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Nov 2023

Saturday Nov 11, 2023

Please find below the HOA Board’s response to recent emails:

Before your Home Owners Association (HOA) board implemented extra dues payment for two years, the board obtained the professional advice of Charleston Management for this issue. This is the first time a major dues increase was requested from our neighborhood community since 2002, when the neighborhood was developed and officially recognized by the Town of Chapel Hill. Therefore, we wanted to make changes in a correct way. We studied and reread the covenants completely to help our understanding.

The HOA professionals we consulted read the notice that we distributed. They found the Yes/No ballot and a third party counting the votes to be correct. They also found the notice to fit the requirements for this kind of change. That is, from bi-annual dues to dues three times in a calendar year.  

The HOA professionals we consulted stated that the number of voters required for a “Quorum” was forty-one per Article V, Section 6 of the covenants.

Your board increased dues by following the covenants and by seeking the counsel of professionals regularly involved with the management of Home Owners Associations. As of this writing, this issue is closed.

Another recent email topic was converting the pond to a retention basin.

When Windsor Park was developed over 20 years ago, the Town of Chapel Hill mandated Centex and the neighborhood developer to install a rain water retention pond. This pond was one of the first the Town of Chapel Hill requested to be built in a neighborhood.

The installation of a water retention pond is to handle and slow down the large amount of water that comes off of neighborhood streets, such as in our neighborhood. For instance, during a thunderstorm, the three inlets to the pond may look like raging rivers. The standpipe system, repaired in 2022, slows the water flowing out of the pond and into a “small stream”. This prevents flooding in adjacent Town of Chapel Hill neighborhoods.

The small stream starts behind the home at 501 Westminster Drive, heads south, then turns west, and passes behind the pond. It continues towards Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Not only does our rainwater go into this stream, but also all rainwater from the street slope north of 501 Westminster Drive. Two drains in the curbs on either side of the street direct rainwater underground via pipe to the beginning of the small stream. In fact, water from the nearby apartments’ retention basin overflow at times may contribute to the small stream at this same point.

Succinctly, per the Town of Chapel Hill over 20 years ago, rain water must be slowed down and routed in such a way as to not flood the homes on Stateside Drive.

It was also questioned in an email to the HOA board if repair bids were requested. A repair bid is when a company is consulted for how much a project may cost.

Yes- your HOA board certainly requested repair bids from companies before we received this repair to our water retention pond system. Four bids were received for this repair.

One contractor withdrew their bid. The contractors’ bids ranged from $24,000 to $60,000. The high bid and the low bid were rejected because of quality of work or repair styles. The contractor that your HOA board selected completes repairs for the State of North Carolina Department of Transportation.

In addition to these emails from your neighborhood’s residents, one resident mentioned a new and relevant neighborhood topic: Rental Properties and developing a max number of rentals allowed. This will be addressed separately.

Thank you for taking the time to read and understand the contents of this response from your HOA board.

Oct 2023

The subdivision voted on building back up the reserves for a "Pond Maintenance and Repair" fund:

We had a 61% participation for the vote (41 households voted, out of 67) which is sufficient for a quorum. The results are:

• YES: 34  (83%)

• NO:   7   (17%)

The pond is our subdivision's largest liability: should the dam or drain system of the pond fail, the homes on neighboring Stateside Dr. would be flooded. The previous dam/drain system in our pond has lasted 25 years and has finally reached its end-of-life.

Sept 2023

Election of HOA Board

There were no new candidates for the HOA Board so the current members will serve another 5-year term, starting on 10/28/2023. 

They are:

• Khiem Bui - President

• Joe Powell - Architectural Chair

• Annie Chu - Social Committee Chair

• J.K. Lin - Communications Chair

• Amy He - Treasurer

July 2022

Pond repair

This PowerPoint presentation shows a typical pond repair (link will open in a new page). 

The technique used to repair our pond is the "Sliplining" one (on slide 10).

Aug 2021

Beware of people casing your house for potential burglaries

At around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday 8/10/21, Chapel Hill police said a home was broken into on Laurens Way near the Homestead Aquatic Center. Police said the break-in was similar to some being investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Durham Police Department.

Investigators believe a suspect in a construction-style vest was going “door-to-door” checking if anyone is home. Police said if no one is home, he and other suspects returned to break in.

Pictures of the suspects can be found at this link:

https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/orange-county-news/suspects-targeting-unlocked-homes-in-chapel-hill-police-warn/

October 2019

Beware of this scam

You may have people knocking on your door, claiming to be from the "Department of Home Affairs" and wanting to verify your ID for the upcoming 2020 census. THIS IS A SCAM.

They are most likely casing your house for a future burglary.

There is no "Department of Home Affairs" in the US. The "Department of Home Affairs" is an agency of the South African government. See this link: http://www.dha.gov.za/

Please call 911 to report any suspicious activity.

