Santa Claus Is Coming to Town!
Daylight Savings Ends, VAT turns 30, Driveways
End of Daylight Savings Time
A reminder that this Sunday, November 6th, at 2:00AM marks the end of Daylight Savings Time – don’t forget to set your clocks back by an hour.
Also, this is a great opportunity to take care of semi-annual homeowner projects such as: changing batteries in smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, cleaning external dryer vents, having furnace and fireplaces serviced and making sure home emergency kits are up to date.
Village at Thornapple Turns 30
As we progress into the fall and winter months many homeowners are addressing common home maintenance projects including: driveways, roofs, landscaping and home painting. It is exciting to see homeowners showing pride in our community.
This year marked the 30 year anniversary of our neighborhood’s establishment. Due to our neighborhood achieving a certain age many of the more expensive home maintenance projects have been showing up in the neighborhood. To help homeowners plan and budget for these projects over the next few weeks we will be posting information for homeowners to reference when looking at home projects and budgeting for the upcoming year.
Driveways
To starts us off we will be covering driveways. Current guidance is that concrete driveways will reach end of life at approximately 20-30 years depending on care, use, maintenance, and weather. As asphalt driveway will last approximately 20 years again depending on care, use, maintenance, and weather.
For our community a property will be determined to be outside compliance when any of the following apply:
Black Top/Asphalt
Replacement will be warranted when >75% of driveway is fractured, fissured, and/or deteriorated (graveling) OR
Sealing will be warranted when 50% has no visible appearance of blacktop sealant
Concrete Driveways
Replacement will be warranted when >75% of driveway sections are broken, heaved, or decomposing into aggregate
Driveway replacements DO require a Request for Review application with approval to proceed with work. Many local businesses have long waiting lists so make sure to plan your project timelines accordingly.
Finally, don’t forget to thoroughly vet any vendor you plan on using. There are many resources for this: Google/Yelp Reviews, the Better Business Bureau, Angie’s, and others. According to the BBB here are some of the best practices when it comes to vetting a new vendor:
1. Research and gather information
2. Ask for references
3. Ask for multiple quotes
4. Get information/offers in writing
5. Verify licenses and insurance
6. Confirm building permits
7. Inquire about lien waivers
8. Ask about warranty coverage
9. Arrange a payment schedule
10. Get a receipt
11. Keep your contract
For more information on any of these items click here.
We hope homeowners find this information helpful and informative. Have a great weekend everyone!
Fall Update – Beggar’s Night/Trick or Treat & Reminders
Hello Neighbors,
Well just as quickly as October arrived it is almost November! A few reminders as we progress into fall and the temperature (and leaves) drop.
Beggars Night/Trick or Treat
Our community follows the city of Columbus date/time set by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. This year Beggars Night/Trick or Treat will fall on Monday, October 31st from 6-8PM.
Please use caution while driving through our community and watch out for ghosts, princesses, witches, Paw Patrol pups, and all the other fun costumed folks you may see!
Reminder: Neighbors with wheelchairs or strollers can struggle with passing around parked vehicles that block sidewalks. Vehicles should be parked to not block sidewalks – please utilize on street parking when able.
(Side note: Many folks wonder why Columbus doesn’t always hand out candy on Halloween – check out this article for some local history.)
Reminder: Leaves
Our neighborhood has beautiful fall foliage – sadly it becomes a fall mess rather quickly. A few reminders when it comes to fall(ing) leaves:
- The city of Columbus does not vacuum up leaves from the curb or clear any street gutters. Please take some time to remove leaves from sidewalks/street gutters. Wet leaves can create dangerously slick sidewalks and gutter drains get blocked not allowing water runoff from rain or ice melt to make it to sewers.
- Please do not leave blown leaves in the street or blow them down the street to other homes. This creates additional work for homeowners who are already battling leaves of their own.
- Don’t forget to check gutters and downspouts for leaves. Backups of leaves trap water and eventually ice in the colder months. This causes gutters to separate from homes and could cause blockages and backups in the sewer systems.
