Lynn Creek Hills. Manager s Corner. Traffic News Hwy Addresses? F A L L 2013

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1 A PUBLICATION OF THE LYNN CREEK HILLS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. F A L L 2013 Lynn Creek Hills Manager s Corner I wish each of you a happy autumn season! It is my pleasure and privilege to serve Lynn Creek Hills HOA. It is that time of year to think about the pending projects you have to improve the overall curb appeal of the home. Painting, fencing and all outside projects are easier conducted in cooler weather. Please remember to submit an ACC form if you wish to change paint colors or change the permanent structures on the lot. (The form can be downloaded from the website). Landscape plants are more likely to survive if planted in the cooler weather too. With that in mind, I want to share with you the expectation of the governing documents related to lawn care. Article 6.16 states, in part Each owner shall maintain the lot and improvements, sod, trees, hedges, and plantings thereon, in a neat and attractive condition. Such maintenance shall include regular mowing, edging of turf areas, weeding of plant beds, fertilizing, weed control and watering of the turf and landscape area on each lot. Grass clippings must be picked up and bagged/removed. Remember that the complete document can be viewed at lynncreekhills. Your account information, meeting minutes and other HOA documents/ forms can be accessed through this website or through Leslie Gamel Association Manager Traffic News Hwy 360 Lynn Creek Hills homeowners, please be informed: The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will conduct a Public Hearing to present proposed improvements to an approximately 9.2 mile section of State Highway (SH) 360 from E. Sublett Road/W. Camp Wisdom Road to United States (US) Highway 287 in Tarrant, Ellis and Johnson Counties. The purpose of the Public Hearing is to present the anticipated social, economic and environmental effects of the proposed project. The Hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013, at Timberview High School 7700 S. Watson Road, Arlington, Texas Prior to the Public Hearing, an Open House will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to allow for questions and review of project exhibits. TxDOT staff will be available to answer questions during the Open House. The formal Public Hearing presentation will begin at 7 p.m. followed by a public comment period. The proposed project s environmental document and drawings showing the location and geometric design will be presented at the Public Hearing. Project information will also be available for public inspection and duplication at the TxDOT Fort Worth District located at 2501 S.W. Loop 820 Fort Worth, Texas and at the TxDOT Dallas District located at 4777 East Highway 80, Mesquite, Texas and on-line at Do you have an address? Addresses? If so, we would like to contact you via to continue our commitment of lowering expenses. By providing us your address, we will be able to provide you timely information, reduce costs, and keep you informed. We PROMISE, we will not give out homeowner addresses to anyone and all correspondence will be sent to an account name that does not divulge your address. Furthermore, only a Board member or association manager/ management company will be allowed to the Lynn Creek Hills Homeowner s list. Please contact, Leslie Gamel at leslie.gamel@fsresidential.com to sign up or update your address.

2 A Word from Your HOA Board President Oh! Oh! What a relief it is to experience a few consecutive days of less than 100 degree temperatures! Over the past few years this Texas weather has taken its toll on many of our trees, yards, and fences. It is refreshing and encouraging to see that many of you are now replacing destroyed fences and trees. We are blessed to live in a beautiful community such as Lynn Creek Hills. When you have some time, ride or walk around the neighborhood and enjoy some of the beautifully manicured landscapes. This summer, several of our neighbors have been recognized for The Yard of The Month for maintaining their residences. Congratulations go to the Jack Hodges family at 5976 Waterford Drive, Tim Steward family at 3003 Summerview Drive, Trieu Nguyen family at 3035 Hideaway Drive, and Twan Williams family at 2824 Oak Crest Drive. We all really appreciate the time, effort and money that these neighbors have invested in maintaining their residences, because it has a positive impact on all of our