June 2017 Update

Signs Posted at the Neighborhood Pond

We have put up signs at the neighborhood pond ("No Trespassing/No Fishing/No Swimming") as we have noticed increased traffic from non-residents of the subdivision, who thought it was a public pond. The signs are there to help protect us from liability in case there is an accident.

February 2017 Update

Potential Scammers Claiming to be from AT&T

From the Chapel Hill Police Dept (02/10/2017):

We have received several reports of men possibly posing as door-to-door solicitors for AT&T internet service. The Town of Chapel Hill requires solicitors selling goods and services to obtain a permit before selling door-to-door. If solicitors have not obtained this permit, are unable to produce the permit, or you have concerns about the validity of a permit, call 911 immediately to have an officer respond. Additionally, if you do not wish to interact with a solicitor, even if they have a permit, simply tell them to leave.

Scammers have been posing as AT&T personnel, as in this story (it happened in Greensboro):

http://www.wfmynews2.com/news/local/schemers-posing-as-att-workers-targeting-gso-residents/133328359

From the article: police say sometimes burglars pose as salesman to scout out their next targets. Officer Douglas Campbell with the Greensboro Police Department says it’s a perfect way for the criminals to get a good look at the inside of your house.

Official AT&T Policy:

• AT&T Solution Providers [contractors] must have an AT&T Solution Providers ID.

• They are never supposed to enter a residence (except under limited extreme weather conditions as outlined in the policy manual for safety purposes – visible lightning, tornadoes, frozen precipitation, temperatures at or below 32 degrees, extreme heat temperatures greater than 100 degrees, etc.). For the above exceptions they MUST be invited in by the customer and must note on any order form that they entered the customer’s home.

June 2016 Update

Breaking & Entering - Windsor Park

Another break-in, as told by the homeowner:

Yesterday [June 6, 2016] between 7:30 PM and 8:00 PM, someone broke into our house [on Westminster Dr]. We had just gone out for a walk with our dog when this happened. We had locked all the doors and windows, as we always do. It looks like the thief entered through one of the back windows, as we found muddy footprints leading away from that window. We called Chapel Hill police, and a a large number of officers came to our house immediately to check things out. They checked very thoroughly all the nooks and corners inside the house, including the attics, but didn't find anyone. Then they went outside and checked all around the house. The window screen (of the window through which the thief made his entry) had been yanked out and lying outside. The officers were as baffled as we about how the thief could have opened a locked window. It's not clear which way he made his exit.

This afternoon I got a call from an employee at UNC that one of her co-workers found my wallet lying in the grass on the side of Airport Rd. All the cards were there but the cash was gone. I called Chapel Hill police and handed over the wallet and all its contents. They took some fingerprints and will let us know if they catch someone.

In view of all the burglaries happening in our neighborhood, it's high time we install security cameras in the subdivision, located at strategic locations. I think security trumps all other concerns including privacy rights. We are already giving up a bit of our privacy for security, as, for example, while boarding a plane. So these privacy concerns do not sound very genuine to me. We all want to be safe in the place we call home.

May 2016 Update

Lawn Maintenance

Breaking & Entering - Windsor Park

Breaking & Entering - Subdivisions near East Chapel Hill High

• Dear neighbors: now that summer is here, please be sure to maintain the lawns; by our covenants the grass should not be taller than 8" (20 cms). Please also trim the grass around mailboxes, trees, garden borders, etc. Our lawns were fescue when the homes were built. Fescue is only supposed to have 1/3 of its height cut per mowing. Cutting more than that does considerable harm to the grass. If you go on vacation for extended periods, ask a neighbor to watch your house and possibly take care of your lawn, and return the favor when the opportunity arises. This brings us to a recent (fortunately, unsuccessful) Breaking & Entering incident in our subdivision as described below:

• On Tuesday May 5, 2016 someone attempted to break into my home on Somersview Drive.  The incident occurred at 10:30 am and unfolded as follows:

- At 10:30 am someone repeatedly rang my front doorbell and then began forcefully knocking on the door.

- I was unable to open the door but went to the front of the house to see if someone was in need of help.  I never saw anyone leave the front door and  headed back to my bedroom.

- Next, I heard loud noises coming from the rear of my house.

- I opened the blinds in my bedroom and saw 2 African American men standing on my deck; they had removed the screen and were trying to figure out how to access my house through a window.

- I yelled at the men; they looked up at me ran from the deck.

When I spoke with the police I was informed that there are numerous home break-ins in our area; most of them occur during the day while homeowners are at work.  I was just fortunate to be at home that morning having just returned from out of town travel.

It appears to be a somewhat organized ring.