All leaves should be bagged and stored until the next scheduled recycling/yard waste pickup. Our community’s next recycling/yard waste pickup is Monday, October 31st.
Getting ready for the holidays
We know, we know – Thanksgiving isn’t even here yet and already we are looking ahead to Christmas. You know the holidays can get very busy! With that said…
We are hoping to have photos with Santa make a return this year – if anyone would like to volunteer to participate in our holiday event please email the Board ([email protected]) and put “ATTN: Social Committee” in the subject with your name and contact information. Also, if anyone has access to large thermoses (that can be used to keep beverages warm) – please let us know. The sooner we have volunteers/equipment the faster we can make plans and get this scheduled.
Finally, just a quick note to say that this year we are holding a “Christmas Vacation” Challenge to the VAT neighborhood!
Many of our neighbors already put on excellent holiday light displays and we know that those lights often start getting hung in the milder weather of November. This year the Board is hoping to get folks excited to channel their inner Clark Griswold and put up some truly excellent light displays. Neighbors could then vote on the household whose display they liked the best.
Currently we are trying to gauge interest for this event. Neighbors that wish to participate should let the Board know via email ([email protected]) and put “ATTN: Christmas Vacation Challenge” in the subject with their name and contact information. The board will need to know no later than December 1st if your household wishes to be included – displays would need to be up no later than December 16th. More details to come!
We hope this message finds everyone well and enjoying all that fall in Ohio has to offer. Wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween!
School’s Back, Park Reminders & More
Hello Neighbors,
We hope everyone is doing well and that neighborhood families are getting back into the swing of the school year schedule. It seems that Summer was just getting underway and now school is starting again. Several reminders as the school year resumes and activities increase this coming Fall:
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. Empty beverage cups and please take pet waste bags to your own container.
Additional Updates
- More blog posts are coming– In an effort to provide more communication to homeowners we will start publishing additional blog posts related to commonly asked questions as well as to provide some additional information that directly affects homeowners – namely – construction updates. We hope our fellow homeowners will find these posts useful and will try to be as timely as possible in providing the updates. As many already know, the construction crews may run into problems necessitating unscheduled closures but our hope is to help make your daily commuting easier when possible.
- Feder Rd Closed Sunday 8/21, 7PM to 5AM
You may want to add a few minutes to your Monday morning commute just in case this project runs into issues. Per the Far West Side Area Commission Facebook Page:
ROAD CLOSURE (edited to add additional details and location): Feder Road, from Hilliard-Rome to the BP station entrance, will be closed Sunday, August 21, from 7 pm to 5 am. Traffic heading west from the BP will still be able to travel west, but traffic coming from Alton Darby Creek will only be able to travel east as far as the BP. This closure is to install a 42” storm sewer across Feder Road, per Tom Murphy, Construction Project Manager.
- Cypress construction project – There is currently a rezoning proposal before the city planning department related to land owned by Cypress. The developer is proposing an apartment complex in this area. The Board is monitoring updates on this project as they become available.
- National Night Out – Thank you to everyone who participated and attended the National Night Out event at the park. We were delighted with the turnout and are so grateful to live in such a vibrant community. A special thank you to our neighbor Dan for preforming, Kona Ice for coming out with their truck, the Social Committee volunteers who helped execute our event and of course Columbus Fire, and Columbus Police for letting us explore their vehicles and for all they do to keep us safe. Our thank you signs were gratefully received and we hope folks look forward to having another event next year!
Sorry for the long message, but we hope everyone finds this information useful. Blog posts are the main method of communication – we strongly urge homeowners do NOT unsubscribe from this mailing list to ensure you receive all blog updates.
Happy (soon to be!) Fall everyone!
2022 VAT Board
Reminder – National Night Out – August 2nd, 6-9PM
Hello everyone,
We hope you have had a great weekend and are looking forward to National Night Out this Tuesday at the VAT park!
As a reminder this family friendly event is open to all of the Thornapple community as a way to foster relationships within our community as well as with our local fire and police services.
