Welcome to the Overlook Lakes Condominium Association Community Resource

Our Steps to Support Native Plants & Biodiversity

You may have noticed that Overlook Lakes Condos Landscaping committee is focusing on native species and biodiversity when replacing shrubs and trees, or adding perennials to gardens. Why?

Traditional lawns and gardens might look tidy, but they’re dead zones for wildlife. They guzzle expensive water, depend on chemical fertilizers and herbicides, and pump out emissions from gas mowers and blowers.mNone of these chemicals stay put. They run into waterways and onto surfaces where children and pets play, posing documented health risks. Also biodiverse native species reduce the risk of infections as we have experienced with monocultures such as our many ash and hawthorn trees.

Native plant landscapes offer a safer, healthier, and more vibrant alternative, and save our association money. They support pollinators and birds, reduce water use, and thrive without harmful chemicals.

In addition to creating a safer outdoors for you and your family, our Landscaping committee is hard-at-work creating a beautiful space, one filled with life and color, right here in our backyard!

B&G Landscape Committee

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As we end 2025 and look forward to 2026, we wanted to give you a summary of all the work our dedicated B&G landscape volunteers have accomplished this past year.

In 2025 our volunteers planted 45 bushes, 206 perennials and 9 trees. In addition, volunteers watered, pruned, trimmed, edged, fenced, and weeded all over our 24 acres.

Total logged B&G landscape volunteer contribution was 641 hours. If we apply an average $120 contractor rate, that equates to $76,920 of saved association money or $418 per unit. Total cost for plants and materials was about $3,000. This included tools that we will be using in future years.

Area behind Building 45, before & after

One of B&G’s goals is to increase the health of our landscape with biodiversity. When Overlook was developed only a few types of plants were installed. Our new list of plants includes a variety of native bushes such as winterberry holly, staghorn sumac, snowberry, buttonbush, cinquefoil, native trees such as tamarack, river birch and alders, and native perennials such as sunflower, Joe Pye, marsh milkweed, iris, and grey-headed coneflower. In addition, we seeded and sodded many areas that were in need of grass.

Next year our volunteer projects will include revamping gardens, installing plants in sparse gardens, and continued monitoring of water needs and new plantings. We are already assembling a list of trees, bushes, and perennials to plant beginning in early May, and making proposals to the board for volunteer landscape projects.

B&G Landscape Committee

If you have questions on landscape volunteer work, email

With Thanksgiving (and warmer weather) behind us and full on into the holiday season; it is time for the OLCA Website Winter Theme. The photos at the bottom of each website page show winter-themed photos, changing randomly on each page. Look for the Spring theme in early March.

Additional photos were contributed from the residents. If anyone would like to share their photos for the website, please email them to the Communications Committee.

Update 12-1-25

Now that we are through the recent snow event, we need to acknowledge the fact that things did not go as planned and that many owners were quite unhappy with the service that they received. Unfortunately, the first snow of the season was a bit overwhelming and even surprised the weather forecasters.

We have taken a close look at what worked and what didn’t work and have communicated our concerns and expectations to KEI. We will be meeting with them later this week, onsite, to review our expectations moving forward and to point out what we felt went wrong, and discuss remedies. Topics include:

• How to Report Concerns During a Snow Event
• Contractor Safety Concerns and Labor Laws
• Woodbridge Drive Parking

Winter will soon be upon us! The following points are all procedures owners need to know, and to begin preparing for before the snow starts to fall. We have a new snow removal contractor, KEI, and have communicated our high expectations of their performance this winter. Please understand that snow removal operations can occur at any time during the day or evening.

This article contains topics related to:

• Garages & Vehicles
• Driveways, Walkways & Patios
• Downspout Extensions
• Contractor Interaction
• Woodbridge Drive
• Snow Removal Starting Point

As the Overlook Lake Condos complex ages, there are trees and bushes in need of replacement. Dead trees and bushes will be removed as soon as time and resources permit, diseased trees and bushes will be evaluated by the OLCA contractor. In many cases these diseased plants will survive, even though they may look sad this season. If the contractor deems it necessary, the diseased tree or bush will be removed.

Species were chosen to be suited for the environment (dry-medium-wet), are disease-resistant, and are the right size and shape for the area (tall-medium-short-wide-narrow). There is a preference for Wisconsin native species that do not drop seeds that sprout, are long-lived and can tolerate salt. Owner suggestions for replacement options will be accepted. However, keep in mind many owners, who also see the trees & bushes, may have different opinions.

If you are seeing issues like dead/missing trees or bushes, overhanging limbs, or notice ones that need pruning, submit a Condo Problem Submission Form. This form is available online or at the management office. Do not email or call board members, committee members, or volunteers. A response will be given to you within a week.

Maybe you’ve discovered one of our many hard-working volunteers toiling around your building. Please take a moment to thank them for their efforts on behalf of everyone.

Thank you for helping to keep Overlook Lakes Condos landscape healthy and beautiful!

Help Avoid Costly Water Leaks

For owners planning to spend this winter in the south, following is a list of items you need to address before you depart. Doing so will help prevent damage to your unit and your neighbors’ units due to clogged, displaced or faulty water lines.

