Harris Ridge Owner’s Association

37 responses so far ↓

• 1 tonya gray // Apr 28, 2008 at 2:41 pm

  Please do not develop the open space northeast of the pool.

• 2 alaa elsaad // Apr 28, 2008 at 4:37 pm

  a kiddy pool would be lovely, and a tennis court, basketball courts and other things would be nice for the older kids in the neiborhood.

• 3 Laura Angle // Apr 29, 2008 at 8:29 am

  We should not spend any money until we determine we have an adequate reserve.

  If we do have sufficient funds, the best way to improve our neighborhood would be to upgrade the exterior fencing of our neighborhood similar to the David Weekly portion with Stone Pillars. The initial expense for the project would come from the sale of the lots. To be able to adequately maintain the fence, I suggest a proposal where the exterior neighbors would pay the cost of the fence divided by the life of the fence in monthly installments. So, if the fence costs $800 and life expectancy is 10 years, they would pay an extra $80 for their dues a year. The homeowners association would take over maintenance of the fence due to normal wear and tear (not dogs eating fences), and the homeowners wouldn’t have a large expense immediately, and would no longer have to worry about replacing that portion of their fence over time. If a new fence had been installed recently (no color change), wood from that fence could be used. The funds for the fence project would go into a separate maintenance account, but the initial expense would end up coming from our extra funds.

  A kiddie pool is an added expense that doesn’t end. I don’t think this adds to the value of the neighborhood as improving our exterior appearance does. All homeowners would benefit from the improved exterior fencing, and only kids with small children benefit from a kiddie pool. We do not have enough land for a tennis court, unless we tear down the basketball court, enlarge the footprint, and change the function to tennis.

• 4 SH // Apr 29, 2008 at 8:43 am

  I would love to see a new exterior fence as well. This would improve the appearance of our neighborhood tremendously! I agree with all that Laura stated, however, I’m not quite sure about the funding of the fence . . . didn’t have my calculator handy.

• 5 Rollie Sidla // Apr 29, 2008 at 9:05 am

  We need to have a completed audit and reserve analysis before we cna make any kind of decision regarding amentities. If we have new homes coming in to the association we should have an estimate of what kind of new pressures will be put on our existing facilities.

• 6 Carla Graydon // Apr 29, 2008 at 9:20 am

  A new exterior fence sounds like an excellent idea.

• 7 Melody Caldwell // Apr 29, 2008 at 11:42 am

  I also think a new fence would be nice. In addition I feel that our one and only playground could use a major face lift. There are so many new things on the market right now that would be more funtional as well as more pleassing to the eye. The new shade covers are very helpful. I am sure the elementary schools would have contact information. I don’t even have small children anymore and I notice every day how run down our current one looks.

• 8 MEA // Apr 29, 2008 at 2:42 pm

  A new exterior fence would be a great improvement. A face lift way overdue. It will make the connection with the new addition to our neighborhood. I don’t know if I agree with the funding.

• 9 Sara // Apr 29, 2008 at 3:10 pm

  I agree, a Play ground make over is very much over due! That play ground is way WAY old and there are not any covered places to sit

• 10 Mark Milkey // Apr 30, 2008 at 1:32 am

  I think that a new exterior fence is the best improvement we could make to the overall appearance of the neighborhood. When driving or walking throughout the neighborhood, it becomes obvious very quickly that the state of deterioration of the fences (and not just the exterior ones) is by far the single biggest issue contributing to the perception of residents and potential buyers that this neighborhood is a bit “run-down”.

• 11 Brian Jones // Apr 30, 2008 at 7:11 am

  Although a new exterior fence in the neighborhood would look nice, there is a legal complication. The fences on the exterior of the property are located on the owner’s property and are therefore the responsibility of the owner to maintain. I just spend several hundred dollars a year or so ago to replace my aging fence. I’m not about to spend more money for the HOA to come and upgrade it again.

  To really beautify the neighborhood we need to get the slackers in this neighborhood to take care of their own property instead of leaving it up to others to take care of it. I’m tired of seeing house after house in the neighborhood that needs new roofs, new fences, paint and other repairs. If you can afford satellite or cable TV, you can afford to take care of your largest investment–your home.

• 12 Janet Funderburk // Apr 30, 2008 at 7:13 am

  I agree w/the idea of an exterior fence. That would greatly improve our neighborhood appearance. The funding issue would have to be looked at.

• 13 tonya gray // Apr 30, 2008 at 11:17 am

  This post states that improvements to our “amenities” areas are going to be pursued with the money from the sale of the two lots to DW… implying the decision has already been made about where the money will go. Is that the case? And, if so, who decided this? Do we really need to expand our amenities areas? We seem to have enough difficulty keeping the pool and playground up to par. Maybe we should work with what we have and then “save” the rest of the money for future maintenance.