Our plans for this event include:
Dan & Paul Acoustic – 6-9PM
Kona Ice – 6:30-8PM
Kona Ice will be donating a % of their sales to the VAT Social Committee so please come with your sweet tooth! As a reminder Social Committee funds are dependent on the generosity of neighbors, no funding is provided by VAT annual dues. The Social Committee will also have bottled water and other non-alcoholic beverages available for sale.
Columbus Fire Department – Fire Truck Visit – 7-8PM
Plus sidewalk chalk, cornhole, lawn bowling, a visit from the Columbus Police Department (hopefully!) , and other outdoor fun!
We kindly ask that folks DO NOT park on the Aldengate street side directly in front of the park on Tuesday to leave room for both the Kona Ice and CFD Trucks.
This area is a tight fit with these large vehicles and we are anticipating a fair amount of foot traffic, we highly suggest walking to the park or parking nearby and not directly in this area.
This is a family friendly event and all rules of the park will be in effect (ie, No Alcohol/Illegal Substances, No Smoking, Pets must be leashed at all times, etc). Please help do your part to keep the park looking great by removing any trash upon leaving.
In thanks to the CPD & CFD for all they do we will have some posters available for folks to sign if they wish, thanking them for their service to our community. Please stop by and add your message to these boards!
So grab the lawn chairs and blankets, bring the bubbles and games for the kids, and come join us for an evening of community, fun, and thanks.
See you there!
2022 VAT Board
National Night Out – August 2nd, 6-9PM
Hello Neighbors,
We hope everyone is having a great summer and enjoying the sunny weather!
In the past 12 months there have been lots of new faces joining our community – and with all the construction projects – lots of activity in the surrounding area.
For the first time our community has opted to participate in National Night Out. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. This event is open to all members of the VAT community.
Our hope is that participating this year will give everyone an opportunity to meet one another, learn more about each other, and learn more about how our community is run.
Plans are still in the works but this is a family friendly event. Neighbors can expect live music, outdoor games and fun, a visit from the Columbus Fire Department for the kids to get an up-close look at a firetruck from 7-8PM, frozen treats for sale benefitting our Social Committee and Columbus Police will (hopefully!) be making a stop as well.
So grab a lawn chair, bring the bubbles and sidewalk chalk and join us for a community night out. The VAT Board hopes your family can make it out and that this will be the first of additional annual events for the community!
National Night Out – August 2nd, 6 – 9PM
VAT Park
Please note: In the event of severe weather or lightning this event would be cancelled. A blog post will be created to update the event status.
We hope to see you there,
2022 VAT Board
Tree Updates
Dear Homeowners,
As many of you are likely aware, there has been discussion about the care and maintenance of the street trees within our community. Specifically, several ash trees require bi-annual trunk injection treatments against Emerald Ash Borer at a significant cost to the community – which was mentioned at the annual meeting in February.
After discussions among the board, property management, City of Columbus Urban Forestry, arborists, and neighbors, we have decided to proceed with treating these trees for 2022. Below are some of the details related to this decision:
- Treatment for the ash trees dates back to 2012. The Association has been absorbing these costs since then.
- Due to the size of the trees in question, trunk injections are the best course of action. Soil soaks are not as effective on trees as large as ours.
- The board would like to have further community discussion on this issue, but due to the timeline to treat these and other trees on community-managed property (i.e., entrances, the park) a decision had to be made quickly.
- Our community arborist will only be treating trees with less than 30% of decline. Trees with higher rates of decline will not be treated by the HOA. Homeowners with these trees on their properties may choose to treat these trees themselves, but will need to complete the permit process with the City of Columbus Urban Forestry Department.
The board received much community response, and this is not a final decision on these trees for the future. Treatment for these trees will not be needed again until 2024 and the board would like to engage the community more directly with the opportunity for homeowners to ask questions and hear feedback at a future annual meeting.