- Police spoke with a neighbor who saw three men running down the hill on Somersview toward Westminster Dr.  The 3rd man apparently serves as a lookout while the other 2 enter the house.

- It is believed that a 4th person waits with a car somewhere close by.

We must be diligent and look out for each other’s homes.  If you see anything strange, call CHPD immediately.  The officers that responded to my home assured me that they would rather get a call that turned out to be nothing, than not to receive a call at all.

• The subdivisions around East Chapel Hill High (Silver Creek, Chandlers Green, Englewood) have also been hit with burglaries recently. Below is an email that is circulating in those neighborhoods. The good news is that some of the perps may have been caught. Nevertheless, please remain vigilant and do not hesitate to call 911 if you see anything suspicious.

Neighbors,

Tonight [5/10/2016], the community watch reps from Silver Creek, Chandlers Green, Englewood and I met with Inv. Gilchrist, Sgt. Britt, and a patrol officer from CHPD to get an update on the continued break-ins. 

• There was a break-in reported in Englewood today.

• CHPD believes that the group responsible for the evening break-ins was caught by the Cary PD.

• The Silver Creek home invasion last week involving a family held at knife point was not related to any other break-ins. The family knew the thief, and he was later arrested.

• The recent daytime break-ins are believed to be a professional group from Durham. Their MO is to ring or knock at the front door, and if it appears no one is home, they move to the back of the house to break in. They leave immediately if a security system sounds.

To ensure your safety, the police recommend:

• • Install a security system

  • Make sure all windows (even upper floors) and deadbolts are locked

  • Do not answer the door for anyone you do not know, (including solicitors), but do speak to them through the door so they know that you are home, then call 911 in all instances. The police now deem door-to-door soliciting as ‘antiquated’, and anyone doing so has a high chance of being up to no good.

  • Remain vigilant and call 911 for anything you feel is suspicious. They reiterated that no call is too small.

 The reps from Silver Creek, Chandlers Green, Englewood, and Springcrest will now alert each other immediately if something crime/safety-related happens in their neighborhood, so we can all be aware of what is going on in our surrounding neighborhoods.

Dec 2015 Update

Burglary

5 Dec 2015. Approximately 1:30 PM.  A white male came to our door asking about doing lawn service.  While he was there, his accomplice (white female) had parked their car in our driveway in such a way that only the tail end of the car could be seen from our front door.  While he had me occupied at the door, his accomplice went into our garage and stole a weed eater.  They would have taken more had they had more time. Do NOT leave your garage door open for any period of time if you are not physically IN the garage...not to get groceries out of the trunk, not to mow the backyard, not any time at all because they can hit and be gone just that fast.  My wife was working outside and had the garage door open.  That likely was what attracted them to our house, despite us being home and it being daytime.

They were driving a charcoal colored or light blue Honda and had a child in a car seat in the back.  The license plate was covered with cardboard.  The male was approximately 6 feet tall with extensive tattoos on both arms.  Chapel Hill PD was notified.  Police are pretty sure they are looking for items to pawn and turn into cash for drugs.  If they came to this neighborhood once, it's very possible they'll return.  Please be cautious and alert.  It only took them less than a couple of minutes.

Sept 2014 Update

According to the noise regulations for Chapel Hill (link below), please wait till after 9 am on weekends to mow your lawn or operate a leaf blower.

The hours are:

    Weekdays:    8 am to 7 pm

    Weekends:    9 am to 5 pm

Town Regulations:

http://www.townofchapelhill.org/town-hall/departments-services/a-z-services/good-neighbors

(the "Noise" section is about mid-way down the page)

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12/08/2013: A house in Claris Ct was burglarized last week, in the early evening (around 6 pm). Details to follow.

Please keep an eye out for strangers or suspicious activities in our neighborhood and do not hesitate to call 911 to report them. We had a rash of break-ins late last year and early this year (scroll down this page for details), let's not allow it to happen again. If you will be away for the holidays, please stop the mail and newspapers, and ask a trusted neighbor to check on your house regularly.

Please do not hesitate to call 911 to report suspicious vehicles or activities

Once the thieves realize we are vigilant and watch out for each other, they will stop

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The speed tables have been approved: in its meeting on 11/19/2013, the Chapel Hill Town Council has approved 2 speed tables for our neighborhood. This caps a 2-year effort to get them installed. Many thanks to Joe Powell who has spearheaded that endeavor from the very beginning and who has met several times with the Town Traffic Engineer.

The precise location of the tables and the timeline for their installation are to be determined. We have requested that one be installed at the intersection of Summersview Dr. and Westminster Dr., and the other on Westminster Dr., just before the entrance into our neighborhood. The Town Traffic Engineer has agreed with those locations, in an earlier meeting with us (in Oct 2013).

We will keep you posted of further developments.

