Category: News

Posted on

2025 Annual Meeting & Other Updates

We hope that everyone is staying warm with these especially frigid temperatures.

A few quick items to review:

Annual Meeting – Our association annual meeting has been scheduled for February 1st at the Westland Area Southwestern Library (4740 West Broad Street) at 1PM, we look forward to seeing you there!

Join the VAT Board! – The association is actively seeking Board Members to join and aid in its governance. A full Board consists of 7 members and currently we have 3 open seats. A background in finance/accounting or business administration would be appreciated but is not necessary.

Serving on the Board is a great way to understand our HOA and its responsibilities more fully, get to know your neighbors, and work toward keeping our community and its assets vibrant for years to come.

Information about serving on the Board can be found our website at:

https://thornappleassociation.org/homeowner-resources/board-of-directors-application/

Applications can be submitted via the webform above or you can download and complete the application online an submit via email to [email protected].

The link to the application follows:

AT&T Fiber Line Follow-Up – For homeowners who continue to deal with issues stemming from the the fiber line upgrades over last summer there is a short update. AT&T has provided a new contact to follow-up with should you have any lingering or unaddressed issues:

Deani Cook
Technician Quality Control Field
Star Construction, LLC
 [email protected]
 star-llc.net

Recently homeowner have reported new issues with other utility (power) or internet service provider (Spectrum, Breezeline) lines failing. When vendors have come out to properties they note that existing lines that previously had no issues appear to be nicked or cut which is causing inconsistent service or service failures. It appears that many homeowners are able to get these issues addressed directly with their power or internet providers directly, but should you have issues that fall outside of the scope of their repairs and the AT&T fiber line appears to have impacted your issue – you may want to reach out to the contact above as well.

Please note: As previously stated the VAT HOA has no association to the AT&T Fiber upgrades, this information is being provided as a courtesy only. 

Trash and Recycling Cans – A reminder that even with winter weather all waste and recycling cans need to be screened from view when not actively curbside.

Handbook policy states:

All waste and recycling containers and yard waste shall be stored inside the garage or, if outside, 100% screened from view at all times, by a screening structure. Waste and recycling containers and yard waste shall not be moved to the curb for pick-up more than 12 hours prior to collection. Waste and Recycling containers shall be returned to their storage location by the end of the day of waste and recycling collection.

Please make sure these containers are put away at the end of the day.

Thank you for all you do to keep our community vibrant!

Posted on

Holiday Community Safety

Now that Cyber Monday shopping is complete and the holidays are underway for many households in our community it is a sad reality that unwanted criminal activity can also follow. Already there have been reports within our community of several vehicles being broken into or rifled through and missing packages. These incidents have been reported to the Columbus Police.

Please help secure our community by following these best practices this holiday season:

  • Remove valuables and secure vehicles at night
    Do not leave computer or shopping bags in your car overnight. When possible park utilizing a garage. Double check that car doors are fully closed and locked at the end of the day.
  • Make sure outdoor lighting is ON and functional at night
    Outdoor lighting can do a lot to deter theft as this makes it more challenging for hiding.
  • If you have cameras on your property ensure they are placed correctly to capture images that might be useful in identification
    Double check your camera placement and ensure that areas like driveways and walkways are within your camera range. These should be checked regularly to ensure that no animals or people may have tampered with them.
  • Secure any deliveries as soon as possible
    If packages are delivered to your home remove them from your porch as soon as possible. Ideas for securing packages include: providing a discreet location where these items can be dropped off for delivery so they are not visible from the street, delivering items to an office, or seeing if a neighbor can gather the package until you are able to collect it yourself. Amazon, Target, and many others have drive-up services where you can collect items from the store or deliver to a storage locker instead of leaving items on a porch.Door Kicking Trend Affecting VAT homeowners

Finally a note about a recent social media trend of “door kicking”. Two teens have been spotted several times in recent weeks throughout our community walking up to garage doors and proceeding to kick the doors with considerable force. This often makes quite a loud sound startling homeowners who go out to explore and find no source of the noise as the teens have run off.  However “harmless” this might be viewed – kicking these doors can lead to damage and repairs by homeowners. The suspects have been caught on camera multiple times and identification is in process. These incidents have also been reported to the Columbus Police for follow up. Should you have any further details about the identity of these suspects or should your property have been damaged from this trend please file police reports or contact Columbus Police as appropriate.

We hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season.

