Lindenmeier HOA

Lindenmeier HOA

Lindenmeier HOA-Board of Directors -2010

Justin Smith -Pres.

Ed Robert - V.Pres

Ted Weston - Treas/Sec

Denise Benz

Jeff Wolff 
  

HOA Committees

ARC
Bryan Redlin
Bill Williams

Common Grounds:
Ed Robert
Jane Salmon
Craig Mcgee
SteveVratil    Susan Steiner                                                                                                                                                   

Lake Committee:
Dave Frick
Dave Dwyer
(two others from Lindenwood HOA)

Tennis Committee:
Patty Dwyer
Craig Stith
Dennis Grant

Landscape Contractor

Foothills Landscape Maintenance (FLM) has the contract to maintain our common grounds and do the snow plowing/sanding of our streets.

If an HOA member has a question, concern or suggestion to offer regarding their work, please contact our property management company, All Property Services at 224-4446.

About our association

Welcome

WELCOME TO LINDEN LAKE
AND LINDENMEIER HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION


It is a great pleasure to have your family join our neighborhood and we wish you many years of happiness and fulfillment as a member of our great community. All of us are dedicated to supporting the opportunity to maintain a high quality of life in an atmosphere of friendship and support. This welcome packet is one such example that is provided to help you become comfortable in our Linden Lake environment and familiar with our neighborhood and it's homeowner association.

The Linden Lake community is part of an area that consists of 65 homes in our Lindenmeier HOA on the north and east sides of the lake, and about 120 Lindenwood HOA homeowners on the south and west of the lake. Known officially as Lindenmeier Lake, this former irrigation reservoir, and its neighborhood have many years of history tied to the City of Fort Collins, even though it remains just outside the city limits. Although the Lake contains freshwater clams and seashell fossils that reflect back millions of years, the real history comes to light in the early twenties. Then the Linden Trolley line served the Southwest side of the lake as a main line to what was the Lindenmeier Ranch, with a park like setting, dance pavilion, Ferris wheel, carrousel, and even a small private zoo. City residents would take great pleasure with the trolley ride and social environment that the lake and area offered. Later years, and as recent as 1982, one found herds of bison (buffalo) grazing the northeast hillsides of the lake, much to the delight of the many that visited the neighborhood. The city library has several books and photographs on our area that you should find very interesting.

Over the years, the more settled south side residents of the lake were joined by three developments to complete the residential community of today in the late 90s. Our Linden Lake Association area was constructed in the 80s and 90s. It consists of resident from a cross section of the country and with a wide verity of professions, several of which you fill find as "actively retire". Most are involved in various business and social clubs in the city and county, making significant contributions to the improvement of the quality of life in our great part of the state. Many volunteer to serve on the committees and boards that help manage many of our common area needs and our neighborhood activities.

This packet will provide you with a guideline as to how this is done and who is responsible to support the many requirements that help make this a prideful and fulfilling neighborhood in which to live. When you read it we hope you will appreciate the manner in which our members have sought to guide our residents in a direction that will best realize the opportunity to enjoy a high quality of life for all family members. Your support of these goals will be greatly appreciated and your participation in our association's activities will be most welcome. Any questions you may have should be directed to our HOA Property Management Company, All Property Services, a member of our volunteer HOA Board of Directors, or the appropriate committee. Our primary goal is to help you make your lives in this community a wonderful and rewarding experience.

January 2014

Management

Since this is a private neighborhood, within Larimer County, we are responsible for much of the care of the infrastructure, such as common grounds, streets, and the lake. Both associations manage the private lake and thus, it is shared with residents of Lindenwood HOA. A Joint Lake Committee manages the lake rights, water flows and related lake recreation. We must maintain the streets, common areas and other community needs. Our Lindenmeier HOA is formed, under by-laws approved by all homeowners, and controlled by resident volunteers voted to a Board of Directors for the HOA. This Board also has committees to help manage certain activities of the area. This includes a Common Grounds Committee, Architectural Control Committee, and Lake Committee. To help administer the related financial and advisory responsibilities according to state laws, we have contracted with the All Property Services, Inc., 155 N.College, Suite 200. Tel. 224-4445. In addition, the Board has contracted with Loveland-Fort Collins Security, tel. 667-1161, to provide periodic patrols of our neighborhood for safety and security purposes. More specific responsibilities follow.

