by Tom
Booth
President@SturbridgeLakes.com
Welcome to
another year of the Laker! (Special
note – it is our 25th year of Laker publication) To all our new
neighbors moving in over the past several months, “welcome” to one of the finest
communities you’ll find. Some facts and
figures about Sturbridge, which I hope some of our “seasoned” residents will
also find interesting:
Ours is a
private, planned, deed-restricted lake community governed by bylaws under the
Sturbridge Lakes Association (SLA). We
have 728 dues-paying properties. Your
Board of Trustees is comprised of five members, elected at large by all
voting-eligible SLA members. The
Trustees oversee the care and maintenance of the common grounds, enforcement of
the bylaws and management of the dues.
The Trustees elect from among themselves certain executive positions
(President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer), and each trustee is
tasked as a liaison to various committees (recreation, environmental,
maintenance, architectural).
An annual
budget is discussed, developed and passed by the trustees with advice and
assistance from professionals such as accountants and our property management
company, much like any small government or municipality budgets and spends tax
money. Your dues are used for, among
other things, recreation activities, insurance for the Association, the costs
for care of the common grounds, including the lakes, and payment to a reserve
fund to periodically repair or replace “big ticket” capital improvements owned
by the SLA (e.g. lake dredging, basketball court repairs, fence replacement,
etc). The Trustees also manage, with
professional advice, other monetary assets of the SLA. All financial information about your SLA is
open to any member and may be obtained by contacting the property management
company, MAMCO.
We have a
fairly busy yearly schedule of activities that begins this year with an old
favorite, back from a few years’ hiatus: the Polar Plunge successfully held on
March 1. A Spring Egg Hunt is held for
all children and then, the activities really heat up along with the
weather. Memorial Day weekend kicks off
with the Golf Outing on Friday, and then our annual beach opening that weekend
is not to be missed.
The
Adults-Only Beach Party is not for the faint of heart, and the Boat and Float
caps off a fantastic summer at the Sturbridge beaches. The fall rounds out with a fun-filled
fishing derby for the youngsters, the Annual Chili Cook-Off and the Halloween
Decorating Contest.
In addition
to the “official” activities, on any given weekend, you’re sure to find social
gatherings from pick-up football games, softball games, to poker nights, and
the traditional barbeques. Ours is a
diverse community on every level and the people you meet will likely be friends
for life. I know I have found several
in the five years I’ve lived here.
All in all,
Sturbridge Lakes is truly a “one of a kind” community. If they gave out an award for Community of
the Year, we’d be the heavy favorites.
I am honored to have been re-elected to the Board of Trustees this past
year, and doubly honored to be re-elected as President by the Board. Thank you.
An Important reminder from your
SLA Treasurer
By Bob Corson
The annual dues notices have been sent out. They were due February 15. Please remit them in order to avoid the late
fee charged to accounts 30 days past due.
If you wish to pay by credit card the procedure was
included with the information sent.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Environmental Report
by Tom Booth
The Board is again committed to placing due emphasis on the
care and maintenance of our lakes. The
grass carp fingerlings we introduced into Lake 5 last year are likely not yet
large enough to make a significant impact on weed control, but by next year we
are confident they will begin to do their magic. Please remember that all fishing in our lakes is “catch and
release” only. As with years past, we
have budgeted and contracted for the maximum allowable chemical weed controls, as
often as permitted by state law, for our lakes.
Weed control poses the biggest and costliest environmental
challenge for our lakes, and while the grass carp grow another year, we again
remind all residents, especially those bordering the lakes, to be cognizant of
any chemicals used on their properties.
Grass fertilizer, in particular, is a purveyor of weed growth. Please refrain, if possible, from any and
all chemical fertilizer usage.
Also, we have already made appropriate arrangements for 2008
for control of the Canadian geese population.
Geese droppings are a contaminant to our lakes and a frequent cause for
any beach closings in the summer.
Please do not feed the geese.
Geese also like to hang out near the lakes and eat grass, so those
residents with lakefront properties are encouraged to minimize wherever
possible the size of their lawns at or near the water.
Important Tree & Property Care Information
Contrary to their visual appeal, vines can be an invasive
and destructive force. Vines should never be permitted to grow on
your homes or up your trees. Vines
actually burrow into the trunk of a tree, weakening it and quickly causing rot
and rendering the tree unstable and potentially dangerous. Please take the time, during your normal
landscaping and property maintenance, to check your trees and cut down vines
growing upon them.
Also, during your spring cleanups, if you have a sidewalk in
front of your home, please ensure bushes and trees limbs are cut back off the
sidewalks to allow pedestrians and bikers safe egress.
A new speed hump was installed this past fall on William
Feather between Signal Hill & Ashton.