 

Posted on

Join the Board!

Have you been looking for a way to participate more actively within the VAT community? Apply to be a board member.

Currently two member seats are available and we would love for you to join!

Serving on the Board is a great way to understand our HOA and its responsibilities more fully, get to know your neighbors, and work toward keeping our community and its assets vibrant for years to come.

Information about serving on the Board can be found our website at:

https://thornappleassociation.org/homeowner-resources/board-of-directors-application/

Applications can be submitted via the webform above or you can download and complete the application online an submit via email to [email protected]. The link to the application follows:

Posted on

UPDATE – Utility Work Follow-Up

Hello Neighbors,

This summer many homes within our community were affected by the installation of fiber-optic lines by AT&T. Homeowners reported a variety of issues from landscape and turf damage to more serious concerns such has cut communication and utility lines, lingering open lines, and other unremedied items.

A homeowner within our community was able to work with the city of Columbus and get a contact name for AT&T. They were then asked by AT&T if they could assist in getting an initial list of affected homeowners. This homeowner created a Google Form that can be filled in to provide contact information as well as a description of your concern. This form will be available to fill in until the end of the weekend – at which time it will be “closed” and the information submitted to AT&T. See the form for more details and AT&T contact information.

Google Form: https://forms.gle/9SBXEzDXZMK4dTvz6

We are sharing this with our community to help get the word out for affected homeowners who many not have a contact to follow-up with about their property concerns. As previously indicated the HOA and Board have no affiliation with this project.

We hope homeowners find this information helpful.

Posted on

Community Safety Update

Hello VAT Community,

As we have previously discussed there were several thefts within our community in the late Spring/early Summer. Click HERE for more information and safety tips.

Columbus Police Communication and Increased Security

The VAT Board has been in continuous communication with Officer Paulus (our community liaison officer) since these thefts began within our community.  Specifically we have requested increased Columbus Police patrolling within the community especially in the overnight hours.

CPD has indicated that they are in the area of our community in the overnight hours looking for suspicious vehicles, however that presence has not (to our knowledge) been directly within our community. CPD is aware of the thefts within our community as well as the suspicious vehicle that has been spotted in our community (details at the end). CPD has also been partnering with the Franklin County Sheriffs but we are still waiting to hear on what, if any, support the sheriffs can provide CPD.

Along with this regular CPD communication the board has been looking into the potential hiring of off-duty officers or private security agencies to maintain a presence within our community in a limited capacity. Finally, the Board has discussed the potential addition of security cameras on our community owned property (Alton-Darby entrances, Community Fenceline, and Community Park)

Emergency Fund, Potential Camera Installation or Private Security Hiring

Thanks to our previous Treasurer we do have an established emergency fund that could be used for the hiring of this security or security cameras if we opt for that route. However, even those funds are limited and there is no guarantee that our thief will be present within our community while we have security present or that security will be able to apprehend anyone or gain better knowledge on a suspect. Use of those funds for the hiring of security too early into our fiscal year could exhaust them and limit our ability to stay within our established budget for the remainder of the year should other emergency needs occur, or frankly if thefts were to occur again later this year.

To be clear we share this information to be transparent in our concerns, not to indicate an unwillingness to explore these options – our foremost responsibility as Board members to be stewards for our community and its assets and maintain healthy funding for our community.

Timing and Legal Concerns

Timing of when the suspects are in our community is the biggest challenge for the hiring of security. Daily monitoring of the overnight hours (approx 12-4AM) will exhaust these funds more quickly than targeted use on specific days. The Board is continuing to use all available reports from within the community as well as partnering with CPD to see what approach may yield results to benefit our community.

One of the major concerns with the installation of security cameras on community property is that it would be continuous surveillance by the HOA (as an entity) of public roadways that are not the exclusive use of our community. Ownership of the video as well as who would have the ability to request access are concerns that need to be followed up upon with the HOA attorneys. Simply put, we don’t want to open our association to lawsuits for a failure to do our diligence on any of the measures we are exploring.

Final thoughts

We recognize that these answers do not reflect the speed at which our community would like to see implementation (e.g. cameras aren’t going to be installed today) – however the safety of our community is of the utmost importance (we are your neighbors too!) and we will continue to explore the options available to us and speak with our attorney’s to get their guidance about the actions we have outlined above. When we have more information we will continue to communicate with our community. Homeowners are always welcome to send their concerns to the board either via the contact form on the website or via email.

