Quality of Life Reminder

Quality of life in the community is something we should all strive for and is all of our responsibility.  What would not be important to you may be upsetting to others.  So please in the spirit of the holidays please be courteous of your neighbors and follow the rules of the community.  The bylaws and rules are set up for everyone so please respect them and follow the rules. 

 

Thanks for your help and cooperation and Happy Holidays

Island Gate Financial Update

As 2015 winds down, the community has approved our budget for 2016 and the monthly maintenance fee will remain the same.  If you would like a payment book please contact AA to request one.  Otherwise please continue to send the fee the same way you did in 2015.

 

In 2015, we did raise the monthly fee but accomplished quite a bit.  In 2015 we;  

 

·         Resurfaced the pool with a quartz composite

·         Resealed the streets and driveways

·         Replaced the decking on the interior units

·         Cleaned the gutters and spot pressure washed (Starting in early Dec)

·         Replaced the control units for both sprinkler systems

·         Resolved the rug in the pond issue

 

We also have aggressive goals for 2016 that include cleaning and sealing all remaining wood on the decks

 

We thank you for you cooperation and assistance during this busy and exciting year and wish you the Happiest of Holidays and look forward to an great 2016 at Island Gate

 

The Deck Project

The Deck Project

 

With the deck project wrapping up, it is essential we receive comments and feedback from the community not only about the deck replacement but the overall condition of the decks.  Please contact us ASAP.

 

Future plans for the decks; (expected completion time Summer 2016)

·         Repair work for all deck complaints we receive

·         Power wash and stain all areas of the end unit decks

·         Power wash and stain all remaining  areas of the decks that were just repaired

·         The stain color for all decks will match the color of the planking that was just installed making the entire community uniform and having he color complement our existing siding. 

 

 

  In addition, we want you to send these problems to our Island Gate email so we can log and coordinate repairs.  The email address is Islandgatehomeowners@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Deck Problems ?

 

We mentioned last week on the blog that we wanted any issues with the deck planking replacement shared with the board or AA.  We want you to continue to do that but now we also want you to let us know about any problems with the decks in general.  Stairs, spindles etc.  If you have any issues with anything on your deck Please share them now.  We are going to look to correct these issues in the near future (weather permitting).  In addition, we want you to send these problems to our Island Gate email so we can log and coordinate repairs.  The email address is Islandgatehomeowners@Gmail.com   Thanks as always for your help and cooperation.

Deck update

As we approach the midway point of the deck project at Island Gate, we wanted to remind our neighbors to let us know about the the quality of the job and please let us know if you are happy/satisfied with the job that was being done.  If you have any comments, critiques etc. Please share them now.  The workers are in the community and have the ability to correct the issue quickly and easily.  Please don’t wait until a board meeting or next summer to voice your concern, call AA or contact a board member to share your concerns.  Thanks for your help and cooperation.

Vehicles not permitted in our community

As part of the board’s commitment to communicate with the community we want to inform you of the restrictions that our community has on vehicles.  There are no commercial vehicles of any kind allowed to park on the property including driveways and common lots.  Vehicles servicing the community on a temporary basis are exempt.  In addition to commercial vehicles, vehicles over 20 feet long, boats, trailers, campers, RVs, motor homes and mobile homes are also restricted from the property.
Page 40 of our by-laws discuss this in detail (please see link on the upper right). 

Color of the new deck planking

A few people in the community have mentioned that the color of the new deck planking is lighter than the current color of the deck. The board believed the planking color was more complimentary to the color of the siding we now have on our buildings.   The plan is once the planking is complete, is to have the stairs and walls pressure washed and stained to match the color of the new planking.  The pressure washing and staining  should occur next year.  This will make the decks uniform, and will complement the color of the buildings.  Something we have never had before. 

As always if you have any comments questions etc. please contact a board member

 

Thanks for your understanding and cooperation during this busy time in our community. 

 

PS the street sealers will be back tomorrow, please follow instructions on parking previously shared with the community

.   