Speed humps are designed to improve safety by causing drivers to slow
down. The Township of Voorhees is the
sole decision-maker regarding if, when and where speed humps are
installed. The Township, as a courtesy,
solicits our input on locations. All
locations are evaluated by the Township engineer for appropriateness (grading,
locations of side streets, curves, and driveways all play a factor) and are
dependent upon available funds from the Township. The Township’s current policy is to require consent of all 4
homeowners (2 on each side of the street) closest to the hump’s location. Refusal of consent by 1 such homeowner will
defeat the hump for that location. We
have no further information regarding any planned humps for our neighborhood.
The installation of underground cables for the new FiOS TV
offered by Verizon continues through our neighborhood. Many residents have contacted us regarding
issues and complaints about damage to their property, but the SLA has no
control over this process. All
inquiries and complaint should be directed to Verizon 1-888-240-5752
See Something Out of Place, in Need of Repair or Just Have a
Question? Call Us!
You, the residents are the eyes and ears of your community. While the Trustees and property manager make it a point to observe the state of the neighborhood and point out items in need of fixing, sprucing up, etc., we’re always interested to have items brought to our attention, including suggestions. Thanks for your help.
Recreation Report
By Ann and Ed Ferruggia
Polar Plunge Proved Popular & Profitable!
The Polar
Plunge was held Saturday March 1 at Foxview Beach. Over 100 people attended, and many kids and adults took the cold
water plunge. Over $1,000 and lots of
household necessities were collected and donated to the Cathedral Kitchen in
Camden. Cathedral Kitchen CEO and long
time Sturbridge resident Karen Talarico was on hand to accept donations and
sell Cathedral Kitchen t-shirts.
Many thanks
to the participating Scout troops, event organizers Bob and Mari Corson,
Colleen Rini and all those who attended and made this a memorable event.
UPCOMING EVENTS
BIGGEST EGG HUNT EVER WILL
BE MARCH 15
The Recreation Committee will kick off 2008’s calendar of
events with the Spring Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 15 (Rain dates March 21 or
22). The Egg Hunt will begin at 11:00
am sharp at the tennis court ball field, located at the end of Barclay
Lane. Resident children from toddler
through third grade are invited to attend.
This year’s Egg Hunt will be even bigger than last year’s, with over
2000 filled eggs! The candy will “melt
in your mouth, not in your hands.”
Please line
up behind the sign for your age group.
Please wait until your age group is called over the bullhorn before you
hunt.
The annual 5K run/1 Mile Fun walk signals a healthy start to our outdoor season. Registration is 8:30 am at Chatham Beach. The 5K run starts at 9:00. There are 4 categories, male/female, under 18, and 19 and over. The fun walk starts at 10:00. These activities are for SLA members only. Ribbons and medals will be awarded. Don’t miss this Sturbridge tradition!
SLA GOLF OUTING MAY 23
Next up is the Annual Golf Outing, which will be held at Ramblewood on May 23. Sturbridge golfing champs will be crowned and the first ever “Sturbridge Cup” will be awarded at this event. Sign up information will be mailed out soon.
BEACH OPENING BASH MAY 24
The beach opens Saturday, May 24 with a traditional barbecue
bash, including chicken, hot dogs, burgers, veggie burgers, water ice, soda,
juice and pretzels. The Sturbridge dessert
baking contest will be held and ribbons will be awarded. The children’s bike
parade from the tennis court parking lot kicks off the day at 12 noon.
Remember, you must send in your SLA dues payment in order to
attend any of these events. Beach tags
will be checked.
VOLUNTEERS WELCOME FOR ALL
EVENTS
Please see our
Calendar of Events in this Laker, for a list of all the wonderful events we are
planning this year. If you are
interested in assisting with any activity, please contact the Recreation
Committee Chairperson via email at anne@sturbridgelakes.com. Or give our property manager, CMS, a call to
say you are interested in helping out.
HELP OUT AND EARN COMMUNITY
SERVICE CREDIT
We welcome the help of Sturbridge students who need to
fulfill community service requirements.
Service letters can be provided to document your contribution. Contact anne@sturbridgelakes.com if
interested.
We look forward to seeing you this year at our unique,
family-centered events!
At the re-organizational meeting in January, Henry L. Doner,
Esq. Continued as the Architectural Trustee of the Association. He reports as follows:
The Architectural committee is charged with oversight and
enforcement of the covenants and bylaws of the Sturbridge Lakes Homeowners
Association. All homeowners in our neighborhood have recorded deed restrictions
joining them to the association. The Bylaws require that all homeowners
submit an application for approval of exterior home improvements or changes,
for things like fences, sheds, landscaping projects involving hardscape, block,
stone, or concrete placement, tree removal, new siding, new roofing, home
additions and color changes. The application is available online at
Thelaker.net. Failure to follow the bylaws could result in fines and
litigation. We all moved here because of the beauty of our neighborhood,
including the pine and oak trees, our lakes, our common grounds, and the value
added by our association. When we follow the rules, we all benefit.
Architectural & Landscaping Permit Applications
Residents
must submit an architectural approval application for any change in their
property at Sturbridge Lakes.