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors normally consists of five elected volunteer residents that serve three- year terms. They are elected at the Annual HOA meeting, usually held in December, with all resident members invited to attend and participate. Such meetings are usually held in the Community Room of Fire Station 12 at County Club Rd. and Terry Lake Rd (Hwy. 1). An agenda, election ballot, and proxy form is mailed to each resident address 10 to 30 days prior to this meeting. This meeting is a good time to express your thoughts and ideas about the management of our community needs. The Board also meets bimonthly at one of the Board member homes. Contact All Property Services to verify the date, time and location if you wish to attend. A quarterly newsletter is usually distributed with the quarterly dues notice to keep members advised of HOA activities.

The Lindenmeier HOA by-laws are legally binding directives that spell out the manner in which the association is to operate, the election procedures, committee selection procedures and responsibilities, and guidelines under which to publish our Covenants and Rules for the Association. New residents should be provided with these documents at least by the time you close on the purchase of your home. Other copies may be obtained from All Propery Services at 224-4445. It would be most appropriate for you to become familiar with these requirements at the first opportunity. A few of these directives will be summarized within this homeowner guide.
More related information may be found on the following web site: allpropertyservices.com

Architectural Control Committee

Three resident volunteers make up this committee with a purpose to review building and landscape activities to assure changes and/or new construction is designed to be within the HOA guidelines. Key here is to assure that our neighborhood retains a positive and attractive image for all residents. Any new construction or changes proposed by a homeowner, must be submitted to the Architectural Control Committee on a form designed for that purpose and available from the ARC or All Property Services. This request needs to be done to permit a timely review and approval, or discussion that may be necessary to make adjustments that will result in approval. Normally, these requests refer to rather major exterior house or landscape changes, and not minor changes, or the need to repaint the house with the same basic color scheme. Please contact members of this committee if you are unsure of your situation and they will be willing to advise you on the best approach to use. Among the requests that may be debatable are those that relate to the construction of a fenced area, installation of large playground equipment, or new trees or structures that can negatively impact the primary views of neighbors. Since good neighbors are always desired, it is best to coordinate any plans for major changes with your neighbors as well.











Common Grounds Committee

This committee, of about five or six volunteer resident members, is charged with assuring that our common grounds are properly maintained and used for the purposes intended. We have several acres of property that belongs to all association members and as such you provided with access to these areas and the lake. Homeowners are not to disturb the common area landscaping or natural areas without first getting permission of the Common Grounds Committee. Please refer to our covenants and guidelines in that regard. The attached map of our area shows all common areas and highlights the unique areas of use. This map also identifies two designated natural areas. They, and the wetlands adjacent to the lake, are to be left undisturbed by residents. The Committee in coordination with City Natural Areas advisors accomplishes management of these areas. Many types of wildlife, such as; fox, deer, muskrat, raccoons, frequent these areas and sometimes all areas of our neighborhood. The lake is also host to hundreds of waterfowl and several species of fish. Canada geese migrate to our lake in mid winter and area joined by bald eagles, pelicans, blue herons and other rather exotic birds. Learning to live among these many forms of wildlife can be a pleasure and a challenge, particularly when hundreds of geese visit your property. We just urge patience and sometimes a clever way to keep them where they best belong.

There is a common picnic area, swimming beach, dock and gazebo available for the recreational use of all residents. Next to the beach there is an area designated to store and secure your small boats if you do not have a lakeside lot for that purpose. Unfortunately, we have no storage area for long term storage of larger boats, trailers or other recreational vehicles. These must be stored in your garage or at a rental storage facility. And residents are asked to not store their boats in other common areas. The committee annually contracts with a landscape business to maintain our common grounds to include the "green belts", trees, shrubs and irrigation systems. The Board arranges for the upkeep of our streets and the tennis courts, and a Lake Committee cares for the lake water and it's recreational opportunities.

Lake Committee

Since we share Lindenmeier Lake with our neighboring Lindenwood HOA residents, this committee is comprised of two volunteer residents from each HOA. They are responsible for the quality and quantity of lake water and for the support of its recreational uses. This includes stocking the lake with desirable fish and making recommendations on lake use to both HOA Boards. Swimming is permitted, but at your own personal risk. Residents are permitted to fish without a Colorado license and have the opportunity to catch bass, crappie, walleye, northern, perch, wipers, and our lesser desired, but plentiful carp. Accompanied guests may also boat and fish in our private lake. A small boat ramp is available, for larger towed boats, behind the lift station next to 1925 Linden Lake Rd. Small boats, not requiring a tow vehicle, may be launched into the lake at the beach. There are other boat access points from the neighboring HOA area. Boats are limited to small sailboats, rowboats, pedal boats, wind surfers, small party barges and other small personal watercraft. Motors are limited to small electric trolling motors.

