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Tarring cracks in roadways |
New at Society Hill
Please consult our quarterly Newsletter for additional news and accomplishments.
Here.
Creek Remediation
The Board engaged VanNote Harvey Engineers to design improvements and maintenance processes for our creeks, in order to reduce flooding possibilities. Actual work took place in 2012, following permit approvals and bidding. This invollved clearing certain areas and replacing rock structures. No structures at Society Hill are in flood plains.
Maintaining Our Roadways
In December 2011 and January 2012, our contractor applied hot tar to all major cracks in our roadways. This reduces the ability of snow and water to seep into these cracks and erode the subsurface or allow ice expansion to break the roadway.
This process, at relatively low cost, allows the basic road pavement system to last years longer, thereby pushing forward the very expensive repaving costs that will have to be covered by our Capital Reserve Fund.
Magnolia Court Drainage Improvements
Work has been completed to improve the drainage behind two buildings on Magnolia Ct., and to construct a new drain to carry major rain flows underground to a catch basin.
New Projects
Your Board of Trustees has replaced building gutters and downspouts, roadside guardrails, and installed some shrubs necessary to offset winter limb losses. In addition, a number of trees have been pruned or removed as needed.
Regulations Adopted and Updated
-- High efficiency heating and air conditioning systems impacting common elements, approvals required.
-- Updated Association Enforcement Rules and Standard Penalties; ADR procedures, here. Also see Parking Suspension regulation for delinquencies here.
-- See other regulations here.
Energy Audit Information
Unit owners may benefit from implementing energy saving practices, and in some cases, government assistance. Home energy audits and installation of efficient appliances are especially helpful. (See regulations regarding effect of modified piping on structures here.) Info packet for town home energy saving programs. Here. (Large PDF file.)
Organic Lawn Program
The Board is implementing the organic lawn maintenance recommendations of expert Mike McGrath. Read the whole story here. No chemical weed killers are in use, and all lawn fertilizers are organic. Natural corn gluten is now spread on the grounds each spring as a weed emergence preventer. This new total approach, which also includes the introduction of compost, will take several years for full effect.
Revised Delinquent Assessments Penalties Policy
To protect the Association and its unit owners from the adverse financial impact of those few owners who fail to pay their fees on time, the policy has been revised effective July 1, 2009. Read the details here.
Fiber Optic Installation
Read about the possible installation of Verizon fiber optic infrastructure at Society Hill to allow optional high speed phone, TV, and Internet services. Extended delays in Verizon's obtaining needed permits were overcome, but by then Verizon had curtailed its investment policy; residents will be advised if and when when work is about to commence. FIOS is currently not available.
Pear Tree Limbs
Pear trees planted by the developer throughout the community, near parking areas, continue to be problematic. Susceptible to wind breakage, they are no longer a recommended planting. To reduce exposure, limbs have been thinned out, drastically reducing the problem. As required, pear trees are being removed, but may not always be replaced.
 
Read a description of our grounds efforts in our illustrated article "Grounds for Enjoyment," and a more recent discussion of our enhanced organic lawn maintenance efforts here. Feel free to report any needs you see. All requests are noted and evaluated for priority.
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail connection to Mercer Park Northwest
A new pathway connecting Village Park with Mercer County Park Northwest is now open. This allows Society Hill walkers easy access to this growing trail. For more on the trail, go here. See a map of the full planned trail.
 The connector is seen at right, with bridge over wetland area. Construction featured porous blacktop and mulch to meet wetland requirements. It may be accessed from the head of Gordon Avenue, near the Village Park parking lot. See our map location here, where it is represented with a dotted line extending to Keefe Road.
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