property values. Lynn Creek Hills is still a high demand area, there are For Sale signs, but new neighbors are moving into our neighborhood all the time. Just this summer we have had over a dozen new families moving into our neighborhood. Have you met your new neighbors? Take some time and meet them! Our Social Committee conducted an Ice Cream Social/Movie Night in July and over 45 of your neighbors took advantage of the opportunity to meet each other, enjoy ice cream sundaes, and watch a great family-friendly movie. If you did not get a chance to attend, do not worry because the Social Committee is planning another great community event! On Saturday, October 5, 2013 from 10 AM until 4 PM, our Lynn Creek Hills HOA will sponsor a National Night Out Event at the Phase 1 Greenbelt Area. See attached flyer for more information. This is yet another opportunity to meet, converse with, and enjoy our GREAT neighbors! In our last Newsletter we discussed Public Improvement Districts and this topic was discussed at the June 4, 2013 Annual Meeting. During the June 4, 2013 Annual Meeting, a motion was made, seconded and approved that the Board pursue the necessary actions to create a PID for our HOA. In order to create a PID, 51% of the residents must approve the petition. Your Board conducted a special meeting on June 12, 2013 to address PID concerns and multiple residents have attended subsequent Board Meetings to express concerns or questions. Your Board does listen! Most residents expressed the need for more time to obtain more information related to PID s. We are in a proactive position at this time; therefore, we do have some time to obtain information so that a better decision can be made. Please review our last quarter s Newsletter article containing PID information. The following paragraph below defines a PID and contains a City of Grand Prairie website that contains an immense about of PID information. What is a Public Improvement District (PID)? A PID is defined as a geographical area established to provide specific types of improvements or maintenance within the area which are financed by assessment against the property owners within the area. Chapter 372 of the Texas Local Government Code authorizes the creation of PIDs by cities. More information concerning PIDs can be obtained from the City of Grand Prairie website. ( click Links ; select Grand Prairie PIDs). Disadvantages of PID Creation: The PID requires that an Advisory Board be created. Our plan is to have the existing three HOA Board members plus two to four other HOA volunteers to be on the Advisory Board. Obtaining two to four volunteers may prove to be a challenge. Some HOA decisions will require Grand Prairie city approval. HOA residents will pay different amounts for PID fees that are based on residential taxed appraised values. Although HOA dues would decrease, in some instances the net tax increase would be greater. Advantages of PID Creation: The expenses transferred into the PID do not have sales taxes applied; subsequently, we save 8.25% on those expenses. That equates to appropriately $5000 in savings per year. The city pays a lower rate on water and electricity, so there will be a few dollars saved. The city obtains a better rate on required liability insurance and we should save over $500 per year. The assessed PID taxes can be itemized on federal income taxes; the annual HOA dues are not tax deductible. Overall HOA dues collection expenses would decrease. Minimal HOA expenses required to collect PID Assessment. HOA at risk revenue is decreased by 66%. It takes 51% of residents to dissolve the PID, if we subsequently find it is not serving our HOA needs or desires. It is recommended that we all continue to increase our knowledge and understanding of PID s. Therefore, visit the city website mentioned earlier, talk to individuals identified on the website, review our last newsletter located on or attend a Board Meeting. As always, please address questions or concerns to First Service Residential (formerly Premier Communities) or Board members. Your Board is striving to make informed decisions that will be beneficial to our HOA, as well as our residents. Thanks for your continued support! Delano Naylor HOA Board President We are striving to realize our vision and mission. Our Vision Creatively building a distinctive community that is recognized throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Our Mission Promoting an inclusive community where people work together to enrich the lives of its residents.

