Village at Thornapple News

Posted on

Community Park Updates

Hello Neighbors,

As mentioned at the annual community meeting, our community park has reached the point where an equipment change and resurfacing would need to take place.

Equipment at the park was adjusted a few years ago to extend the life of the equipment. However, at this point replacement parts are either not recommended or not available for our equipment. In addition to this, our playground surface has reached its natural end of life, with several cracks within the surface spreading from annual freeze/thaw cycles.

In speaking with several suppliers of playground equipment and surfacing it was universally acknowledged that for the best results of both equipment and surface life going forward, the two changes should be made simultaneously.

The Board is kindly requesting that all registered homeowners take a brief survey about our community park. We’d like your thoughts on the playground’s current use, design, and what you would like to see for the future. This feedback will be used to guide the quoting process. The link to the survey is noted at the end of this post.

This survey is ONLY open to homeowners within the VAT community. Homeowners are asked to enter their REGISTERED email addresses (where you receive email notifications from the community). These registered email addresses will be used to confirm membership within VAT.

Please keep in mind, the community park is designated green space per our community planning. Removing the park/playground will not change the space’s designation and would come at considerable cost as well. It is the Board’s hope that with the community’s guidance for the park, we will be able to present 2-3 options for the future park that homeowners will be able to weigh in on before a final selection is made. Exact timing is still to be determined.

We hope all homeowners take this opportunity to provide feedback to the Board for consideration. Homeowners are always welcome to send any additional feedback to the board directly – [email protected]. Please use the subject: Community Park Updates.

Click here for the survey: Community Park Feedback
The survey will open in a new window and should take less than 5 minutes to complete.

Thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing your feedback.

Posted on

2024 Community Garage Sale – Mark your calendar!

With the end of the school year and summer fast approaching there have been several inquiries for when our community garage sale is going to be happening. It’s great to see so many households eager to participate!

The dates for 2024 are going to be June 7th and 8th.

We hope to see some great community involvement and hope folks use this as an opportunity to get out and speak with neighbors and new faces within the community.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar!

Posted on

Door-to-Door Salespeople

With the warmer weather brings vendors out into the neighborhoods soliciting business. A few reminders about door-to-door sales people within the City of Columbus.

All door-to-door salespeople within the City of Columbus should have a license. Below are images of the 2024 versions.



These badges should be on display when vendors approach your home. When residents are approached by an unlicensed door-to-door sales person, they may call the police non-emergency number, in the moment, as police may be dispatched when available.

The License Section also shared new, preferred reporting methods for unlicensed door-to-door salespeople. Complaints should be sent to [email protected], and residents may also call in concerns to 614-645-6496 and leave a message, should no one pick up.

Information that would be beneficial to the License Section is the location of either an intersection or at least the name of the neighborhood, what company the individual says they are with, and the time of day of the incident.

More information about this topic can be found here – scroll down to “Door-to-Door sales: Know Your Rights“

Posted on

Reminder – Village Easter Egg Hunt

REMINDER

The annual Easter egg hunt will be held at the community park on Saturday, March 30th at 1:00 PM, rain or shine. This fun community event is for children ages 1 – 10. We have heard that the Easter bunny will be there for picture taking!

This is a “blink and you missed it” event so please be sure to arrive as close to 1PM as possible. Our hunts usually last 15-20 minutes once all the kids get participating. However to know our “hunting limits” we need children to arrive on time.

All participants should bring a basket or other container to use while gathering eggs.  At the end of the hunt all the plastic eggs will be collected for use next year so please make sure to close and turn them in once they are emptied. 

We look forward to seeing everyone this weekend!
VAT Social Committee

Posted on

Village Easter Egg Hunt 2024

The annual Easter egg hunt will be held at the community park on Saturday, March 30th at 1:00 PM, rain or shine. This fun community event is for children ages 1 – 10. Plus, the Easter bunny should be there for picture taking!!!

Make sure you bring a basket or other container to use while gathering eggs.  At the end of the hunt all the plastic eggs will be collected for use next year.

In keeping with prior years, we are asking for the community’s help with candy donations. We are seeking a total of 900 pre-filled Easter Eggs. Below is a link to our SignUp Genius for this event. Donations are needed by March 23rd at the latest.

Please note: failure to secure enough donations will result in this event’s cancellation. 

If anyone is willing to represent the Easter Bunny (or have a teen who may be willing) – we have a one size fits all outfit available. Please reach out to the Board to confirm – [email protected].

Thank You

The VAT Social Committee
Posted on

2024 Annual Meeting Reminder

A reminder that the VAT annual meeting has been scheduled. All homeowners are encouraged to attend.

Details for this meeting were included in the annual assessment packet and can be found below as well.

Date: Sunday, February 4, 2024
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Southwest Area Library at Westland – 4740 W Broad St

The primary purpose of this meeting is the election of Board members.

Join the Board – Be a new member on the Board! A full HOA board consists of seven members with seats split into even and odd years. Due to seat terms, four members have just completed their two year term and those positions will be open for new members. One member of the odd year group will be moving, which results in a total of five available board positions. This means we can have up to five new faces on the board in 2024 – and one of them could be yours! 

Serving on the board is a great way to learn about our community and get to know your neighbors. All knowledge is welcome but in particular, experience with finance, accounting, or maintenance would be very helpful in serving our neighborhood. Want to learn more about the time commitment and responsibilities before volunteering? Send an email with your contact information to Board@thornappleassociation.org for more information.