Street sealing update

The weather forecast for Friday look less than ideal, 50’s and chance of showers, for street sealing.  As a result Knifing is coming around today to see if anyone wants their drive ways sealed instead of Friday.  This is totally voluntary and they are not doing the main roads today.  If you don't want your driveway done today then no worries tell the crew to do it on the scheduled day. We are being proactive due to the weather forecast on Friday. Thanks for your understanding

 

Blog Info

We started the blog many years ago to more effectively communicate with the community.  For people who are interested in the blog , there is no need to constantly check in with the blog to find out what is happening in the community.  As we have mentioned before,  you can click on the notification link to be notified by email when a post has been added or you can become a follower of the site.  Both are easy to do so stay in touch with the community with no effort by clicking a button. 

 

Thanks and as always any feedback on the blog is appreciated. 

 

Street Sealing Update

The driveways and streets will be sealed on Thursday October 22^nd and Friday October 23^rd.  Vehicles can be moved back on Saturday. 

Sea Breeze Court, Bay Breeze Court and Windward Drive from 29 through 131 will be closed on both days. 

Windward Drive from 1 through 29 will be open and the parking lot next to the pond near Bay Avenue will be open.

Any vehicle that requires towing will be billed to the homeowner.

Any questions please contact Association Advisors.

Thank you,

Budget for 2016

We are starting budget work for 2016, if anyone has any comments, question thoughts etc.  Please feel free to share them with Ed Fortunato our treasurer, 

Street sealing update

As of today, Knifing completed the second part of the driveway and street sealing.   Please let us know if you have any issues or comments.  The first portion of the sealing didn’t go as planned.  The equipment broke down and delayed completion.  We are looking to reschedule with Knifing, as soon as we set a date we will let you know.  Apologies for the inconvenience we will be in touch. 

Bay Ave Pond Update

Our intrepid neighbors on Windward attempted to remove the rug we thought was thrown in the pond.  They were trying to do it themselves because we found no company or contractor willing to take on the task.  They soon found out it wasn’t a rug but the pond liner and stopped work.  Given that information, we are going to cover the liner with river stone (flat stones that wouldn’t puncture the liner) to protect and cover it.  Our goal is to have that task complete by the end of fall.  Thanks so much to our neighbors for taking the initiative to make the community better

 

 

Street sealing update

As you know the driveway and street sealing project will begin on October 8^th.  the sealing project will cover the driveways, streets and parking lots. 

On the 8^th the community will have Sea breeze court sealed along with the Sea breeze half of Windward.  On the 12^th the Bay Ave side of Windward and Bay Breeze will be done.  This is weather permitting. 

 

We ask that you have your cars removed from the work area the night before and you will not be able to return the vehicles until; two days after. The opposite half of the community is the ideal temporary parking area.   

 

So on the 8^th cars can return on the 10^th and work done on the 12^th cars can return on the 14^th. 

 

Please remove your vehicles promptly or they will be towed. 

 

Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

 

And renters please notify and instruct your tenants

 

now its a hurricane...

Just trying to share the latest storm information we have

Recent aircraft data indicate that Joaquin has become a hurricane with 75 mph winds. Joaquin is drifting SW and that motion will continue into tomorrow before a turn to the west, then north will occur Thursday into Friday. The atmosphere and water temperatures are conducive for strengthening and Joaquin should become a category 2 to 3 over the next 24-48 hours.

 

The impacts on the Mid Atlantic are to come in two parts.

 

1)      A storm is going to form over the Southeast later this week which will bring extremely heavy rain to the Mid Atlantic area and I-95 corridor from DC to Philadelphia beginning Thursday night and continuing through Friday. Rain amounts will be in the 4-8 inch category with locally higher amounts. Winds will average 20-35 mph with higher gusts, especially closer to the coast. This 1^st part is separate from Joaquin, and will create flooding issues and some power outages across the region Friday.

