Covenant Change Fails by a 2 to 1 Margin – So Where Do We Go From Here?

By Randy Simpson

The members of the Association have spoken and the proposed covenant change to have Andover Glen use Aurora City Code to dictate the width of our driveways has failed.  The exact numbers can be found in the minutes from the last meeting (available at www.andoverglen.org), but approximately 40 of you said no to the proposal and 20 said yes, with 2 abstentions.

So what does this mean? Well, as has been reported here in the Gazette and at several Board meetings, there is a covenant review committee being formed to look at our covenants in general, and you can be certain that this driveway issue will be reviewed as part of that overall process. Even our AG attorney has suggested that we look to revising this driveway language, it just was that case that the proposal that we just voted on was (in the opinion of our Attorney, and the majority of you who voted), not the right direction to take. Rest assured however, that this will be looked at over the course of the next year as part of a more comprehensive and thorough review of our covenants.

It should be noted as a point of reference, that this whole covenant change voting process cost our Association around $2100.  The majority of your Board Members were opposed to taking this to a vote at this time, but once enough signatures were gathered on a petition, we were legally obligated to do so. This cost is simply brought out as a point for your consideration for the next time a covenant change petition is circulated. It might be prudent that each of us ought to carefully consider the costs to the Association, and make certain that proposals for covenant changes truly merit the funds necessary to pay an attorney to research and draft up the legal documents for such a vote.

Finally, I do want to thank those who voted (regardless of which side you were on). Matters such as these are important to our neighborhood and the greater the participation, the more valid and representative the results. ~

Lawsuit Update

By Randy Simpson

Many of you are probably aware that the Association is involved in a lawsuit against a Homeowner who broke not one, but two of our covenants. I wanted to clarify this situation as there has unfortunately been a lot of confusing misinformation circulating related to this issue.

First of all, the results of the covenant change vote, regardless of how it went, would not have changed the course of this lawsuit. I hope this was made clear in previous communications. It also must be clearly known that the decision to proceed with this lawsuit only occurred after several months of trying to solve the situation through negotiation and dialog. A lawsuit was the last thing your AG Board wanted, but was forced into the situation to protect the overall integrity of our covenants.

The Homeowner involved in this lawsuit has now become involved in what looks to be far more significant legal issues not related to the Association. One potential outcome of these legal issues could be the foreclosure of their

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property. Should this happen, our attorney has let us know that under Colorado Law, Associations such as ours are first in line after the mortgage company to receive whatever money is due Andover Glen. We are even ahead of the State of Colorado. We have confidence that there is ample equity in the home for the Association to receive compensation for our legal costs in this matter as well as whatever costs are necessary to remedy any covenant violations of the property.

Certain alterations to the property have already been found by the Architectural committee to be far outside the limits established by the covenants. The AG Board will discuss exactly what the remedies need to be to return the property into the compliance. Another key issue has always primarily been that no request or for an Architectural change was filed as contractually mandated in the covenants.

Currently, the Association is not expending any more significant funds on this lawsuit and we expect no major movement on this issue until August. However, if there is something new to report, I will bring it to you in next month’s Gazette. If you have any specific questions related to this lawsuit, to the extent I can legally can answer them, I will gladly take your phone calls or emails. ~

Another June of Garage Sales and Dumpster Days Gone By

By Debra Jones

Andover Glen had 17 homes that participated in having a garage sale on the Friday and Saturday of Father’s Day weekend. We seemed to have a lot of shoppers through the neighborhood, though even bigger crowds would have been welcomed. I hope everyone had great success in selling their goods. Rich and Donna Foerster with Keller Williams placed a large red sign on Parker Road and put several directional signs through the neighborhood. Thanks Rich and Donna for your support in Andover Glen.

Dumpster weekend has also come and gone. It once again was an ‘overflowing’ success, which points to the fact that we do need to remember not to overfill the dumpster. If the dumpster is too full with items and the waste management company cannot cover the dumpster. They will bring out another dumpster and we have to transfer the items into the other dumpster and pay for an extra dumpster. So please remember, don't overfill. We all ought to thank Norm Arlt for leveling out the dumpster so the waste management would take haul it away and not require a second one. Look for another Dumpster Days coming in the fall! ~

City Funds and Sweat Equity Improve Andover Glen and Save Water!

By Norm Arlt

After a lot of planning and hard work, our xeriscape rebate plan with the City of Aurora is now complete. We have recently converted 8,259 square feet of grass into a mulched xeriscape plant area. We planted 152 xeric plants, and moved 15 existing plants. We were able to combine two spray irrigation zones into one drip zone, so already we have reduced water usage. Once the plants are established, we should be able to eliminate watering them except for drought conditions.