  And… who will be making the final decision? The board? I am not sure I am comfortable with so few making such a big decision for our entire community.

• 14 V. Santos // Apr 30, 2008 at 3:02 pm

  I say forget fixing the fence. Stop trying to use HOA fee’s to fix up your house. Secondly, get rid of the swimming pools. All you see are rifts rafts using it. Most of them probably don’t even live in the neighborhood.

• 15 M. Bachand // Apr 30, 2008 at 6:18 pm

  Please keep the pool, swings, and basketball court. Kids need activities.

• 16 Joe // May 1, 2008 at 8:03 am

  One thing is clear is that we don’t have a unanimous preference from homeowners. This diversity is one of the great things of our neighborhood and also one of the challenges. The board has to sort through the opinions of all, weigh them against the bylaws, costs, and facts and make a decision.

  Current Amenities
  Maintaining our current amenities, because they are already in place, is one of our top priorities. Although some homeowners say “get rid of the pool” others love it and use it all summer. I have little kids and use the playground a lot. It may very well need an overhaul but it is still completely functional.

  Fences
  I agree that the aging fences in our neighborhood are an eye sore. This includes fences on the exterior of our neighborhood and those on the inside. Brian is right, each homeowner owns their fence and is responsible for the upkeep of it. Even the new fence along Harris Glenn for the Enclave is owned by each individual homeowner and when repairs are needed, that responsibility will fall back on the homeowner.

  If we, as an HOA, upgrade the exterior fences it just puts a pretty facade on the neighborhood. It creates the scenario where we can have a shiny new apple with a rotten core. Our aging homes are entering the time in their lives where they need new roofs, paint, fences, etc. As homeowners, this is one of the costs of ownership that we must bear and can’t push off on our neighbors. The HOA as a whole, the board of directors, and the property management company must enforce our deed restrictions and encourage, even compel, homeowners to keep their homes maintained.

  Decisions
  The decision on where to spend the money from the lot sales has not been decided. The proceeds from the lot sales has been set aside for capital improvements. This could mean improvements to current amenities or the addition of new ones. The specifics of where the money will go hasn’t been made yet. This responsibility ultimately falls to the board of directors. The board consists of those that the homeowners elected to represent them. The board will involve as many homeowners as possible in the discussion. This website is a great forum for that discussion to take place.

• 17 tonya gray // May 1, 2008 at 9:22 am

  Joe,

  Can we at least ask that the board post what they plan to do with the money PRIOR to making the final decision, so that we can have a chance to provide feedback? Your last statement in the previous post implies you will do this… I just want to make sure.

  Thanks!

• 18 Joe // May 1, 2008 at 11:13 am

  Tonya,

  Absolutely. Any decision of this magnitude won’t be made in a single board meeting. Thus you’ll see minutes of those meetings and proposals posted here as well.

• 19 Trina Woodall // May 1, 2008 at 12:11 pm

  I actually have a question about the fencing situation. I know my fence is in need of repairs, however, my fence is shared by 3 other homes. Which portion is mine to maintain, and if the other homeowners around me do not want to upgrade, what is my option? I know one home next to me is a rental and the mgmt. for the property has already stated they have no intention of helping install a new fence. On the other hand I don’t personally have the $3500 to deal with all 3 sides. So what can I do?

  As far as amenities, I agree we should upkeep what we have. I know alot of folks could care less about the playground or the pool, but I know those two things were part of the reason we opted to buy in this neighborhood. I think they are reasonable selling points and it would be a waste of resources to just get rid of them. As far as other things to add, I personally think there isn’t any rush. At this point there seems to be no major agreement and therefore why should the money be spent just because we have it?

  I would also like to address some previous posts. I agree that every homeowner needs to be responsible for their property. But I also understand that sometimes when home repairs loom, you are not well-equipped to deal with them. Not everyone has a huge buffer in the bank account to jump right on things. So in some cases it may not be “slacking”. I know personally there are a couple of things needing to be resolved with my home and I am working diligently to get them done, but I’m sorry to say, feeding my kids will take priority everytime! I’m not saying people shouldn’t be required to fix their home, but I think 45 days is NOT a reasonable time frame.

  I also want to know what the deal is with rental properties? Are they held to the same standards as homeowners? I’m not saying that renters should be responsible for major repairs, but I just wanted to know if the actual property owners are held to the same standards as everyone else?

  Sorry if I got a little off topic, seems like one question leads to another!

