Board Update: Cleaning up a trashy neighborhood look, Meet the Neighbors series needs you, safety poll results

REMINDER: STORE YOUR GARBAGE ROLLCART OUT OF SIGHT

Now that the nice weather is here (hopefully to stay!), we know more residents have been cleaning out garages and getting a jump on yard work. Unfortunately, more residents have made a habit of storing their Republic trash and recycling roll carts in the open -- in the driveway, on front sidewalks, or on the front corner of a garage in plain view of the development. Not just once in a while, but all the time.

Such placement violates our Declarations of Restrictions (Section 5F), one of the legally binding documents that governs our development. We're not talking about one or two houses with carts in plain view; a recent inspection of the development found more than 50 homes in violation. That’s not a good look for the neighborhood. Kind of trashy, actually (pun intended).

Sure, we understand life happens, that people go on vacation, that neighbors forget to put them away when you can't. We know that putting the carts away may be inconvenient, especially during inclement weather, but your Board is charged with enforcing our covenants to promote resident harmony and foster an environment that protects property values. Storing overflowing garbage carts for all to see doesn't help on either front.

Please do your part: Store your garbage and recycling roll carts out of sight, and remind your neighbors to do the same. Thank you for your cooperation!

MEET THE NEIGHBORS: SHARE YOUR STORY

Eagle Nest is a great place to live, largely because of the wonderful folks found along every street. This has been especially noticeable during the pandemic. We’ve heard so many stories of residents checking in on each other during this difficult time, or chatting more openly – socially distanced, of course – while out on walks or doing yard work. Last year, it was common to see neighbors arranging their chairs on opposite sides of the street to safely visit, laugh and share stories (and maybe a beverage or two). Now that spring is here, we expect more of the same.

Neighborliness like this is important now more than ever, so that’s why we launched our “Meet the Neighbors” feature – short neighbor profiles to help folks get to know each other. We’re looking for volunteers to share their story, too, by answering the following questions:

• How long you have lived in Eagle Nest and where you moved from?
• The kind of work you do or have done?
• What you do for fun?
• The things you like best about the neighborhood, and what you appreciate the most about your neighbors?
• What’s a fun or amusing story about your time in Eagle Nest?

If you can spare a few minutes to introduce yourself, please email your answers to neighborhood storyteller and Tanager Court resident John Strauss at johncstrauss@gmail.com along with a photo or two and a phone number so he can follow up. Nominations welcome, too. Everyone has a story to tell – we’d love to hear yours!

POLL: RESIDENTS WEIGH IN ON NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY

Last week’s Constant Contact poll asked, “Do you feel safe in the neighborhood? The results: 65 responses. Yes, 95.4% (62 respondents), and No, 4.6% (3 respondents).

The Board’s take: First off, we agree – Eagle Nest is a remarkably safe and welcoming neighborhood. We attribute that to active neighbors who are constantly out and about walking, jogging, riding bikes or working in their yards – all of whom keep a diligent eye out on their surroundings and those of others. And thankfully, we’ve been spared the trouble surrounding neighborhoods have experienced over the years. But crime knows no boundaries, and our safe haven could change in an instant. Just recently, in fact, we reported suspicious incidents along Teel and Warbler. The latest incident, a week ago, involved a car egging in the 8400 block of Tanager Lane. Nobody wants to wake up to that, or worse, so please keep an eye out. If you see something suspicious, say something – call 911 immediately. Better safe than sorry, as the saying goes.

In other news:

SIGN POLICY: A reminder that per the newly adopted Signage Policy (see the March 7 blog post), all residents must obtain Board approval before installing yard signs. In addition, all previously approved signs must be cleared by March 31 to ensure they conform to the neighborhood’s updated standards. Click here to read the updated Signage Policy. Questions can be sent to RulesRestrictions@att.net. Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

On behalf of the Board,

Scott Thien, President