The greatest thing about this project is that was financially funded by a generous grant from the City of Aurora! We have requested payment from the City of Aurora of our $8,259 rebate. Current costs for chemicals, plants, and irrigation work were about $6,000, so we will be able to do even more xeriscaping to utilize the full grant money as time and the weather permit.

There are three reasons why we were able to convert our area to xeriscape for less than the amount of our rebate (allowing us to do even more later!):

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1. The City of Aurora Water Department drafted our design for us at no cost.

2. The City of Aurora Forestry and Neighborhood Services Departments worked with us to provide about 90 cubic yards of mulch for FREE.

3. Andover Glen homeowners volunteered their time and equipment to spread all those yards of mulch. These homeowners deserved to be recognized! Many thanks to Ron and Linda Adams, Linda Jackson and children, Derrick Laughlin, Bob Meyer, Larry and Anne Stellmon, Mike Zabinski, Norm and Quink Arlt, Bob and Susan Stracy, Mitch Powell, and Brent Paschal for all their hard work!

For more details on this fantastic project, check the Andover Glen website at www.andoverglen.org. ~

Special Feature Article:

Saving Money on Summer Utility Bills

By Donna Foerster, GRI

Keller Williams Realty

You can do several things to take the bite out of water and electric bills in the warmer months. Here are just a few:

Seal it up. Make sure you have ample insulation in your attic, and be sure your doors and windows are caulked and weather-stripped so cold air can’t seep out. You may be able to cut your energy bill by as much as 30 percent!

Create a breeze. Ceiling fans help circulate your air conditioning’s cool air so your room stays cooler longer – and so your air conditioning doesn’t need to kick in as often. Fans also let you keep your thermostat set at an energy-saving 78 degrees.

Cover it up. Cover your windows to keep cool air in and warm air out. Insulated drapes or blinds and/or UV-cutting film on your windows can help cut costs.

Pick plants wisely. Before you plant or prune, think about how the sun affects your house. You may want a huge shade tree rather than a low garden of beautiful flowers near your south- or west-facing windows. If you xeriscape-select native, drought-tolerant plants – you’ll save on your water bill. (Remember to consider your neighborhood requirements in your plans too.)

Give an inch. Set your lawn mower to cut your grass 2 to 3 inches high. Taller grass actually needs less water because the soil doesn’t dry out as quickly. Reduce you water bill – and preserve your yard – by watering lawns early in the morning. If you turn on sprinklers at mid-day, the water is absorbed too quickly; you’ll either have to use more water or end up with dying grass. If you water in the evening, the grass stays moist too long, which encourages lawn diseases. Use a sprinkler timer to make life easier.

Choose lighting wisely. Summer means more daylight hours, so don’t be so quick to turn lights on when you get home. Lights not only use up electricity, but the bulbs generate extra heat. Try three-way fixtures or fluorescent bulbs where possible so you can choose to use less wattage. Instead of leaving the bathroom light on all night, let low-wattage night lights light the way. In the dining room, put your chandelier on a dimmer switch and go with 15-watt bulbs instead of 40-watt.

Automate it. If you have trouble remembering to turn lights off, put them on timers or motion sensors. You can do this with exterior lights, garage lights-anything! A motion sensor on the bulbs in your basement laundry area saves headaches as well as money: no more struggling to reach the light switch when your hands are full!

These all may sound like small changes, but they really do add up – and cut down the bottom line on your utility bills!

PSSST! Got Any New Graffiti?

By Bob Meyer

Graffiti is about as old as the written word. So says Sir John Hackett, soldier, scholar, and historian. "Where the Dog River, near Beirut, tumbles down into the Mediterranean, there is a rock face carrying graffiti ranging from inscriptions by Persian soldiers long before Christ to those by Australian Light Horse in our own time."

And Andover Glen has had a share of such "lines of writ". Last board meeting, questions arose as to what to do if the annoying scribbles and art work appear. Aurora Police suggest:

A). If graffiti is on your own property and so vulgar as to warrant immediate removal, first try to take a picture and forward to APD.

Otherwise, call APD specialists at the Graffiti Hot Line (303-739-6043) and give them as much specific info as possible as to the nature and the location of this material.

We do not know if the messages and images are gang-related, or just wannabees. Police specialists can evaluate and remove better than we can, perhaps putting an important piece of info into solving or preventing a crime. This process may take about one week. Most "tags" may be in the "Kilroy was here" category, but we never really know. ~

Your Association Needs You!

There will be no less than 5 vacancies coming up on the AG Board this fall! If you’ve ever thought about serving your neighborhood, this would be a great year to take the plunge! Contact any current Board Member for more details.

If you have an ad or notice you’d like to place in the Gazette under the Neighbor to Neighbor section, please contact Randy Simpson at rgatess@yahoo.com