Category: Safety

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Beggars Night 2023

Halloween is almost upon us and we want our community Beggar’s night to be spooktacular!

Please take note of the following to keep all our community kiddos safe on Beggars Night.

 

Beggars Night – Tuesday, October 31st 6-8PM

 

  • Clear sidewalks – Ohio weather is always unpredictable and rain can often be part of a Beggars Night forecast. Please help keep sidewalks, ramps, and gutters/drains clear from fallen leaves to keep our walking paths safe.
  • Lights On (or off!) – Most families know a lit porch light often means homeowners are participating in Beggars Night. If you want a quiet evening, please keep your porch light off or place a note on your door indicating you are not participating.
  • Slow down – If you find yourself driving in the community between 6-8PM, please keep your speed down and watch for excited children who may be crossing the roadways.
  • Safety First – Make sure costumes are easy to walk and see in. Flashlights and reflective tape are useful too to ensure that people are easier to see at night.
  • VAT Social Committee  – Some VAT Social Committee members will be handing out information or have signs up on how to donate to our Social Committee fund. Please consider a donation to this group. These funds will help secure a Santa visit as well as help fund additional events like the Egg Hunt, food trucks, and National Night Out within our community.

Wishing everyone a happy Halloween!

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Back to School and other reminders

Hello Neighbors,

We hope everyone is doing well and that neighborhood families are getting back into the routine a new school year brings. 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. Add a few minutes to your morning commute to help keep our neighborhood safe.

 

  • 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.

Neighborhood Safety

Please be sure to keep an eye out in all courts and cul-de-sacs for small children who may be playing. Homeowners have expressed concerns that small children are very difficult to see while playing and especially so with cars parked along roadways.

Parents please remind your kiddos that while they might be able to see the cars, the cars can’t always see them – please stick to the sidewalks and yards as much as possible.

Thank you to everyone in our community who help keep us safe!

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Spring Reminders

Despite the chill this week spring is finally here. A few reminders as the season progresses:

  • Watch out! – The nicer weather means more folks out walking, running and riding. Please keep speeds down and make sure to take corners with caution.
  • Use your safety equipment – Nighttime riders and walkers especially – please make sure the reflectors or lighting on your bikes or clothing is readily visible to drivers. Children under 18 are REQUIRED to wear a helmet in the City of Columbus. Visit this link for more rules of the road. Also, don’t forget to lock doors and windows at the end of the day and keep garage doors closed when not actively using. The simplest methods can avoid injury and prevent theft.
  • Keep driveways and sidewalks clear – Not only from vehicles or objects on the ground, like bikes or grass clippings, check for overgrown landscaping, creeping beds, and low hanging branches from trees as well.
  • Review the handbook prior to taking on exterior projects and file your Request for Review (RR) forms early – The spring and summer months bring on many outdoor projects that are subject to Architectural Review (ARC). Make sure to allow time for ARC to receive and process your application before scheduling vendor work.

Looking forward to warmer days ahead – have a great week!

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VAT Snow Removal

Hello Neighbors,

In 2022 the Board heard many homeowners’ concerns about snow removal within our community. Many homeowners in courts and cul-de-sacs told us that by the time plows arrived, the snow was so packed down that plows did not drop their blades, and instead spread salt. Homeowners on main roadways often had slush and ice building up around curbs due to lack of drainage. All-in-all, homeowners dealt with icy streets to try to maneuver through and lots of frustration.

In response to these concerns, the Board has arranged for private snow removal within our community in 2023. It is our plan to continue with these services should they improve the safety of our community. There are some parameters for these services and they are outlined below:

  1. Snow removal will only occur once 4″ of snow has fallen (NOT forecasted)
  2. Snow removal will occur as quickly as possible within our contractors territory but a service time is not “guaranteed”
  3. Any salting services will remain with the city of Columbus

City of Columbus plows will still service our community however it is our goal that our private contracted services will clear our roadways faster once the snow stops. Making for clear and safer streets.

To take the best advantage of this service we kindly ask homeowners to do the following when heavy snow is in the forecast:

  1. Park all vehicles in garages or driveways to leave roadways clear.
    This is especially important within our courts and cul-de-sacs. If these vehicles stay off the street until plows come through it will greatly improve the quality of service we receive and the clearing of your streets.
  2. Do not throw snow from sidewalks or driveways into the streets once plowed.
    Keeping this additional snow away from streets will help make sure we take full advantage of this service.
  3. Take note of any drains near your curbs and sidewalks.
    Please keep sewer drains and gutters free from debris and uncovered from snow if you are able. Allowing this runoff to access drains will help keep streets safer from ice.
  4. Slow down.
    We have several icy corners within our community. Be sure to give plenty of stopping distance and allow your fellow residents ample space to make turns when snow and ice occur.

We hope residents find this new service an enhancement to our community and we will welcome feedback as snow events occur so we can follow up with our contractor as appropriate.

Safe driving everyone.

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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.

A reminder – many of these projects will require a Request for Review application to ensure compliance. Applications can take up to 30 days for review. Please plan your projects accordingly.

 

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!

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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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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

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