 

2)      Joaquin will be moving north Friday. The issue is whether or not the storm that forms over the Southeast will capture hurricane Joaquin and pull the storm into the Mid Atlantic coast later this weekend. Although internally we are leaning into this idea, it is far from certain. This scenario is shown by the hurricane models, as well as the American and Canadian operational models. The European model keeps the storm separate and well offshore – which is a non-factor for the region. If the storm combines and directly impacts the Mid Atlantic area Sunday into Monday, hurricane force winds would spread inland along with another round of extremely heavy rain. Severe damage, flooding and widespread power outages would result. Once the storm turns north later tomorrow or Friday we should have a better idea of risks associated with hurricane Joaquin. However, at this time scenario number 2 still carries a high degree of uncertainty.

tropical storm warning

Overnight the storm (depression 11) has strengthened just slightly to become tropical storm Joaquin. There is still a decent amount of shear over the storm this morning, which is affecting its ability to strengthen. Its movement has been erratic in the past 24 hours, mainly moving Southwest. A turn to the north is gradually expected over the next day or two. The storm is likely to come up on the East side of the NHC forecast track later this week. During this time, while over warm water, the shear is forecast to relax and may allow strengthening. There is the possibility that Joaquin strengthens into a hurricane later this week.

 

The second part of the equation is how far north Joaquin will get before it interacts with a cold front near the east coast. Some of the models show the storm becoming embedded in the flow moving north, while others hook the storm back to the West for a hit on the Mid Atlantic or Northeast coast this weekend. It is way too early to speculate on the end game track. The main threat at this time is a prolonged period of heavy rain and wind producing urban and small stream flooding along I-95, and coastal and back bay flooding due to persistent strong East to Southeast winds. It is important to monitor the storm for the latest developments

more to come

Deck follow up

Work began last week on the replacement of the deck boards on the inner decks.  To reiterate, end units will not be receiving any work this year.   As with any repair project and especially with this one, your deck area will be a construction zone during the duration of the work.  The construction work will consist of; removing existing planks, this will expose a hole in your deck.  This condition is a safety hazard.  The contractor has promised to use caution tape on the doors but please do NOT open the sliding door at this time.  Once the planks are removed they will be replaced with composite deck materials.  Please do not attempt to go on the deck until the caution tape has been removed and the job is complete.

 

The next question we have received concern gas lines.  The natural gas lines come out of your house under your deck, the gas line is a flexible hose that should never be attached to the deck in anyway.  This freestanding hose needs to be removed from any part of the deck.  If it is attached to the deck please have a plumber remove it.  In addition, there is to be no drilling into the new decks to accommodate gas lines.  There are no exceptions to this.

 

As the project develops we will have a better idea of the time it will take to complete the project.  With that we can develop a time line for the project.  We will inform the community as that becomes more clear.  We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this time.

 

 

As always if you have any questions or comments please contact a board member or contact Bob Kelly.  Thanks

 

Vote results

On Friday September 18^th the community meeting was held and the vote for two board positions was held and counted.  The vote result was Frank Cangiarella was elected to another two year term and the vote for the remaining seat between Bob Kelly and Marianne Massey was a tie. 

After the election is was decided that Bob Kelly will chair the architectural committee and Marianne will remain a board member.  We thank the community for their vote and all candidates for their interest in the community.  We also thank Bob for his community interest and his passion for the decks and the wellbeing of the community.

Dryer vent cleaning another opportunity

If you missed the dryer vent cleaner the last two times they were here they are coming back on Oct 17

 

The price is $50

 

The number is 732-458-0956 please get this done ASAP

 

 

Thanks for your cooperation

 

 

Plans for the driveway and street resealing

We have dates and a plan for the driveway, streets and parking lot resealing

 

Phase 1; Sea Breeze Ct, Windward Drive (closer to RT 72) and up to house #29 on Windward Drive will be done on Thursday October 8^th.   

Phase II the rest of the development for Monday October 12th. The 12th is Columbus day.   If we need a rain day it would be the 15^th of October.

 

All cars and all items MUST be removed from all drive ways streets and parking lots on the assigned day and cannot return until TWO days after. 

So Thursday is ok to go back on Saturday and Monday returns Wednesday. 

 

Please if you have any questions let us know.  Thanks for the understanding and cooperation. 