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The Chapel Hill PoIice Dept has informed us that both Westminster Dr. and Somersview Dr. have been put on their "Watch Sheet", i.e., the Police will start issuing tickets for speeding and running Stop signs on those streets. So please slow down, for the safety of our children and for your own safety.

Installation of speed tables: The Chapel Hill Town Council was to discuss (and in all likelihood, approve) the installation of speed tables in its meeting on Monday 10/28. Our neighborhood has requested two such devices: one at the intersection of Somersview and Westminster Dr., where many of our children wait for school buses in the morning, and the other at the entrance of our neighborhood on Westminster Dr.

Unfortunately, this item was removed from the Town Council's agenda at the last minute. It turns out a resident of the Southbridge subdivision did not agree with speed tables installation in his/her neighborhood. FYI, Southbridge is near Culbreth Middle School.

Three members of the Windsor Park HOA (Joe Powell, Randy Hiltner and Khiem Bui) attended the Town Council meeting. Joe, who spoke for all of us, stated that it would be unfair for all neighborhoods awaiting speed tables to have to wait, because of a lone dissenter in a different neighborhood. The Mayor replied that he understood and that this item will be back on the Town Council's agenda for November.

We will keep you posted of further developments.

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Please - No Fishing: Anyone caught fishing in the Windsor Park HOA Rainwater Retention Pond will be fined $100.00. This fine will be added to your annual dues. The Board has given enough warnings that everyone should be aware that no fishing is allowed, per the Covenants.

The last warning was given at the neighborhood picnic on 4/20/2013.

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Attempted Break-In on 4/3/2013: Someone tried to force his way into the front door of a house on Somersview. The perp was run off by an alert neighbor who also called the police.

Vandalism over the weekend of 4/13/2013: Vandals took two Stop signs at the intersection of Somersview and Adrian's place. The signs have been replaced, but if you saw anything please notify the police.

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Burglaries (2x) in our neighborhood in March 2013

This is getting distressingly familiar.

Burglaries have happened again in our subdivision, twice in 3 days: One on Black Tie, and one on Westminster Drive.

The burglars entered through open doors, according to the Police. Newspapers sitting in the driveway for several days are an open invitation to burglars. Please stop newspaper delivery, or have a trusted neighbor pick them up when you are away. Also be aware that burglars have been looking under doormats since it's a common spot for hiding keys.

We've had two burglaries in February and two in March. I am concerned that our subdivision may be getting an "easy picking" reputation among the local burglars! Please lock your doors and windows, and keep an eye out for suspicious folks or cars if you are at home during the day.

Burglaries (2x) on Westminster Dr. in Feb 2013

Two houses have been hit in Feb. Burglars are getting in through unlocked doors, so please make sure all entryways to your house are secured.

One of the two houses is on Adrian's Pl. The burglars got in through an unlocked door, at night (on 2/18), and stole several items while the owners were asleep. The owners woke up when they heard a door slam shut in the middle of the night. Police was called. The thieves tried to use the stolen credit/debit cards at nearby stores (Harris Teeter, Whole Foods).

Many of the past incidents share the same M.O., so there is a strong possibility it is the same group of perps. They will walk around at night and during the day, and try your doors - so make sure all entryways are well secured. So far nobody has been hurt, but I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before something bad happens (either to the burglar or to a homeowner).

Attempted burglary on Westminster Dr. on Thursday Nov 15, 2012

The burglary was foiled by a concerned neighbor who called the Police and a member of the HOA Board.

Details: The suspect was observed going house to house and ringing doorbells. If he did not get an answer, he would look into windows. One of the houses was occupied and when the owner came out, the suspect claimed to be trying to start up a landscaping business. However, he had no fliers, no business cards, no vehicle, and was wearing gloves when the weather was warm. His movement was monitored after he walked away, and he was seen trying to force open the back door of another house. He found out that he had been observed and fled. The Police came but he was able to get away. This happened at 10:15 am when most people are at work or in school.

What the Police shared:

• With two holidays around the corner and the school systems on break, there will be a number of houses vacant. We need to watch our houses and those of our neighbors. A favorite tactic is for burglars to do exactly what this guy was doing: pretend to be part of a business while looking for vacant houses and scoping out items that can be stolen and quickly turned into cash.

• In Chapel Hill, it is unlawful to solicit without a permit. If you run across anyone doing that in our subdivision, please do not hesitate to call 911. Obviously, the Police does not mean to stop kids selling cookies or school fundraisers etc., but this will help stop adults using door-to-door sales as a cover for criminal operations.

A previous burglary had occurred on July 31, 2012. Thieves used an unlocked door to enter a house on Claris Ct while the owners were home and sleeping and took a number of articles. To prevent crimes of opportunity, make sure your doors and windows are secure. Close your garage doors at night and lock them.