Clarification – Path from the Park Through Wetlands

On July 10th the following anonymous notice was posted to the association sign on Indianola:

7-10-12

An illegal path has been cut through the woods from “our” park. The entrance to the path is located to the right of the pontoon slips. What are we going to do about this violation of “our” wetlands?

 

That path from the pontoon area of the Park is not new, and was originally cleared by the developer in 2006 to provide access to 20 lakefront parcels that the developer, Gold Krause, listed for sale. Partly as a response to that clearing, but also in response to claims made by the real estate salesman, the neighborhood initiated a lawsuit against the developer and the initial purchasers of those properties. The lawsuit concluded four years later in an out-of-court settlement between all parties, in which all agreed to maintain an easement from the Park, along the lakefront, to the last parcel (lot 95) at the southeast end of the lake. Specifically:

“grants across each of their respective lots an easement located next to or near Strawberry Lake, for the limited purpose of non-motorized ingress and egress for access to each of the Lots, 95-113, that are east of their burdened lot(s) for the benefit of the owner(s) of those easterly lots.”

The path extending from the Park is legal and is required of the 20 property owners – including the Associations and their three parcels.

For more details about this and many other stipulations contained in the settlement, please see the documents referenced on the lawsuit summary page on the website:

By-Laws lawsuit ends in out-of-court settlement

 

As a homeowner in the neighborhood, you are part-owner of three of the parcels along this trail, including lot #95 at the far southeast end of the lake. You are permitted to access the easement across these properties. If you get adventurous and decide to take that walk, be sure to wear good shoes or boots, and watch out for poison ivy. As you begin along the path, your first 100 feet will be crossing two parcels (#116 and 115) owned by the Associations. The easiest part of the journey will be walking on two old dock sections that were placed there by the Associations three years ago when a new aluminum dock was purchased by the Park Committee. Beyond that, you will encounter a rough trail littered with some discarded lumber (against DNR/DEQ regulations) and some areas covered with indigenous logs, branches and wood chips (permitted by DNR/DEQ regulations).

4th of July – Neighborhood Bike Parade. Picnic at the Beach

We’re having a bike/stroller/people parade this Wednesday, the Fourth of
July in our neighborhood. So get your flags and decorations out, and be
ready to have fun and have lunch at the beach! Details:

Doug Brackman will lead the parade in his vintage car.
We’ll meet at Indianola and Gallagher at 11:30, and Doug will lead
us through the neighborhood.
We’ll end up at the beach for deli sandwiches, chips and pop, provided.
(If you’d like anything else to eat or drink, please bring it.)

Hope to see all the little kids, big kids, and kids of all ages!!

The Access Committee

Spring Park Cleanup – Saturday May 19th, 10:00am

From Jeff White, treasurer Strawberry Lake Joint Park Committee:

Spring Park Clean Up 2012 – Saturday, May 19th at 10:00 a.m.

Please join us for an hour or so to spruce up the park heading into summer. We will need to put in the swim platform, spread sand / rocks, and some general raking and clean up. Please bring your own tools and shovels. Thank you for the help heading into summer!
In addition to the posting, I will post a sign heading into the weekend on the front board.
Thank you!
Jeff

Access Committee Report and Plan – 2012

Bluffs and Estates residents should have received printed packets in their mailboxes this weekend – background material for Park Maintenance items to be discussed at this year’s annual homeowners meetings.

Please see the attachments to this posting for additional information.

NOTE: These documents from 2012 have been replaced with more recent versions of the park proposal and budget. Please refer to the 2013 REVISED documents.

 

FEEDBACK?

You are welcome to leave public feedback here on the website. Press the <Comment> button below.

If you would prefer to send your comments via email to the Park Access Committee, send email to thepark@strawberryhillestates.org

 

Oak Wilt Found in Neighborhhood – A Threat to Our Trees

Oak Wilt is a highly contagious, lethal, disease that strikes Red Oaks – the most common oak variety in our neighborhood. A Strawberry Point Bluffs resident recently detected Oak Wilt in a tree on his property and is having the tree removed and a barrier trench dug around its root system.