Tennis Committee

There is not organized committee, but we do have a single point of contact resident that monitors the courts, there condition and there use. If you have questions regarding there use, please contract Touchstone Management or a Board member. Use of the courts is also restricted to residents of our HOA and their accompanied guests, and proper tennis shoes are required. Each resident family is provided a key for access to our courts, located at the corner of Linden Lake Rd. and Lindenridge Dr. We encourage its use and ask that the access gate be locked when you are the last ones to use the courts. Please use the adjacent parking lot when possible. A water fountain and electrical outlet are located adjacent to this lot, near the entry walkway.

Safety and Security

Safety

Our HOA by-law, covenants, and Guidelines are primarily designed to assure a positive quality of life in a comfortable and safe environment. You should have been provided a copy of these documents when you moved into the HOA. They are also available on line at www.allpropertyservices.com. The safety of our members is paramount, and warrants a preview of such concerns. Since our streets are private, they belong to our association and their use is regulated by our HOA. To best assure the safety of residents, we have legally enforceable motor vehicle speed limits of 25 mph. And, since we have no sidewalks for pedestrians to use, residents, to include children, may be found walking or running in our streets. Vehicles parked along the sides of the streets can also hide these people, and our very limited street lighting, makes it most important that vehicle operators observe our speed limits and posted stop signs. This is also why we encourage residents, and visitors, to limit parking vehicles in the streets and use garages or driveways for parking vehicles. This practice also makes it easier to spot unwanted vehicles. We also encourage you to remind your visitors of this concern for the safety of our neighborhood. These reasons are also the basis for a requirement that each homeowner have a front yard light that helps illuminate the adjacent street as well as the front yard. If you have concerns for safety, please contact All Property Services, Inc. or an HOA Board member. Immediate assistance is always available from the Larimer County Sheriff and the Poudre Fire Authority. Fire Station #12, our closest, is located on Country Club Road just 1.5 miles away. Fire hydrants, painted yellow, are located throughout our neighborhood and should not be obscured or limited to access. At least 36" of clearance must be provided for useable access. A final word on safety is to maintain control and watch of your young children and pets to best assure their safety on the streets or around the lake.

Security

While we do not have a formal neighborhood watch program, we believe it prudent for everyone to coordinate with their neighbors to best assure the security of their homes, particularly when a family is on an extended trip. Good neighbors help collect newspapers or mail, if delivery is not stopped. Use timers on interior lights, leave some outside lights on, or better yet install motion sensors on exterior lights. If outside floodlights are used, they should be directed to light only your property and not be a problem for the neighbors. Report security problems to the sheriff's office, our management company, or a member of our HOA Board, as appropriate to your need. We can, and do, distribute bulletins to everyone to caution of potential problems. Finally, the entry has a sign that designates our neighborhood as a private area with no solicitors welcomed. Homeowners may also post a similar small notice to that effect near their door. No one should be ringing your doorbell to solicit for the sale of anything, even if those persons claim to live somewhere in our neighborhood. You can, however, arrange for such visits, or if you recognize the person at your door, use your best judgment to let them enter your home. Otherwise, advise solicitors to leave the area and call the sheriff if you feel uncomfortable about the situation. Many incidents have occurred in our neighborhood and residents have been sold products that are not properly or legally represented. Just avoid the situation by sending them away. Also be wary of unfamiliar vehicles that may "case" our neighborhood, attempt to remove mail from mailboxes, or park in the shadows to observe the area. Our security patrol is in our area infrequently, so you may want to report your concerns and observations to the sheriff's office for a more timely response.

REQUIREMENTS:

Bylaws-Covenants-Guidelines

A good neighborhood is best managed using regulations to support infrastructure needs, safety, and security, and to maintain the area as a desirable place to live. Our HOA is established under a set of Bylaws that establish the methods and procedures needed to manage all activities and to financially support the related administration and logistics. The HOA Board of Directors operates under these By-laws and has contracted All Property Services to assist by running the day to day activities, coordinating maintenance actions, publishing a quarterly newsletter, and providing all financial support. The Covenants that are voted in by the residents provide more specific requirements regarding what can or cannot be done. Examples of key provisions include: the need to control pets so as to not be a nuisance to neighbors; to not permit fences around or between properties; to keep motor vehicles from being parked on the street routinely; to not permit commercial trucks, RVs, boats, trailers, from being stored in a driveway or yard on a routine basis; to establish rules for motor vehicle uses on our streets, etc. Finally, the Guidelines spell out the need for compliance with certain guidelines regarding home modifications, property landscaping, or common area and lake uses. Residents are urged to be familiar with these documents and to contact a Board member or All Properties Services at 224-4446 for any questions. You also may access this information by linking to the All Properties Web Site at:
www.allpropertyservices.com