A
list of all Approved Applications is on-line at:
http://www.sturbridgelakes.com/architectural/Approvals.php
The
basic application form is linked to our web site (www.theLaker.net) and can be accessed online
at:
http://www.sturbridgelakes.com/architectural/SLA_ARCHITECTURAL_APP.htm
There is a link on the front page of TheLaker.net that says: Architectural
Application Form
There is also a fast internet application for certain simple changes:
http://www.sturbridgelakes.com/architectural/archapp.php
Sturbridge Lakes, Trees, Earth Tones, and a Bit of History
by Arch Ely
Sturbridge Lakes was a dream that became a reality when the
original developer, Bob Scarborough, Inc., established the Sturbridge Lakes
Association as a corporation in 1978 within the township of Voorhees in
accordance with laws in the state of New Jersey. Scarborough’s dream was to build a community from scratch that
would be built with minimal alteration to the land while leaving the maximum
number of trees in place—a truly novel idea considering how developments are
planned and constructed in the 21st century. In addition, Scarborough decided that the
houses would be colored with earth tones that blended into nature’s natural
surroundings. The overall acreage that
Scarborough planned to use to build the community was approximately 370 acres—a
very significant undertaking to say the least.
Most of the homes were built between 1978 and 1986. Currently there are 728 homes in Sturbridge
Lakes.
The thoroughfare, or longest street through the project, was
called Kenilworth Drive. The name was subsequently
changed to William Feather Drive to honor the general contractor Scarborough
selected for the Sturbridge Lakes project.
Mr. Feather died of a heart attack while overseeing the project. He was in the early 40’s at the time of his
death.
When establishing the Sturbridge Lakes Association,
Scarborough placed restrictions in the by-laws governing the use of lots by
their owners. While some of them have
been modified over the years, their original intent remains intact. The following paragraphs have been extracted
from the Sturbridge Lakes Association By-laws as revised in December 1997.
(Emphasis added)
Article V . . . Restrictions on Use of Property
(p) It is of primary
importance to the record owners, the subsequent buyers of lots and the general
welfare of the development, that private open space as well as community open
space, be preserved as reasonably possible.
Consequently, in order to preserve the natural environment, each Owner
shall not disturb naturally existing vegetation on an area equal to 20% of the
square footage of the entire lot as shown on a survey of the lot. Approval for removing existing
vegetation shall be obtained from the Architectural Control Committee prior to
such removal.
Privately owned lots which were purchased from the Developer
of Sturbridge Lakes on or after February 5, 1981, are subject to the
further restriction that grass lawns may be installed only
if the grass lawn area does not exceed twenty-four (24%) percent of the total
lot area.
(r) Owners of lake front lots shall not erect or
maintain floats, wharves, docks, piers or sand beaches which protrude into the
lakes. Any such structure or beaches
which abut a lake shall receive the prior written approval of the Sturbridge
Lakes Association.
Sturbridge Lakes has been in existence for 30 years. It remains an upscale and desirable
community in which to live. Sturbridge Lakes has held up well
and largely remains the edifice constructed by Scarborough. However,
in recent years there has been some excessive cutting of trees, as some
residents have attempted to disregard the rules which require that a set
portion of their properties remain in a natural state. Some residents
have neglected their properties, others have attempted to have yards that are virtually
all grass. When the rules are violated, the Sturbridge Lakes Association
levies fines and requires that trees be replanted. For that reason you
should always submit a plan to the SLA for approval prior to any cutting or
other landscape work.
Sturbridge homeowners must follow the rules laid out in the neighborhood
by-laws and covenants, which can be found in your homeowners guide furnished by
the SLA. Please keep in mind that indiscriminate tree cutting and lawn
seeding can cause:
- Drainage control problems
- Soil erosion and increased sedimentation in the lakes
- Degradation of the lakes including algae and weed growth
- Decreased groundwater recharge
- Decreased property values.
Please learn and follow the rules, and please assist in preserving and
replacing trees. If we follow the rules designed to maintain our special
environment, Sturbridge Lakes will continue to meet its lofty goals, and
the dreams of Bob Scarborough and William Feather will remain real for us and
those who follow.
Management Company News
MAMCO and CMSI, both Associa companies, have joined together as one
company under one name: MAMCO. Your managers and support teams remain
the same. Going forward, our clients will see more programs and services aimed
providing additional value and cost savings. We are very proud of your business
and we thank you for allowing us the continued opportunity to serve you.
SLA Property Manager
Contacts:
MAMCO
Ed Salter
Property Manager
ed@CMSI-online.com
Denise
Denise@cmsi-online.com
Telephone Numbers:
(856)783-3783
(856)783-3788
Fax Number:
(856) 783-5235
Office Address:
1101 Laurel Oak Road
Suite 130
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Mailing Address:
CMSI/MAMCO
Post Office Box 1875
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Please contact bob@sturbridgelakes.com
for a copy.
Your Laker is on
line at
http://www.theLaker.net
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