In addition to addressing the items below, please send an email to so that the Board of Directors has a list of units that will be vacant this winter. The list will only be shared with the Overlook Lakes Management Office and will otherwise be kept strictly confidential.

1. Have your furnace serviced, being sure the drain line is clear and securely inserted into the floor drain in the utility room. Clogged and displaced drain lines on furnaces have caused water leaks in the past.
2. Be sure the drain line from your hot water heater is clear and securely inserted into the floor drain in the utility room.
3. Have the water supply lines in your kitchen, bathrooms and utility room inspected to ensure there are no leaks. Failed supply lines to faucets, toilets and washers have also caused water leaks in the past. If you still have the original lines, it’s recommended that they be replaced with upgrades.
4. Shut off the water supply valves to your toilets.
5. Keep your thermostat set to at least 60 degrees.
6. Leave your lower kitchen cabinet doors and bathroom cabinet doors open to ensure adequate heating and air flow to prevent freezing of pipes.
7. Ensure the Management Office has a local contact should there be an issue needing attention.
8. Ask a family member, relative or friend to periodically check the interior of your unit throughout the winter to ensure all is well.

An additional measure for avoiding water leaks is for you to shut off the main water valve to your unit and to turn off the circuit breakers to your hot water heater. In eight-family units, the water valve is located in or above the hot water heater. In four-family units, the water valve may be concealed in the dopped soffit.

If you need help locating the correct water valve and circuit breakers, call the Overlook Lakes Management Office at least one week prior to your departure to schedule a date and time for property management staff to show you where each is located.

Repairing damage due to water leaks caused by clogged, displaced or faulty water lines is a long and costly process. Significant sections of drywall, insulation, baseboards and flooring often have to be removed and replaced. Please understand that if a water leak originates in your unit, you will be responsible for the cost of repairs to all affected units.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

If you have questions, email or call the Management Office at 414-427-5715.

Sincerely,

Your Overlook Lakes Board of Directors
Your Buildings and Infrastructure Committee

To simplify the process when condo owners experience problems, a new Condo Problem Submission Form has been created replacing the old Work Order Request Form. This Condo Problem Submission Form should be submitted when owners notice a landscape or building problem, or a problem around your building or complex.

Examples include issues with any of the following:

• Tree, bush, lawn, garden
• Irrigation, heads, sprinklers
• Building trim, bricks, soffit, bib
• Driveway, sidewalk, cobble rocks, street
• Roof, gutter, vents

The form allows owners to include a description of the issue and provides an opportunity to offer a solution. Completed forms should be emailed to the Building & Grounds Committee  and the Overlook Lakes Office  You can also drop off hard copies at the Overlook Lakes Office, 8601 Westlake Dr. A response will be to you within a week.

In addition a new Owner Exception Request Form has been created replacing the Common Elements Request Form. The Owner Exception Request Form should be used when owners are asking for permission to do something outside of the normal condo rules.

For example, owners may place pots, flags, statues, and other decorative items on their patio, balcony or sidewalks and garden areas per our condo rules. See Rules of the Association. Limited in-garden planting by owners around buildings and the complex, or other exceptions to our condo rules, are allowed only after receiving written approval and evaluation by association management of your specific request and its location. Please submit the Owner Exception Request Form and provide a detailed description (what you’d like to do and where you’d like to do it) of your request.

Email completed forms to the Buildings & Grounds Committee . You can also drop off hard copies at the Overlook Lakes office, 8601 Westlake Dr. Please do not email or call board members, committee members, or volunteers. A response will be to you within a week.

We’re all neighbors and volunteers, thank you for helping to keep Overlook Lakes Condos landscape healthy and beautiful!

As we come to the end of the summer, please keep in mind that owners should not discard cuttings or dump the contents of pots into flower beds and bushes. Not only is this unsightly for our neighbors, it also obscures our expensive wood chips that we would like to preserve.

Please place all cuttings and contents of pots under a tree by the road and our contractor will pick them up.

Thank you and thank you for helping to keep Overlook Lakes Condos landscape healthy and beautiful!

You have probably noticed the red and green ribbons tied around our trees that appeared in the last few weeks. And you might have wondered what in the world are those for? Well, our own Building and Grounds (B&G) volunteers have been working with SavATree Tree Service to identify trees that need pruning or removing. The goal is to make a comprehensive list and then prioritize the work.

Currently we are awaiting a proposal from SavATree so we can schedule and prioritize. Once we have costs, we will determine what work can be done this season.

Trees with green ribbons are recommended for pruning. SavATree will prune low hanging limbs, dead limbs, and limbs that are interfering with buildings. Trees with red ribbons are recommended for removal. Most of these are diseased and/or a potential hazard to people or buildings. Note that none of the red ribbon trees are in danger of falling immediately.

Stay tuned for more updates as B&G volunteers work through this necessary project. If you have questions feel free to contact Melanie Rogers chair of B&G.

From mid-December 2024 to mid-January 2025 a group of owner volunteers was busy trimming and pruning our Austrian pines, hawthorns and crabapples. Under the direction of the Buildings & Grounds committee, led by Melanie Roberts, the group pruned 63 trees and logged 52 person hours over 19 work days. We estimate the task saved our association $6000 in contractor fees.