‘rights of way’ across lawns and backyard wooded-areas. 

 STONEHOUSE GLEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Meetings are the second Thursday of each month at 7pm at the James City County Public Library in the McGraw room. (Croaker Road)  These meetings are open to all residents.