Fall And Winter Good Things To Know
Halfway through fall and getting ready for winter. The following points are all things that are good to know and to begin preparing for before the snow begins falling.
Our landscape contractor will finish up their fall clean up during the week of November 14-18. Those owners who maintain their own “limited common area” can set their yard waste at the curb and the crews will collect it when they are onsite.
Garage Doors
A friendly reminder that they are best kept closed when not coming and going (see Rule 104). It is also the best way to keep unwanted guests, both two and four legged, out of your home. Leaving the door open and unattended for extended periods not only invites potential theft, but also offers a warmer environment for uninvited guests looking for shelter from the cold. The Association’s contract with Orkin does not include dealing with live creatures that make your home their home. Should this happen (and it has), the owner is responsible for all costs related to “extermination” of these pests.
Garages & Vehicles
Please keep your vehicle in the garage whenever possible during the winter months. When our snow removal contractor needs to plow and salt driveways, the crews cannot do a thorough job when vehicles are in the way. Perhaps now would be a good time to clear out all that “stuff” you have been collecting and make room for your vehicles.
Snow Removal & Driveways
Owners are responsible for clearing the snow from around their vehicles after snow removal operations. Same applies to guests using guest parking. Salting crews cannot properly salt driveways when vehicles are present. During salting operations, owners must move their vehicles so that the area in front of the garage can be properly salted.
Snow Removal & Walkways
Crews will remove the snow and salt the sidewalks. Be advised that this is often done in the middle of the night. This year, the crews will use a “gentler” calcium-chloride mix that is safer for the new walkways.
Snow Removal & Patios
Removing snow from patios is not included in our contract. Owners that want snow-free patios will need to take care of that personally.
Winter & Downspout Extensions
Some owners have attached plastic, corrugated downspout extensions to the white metal extensions around their units. These plastic extensions can easily become frozen shut during winter. Please remove these plastic extensions and store them in your garages as soon as possible. On several buildings there are downspout extensions that “extend” into the driveway. These should also be removed and stored for the winter. The plow operators cannot get close to the area immediately in front of garage doors when these are present.
Contractor Interaction
Any concerns you may have with our snow removal crews should be communicated to the Overlook Lakes Office at 414-427-5715 or the Board of Directors at . Do not ask the crews to perform work that might be outside the scope of our contract.
Woodbridge Drive
For safety reasons, Woodbridge Drive is posted “No Parking.” The Board, however, realizes that this is not practical during the Holiday Season, so parking on the ODD address side of Woodbridge will be allowed November 24th and 25th and from December 16th to January 5th. Parking on Woodbridge, however, will not be allowed during snow removal operations. Woodbridge is a private drive, and it is plowed by our snow removal contractor.
Thinking Ahead to Spring
While touring the property with vendors over the past month, Board members noted many rusty storm doors. Once these doors show rust, they need to be replaced. Replacing these doors is the condo owner’s responsibility. Later this winter, provided there is enough interest, the Board will look into putting together a program to purchase approved storm doors at a quantity discount and arrange for installation in Spring. Owners wishing to participate in the program will need to pay the full cost of the door and installation in advance. More on this in January/February. Owners wishing to replace their own doors can find a list of approved doors.
Please ask if you have questions. Either email the Board at or, for those without email, call the Management Office at 414-427-5715.
Wishing You a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!
Overlook Lakes Board of Directors