Oak Wilt normally infects a tree when pruning, or storm damage, exposes the wood of the tree during the growing season – any time that the tree sap runs during warm weather. The smell of the exposed sap attracts bugs that carry the lethal disease to the tree. Aside from that airborne infection, Oak Wilt can also spread from tree-to-tree by grafting of their root systems, when two adjacent trees with overlapping roots exchange fluids. Once infected, a tree usually dies within a few months.

Read more about Oak Wilt, its prevention, and your responsibility in removing infected tress in this article from the MSU Cooperative Extensions Service.

 

Info courtesy of Don Houston, March 23, 2012

Estates Annual Homeowners Meeting – 2012

Strawberry Hill Estates Homeowners Association
Annual Homeowners Meeting
Tuesday April 24, 2012
7:30pm, Township Senior Center

Agenda:  

  1. Roll Call of the Membership (President)
  2. Minutes of 2011 Meeting (Secretary)
  3. Treasurer’s Report (Treasurer)
    1. Accounts report and dues payment summary
    2. Legal fee payment from lawsuit report
  4. New Business
    1. Discussion of needs for beach access
    2. Recommended changes to the Bylaws
    3. Update on easement for Livingston Land Conservancy
    4. Other topics as raised by the membership during the meeting.
  5. Election of Directors
    1. Please contact Mary McLaughlin (734-646-5363 or memc@ieee.org) in advance of the meeting to nominate someone for a Director position.  Process is described at: www.strawberryhillestates.org.  Note: Advance nomination is required in the bylaws and  must be received 15 days prior to the meeting.  Please call Mary if you have questions.
    2. Current Directors and respective Board Officer positions;  all have been re-nominated:
      1. Treasurer – Craig Mestach
      2. Vice President and Secretary – Mary McLaughlin
      3. President – David Walmroth
  6. Close

 

Dues Reminder: Payment of 2012 dues and legal fee share is due prior to the meeting start in order to be able to vote.  Dues are $75, and mailing your payments to the address below in advance is appreciated.  Please make checks payable to Strawberry Hill Estates Homeowners Association and mail in to the below address. If you have any questions about your dues, contact Craig Mestach at 734-417-9224.

 

Strawberry Hill Estates Homeowners Association
P. O. Box 833
Hamburg, MI  48139-0833

 

Pontoon Slip Drawing Results 2012

The 12 available boat slips were awarded to the following residents:

  1. McManus
  2. White
  3. Phillips
  4. Howard
  5. Gauthier
  6. Allen
  7. Mite
  8. Patton
  9. Anderson
  10. Landis
  11. Walmroth
  12. Flynn

Alternates for any vacated skips are:

  1. Brockman

To: All eligible homeowners in the Strawberry Hill Estates and Strawberry Point Bluffs subdivisions
From: Joint Access Committee for Strawberry Point Bluffs and Strawberry Hill Estates Homeowners Associations
Date: January 17, 2012
Subject: 2012 pontoon slip lottery

The 2012 drawing for the twelve pontoon slips at the joint access park will be held on Monday, February 13th 2012 at 7:00pm in Room B at the Hamburg Public Library on Merrill Road.

This lottery is conducted pursuant to the rules adopted by the Joint Access Committee, in conjunction with the Boards of Directors of the Strawberry Hills Estates and the Strawberry Point Bluffs Homeowners Associations. Although you need not be present to win, the first choice of boat slips will be chosen by those present (or their proxies) in the order of the draw. The remaining slips will be assigned by Access Committee members to those lottery winners who are not present. If you have questions regarding eligibility and other requirements, review the rules on this web site or contact a member of your Board of Directors.

Please review the drawing rules, especially rules regarding eligibility. Last year a neighbor was prevented from participating at the drawing due to unpaid dues. Check with the Treasurer to avoid any misunderstanding. You can find the rules here:

http://www.strawberryhillestates.org/?p=24