Rental Units

It is required by the community’s by-laws that you advise our management company that you unit is a rental.  A rental requires a minimum 1 year lease.  When you notify AA the renter’s information, including name, phone number, and a copy of their lease is required.  If you are renting please make it a priority to report this ASAP

Thank you  

Parking in the community BLOG REPOST

Our biggest quality of life complaint that we have received this year is cars parked in the wrong direction.  Even though streets may be two way,   parking must be in the direction of traffic on that side of the street.  Parking in any other direction is not only inconsiderate and unsafe but against the law.  Please park in the correct direction

And remember

Please do not park on the Belgian blocks

Please do not block drive ways

Please provide clearance when parking by trash cans. 

Please drive slowly and carefully through the community

Please return empty trash cans back off the street

Community Update

Community Update

Here are a few items we will be discussing at the meeting on Friday but we wanted to update the community on some items

The pool
As you know the pool is now closed for the season, we hope you had an enjoyable summer.

The decks
Deck replacement should begin by the end of September.  The board has selected a contractor to replace the planking on all non-end units.  The replacement is with a product called Azek, it is long lasting and maintenance free.  A schedule of work will be shared before works starts.  We need all the decks and beneath the decks of all non-end units to be cleared of all items.  Any exceptions will be addressed by the contractor at a cost to the homeowner. 

Streets and driveways
This is the first notice of many notices that you will receive in the next couple of weeks regarding sealing of our driveways and streets. We are planning on resealing them in early October (weather, etc. permitting). You will not be able to park on your driveway for two days and you must stay off the streets completely while we have the work done. We know this will be an inconvenience but think we will all be better off when it's done. More details will follow but we wanted to notify every one of the pending improvements.  Flyers will be distributed around the community to notify our neighbors of the days that cars must be removed from the streets and driveways. 

Smoke alarms
As the seasons change please remember to replace your fire alarm batteries and as our community enters its second decade fire alarm manufacturers recommend smoke and CO alarms be replaced every 10 years.  We hope you will at least inspect the alarms for proper operation.

Vent cleaning
Please send your receipt to dawn@askaa or fax it to 732-294-8884 or mail it to AA 100 Market Yard, Freehold NJ.  All units must comply. 

The budget for 2016
We will begin the budgeting process for 2016 in October, if you have any questions, thoughts or comments please notify Ed Fortunato our treasurer

As always thanks for your cooperation and participation in the community

Meeting reminder this Friday evening

The Island Gate community meeting is scheduled for this Friday September 18^th at 7:30 pm.  It will be held at the Stafford Town Hall on Bay avenue.  It is by the police station.  If you have any questions about the location of the meeting contact a board member and we would be glad to help you.

This meeting is held to vote on board members, review the summer pool season, discuss the grass situation in the community, give an update on the street and driveway sealing, the decks and our financials.    

We urge everyone to attend and to get your vote in

Thanks as always for your concern and participation. 

Parking in the correct direction

Our biggest quality of life complaint that we have received this year is cars parked in the wrong direction.  Even though streets may be two way,   parking must be in the direction of traffic on that side of the street.  Parking in any other direction is not only inconsiderate and unsafe but against the law.  Please park in the correct direction

And remember

Please do not park on the Belgian blocks

Please do not block drive ways

Please provide clearance when parking by trash cans. 

Please drive slowly and carefully through the community

Please return empty trash cans back off the street

Election time at Island Gate

As it gets later in the summer our annual board election is upon us.  The Island Gate Homeowners Association will be holding its Annual Election meeting on September 18th at 7:30 pm.  It will be held at the Stafford Township Municipal Building (where the Memorial Day meeting was held). 

As per the by-laws there is a self-nomination process for community members to become part of the board.  We encourage community members in good standing to nominate themselves to be on the board of Island Gate. 

Any homeowner wishing to serve on the Board of Trustees should be willing to devote the personal time necessary to effectively manage the Association.  Candidates MUST be members in good standing.  Involvement in the Board is a challenging, rewarding experience and it is urged that anyone wishing to serve please submit a resume of no more than one (1) page to Association Advisors by Wednesday August 19, 2015.  Any homeowner that wishes to submit a resume may do so by mail, fax or email to   

Island Gate Homeowners Association c/o Association Advisors
100 Market Yard Freehold NJ 07728
Fax 732 294 8884
Email help@askaa
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the office at 732 294-8882

The mailing of ballots will be scheduled for August 24^th
Ballots are due back on September 15^th and you can vote in person at the meeting on Sept 18^th

Regards
Association Advisors
On behalf of Island Gate Homeowners

Dryer vent cleaning

It is time for all homeowners to have their dryer vents inspected and cleaned. 

