Beware Where You Get Your Information!!
Date: Monday, January 27 @ 14:40:30 EST
Topic: Playground
Beware Where You Get Your Info!Our home is immediately adjacent to the proposed playground site on Brookstone Dr. I was unaware that there were any plans to build a playground anywhere in the community until I received a newsletter asking for opinions on the color scheme of the playground equipment. ****CLICK READ MORE FOR FULL POST****
I promptly got involved, and voiced my opinion at the 2002 meeting at the fire station. During this meeting, the majority of homeowners in attendance seemed in agreement that the addition of a playground at this site would decidedly decrease the quality of life for those living nearby, while providing a resource that could be used by only a fraction of the community. I was told by the board members in attendance that there was no need for me to be so disturbed by the idea, since no further action would be taken until the opinions of the homeowners in that area were obtained. Well, here we are, a year later, and I find another notice in my box stating that we will be voting on playground equipment at the next meeting. This led me to visit the website, where I have read some very misinformed postings on the issue. First of all, the board members did not follow through on their word. I have spent two days canvassing the neighborhood getting input on this topic, and not one of the 50-60 members I spoke with has been consulted on this. In addition, not one of the people I spoke with is in favor of this project going up on our street. A few of our concerns are noise levels, traffic/parking issues, the safety of the site (there is a huge construction pit at the rear of the lot), nighttime activities on the site, and upkeep of the site (and we know what a great job the HOA-approved maintenance/landscapers have done). Also, there is mention of a playground increasing property values in the neighborhood. I spoke with 9 real estate agents and 3 appraisers, and the general consensus was that the playground would actually DECREASE the property values for those of us who live nearby. Our homeowner's insurance would also take a hit, as any child who left the playground and came into our yard would fall under our policy if and when they got hurt. Let me mention here that the site itself is very small, and the fence, if one was put in, would fall only 11-15 feet from the side of our home. Some individuals also stated that our only issue was that the playground would make the yards on either side look smaller. This was never a motivating factor, and is in fact an ignorant and dismissive comment. Perhaps this person might actually take the time to come on over and discuss the issue with those who live near the site? We would be happy to explain and expand on our position on the issue, but we have never been asked. In addition, the 97% approval rate for this project is a gross misrepresentation of the facts. I believe that this data comes from either an informal survey of individuals who attended a block party or from the people who responded to the latest newsletter. The newsletter in question gave respondents options on which colors they thought would look nice. This presumes that the project is a "done deal", and that only the details are up for debate. I suppose it would seem like a high approval rate when people are only voting on color schemes! Please approach this issue as if it was your house that would be 20 feet away from a group of rambunctious children. Speak with your neighbors; speak with the homeowners who live near the site. Better yet, take a critical approach to the information you receive on this or any other HOA topic. Consider that there is a budget surplus, and that the only way to justify our high dues is to spend some of this money. There is very little free space in the division, so the focus becomes where to spend the greatest amount at once. Perhaps, instead of pursuing a project that does not have the support of the community, and will most likely make the quality of life of those nearby decrease substantially, we should instead reconsider how much we pay in dues. Does our community really need that much money annually to meet our very limited landscaping/maintenance/social needs? Look at the postings on this issue and you will find that there is a tiny subset of our community who are pursuing this topic. Remember that it is the squeaky wheel that gets the oil. If you don't educate yourself on this or any other issue, then you essentially let others speak for you. Make a posting, make a call, attend a meeting, start a petition, because you never know when it might be your backyard that becomes the next "perfect" site. Feel free to contact me at 704-820-0797, or stop by to talk!
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