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

Join us in each close for a landscaping review, additional input, and a close walkthrough. These sessions will help us with long term landscape planning and developing the upcoming request for proposal (bid) for landscaping services.

• Beechmast 455-461: June 12, 10 am, @ 457 Beechmast
• Beechmast 462-467: June 12, 11:30 am, @ 464 Beechmast
• Beechmast 468-487: June 12, 1 pm, @ 472 Beechmast
• Whisperwood: June 12, 4:30 pm, @ 330 Whisperwood
• Beechmast 489-503: June 13, 10 am, @ 495 Beechmast
• Wintercrest East: June 14, 10 am, @ 415 Wintercrest East
• Crossvine: June 14, 3 pm, @ 452 Crossvine
• Brampton: June 15, 10 am, @ 411 Brampton
• Weymouth: June 15, 10 am, @ 353 Weymouth
• Wintercrest West: June 17, 4:30 pm, @ 373 Wintercrest West
• Linden: June 17, 10 am, @ 359 Linden
• Baneberry: June 19, 4:30 pm, @ Mail Kiosk
• Sycamore: June 20, 10 am, @ 322 Sycamore
• Lyndfield: June 21, 10 am, @ 386 Lyndfield