ALERT: SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE IN OUR COMMUNITY

Earlier this year the following vehicle was flagged as suspicious in our community. We share this information with neighbors for awareness as more folks will be out during the day with school beginning again. As always your safety is priority one and we urge you strongly to NOT APPROACH suspicious vehicles.

This vehicle was observed in our community on 5/15/2024 in the afternoon hours between 12:00-1PM. It was observed in Eddy Ct (in Thornapple Grove) then traveled fast down Thornview Dr to Clubhurst Ct where it turned right and was next spotted on Claytonbend Dr. It was traveling at a high rate of speed and sped off quickly when a homeowner exited their garage.

If this vehicle is observed in our community please reach out to Columbus Police – especially if you notice suspicious behavior (observing property, driving slowly or speeding, approaching doors/windows). Any identifying observations about this vehicle (missing tail lights, license plates, dents/missing paint, signs/logos) would help aid in its identification. Noting the direction of travel this vehicle takes would also be useful to CPD. We also urge you to post your observations in the Thornapple Community Block Watch Facebook Group (this group was renamed from Thornapple Grove Block Watch (TAG)).

To be VERY clear: this is a suspicious vehicle, it does not mean this is the person who has been committing the thefts. We share this in the interest of safety and community awareness. Should anyone have knowledge that this vehicle is in our community as a known vendor, please let us know that as well.

Vehicle Make/Model – Chevy Suburban
Color: Black
Year: UNKNOWN
Identifying Marks: It has been noted this vehicle has darkly tinted windows and may have an out passenger taillight. Also there appears to be a sign on the front doors but the exact wording is unknown.

Below is an image of this vehicle from a neighbors security camera.

Links to videos of this vehicle can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LtdbIvLeRn42wGXZdIcanHAnCP8Bqs4L?usp=sharing 

 

Finally as a reminder: the VAT Board does not own, administer, or manage any of the content nor access to any Facebook group. We share this information ONLY to further help keep our community safe. The only official communications from the Board will come from the community newsletter posts or letters/emails sent directly to homeowners. Likewise we encourage any feedback you would like to give the board to be emailed or submitted via contact form on the website.
Posted on

Fall Reminders

School’s Back, Park Reminders & More

Hello Neighbors,

It’s hard to believe but summer vacation is coming to an end and fall activities are starting to ramp up. A few reminders for the coming weeks…

School is getting underway!

  • Busy Bus Stops
    Please keep an eye out for the kids during the morning and afternoon school bus hours.

 

  • Street Side Parked Cars
    If you park street side please be sure to leave the busses plenty of room to turn.  Stay close to curbs and away from intersections when possible.

    Park Reminders

  • Anyone under the age of 14 should have a parent or guardian with them at all times while at the park.
    This is to ensure all park rules are being followed and property treated appropriately and safely.

 

  • The park is private property and should be treated with respect.
    Climbing on the equipment should be limited to its intended use and climbing on the top of the shelter or park equipment is strictly prohibited. All park rules should be followed at all times.

 

  • There is no lost and found box at the neighborhood park.
    Keep an eye on your belongings and ensure all personal items are taken when leaving.

 

  • Please “bring it in, bring it out”.

The trash can at the park should capture the odd need while folks enjoy the park. This trash can is emptied by your neighbors (in their personal trash cans) so please be courteous when throwing away items. Please take empty beverage cups and pet waste bags to your own container.

 

Additional Updates

  • Speeding and Parking – Speeds on our main thoroughfares have been ticking up higher recently.  We have many folks parking along our roadways on these main roadways. This can make seeing folks crossing streets much more challenging – especially when coming around corners/bends.

Please make sure that vehicles parked along roadways are inline with curbs and not obstructing mailboxes/driveways. Also please slow down when traveling through these densely packed areas, beyond vehicles in the roadways there are children outside playing and utilizing sidewalks or streets for bike riding or just to grab an errant basket or soccer ball.

 

  • Alton-Darby Construction – We have all been experiencing the frustration that the closure of Alton-Darby at Feder and other local roadwork projects have brought to those in our community. In the coming weeks as new school routines are taking shape please be sure to add extra time to your morning commute to allow for the additional traffic.

