Roadside Verges

Notice 2016 No 5.

Maintenance by Residents of Roadside Verges Throughout the Summerwood Village

Dear Member/Resident,

1. The Association’s Members at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 29 July 2015 resolved to adopt the Management Committee’s recommendation in respect of the maintenance of the landscaped roadside verges, viz. “It is recommended that the Members take cognisance of the Management Committee’s resolution to apply the Association’s Conduct Rule, as it pertains to the maintenance of gardens, more strictly in the future. This is being done to uphold the standards and appearance of the roadside verges for which Summerwood is renowned.”
2. The greater majority of the residents in the village during the course of the current summer months have attempted to maintain an acceptable standard in this regard, in spite of the City’s introduced water restrictions. There was also satisfactory response, in a number of instances, to personal appeals upon certain residents to generally improve the maintenance and thus the appearance of their garden frontages.
3. However, the tendency exists in the case of a number of residents to disregard the written appeals which were made for the improvement of the appearance of their gardens. The Management Committee is very concerned about the persisting deterioration of the roadside verges of these properties due to inadequate maintenance and of the negative effect which they will ultimately have on the general image of the Summerwood village. This unease has led to the Trustees resolving to report to the Members at the forthcoming AGM 2016 on a process that endeavours to appoint the Association’s garden contractor to commence with the full maintenance of those roadside verges which are not receiving attention from the respective property owners/ tenants. It is envisaged that the costs are to be borne by the concerned Member and will be included as an additional charge along with the monthly levy for the property.
4. In the meantime consideration is being given to actions which need to be put place in order to identify the neglected roadside verges in the village, establish the costing of the maintenance tasks as well as address other anticipated operational problem-areas.
5. This proposed intervention will certainly place an added burden upon the management of the village, but under the circumstances is necessary to protect the financial investment which Members have made in acquiring their Summerwood property. The Committee anticipates that Members will comprehend this need to introduce the proposed action and that their immediate reaction will be to commence with the adequate maintenance of their roadside gardens.