  Thanks!

• 20 Brian Jones // May 1, 2008 at 10:31 pm

  Trina,

  As far as renters go, the Association has absolutely no dealings with tenants in the neighborhood. All correspondence is with the actual owner of the property. It’s up to the owner to inform their tenants of the deed restrictions in the neighborhood. If a violation is reported, the fine goes to the owner and not the tenant.

  The owners of rental property are responsible to the Association to make sure that their property is held to the same standard as everyone else in the neighborhood.

  As far as fences go, you’d have to examine the property boundaries to see who actually owns the fence. For most homes, fences are on the property line and therefore the replacement cost would have to be negotiated between the neighbors. I only have 2 common fences, and although I spoke with my neighbor about splitting the cost of the common fence I got tired of waiting and did the work myself at my own expense. Needless to say, I put the pretty side facing my yard.

  Regardless of who owns what, or who has what in their bank accounts Harris Ridge needs serious improvement of some of the homes within it. It’s up to responsible homeowners (and landlords) to maintain their own property, and the property management company is there to make sure that the standards are upheld.

• 21 Mark // May 2, 2008 at 3:02 pm

  Save the money! It does not need to be spent on unnecessary amenities like a kiddie pool or tennis court. Why not use it to cut our already growing dues? Or save it for lawyers and court costs in the event we need it. The fence sounds like a good idea, but it would not be fair to the people who have already spent alot of money to replace their fences(like me) or are not on the main route into the neighborhood.

• 22 Joan Garves // May 5, 2008 at 10:25 am

  While the fence idea sounds nice the legal complication and expense to homeowners will keep that from happening. Lets focus on what can be done now. I agree with maintianing what we have. Lets increase the security at the pool. It is currently maintained by Harris Ridge and used by any one who can climb or sneak their way in. I have seen our own neighbors let kids in, leave the gate open and invite more than the allowed number of guests in. We only have to secure it for 3 months out of the summer. The week nights seem to be the biggest problem times. I am sure we could get together and brainstorm ways to make sure the pool is used by the home owners. At present I would not take a baby to a baby pool if we had one due to the inappropriate behavior they would be exposed to. I don’t even go over there in the evenings. So-first things first, lets take care of what we have before we build more “emenities” for people who don’t even live in our neighborhood to use. I hope the board brings the final decision on how to upgrade our neighborhood to a meeting to be voted on. I have lived here for 15 years, take care of my home, and what to be a part of how our windfall will be spent.

• 23 Karen Bell // May 5, 2008 at 10:45 am

  The entrance of the neighborhood is very important. Right now with the old play ground equipment, run down mail boxes and old fences, it’s lacks appeal.

  The neighborhood as well as some homes need to be updated!

• 24 Mark Garves // May 5, 2008 at 11:10 am

  Keep the pool. The only reason anyone is considering getting rid of it is because of the problems caused by lack of security. It’s too easily accessable by people who don’t belong and their vandalizism. Why does anyone in this neighborhood think we can run a pool differently than every other neighborhood and public pool in Austin and that is without a live gate monitor.
  It would only be for a few summer months and
  put barbed wire across the top of the fence.
  I would like to hear of any similar pool in Austin
  without a similar detterent or taller fence in Austin. I would think it is a liability to have our pool too easily accessable. I hope no one sneaks in and drowns.
  Also when I moved here I was informed this was a neighborhood for single family houses and the restrictions were enforced.
  If we can’t maintain our pool and let it get to the point it is unpleasant, why add another one or
  any other ammenities? Lets fix what we have first.

• 25 Annabelle Dillard // May 8, 2008 at 9:54 pm

  A new exterior fence would improve the look of the entire neighborhood and help to maintain property values. Improved upkeep of the ammenities we already have would also be preferrable to spending funds on new ones.

• 26 Dwayne Wheatley // May 13, 2008 at 5:12 pm

  I am all for reducing our dues with the 50000 we received from the lot sales. Also, the best we could do with the money is repair our aged playground. I see a lot of children enjoying the playground. I just wish it was nicer for them. I also hope to repair and raise the lighting at the playground to hopefully keep out undesirable elements at night. The exterior fence sounds like a good idea at first, but the assn. should not maintain anything we don’t own. As far property values go my home went up 10%- the max allowed. The key to maintaining value in the neighborhood will be dealing with the increase in rental properties and their condition. The pool will never be secure if our own members let in people who don’t have a key or leave the door open. We all need to work together.

