In my last column I cautioned about the planting and removing of trees on the parkway. This topic always seems to cause some confusion. The latest round of storms has once again prompted me to elaborate a bit. The Association’s policy on existing living trees on the common area (parkway and pathways) is that we do not prune or remove them while they are alive. Once they are dead, we contract remove them wholesale, annually in the fall. There is a bid process which saves the membership considerable money as opposed to hiring a contractor to come out and remove trees one at a time. We also give the member the option to remove trees (at their expense) that are dead or dying in front of their property yet still on the common area. This process is handled on a case by case basis and still requires written permission from the Association. Anyone cutting down trees on the parkway that are larger than 1” diameter without written permission will receive a 9-point citation. In the case of a living tree that falls on the common area and ends up on a member’s personal property (typically their dock or boat) or their house, it is the member’s responsibility to mitigate the damage to their property by getting the tree off of their stuff before we can cut it up and haul it off for them. Our insurance company does not want us dropping trees, nor do they want us removing trees from member’s personal property. In every case, when this happens, my best recommendation is to contact your homeowner’s insurance company. The good news is, once the trees are on the ground and their cut up into manageable sections, our crew can remove the trees via the water which saves quite a bit of money as opposed to having to haul them up to the road.
Finally, another gentle reminder is in order for everyone to please be sure to secure your boats (even if they are on a lift …. they should still be secured with a good rope), your docks and all your water toys. Last week’s storms have prompted another series of scavenger-hunts on the water to round up all of the above all over the Lake.
Submitted by: Jan T. Olson – Co Executive Director