News & Updates

November Updates

The Board of Directors meeting was Tuesday, November 12, 2024

  1. The 2025 Budget was reviewed and approved.
  2. Evo-Scapes will be doing the leaf cleanup in the Common area and the front of homes. They are also contracted for snow removal.  The Board of Directors approved 2025 contracts for Evo-scapes landscaping and with Jones for the pond maintenance.
  3. The fountains, well pumps, and irrigation have been winterized.
  4. The new “No Fishing” signs and new entrance signs that were discussed at the October Homeowners meeting have been ordered and will be installed as weather permits.
  5. The Board of Directors will continue to post notes on the bulletin board and the website.  The website continues to grow.  Any suggestions for content, please let us know.  
  6. The e-mail updates will be limited to messages such as changes to the weekly mowing schedule.
  7. Several exterior modification requests have been approved. Please remember that any exterior modifications including patio/sidewalk extension, roof replacements, changes to landscape must have an Exterior Modification form submitted and approved prior to making any changes.  There will be a separate request for patio coverings.  The Exterior Modification form can be found on the website or by contacting Towne Properties.  The patio cover request form is being created and will be posted soon.
  8. Towne Properties and the Board of Directors will be getting estimates from Asphalt vendors so a street and alley maintenance project can be created.
  9. The Board of Directors will also be checking garage lights for any lightbulbs that need to be replaced. We will only replace light bulbs with standard light fixtures.  We will not replace any broken light fixtures, only the bulbs.
  10. The Board of Directors reviewed a list of violations that were reported and had letters sent to the homeowners. Before making changes to exteriors, you must get written approval from the Board of Directors. Doors and shutters must match and be a neutral color.   Homes need to be free of mold and landscaping needs to be kept trimmed. Please contact Town Properties if you have any questions.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Link to the website: https://www.villageatlehnerwoods.com/

Community Policies and Violations

The Board of Directors received a concern from neighbors that Towne Properties and the Board of Directors are unfair with fines and not consistent.   Complaints about landscaping, trash cans left out, color changes to doors and shutters have been brought to our attention a few times this year.  Board Members are instructed to uphold the rules in the Declaration and the Lehner Woods Handbook.  We cannot control what changes, both authorized and unauthorized, homeowners have made in the past.  It doesn’t matter what one homeowner had approved in the past and it doesn’t matter who is requesting the change.  Our job is to base our authorizations and violations on what is happening currently.  This may sound unfair, but this is the guide for the Board of Directors.   Going forward, the Board of Directors has requested Towne Properties start looking closely at homes including the front landscaping and limited common areas around the homes.   Towne Properties will continue to look for any new unauthorized changes and violations including but not limited to:

  • Mold on homes/garages.
  • Overgrown landscaping and weeds.
  • Trees need to be trimmed and if removed they must be replaced according to the tree replacement guidelines. Any trees missing, the homeowner will be notified to replace.
  • Contractor Signs – The Board previously agreed to allow signs in the landscaping for a short period of time, but residents continue to place them in the grass which interferes with mowing. For this reason, contractor signs are no longer authorized.
  • No mow signs and obstacles that interfere with mowing and trimming.
  • Trash cans must be put away Wednesday evening unless the holiday pushes pickup to Thursday.
  • Porches and patios kept trash free. Remember bikes and toys cannot be stored on porches.
  • Inoperable or unlicensed vehicles are considered a violation.
  • Any new home improvement such as changes to landscaping, patio, roofs, door/shutters, etc. that were completed without prior written approval is a violation. Planting flowers in your current landscape does not require approval.

The Board of Directors would like the concerned neighbors that pointed some of these violations out to contact us with some of the addresses they noticed.  The exception would be to any past hardscape (landscape/patio) changes that were made prior to January 2024.   We want to make sure we don’t miss anything.  This can be through Towne Properties or the Suggestion Box.  The Board of Directors is taking the complaints seriously and will do our best to track and enforce the above for all homeowners.

All exterior modifications such as patios, pathways/sidewalks, painting shutters/doors, window upgrades, and roofs must have an approved modification request.  Any landscaping changes such as hardscapes, shrubs or tree replacements must also have an exterior modification approval prior to making changes.  Any new exterior modifications completed without an approved request will be subject to fines and possible removal of the changes.