We look forward to seeing everyone.

Posted on

Winter Weather & Snow Removal

Hi neighbors,

Our first accumulating snow of 2024 is in the forecast so while the kids are dreaming of snow days, sled rides, and snowmen…for the rest of us it is time for a refresher about VAT snow removal.

Snow removal – City and private trucks will once again be out cleaning our roadways when snow is projected. To keep our neighborhood as safe as we can we need your help. We encourage everyone to observe the following guidelines at all times but most especially when snowfall of 3″ or greater is expected in our area.

    1. Park vehicles in garages or driveways
      Fewer vehicles impeding plows and salt trucks will ensure better snow removal. When possible keep vehicles off roadways until after plows come through. This is especially important for residents in our courts and cul-de-sacs where extra vehicles can create impassable lanes for these large trucks.
    2. Remove any debris from storm drains
      Water runoff and snow melt that cannot drain will refreeze along roadways and crosswalks creating more hazards for residents. When conditions allow, please check storm drains on your property to ensure they are clear and allowing runoff to freely access drains.
    3. Slow down and add time to your commute
      Several bus stops in our community are near tight intersections where children may be waiting for busses. Please take your time navigating slick or snow covered streets especially in the morning hours.

We understand that not everyone will be able to do all of these items, but the more members of the community that participate, the safer our streets will be.

Stay safe everyone!

Posted on

Dues, Volunteering, and Annual Meeting

Happy New Year VAT neighbors!

A few reminders and announcements as 2024 gets underway for everyone:

Dues – In 2022 our annual assessment (i.e. dues) deadline changed to January 31st to give homeowners a bit more time for payment after the busy holiday season as well as cleanly align neighborhood income and expenses in the same calendar year.

If you would like to pay online using a debit or credit card (MC/V): You will need to email our property manager (information below) for a link to pay – some additional fees will apply as well. Payment cannot be made via the community website.

If paying via check, money order, or bank check payment can be made to: The Thornapple Association Inc

Total: $315

Mailing Address: 
The Thornapple Association
c/o VB Business Service
1209 Hill Rd N., #150
Pickerington, OH 43147

Payment due date: January 31st, 2024

Annual dues are subject to the Village at Thornapple Homeowners’ Association collection policy. Please note if you have a past-due balance on your account, you must include the entire balance due to be considered current on your annual assessment. Payments received will be applied to the oldest assessments on the property.

Further questions? Please email our property manager, Vida Burns, at [email protected] or call her at 614 402 5039.

Volunteers needed in 2024 – What makes our community great? You! In 2024 we would love to see more members of our community take an active role in its governance, care and social events. We have 275 homes in our community allowing everyone the opportunity to volunteer and serve on the board or assist with social or caretaking events. Since 2020 less than 5% of homeowners have volunteered in some capacity within our community. Over 20% of homeowners in VAT moved here since 2018 and we want you to get involved. So, how can you participate?

Join the Board – Be a new member on the Board! A full HOA board consists of seven members with seats split into even and odd years. Due to seat terms, four members have just completed their two year term and those positions will be open for new members. One member of the odd year group will be moving, which results in a total of five available board positions. This means we can have up to five new faces on the board in 2024 – and one of them could be yours! 

Serving on the board is a great way to learn about our community and get to know your neighbors. All knowledge is welcome but in particular, experience with finance, accounting, or maintenance would be very helpful in serving our neighborhood. Want to learn more about the time commitment and responsibilities before volunteering? Send an email with your contact information to Board@thornappleassociation.org for more information.

Board seats are voted upon at the annual meeting so anyone with interest is encouraged to attend the meeting to submit their application or learn more. 

Other ways to volunteer – Within VAT we often have several odd jobs that extra hands could help complete. Examples include: cleaning graffiti from park equipment, changing light bulbs, removing trash from the park and community fence, or helping prepare or clean-up social events like the Easter egg hunt or National Night Out. Volunteering to assist with these items helps keep our dues down and foster a better community for everyone. Worried about the time commitment? Don’t be! Most volunteer needs are less than an hour. Plus, the more volunteers we have, the faster the work gets done.

Annual Meeting – Finally, as a reminder our annual association meeting is scheduled for Sunday February 4th at 2PM. The meeting will be at the Southwest Public Library at Westland (4740 W. Broad St). We look forward to seeing you there.

Wishing everyone a safe and warm week and all the best in 2024!

Posted on

VAT Home of the Holidays Winner!

The votes are in! The VAT Home of the Holidays is 6350 Turngate Lane, where The Tripletts are making merry! Congratulations! If you look closely, you can see the leg lamp featured prominently. Thank you to everyone who let their spirits and lights shine this year! Our neighborhood sparkles because you’re in it!

Posted on

Reminder – 2024 Annual Assessment

REMINDER – Annual Dues
Several homeowners have reached out with concerns over not yet receiving their annual dues invoices. Per the changes from 2023 – the deadline to pay annual dues has moved to January 31, 2024. Invoices will be mailed in late December/early January.

Please note that the property manager’s address changed in 2023. Be sure your online bill pay address field reflects the information below:

VB Business Service
1209 Hill Rd. N. #150
Pickerington, OH 43147

©2026 Thornapple Association, Inc.