A reminder on street trees: These trees fall under City of Columbus ordinance and are subject to specific city code. In our conversations with the Forestry section, they explained that trees marked with a blue dot indicates that the City is keeping that tree under review for possible future removal. Trees marked with a blue “X” are scheduled for removal. Please keep this in mind as you walk around the community.
Finally, if you have a tree in need of pruning due to low branches over sidewalks or a tree that is creating a hazard that needs to be removed, please call the City of Columbus 311 line to report – (614) 645-3111, M-F 8:00AM – 5:00PM .
For more information about street trees please visit: https://www.columbus.gov/street-tree-faqs/
Updated Handbook – Handbook 7.0 Now Available
Dear Homeowners,
At the annual meeting of the VAT Homeowners’ Association, the board announced that an updated Community Handbook would be released reflecting some revised guidelines and standards.
We are pleased to announce that the new handbook is available for homeowners to read and use.
This is linked below for your convenience: https://thornappleassociation.org/homeowner-resources/association/
As a quick reference, the following are a few changes:
- Annual membership dues shall be billed on or before January 1 and shall be due and payable each year on January 31
- Collection policy has been extended on delinquency
- Recreational vehicles may remain long enough to prep for use and storage, but shall not exceed a 48-hour period
- Homeowners are responsible for maintaining and painting mailboxes while adhering to the community design standards
As always, many exterior maintenance and home improvement projects within our community are subject to Architectural Review. If after reviewing the handbook you still have questions related to your proposed project or maintenance, we encourage you to reach out to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) via email: [email protected]
We hope you find these changes/updates a welcome reflection of continued pride in keeping our community exceptional.
2022 VAT board directors
Alert: Armyworms taking Ohio by surprise!
Hello Members of The Thornapple Association –
We were provided time sensitive information related to the growing infestation of Armyworms from Five Seasons Landscape (one of our service providers) and wanted to pass this along.
| “We have recently seen an unanticipated infestation of Fall Armyworms in central Ohio. This armyworm is native to southern parts of the country but has migrated its way north due to some of the large summer Gulf storms we have experienced across our area.
The Fall Armyworm is different than the common Armyworm that is native to Ohio, which mostly causes damage in the spring to cereal crops such as wheat. We have seen lawns get devoured in just a few days once the Fall Armyworm larva starts to infest an area. Fall Armyworms feed on a range of plants, but they prefer turf, especially Bermudagrass, Fescues, Ryegrass, Bentgrass and Bluegrass. With all the rain that has fallen this year, most lawns are covered with lush green grass, and that has resulted in large populations of fall armyworms moving across lawns in a mass, devouring what seems to be every blade of grass. Insecticides may need to be utilized to control large populations of Fall Armyworms from causing catastrophic damage to turf areas. Even if you have received an insect/grub application this year from Five Seasons Landscape, you may need to have an additional application of insecticide applied to control the infestation of this insect. Fortunately, the Fall Armyworm only feeds on the upper portion(leaf) of the grass plant, so many times the plant will recover on its own. It is important to keep the crown of the grass plant moist during this recovery period by supplemental watering/irrigation. Also, an application of fertilizer can help the turf recover faster if there is adequate moisture, by providing nutrients to encourage new leaf growth. Your brown lawn may look bad for a couple of weeks, but in most cases the turf will recover with proper care.” For more information, contact Five Seasons Landscape | www.fiveseasonslandscape.com |
Alert: Playground Area Closed Sat (6/12) for 48 hours!!!
Attention Homeowners and Friends. The company that provides maintenance to our playground equipment and surface will be doing some repair work on Saturday, June 12th, to fill some holes that are in the surface. This process will take between 36-48 hours to properly cure. All areas of the park, outside of the playground equipment and safety surface will still be open for use. Please help us let Pro-Techs people make these repairs properly by avoiding this area this weekend. The area should be cleared by Monday am!! And if you find yourself enjoying the park this weekend, please help us keep the foot traffic off this area.
Our apologies for the late notice but it is weather and availability dependent.
Thank you for your support and assistance.
VAT Board