Community Information

Please see the VWOA President's Letter on the Welcome page of this website for more information.

Roads.  Streets in Vernon Woods are privately owned by adjoining lot owners.  (See the Map tab above.)  The streets are laid out on roadway easements generally running along the edges of various Vernon Woods properties.  In general, property ownership extends to the centerline of the roads they abut.  However, the manner in which the roads developed causes them to wander a bit within the easements.  Since the roadway easements are somewhat wider than the roads themselves, the easements include portions of unpaved property as well as paved. 

Among the primary responsibilities of the Association are roadway maintenance and snow plowing.  There are approximately 14,700 feet of private roads in Vernon Woods, so both maintenance and plowing can be big and expensive undertakings.

Snow Plowing.  The VWOA hires a snow plow service each year to plow snow from roads within the VWOA, which include Orange Brace, Blackthorn, Juneberry, Thornmeadow, Greenbriar, Scotch, White Oak and Treasure Lane.  For several years, Vernon Woods resident Herb Regan has expertly performed the service.  Please keep these points in mind: 

1. When piling snow at your driveway entrance, make low mounds so the roadway is clearly visible in both directions, so children cannot hide behind them.  If they hide behind a pile of snow the snowplow driver may not see them.

2. To prevent damage to vehicles and snowplows, please remove all decorative rocks, logs or other objects at least 6 feet from the paved edge of the road.

3. Clear an area in front of your mailbox so the postal delivery person can easily approach.

4. If there is a fire hydrant on your property, shovel a path to and around it from the roadway.

5. Don't put garbage receptacles on or near the road when plowing is expected.  If the driver doesn't see them, your garbage may end up all over the street.

6. When clearing your driveway of snow and ice, be sure not to push, shovel or blow snow or ice onto the roadway.

Drainage.  By ordinance, the Village requires property owners to maintain drainage ditches on their properties.  If a drainage ditch on your property is blocked and creating flooding on someone else’s property, it is your responsibility to clear the ditch.  If a drainage ditch on someone else’s property is blocked and creating flooding on your property, please contact the homeowner and a VWOA director.  The Association assists homeowners in keeping ditches clear of debris to allow proper stormwater drainage. 

Lot 1.  The Association maintains Lot 1 – the Patterson Nature Preserve (see the Lot 1 tab) - at the west end of Orange Brace Road.  Residents of Vernon Woods are co-owners of that property.  The Association assesses dues annually to homeowners to carry out the responsibilities of the Association.  In the past, much work has been performed by volunteers.  If you’d like to volunteer, please contact a VWOA director.

Road Signs.  The VWOA works with the Village Police Department to maintain proper traffic signs on Association roads.  The VWOA encourages homeowners to notify the VWOA of any signs that have been knocked down or that have fallen over. 

Roadway Visibility and Safety.  The VWOA encourages residents to maintain proper roadway visibility by trimming tall grasses, shrubs and trees that block sight lines down streets or at corners.  In addition, because we have no sidewalks and many residents enjoy walking on our roads, please try to clear areas immediately adjacent to roadways so residents will have somewhere to step when a car or truck passes.  Since poison ivy is so widespread in Vernon Woods, your neighbors would be grateful if you remove poison ivy at the roadway’s edges so they don’t inadvertently brush against it as they walk along our roads.

Roadway Obstructions.  Both the roads and the unpaved easement areas on your property should remain free of structures such as railroad ties, boulders and out-buildings, to facilitate road maintenance and snow plowing.  After a substantial snowfall, it’s very difficult for the snowplow operator to plow from shoulder-to-shoulder and at the same time avoid colliding with obstructions at the edges of the roadway.  Likewise, it’s sometimes difficult for drivers to spot obstructions as they navigate heavily snow-covered roads.

Dangerous Trees.  If you know of a dead tree or dangerous limb on your lot that may obstruct the road (or worse) if it fell, please either remedy the situation or contact the Village or Riverwoods police for assistance.  If the Village must remove an obstruction, the cost - which will be billed to the property owner - is usually much higher than the cost of preventive action.  As of May 2021, the minimum charge imposed by the Village contractor is $400.  