Proof must be provided from a licensed professional that their dryer vents have been cleaned and are in working order. Homeowners are required to have this done every two years.

Dryer vents if not cleaned properly on a regular basis pose a fire hazard for not just your unit, but surrounding units in the community.  This is a serious issue that should not be taken lightly, especially since it’s preventable.

You may use any licensed company you want.  Your Board of Directors have done their research and found a company who does it for an affordable price.  The company is called Titans, they can be reached  at 732-458-0956 or you can email them at titansaircare@yahoo.com .  Mention that you are from Island Gate and you want your dryer cleaned for the $50.00 group rate.  They will be coming Friday August 21 and Saturday August 22.   In order to qualify for the group rate, you must schedule to have one of these two days. 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the management office at 732-294-8882. 

Please submit certification/receipt by September 30, 2015 to the management office at 100 Market Yard  Freehold NJ 07782.  Or you can fax to 732-294-8884.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Community Update

Quite a bit of time and effort this year have been focused on the deck repairs in the community. 

In addition we are going to be scheduling street and driveway sealing late this summer/early fall.  We will be reaching out over the next few weeks to schedule the work and keep you informed. 

This summer, we had the roofs inspected and repaired by Englishtown, there were some nails that needed to be repaired and replaced and a few shingles also.  There was some flashing repaired also.  The board wanted to be proactive and have the roofs kept in as good condition as possible.  They are in good shape and hopefully the work we did will extend the lifespan of the roofs into the future.

Deck blog update

The board wants to thank all of the members of our community that took the time to respond to the deck survey.  42 responses were received. 

The results were as follows;

Regarding the question about returning the deck responsibility to the homeowners the response was 28 for leaving it with the association 8 moving it to the owner and 6 not making a selection.

With the question regarding refinishing the deck or replacing the planking 14 voted to refinish, 21 voted to replace the decking, 1 voted to go with the board’s decision and 6 made no decision.

The board has, by majority vote, decided to replace the deck planking with a composite type material and have met with the contractor we are considering for the project.      

If all goes well the project will be starting in September and should take 3 months give or take to complete.  Thanks to everyone who participated in the meetings and surveys

Brown Grass

The sprinklers keep the grass green and vibrant on hot summer days.  Our sprinkler system has been a source of constant maintenance over the last few years.  This years’ service needs have been particularly acute.  We have needed to replace a total of three control panels and the water main line.  The control panels determine where the water goes.  This year we started out with a panel in need of replacement and it was replaced.  About two weeks ago the panel was hit by lightning and was destroyed again.  Our reaction was lightning rods work why don’t we have one?  This was air to ground lightning with nothing we can do with that.  The panel was ordered and is being installed this week.  Our other panel is in need of replacement and we are getting a loan from our sprinkler contractor until next spring.  A quick note on our sprinkler contractor Josh Crowley, he has gone above and beyond to help us out when we needed extra work, he has been responsive and overall just terrific. 

Hopefully we will not have to mention the sprinklers in future blog posts this summer

If you have any additional comments or questions please let us know

Deck Survey

The survey is posted to the blog for your convenience; a paper copy was left at each home on Saturday July 11^th.  Please complete the form and return to AA by July 21^st.  Please let us know if you have any questions

Deck Survey

Deck Survey

Name_____________________________                Address____________________________

Email_____________________________                 Phone______________________________

1)       Does your deck need any planking replaced prior to refinishing?                                             No or Yes

A)     If yes how many planks_______.

N

Y

 

2)      Do any of your steps need replacement prior to refinishing ?                           

A)     If yes how many steps_____.

3)      Would you prefer having the deck responsibility returned to the homeowner______.  Guidelines would be established for color and product options and requirements, allowing you the choice of when and what you would do with your deck.

