Community Input and Next Steps

A big thank you to the community for sharing your valuable input to help shape the future of landscaping services in Countryhouse. Here’s a summary of where we’ve been and what’s next:

1. Input Gathering: We’ve collected input from our community meeting, online survey, and individual Close walkthroughs.
2. Review and Summary: The board has reviewed all the input received and developed a summary of community input, which can be found below
3. Creation of a Request for Proposal (Bid Document), for seeking 2025 Landscaping Services: Using the input and summary, the board and landscaping committee has developed an outline of landscaping services for seeking proposals for our 2025 community-wide landscaping services. The Request for Proposal will be shared with landscaping vendors at the end of August, with bids due mid-September.
4. Short-term and Long-term Plans: Input from the walkthroughs has been shared with the landscaping committee, who are focusing on both short-term improvements that can be implemented soon and planning for longer-term landscaping projects.

It has been great to see such involvement from the community, which helps ensure that decisions are well-informed and inclusive of community preferences and priorities. If there’s any additional information you’d like to share or questions you have, please don’t hesitate:   bod@countryhousehoa.org

Review of Community Landscaping Input

Top Three Landscaping Priorities

1. Mowing, Blowing, Weeding, Edging
2. Pruning and Removal/Replanting of Shrubs and Trees
3. Process, Communication, Accountability, Transparency

Summary of Community Input

Mowing, Blowing, Weeding, Edging:

• Improve care and attention to grass mowing—including use of smaller/mulching mowers with improved clearing of debris
• Improve attention to grass growing–specific to conditions and/or alternatives where grass cannot grow well
• Improve care with blowing–specific to needs and using care around buildings, vehicles
• Improve edging and cleanup of fallen sticks/branches and resident gardener trimmings
• Improve weeding, including in flower beds—by hand and/or with non-toxic alternative to Roundup

Pruning and Removal of Shrubs and Trees

• More proactive and careful pruning and re-planting of shrubbery
• More proactive and responsive tree pruning and removal to improve safety and avoid property damage—with a clear process, schedule, and responsive communication with homeowners
• Develop a plan, budget, and execution for ongoing shrubbery/landscaping replenishment with native, deer-proof, and appropriately sized/low-maintenance dwarf species

Process, Communication, Accountability, Transparency

• More frequent and detailed ongoing communication of landscaping work and schedules
• Clarify landscaper vs. homeowner responsibilities–with additional flexibility for homeowners regarding plantings
• Improve cost-effectiveness, communication, and oversight of landscaping services

Additional

• Improve and increase frequency of drain clearing
• Maintain consistent depth levels of mulched/pine straw areas, and allow flexibility for homeowner choice

Prioritized Suggestions

• Separate Landscaping and Tree Committees to enhance responsiveness and safety
• Clarify and simplify landscaping guidelines and processes in the homeowners’ guide
• Improve landscaping communication, accountability, and review through assigned close representatives
• Enhance communications with homeowners regarding requests, status, and scheduling of work: refine process with Property Manager/AppFolio serving as central clearinghouse for facilitating all landscaping and tree requests and effective communication of responses and schedules
• Explore separate multiyear landscape replenishment process (and budget) using input and guidance from close representatives and homeowners, landscape committee, and local expertise (cooperative extension, master gardeners, landscapers, etc.)
• Develop detailed Request for Proposal (bid document) seeking itemized costs for each major area–allowing flexibility for prioritization and alternate options according to needs and budget