A few more things should be kept in mind.  Removing trees - dead or alive - requires a Village permit.  Emergency removal of a fallen tree may be done before applying for a permit.  There is no permit charge for removal of a standing or fallen dead tree.  Failure to acquire a permit may result in a fine.  Also, the Village contractor clears only the pavement.  The property owner is required to remove debris at least three feet from the edge of the pavement.  (If you know of a tree on a neighbor's property that may cause damage, please contact the neighbor.  If the tree poses imminent danger, please also contact the Village or the Riverwoods police.) 

Rules of the Road.  While the Riverwoods police department enforces the 15 mph speed limits and related laws on our private roads, residents of Vernon Woods have developed our own "Rules of the Road" in an effort to enhance safety and civility in our neighborhood.  Those rules are largely ones of common sense and courtesy.  Many of our roads are very narrow - particularly in winter when piled-up snow may encroach into the street.  In many cases, two cars cannot easily pass going in opposite directions.  When this situation arises, it is expected that the driver best able to get out of the way will do so.  What that means is that if you are the driver nearest a driveway, you should pull out of the way to allow the other car to pass.  This simple act of courtesy is typically met with a smile and a wave by the accommodated driver.  

The shoulders of our roads are continuing to take a beating and it is becoming a problem.  To combat the deterioration, please have landscapers park in your driveway instead of pulling off the side of the road.  It could be a minor inconvenience for them and you, but it will save expensive repairs for the association later.  Also, when you encounter an oncoming vehicle, please pull into a driveway or side street instead of driving off the shoulder. 

In an area filled with such natural beauty as ours, but without sidewalks, we have joggers, pedestrians, bicyclists, equestrians and children using our roads.  Please slow down when approaching them, especially when roads are wet or icy.  Of course, we frequently have deer on our roads, too – another reason to exercise caution.  Be especially careful on roads that bend or have grasses, bushes or tree branches that may obscure vision.  And as a property owner, it's your responsibility to clear the roadway easement area of obstructions (as well as of poison ivy) for the benefit of your neighbors.   

Parking. The shoulders of our roads are continuing to take a beating.  When cracks are formed, the winter freeze-thaw cycle progressively destroys the edges of our roads.  To combat the deterioration, please have landscapers and other service personnel park in your driveway instead of pulling onto the side of the road.  It could be a minor inconvenience for them and you, but it will save expensive repairs for the association later and help keep our assessments as low as possible.  

Please ask your guests to park in your driveway, to avoid damage to road edges and compaction of adjacent soil.  If roadway parking is absolutely necessary, have them carefully park on your side of the road, to avoid blocking passage. Limited parking is available at the Village Hall if you advise ahead.  If you are planning a large party, please notify the police.  Parking signs are available.  At all times access must be available for at least eight feet, for emergency vehicles.  Overnight parking on roads is generally prohibited.  For detailed information about parking and vehicular restrictions, please consult the Village website.

Light Pollution.  Here’s a surprising fact: night lighting can harm trees and flowering plants. A study by Purdue University noted that since the 1940’s it’s been known that the development mechanism of trees and flowering plants is influenced by the duration of uninterrupted darkness. Another study found that nighttime lighting can disrupt a nocturnal animal’s biological clock, having adverse health effects. As little as 10 to 15 minutes of exposure to moderate light, equivalent to twilight, can significantly shift the circadian rhythm of nocturnal animals. A third study found that artificial lighting in natural areas has a significant impact on the diversity, distribution and abundance of butterflies. National Geographic concluded that dark skies are a natural resource, worthy of protection just as an old growth forest or a scenic overlook. Household exterior lighting is regulated by Village ordinance.   

Animal Deposits.  To owners of horses, dogs and other assorted animals:  As a kind courtesy to walkers and bikers, please be sure to clean up any deposits of your animals on or along roadways and paths. 

If Vernon Woods is to remain beautiful and desirable, the cooperation of all residents is essential.  Thanks!

Photo on this page by Greg Mancuso