4)      Would you want your deck planking replaced with a composite material or have it repaired and refinished____________________________.

Signature____________________________                    Date_________

Please return by July 21 to:

Association Advisors 100 Market Yard Freehold, NJ 07728.

Our decks discussion and survey

The Board of Island Gate is considering the options available to us regarding our decks and is looking for input and information from our property owners.

Details:

When our homes were built the decks were the responsibility of the individual property owner.  Several years ago a prior board had the responsibility for maintaining the decks shifted to the Homeowners Association.  When this was done the funding for this new association responsibility was not established.

Our current consideration to maintaining our decks has several options and in order for the board to make a decision we are surveying the homeowners for their opinions.  Our decks were treated four years ago, which was the second time since the construction of our community.

The decks need to be refinished and some need repairs need to be completed first.  A majority of the repairs are cosmetic in nature but need to be completed prior to applying a finishing coat.  A product that we are considering is Cabots Deck Correct.  This product provides a coating that claims to fill cracks up to ¼ inch. Full details can be found on the internet.

We are considering having the deck planking replaced with a PVC or composite material (ex. Trex).  This type product does not require staining or sealing in the future. The product can use a clip system that attaches from the side of the board. 

The advantage of repairing and refinishing is a lower price now.  The disadvantage is future refinishing/repairs costs.  The proposals to refinish all decks from professional contractors are in the $70,000 range.  We are estimating repairs to the planking to cost approximately $20,000. 

The advantage of replacing the planking is that it is a more permanent product that requires minimal maintenance (cleaning).  The cost to replace the planking on all units would be in the $150,000 -$200,000 range.  This would eliminate future planking repairs due to weathering and would lower future refinishing costs, since the planking does not need refinishing.

The cost to complete either project would not require any assessment and would not require our maintenance fees to increase.  In order to help us make this decision please fill out the attached survey and send it to our management company by July 21st:  Association Advisors 100 Market Yard Freehold, NJ 07728.

Severe thunderstorms likely late this afternoon with damaging winds and hail possible.

The combination of an upper level low over the Ohio Valley, very warm and humid conditions in place and decent wind shear values leads to an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon across the region from D.C. / Baltimore to New York City and surrounding areas.

If there is enough sunshine and temperatures get to expected highs (near 90), this will provide the energy for strong wind gusts and isolated large hail. Although the tornado risk is low, one can’t be ruled out. Storms are most likely in Baltimore and DC between 4 and 7 pm and in Philly to New York between 6 and 9 pm. Storms will generally be moving eastward at 30-40 mph. Frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes are expected with these storms. The NWS severe storms forecast center will likely issue a severe thunderstorm watch for the area later this afternoon.

Severe thunderstorms likely this afternoon with damaging winds and hail possible.

Today, thunderstorms develop in central PA and northern MD and look to move into the area by midafternoon. Damaging winds and hail are a serious threat with these storms. High 93. Wind Southwest at 10-20 mph gusting 30-50 mph.  Tonight, storms clear out to give partly clear skies.  Low 75.  Wind from the Northwest at 5-10 mph.  Tomorrow, comfortable summer day with mostly sunny skies. High 86.  Wind Northwest at 8-12 mph.

BE on the look out for rough weather today and be safe

Community Meeting to Discuss Decks this Saturday, June 27th at the Pool, 10 am

There has been some discussion in the community about our decks, since our meeting in May.  The board has scheduled a meeting this Saturday at 10 am at the pool, to further discuss the decks with the community.  Please come to the meeting to share thoughts with the community and the board.  We hope to see you there. 

Community reminders

As we move into summer and the community becomes more densely populated, please be considerate of your neighbors.  Remember…

Please park in the correct direction, please do not block drive ways, please provide clearance when parking by trash cans. 

Please drive slowly and carefully through the community

There are to be no basketball hoops, soccer goals, batting cages, goal posts etc. ever in the community

Please do not block driveways

Please return empty trash cans back off the street

Please close the pool umbrellas and clean your area when leaving the pool

Please use the same courtesy and consideration you would want expressed to you

Please enjoy your summer in our community