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Chimney Hill Owners Association
Landscape Committee Meeting
Friday, August 20, 2021
CALL TO ORDER
The Committee met at the Chimney Hill Clubhouse. Jane Cary, Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:32 a.m. The following Committee members attended: Kathleen Comeau, Diana Gould, Pam Massey, Anne Saracino, and Carol Sewall. ED James Walker also attended.
MINUTES
Those present approved the minutes of the previous meeting on June 19, 2021.
CURRENT BUSINESS
- Sip & Dig recap: Five Committee members opened their gardens for the Sip & Dig tour on Friday, July 30. Two of the gardens were newly established and three of the gardens have been designed and cultivated over a number of years. Ten members joined the tour. Plants and gardening tips were exchanged throughout the tour. Two new committee members were welcomed.
- Kiosks and other beds’ condition:The kiosks are looking good. Members like the new program of assigning a budget for each kiosk and allowing the caretakers to make decisions about the plants that are appropriate for their kiosk(s). As to the weeding of the Clubhouse and Office gardens, we agreed to set a specific date and time for members to gather and clean up these gardens. A blank spot has been observed in the garden at the Birchwood flagpole. Members will take a look at this and determine how best to fill it in. All agreed that the new hydrangeas look great there.
- Fall plants for kiosks:A tentative budget of not more than $30. for each of our eleven kiosks was suggested pending Diana’s confirming the availability of funds with the Office. Caretakers may choose when to replace the summer’s annuals with fall plants, such as chrysanthemums, cabbage, kale, and pumpkins, as long as they do it before Columbus Day weekend.
- Bulbs for the Clubhouse and Office gardens:We suggest daffodils for the Clubhouse flagpole and Office gardens. Diana and Pam will buy them through John Scheepers, Inc. When the bulbs arrive, members will be contacted to set up a planting party. Weeding will occur when we meet to plant bulbs.
- Clubhouse & Recreation Committee tag sale:Carlotta Gladding reported that a tag sale at the Birchwood tennis court is scheduled for the Columbus Day weekend. The Committee asked the Landscape Committee if they would arrange a plant sale for this event; however, Landscape Committee members agreed that the timing is not favorable for such a sale. It will be too late in the season for plants to be available, and interest in planting gardens will have waned.
MEMBER CONCERNS
- Management of common land:Diana suggested that the Committee might take on the additional project of caring for our common land, which, in many places on Chimney Hill, is overgrown and littered with fallen trees. Certain areas are unsightly and could be prone to wildfires. Would grants be available to hire a group to come in and clean up some of these areas? Would there be a tax advantage to this? Jane responded that many of our residents favor the natural look of the woods and that the woods provide a habitat for wildlife. In addition, we do have an issue with a few residents clearing common land illegally. An initiative of this kind might set a bad precedent. James added that he plans to look into land management issues and build a relationship with the Vermont Forest & Parks Department. He believes that it would be worthwhile to have a third-party expert do an assessment and advise us of possibilities.
- Community vegetable garden:Carol proposed that a vegetable garden, to be maintained by Committee members and other residents, might be established near the Birchwood tennis court with the goal of donating the produce to the local Food Pantry. Fencing would be needed to protect the garden from deer.
ADJOURNMENT: 10:40 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Pam Massey
Objective of the CHOA Landscape Committee, 2010
(updated 2018)
Our objective is to ensure that the public areas of the Chimney Hill community are
carefully maintained and, as necessary and feasible, enhanced by shrubs, trees, and
colorful plantings, pleasant to the eye, and an invaluable contribution toward the
increase in property values.
In order to meet this objective, we must:
1) Meet regularly to discuss and address Committee members’ and CHOA members’
specific concerns;
2) Oversee the work of the contracted CHOA Gardener and provide input; assist the
Gardener when feasible to save on costs;
3) Provide education to the Chimney Hill community on
a) How to plant and maintain attractive properties;
b) Appreciation of the wildlife and vegetation on our lands by presenting workshops and nature-oriented events;
c) Update our website with pertinent articles and reference works; contribute comments and advice to the e-newsletter