• 27 Renée Hawkins // May 14, 2008 at 10:16 pm

  I live on Bennington and my backyard backs up to Harris Ridge. The idea of this fence has been around for a couple of years now and here is why the idea first came up: the cars that drive on Harris Ridge are NOT going 40 mph and many of us feel that a fence like David Weekley’s will help with this safety concern. The stone pillars would at least slow down a truck if it jumped the curb. Take a walk down my way and look at the tree on the corner of Harris Ridge and Briargate - a car has already jumped the curb and luckily that tree stopped it. I’m not asking for a handout like many of you are incorrectly assuming. But, I feel that if we got a bid that covered the entire length of all sides of the neighborhood that we homeowners would get a better deal. I’ll pay my share.

  I think that we need to fence and key off the playground and basketball area. Like Dwayne, I also see many kids enjoying that are….a lot of kids that don’t live here. And, I think that the number of outside kids that use the basketball court is directly proportional to the number of burglary of vehicle crimes that are occurring here.

  I don’t use the pool so I could care less about it. However, I think that the pool was considered an added bonus to a lot of people that purchased a home here, so taking it away would be very unfair to those who use it. And, I think that the vandalism will hopefully decrease now that there are more homes adjacent to it. The kiddie pool is a silly idea.

• 28 Brian Jones // May 19, 2008 at 2:08 pm

  Renee,

  I understand that along Harris Ridge Blvd. that many people do not obey the posted speed of 40 mph. I know of the tree that you speak of that was hit by a car. My wife witnessed the accident that caused that damage. You are incorrect that one of the stone pillars like David Weekly’s would stop a car or truck from entering someone’s yard. Those pillars are constructed of masonry and have no internal reinforcement. They are purely decorative and offer little resistance to a 2 ton vehicle.

  Previous Boards have considered fencing off the playground and basketball courts to prevent non-residents from using them. It was turned down in the past due to cost. Perhaps the money from the lots could be used to secure this property.

  It’s unfortunate that we must resort to fencing and barbed wire to keep out those who have no right to use our facilities. Fences and wire are ugly and take away from the appearances of our neighborhood, but I don’t know of any other method to protect our assets.

• 29 Catherine Osborn // May 21, 2008 at 7:44 am

  I would like to see a live pool monitor on duty during the summer. It doesn’t need to be an armed guard! Just a properly trained person who would ask to see identification before allowing someone in…having a key would be enough ID. The monitor could phone the authorities if anything got out of hand or if there were an emergency.

  With proper upkeep, the pool is a nice little amenity. Without upkeep and protection, it’s a magnet for people who have no business being here.

• 30 V. Santos // May 21, 2008 at 9:49 am

  Take down the basketball court. that will keep 98% of the Rift Rafts away!

• 31 Renée Hawkins // May 21, 2008 at 9:19 pm

  I used the words “slow down” and not the word “stop.” But, fine, let’s do something stronger than David Weekley. I’ll take a concrete or brick wall instead of fencing if that was an option.

  I think that aluminum ornamental fencing around the playground would look quite nice. I think that the damaged rims on the basketball court and the damaged playground equipment look much uglier than a fence would. And, it would be added safety for parents. They wouldn’t be afraid to turn their head away for a moment and fear that their child may run into the street.

• 32 Kendra // May 25, 2008 at 8:15 pm

  I agree that the fencing needs to be changed. Many other cities use concete blocks (in nice colors) as a permanent fence along the outside of their communities. It looks nice, is safe and lasts forever.

  Also, we should update the playground and add something to keep people who do not have a pool key out of the pool. We have walked around the outside and can easily see where people (kids) and jumping the wall/fence. There are many types of wrought iron spikes that can be used to deter people from jumping the walls and fence. Spikes are no more of a liability than if an unsupervised kid drowned in the pool afterhours.

  Thanks!

• 33 Kendra // May 25, 2008 at 8:17 pm

  One more item, New mailboxes in the large section of the neighborhood would look great. They are really an eyesore.

• 34 V. Santos // May 29, 2008 at 9:49 am

  Why stop at Concrete fencing? Do you need new landscaping for your front yard?

• 35 Amanda // Jun 5, 2008 at 5:15 am

  Hot Tub!

• 36 V. Santos // Jun 5, 2008 at 2:53 pm

  Oh, Drove by the pool today and noticed the gate was wide open for everyone and their dogs to enter. Why do we have a fence again?

  HOA = Hand Out Association?

• 37 Deanna // Jul 15, 2008 at 12:00 pm

  With gas prices going sky high, I want to know whether there are any plans to have a Capital Metro bus stop somewhere in the neighborhood in the near future. And, if not, why not.

  I would use the bus more often if there was a bus stop somewhere near the neighborhood.