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6 HALLOWEENS TRICK OR TREAT SAFETY TIPS The excitement of children and adults at this time of year can sometimes make them not as careful as they would normally be. Our site is filled with suggestions that can do a lot to stop tragedies from happening and help make the most of everyone's favorite holiday of the year... Halloween! By keeping Halloween a fun, safe and happy holiday for you and your kids, you'll look forward to many happy years of Halloween fun! By keeping good memories for your kids, they'll be more likely to carry on the traditions that you have taught to them with their own families some day! Children should always go out trick or treating accompanied by a responsible adult. If you have a group of kids going, the parents should choose two or three of them to go along and keep an eye on things. Some towns set a curfew for trick or treating which makes it easier for townsfolk to know who's coming to their door. Make sure and stick to the curfew times and stick to subdivisions and areas with a lot of homes so your kids can get in as much trick or treating as possible in a few hours time. Plan a safe route so parents know where their older kids will be at all times. Set a time for their return home. Make sure that Calling all Homeowners All meetings of the association board are open meetings. Residents are encouraged to observe meetings and read approved minutes. Residents who wish to address the board are welcome to do so during the homeowner forum conducted at the beginning of each business meeting. Here are few tips for participating: 1. Put it in writing. You will get the best response if you put your question or opinions in writing prior to the meeting. This isn t mandatory, but it helps you and the board. Some issues may require a little research by the manager. Also, the board can serve you better if members have time to consider your concern. 2. Call ahead. As a courtesy, the association asks that you phone and let the manager know that you wish to address the board. This also your child is old enough and responsible enough to go out by themselves. Make sure that they have a cell phone. Let your children know not to cut through back alleys and fields if they are out alone. Make sure they know to stay in populated areas and not to go off the beaten track. Let them know to stay in well lighted areas with lots of people around. Explain to them why it can be dangerous for kids not to do this. If they are going out alone, they are old enough to know what can happen to them in a bad situation and how to stop it from happening. Instruct your children not to eat any treats until they bring them home to be examined by you. This way you can check for any problem candy and get the pick of the best stuff! Instruct your child to never go into the home of a stranger or get into their car. Explain why this is not a god idea and what to do if someone approaches them and tries to talk to them. Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars. Let them know that they should stay together as a group if going out to Trick or Treat without an adult. allows us to notify you if a meeting is cancelled for any reason. 3. Plan your remarks to last no longer than five minutes. Board members enjoy visiting with residents; however, the meeting agenda is always very full, and the five-minute limit ensures that all business gets conducted. This doesn t mean big issues can t be presented. If your concern requires more time, please summarize it in five minutes, and the board will add it to the agenda for the next meeting. 4. Don t expect an immediate response. Board members don t act independently. All issues require discussion and sometimes a vote. Sometimes an immediate answer is possible, but it s just as likely that you won t get a response until after the meeting. 5. If you need information, call the manager. The purpose of the Homeowner Forum is for residents to share opinions and concerns with the board. Residents seeking general information (like a status report on a project or the board s position on an issue) can get a more immediate answer from the manager.

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8 LYNN CREEK HILLS HOA INC. C/O FIRSSERVICE RESIDENTIAL 3102 OAK LAWN AVE, STE 202 DALLAS, TX TELEPHONE: (214) FAX: (214) Association Manager- Leslie Gamel (877) Accounting / Billing questions- (877) Accountservices.tx@fsresidential.com Resale & Refinance Certificates- (888) After hours Property Emergency number- (214) ext. 350 Yard of the Month September Winners! Phase 1 & 2 selection is 2824 Oak Crest Dr Phase 3 selection is 3035 Hideway Dr. What Flowers Do Well In The Fall? Garden Mums Garden mums are one of the most spectacular blooming plants for fall. They come in a large selection of colors and varieties. Mums may be planted anytime from spring through fall. Garden mums grow best in areas receiving full sun for a half day or more. Mums planted in the spring or those that have wintered over should be pinched back monthly to keep them to a height of 12". Make the final pinch no later than July 15. Fertilize with a high phosphorus formula from May 1 until August 15. To improve winter hardiness, mulch mums after the soil has frozen in late December or early January. Pansies Fall is a great time to plant pansies. Significant improvements have been made over the last few years. If well established in the fall, pansies will not only provide fall color, but will winter over and be ready to burst into bloom first thing in the spring. Their color will brighten the garden well into summer. Pansies are best suited to sunny or partially shaded locations. Fertilize on a regular basis during the growing season. Some winter protection may be necessary, such as a light mulch applied after the soil has frozen in mid winter. Planting Fall Flowers The root structure of any plant grown in a pot has been restricted by the shape of the container. Once out of the pot, you must loosen the roots all the way around, even on the bottom. Condition the soil where you intend to plant with peat moss, compost, or cow manure. Mix soil conditioner at a rate of one part conditioner to two parts soil, always using the soil you removed from the hole. Dig the planting hole twice as wide as the diameter of the root system and just slightly shallower than the height of the root system. Water plants well immediately after planting and follow up with further watering as needed. You will need to feel the soil to see if your plant needs water.