Dues/Fees

Financial support of out needs is provided through annual assessment of dues/fees, that is paid quarterly. In the 2006 HOA Budget these costs totaled $275 per quarter, with $30 to support the lake/lake water, $10 for a capital reserve fund, and the remainder primarily used to support operating and maintenance expenses. Our largest expenses are to pay the HOA Management Company, common area landscape contractor, street maintenance, snowplowing, and trash pickup contractors. An annual financial report is provided at the HOA Annual Meeting, during which time the annual budget is reviewed and approved. Quarterly dues notices, and a brief newsletter, are distributed in March, June, September and December with payment request to All Properties Services, Inc. by the end of the following month. There is a fee charged for late payment.

Trash Removal

Trash removal services are provided as part of your dues. You should contact the trash service providers, RAM Waste Systems, to obtain a trash and recycle container. Presently this weekly service is provided on Monday mornings and includes pickup of trash, tied bundles of limbs, dry materials in tied plastic bags, and the separate pickup of recycle items such as newspapers, glass bottles, plastic containers etc. We ask that you wait to place your trash at the curb until the night before pickup or the morning of pickup, and to remove the containers that day. This will reduce spreading of trash in the street and keep the neighborhood less unsightly. Every spring the HOA has a large dumpster placed on the tennis court parking area for ten days, for resident to use to dispose of dried landscape materials or trash that may have accumulated during your outside spring cleanup.

Community Support

Larimer County and the City of Fort Collins are recognized as among the best areas to reside in the country. City Hall and the County Center are located in the downtown civic center. The opportunities for education, commerce, recreation and social activities are readily available. The "Old Town" area, many parks, pedestrian/biking trails, swimming/ice arenas, performing arts center, hundreds of restaurants, places of live entertainment and many shopping centers provide a full range of services to meet family needs. Nearby Poudre Canyon is a favorite for rafting, canoeing, fishing and mountain hiking; and more than a dozen lakes dot our city, including the six- mile long Horsetooth Reservoir in our nearby foothills. Recreation centers, youth centers and an excellent Senior Center are in high demand. Transportation is typically via the family automobile, although city buses and miles of bike trails provide some alternatives, albeit the nearest bus stop is at Conifer and Lemay.

The Poudre School District provides educational opportunities with student aged children in our neighborhood usually attending nearby Tavelli Elementary, or to more distant Lincoln Jr. High School and Poudre High School. School buses do serve our neighborhood for travel to all public schools. Colorado State University and the Front Range Community College primarily provide college level education. Two city libraries and a larger CSU library are also available to all residents. Nearby medical facilities are of high quality and include the excellent Poudre Valley Hospital on S. Lemay.

The Eastern Larimer County Company (ELCO) provides excellent quality water, and Cherry Hills Sanitation provides wastewater support. Xcel Energy provides our electric and gas service. A private contractor provides street snow removal and sanding. AT&T Broadband is the cable TV agency although residents may subscribe to a satellite system service using the small (18-24") receiver dish. Local telephone service is with Quest Communications.

HOA Social Activities

Over the years, many of our HOA members have participated in the annual Lindenwood Days activities and picnic held in September at the Lindenwood Picnic Area, across from their HOA Horse Stable-Arena complex. Most years, residents of both HOAs organize a Christmas Party at one or more homes and, in the summer you will periodically find a blue cocktail party flag posted, usually on a late Thursday afternoon, to announce an open house gathering. The picnic/gazebo/dock are also available for family or group use on a first use basis. A Spring Cleanup Day is both a work and play activity for volunteers.

Our HOA welcomes volunteer participation on any committee or social activity. This is what makes our neighborhood one that promotes a friendly and supportive atmosphere. We all need each other, and we certainly need you. Join in and share your experiences, talents, ideas and good cheer, and we will all be the better for it. Contact a committee member, the HOA Board or All Property Services.

Communications

Important to any community like ours is the opportunity to easily communicate among families. For this purpose, a quarterly newsletter is provided as in insert to your quarterly account statement from Touchstone. In addition, a telephone and street address directory is provided in this guide that lists all HOA homeowners by name and by address. Finally, our HOA has a web site that will contain the information from this guide, updated as appropriate, administrative notices, social announcements and other pertinent information to help everyone feel that are properly informed and a part of our HOA. You may also find more information at the property management web site at: www.allpropertyservices.com

January 2014*************************************************

Links

HOA Property Management Information