The Board of Directors and Property Manager want to thank everyone that attended. We appreciate
your support. Special thanks to the previous Board members for providing input and guidance this
year. We had several topics to discuss and as homeowners, we were able to work through some
issues together without being Homeowners vs Board Members. We came together as a
community.

1. We discussed our basic roles as Residents, Board Members, and Property Managers. This
included exterior modifications, enforcing the governing documents, budgets, and better
communication among all.
2. Homeowners appreciate our efforts for building better communication. The Board of
Directors are trying to be transparent even when the topic is not pleasant. The website is
now available and will continue to grow. A copy of the Declaration, the Handbook, and
Exterior Modification forms can be found on the website. We will continue to use the
Suggestion Box, email, and bulletin board as communication. Any changes to the
Handbook will be communicated to the community and the website will have the latest
version posted. For those who don’t have internet, you can contact Towne Properties to
request copies. Link to the website: https://www.villageatlehnerwoods.com/
3. The Board of Directors discussed a Street Repair project. We will be creating another multi-
year plan and start working with vendors to get estimates. Our community cannot afford to
do all the streets and alleys at one time, so we need an incremental maintenance plan.
4. After reviewing the Declaration and working with the lawyer, we will be authorizing specific
types of patio coverings such as retractable awnings and pergolas. Patio coverings will have
strict rules for installing and maintenance. An Exterior Modification request will be required
before installation, or the covering will have to be removed. More information will be posted
soon on the website and bulletin board.
5. The Board of Directors discussed supporting community activities such as a garden club
and other social activities. We were also thinking about developing a “neighbor assistance
program” for those who may be experiencing a hardship and could use help with
landscaping or other tasks. Any homeowner interested or has suggestions for activities,
please drop your contact information in the Suggestion Box and a Board member will
contact you.
6. The complaints and questions received in the Suggestion Boxed were discussed.

a. Request to review exterior modifications. The forms contain personal information
and cannot be shared. If you have questions prior to submitting a request, contact
the Property Manager
b. Campers, boats and other trailers are authorized up to 72 hours for loading and
unloading.
c. Damaged or inoperable vehicles must be parked in garages. They are not authorized
to be parked long term on the streets or parking pads. This issue is being addressed.
d. Complaint about packages being delivered and stacked on Homeowners’ porches.
There is no rule stopping people from having packages delivered to their home. We
cannot disallow home deliveries or limit the number of deliveries a homeowner
receives.
e. Last year’s Board of Directors received many complaints about the heavy traffic flow
in the alleys and complaints about speeding. Speed limit signs were installed, and
we have requested people use the alleys for access to their garages.
f. The Board of Directors is not bending the rules for their use and enforcing for others.
Any Board member that has made a change that should not have been approved
was done years prior to them joining the Board. Board members have been denied
modification requests and had to make changes before the request was approved
by their fellow Board members. Board members use the Declaration and Handbook
to approve requests. Over the years, some modifications may have been approved
in error. We will do our best to base all decisions using the Declaration and
Handbook. We are following the governing documents for authorizing changes not
what has been authorized in the past.
g. Speeding, Children, and Ponds

i. Speeding: If there is a habitual speeder in the neighborhood report the
make/model of the car and their address. The property manager will send a
letter requesting they slow down. The cost to install and maintain in a
private community is expensive. Many homeowners were against
speedbumps. We will try to get a speed monitor setup on different streets
hoping that will help people realize how fast they are going.
ii. Children: All residents need to be constantly watching out for children and
their safety. Children should not be playing or running in the streets and
should have adult supervision.
iii. Ponds:

1. New “No Fishing” signs will be placed closer to the ponds. The
Board of Directors found the violators were from other housing
developments and some from other towns. The discussion
developed into a concern of non-residents using our community to
walk their dogs and hangout at our ponds. This is one of those
issues that as the area continues to grow could become a real
problem. We need to keep our community safe. At the meeting we
decided to also add new entrance signs that state this is a private
community for residents and their guests only.
2. We discussed the idea of allowing fishing for Lehner Woods
residents. More discussions and planning are needed.

h. Homeowners asked if the Association fees will be going up. The budget determines
if the fees will have to be increased. We will be working on the budget in October
and November. We will announce the 2025 Association fees once the budget is
finalized.

Overall, the Board of Directors felt the meeting was informative for us as well as the attendees. We
hope to continue open communication with all homeowners to improve our relationships and
community.