 

  • Fiber Line Installation – The installation of the utility lines has created even more frustration within the community with homeowners now dealing with reseeding areas of their lawns or dealing with further issue left by this utility work. We encourage homeowners with concerns about their property and how this work may affect them to contact Ohio Utility Protection Service (OUPS/Call811), they may be able to assist in identifying the party who is completing work on their property. You can also look up permit applications with the City of Columbus at: https://www.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Get-a-Permit/Get-or-Track-a-Building-Permit

 

  • Yard Waste Bags & Landscaping Updates – As homeowners begin to prune back and make adjustments to landscaping for the fall and beyond a reminder that yard waste bags should be screened from view until the next pickup date. Also, before making any permanent landscaping changes (like removing trees/bushes) – take a moment to review the handbook landscaping requirements to ensure your home doesn’t fall out of compliance. Some adjustments may require a Request for Review application depending on the project scope.

We hope everyone finds this information useful. Blog posts are the main method of communication to our community – we strongly urge homeowners to NOT unsubscribe from this mailing list to ensure you receive all blog updates.

Have a great week everyone!

2024 VAT Board

Posted on

Roadways within VAT

Hello Neighbors,

As many homeowners are aware, there are several roadways within our community that are showing signs of deterioration. The Board has reached out to our Neighborhood Liaison, Rebecca Deeds, with the Department of Neighborhoods as well as the Department of Public Service about roadway maintenance and here is what was communicated:

Please find an image of the City’s pavement condition map for your area. As you can see from the second attachment, most of your neighborhood’s streets are in either “Fair” or “Poor” condition. With the City’s vast number of lane-miles to maintain and limited funds, it is not uncommon for streets to degrade to “very poor” condition before they are scheduled for resurfacing.

Below is a screenshot of an internal map that the city uses to track roadway conditions.

As you can see we have several streets in our community in the fair to poor condition with one isolated area marked as “very poor”. Complaints about roadway conditions are handled by Columbus 311. The Board STRONGLY ENCOURAGES all homeowners to contact Columbus 311 and report any adverse road conditions. When reporting online or via the Columbus311 app you will also have the opportunity to add photos to your report. Including these photos will also have an impact in how quickly our roadways are addressed.

As with previous years we expect the city to provide access to a “Capital Improvements Budget Recommendation” form that allows citizens to provide direct feedback on projects they feel should be addressed – however this form is not available at this time. As soon as the form is available it will be posted for homeowners to provide their feedback.

We hope this information provides a clearer picture of the status of our roadways and what steps are needed in order to make our roadways a priority for the city to resurface.

Posted on

Utility Markings and Construction

Recently many members of our community have had questions regarding the utility markings being found throughout our community.

There have been several Ohio811 (“call before you dig”) requests for utility markings on different streets within our community. This is related to new fiber optic lines being installed throughout our area. This is not an HOA related project. This construction occurs in the public right-of-way, so the HOA is not notified or involved.

The public-right-of-way is a strip of land dedicated for use by the City, in addition to the roadway, that is usually between the roadway edge and the sidewalk or utility poles. Generally it is ~12′ from the edge of the roadway, depending on what part of the City you are located. The City of Columbus requires permission and approval through specific ROW permits for use of the City’s public ROW.

Typically the construction vendor marks their intended construction locations with white spray paint. Then the construction vendor notifies utility protection service to locate and mark underground utilities only near the planned construction. By law the construction vendor must notify Ohio Utility Protection Service, or OUPS/Ohio811, (excluding weekends and legal holidays) at least 48 hours but no more than 10 working days prior to their work starting.

Want to know what all the different colors represent?

Red: electric power lines, cables, conduit and lighting cables
Orange: telecommunication, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduit
Yellow: natural gas, oil, steam, petroleum or other flammable
Green: sewers and drain lines
Blue: potable drinking water
Purple: reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines
Pink: temporary survey markings, unknown/unidentified facilities

 

We encourage homeowners with concerns about their property and how this work may affect them to contact OUPS, they may be able to assist in identifying the party who requesting the markings. You can also look up permit applications with the City of Columbus at: https://www.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Get-a-Permit/Get-or-Track-a-Building-Permit.

We hope this information helps homeowners find out more about how this construction may be affecting their property.

Posted on

Mailbox Painting Starts June 10

Weather permitting, our mailboxes will be painted June 10-14!
Please prepare your site if you have any objects that might impede the ability to reach your post or properly apply the paint.
The visible quality and consistency of our mailboxes is often one of the many compliments we get on our community.

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

©2026 Thornapple Association, Inc.