Spring 2018 PGE POA Newsletter

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association

Neighborhood News

Spring 2018

Working Together for a GREAT Neighborhood

President’s Message – Guy Karm With it almost being the start of summer, I am sure that we will see many boats, campers, RVs and trailers in driveways in the neighborhood. Please remember that you can leave them in the driveway for a few days while cleaning them and ge>ing them ready for summer use, however, county ordinances do not allow you to park them there for extended periods of time. Please use good judgment.

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Here we are, another springtime is just around the corner. Hopefully, another winter has passed and we all made it through.

The Holiday Party was a great success and Santa was outstanding this year. Thank you to the Social Commi>ee and everyone who worked so hard on pu>ing it together. It’s truly nice to see all the neighbors at such a festive time of year.

And, speaking of the holidays, how about those entrance ways over the holidays. The lighting and decorating were spectacular.

Thanks to all involved for your hard work.

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On a more serious note, there have been some crimes commi>ed in the neighborhood.

One example is where an alleged worker comes to your door and tells you about a problem outside– for example, a fence , electrical or cable problem. When you go out with him to investigate the problem his accomplice sneaks into your house to steal things.

There has also been a break-in where the offenders broke in the back door to the residence while the owners were out of town. We live in such a nice neighborhood that it is difficult to imagine crimes like this taking place–but they do happen.

So, as a good neighbor, it is your job to be on the lookout for suspicious activities. If you see

someone or something that looks out of place or causes you concern, you are probably right with your suspicions. Do not confront them– call the police. The police would rather come a hundred times on false alarms than to miss a crime in progress. You are not bothering them— that is their job.

In closing, I know that I have said this before, my birthday is at the end of March. I can remember years when I was out without a jacket on my birthday and other years when there were blizzards.

The good news is that no ma>er how bad the March weather might be, April and springtime are just days away. In fact, I’ve been told that the Social Commi>ee is already working on plans for the Kick Off to Summer Party, which is going to be bigger and be>er than ever.

This is by far my favorite event of the year and looking forward to it will help to get me through the rest of this winter.

Please remember to RSVP as that determines the amount of food that we order. We want to have enough food and we do not want to pay for food that we do not need. Anyhow, I hope to see all of you at the Kick Off to Summer Party in June.

- Guy Karm, President PGE

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

Community News Spring gardening tips Even the briefest glimpse of Plum Grove Estate’s front yards has revealed the telltale signs of spring: dainty snowdrops in bloom, the emerging green stalks of daffodils and assorted perennials peeking out of the soil.

March was pretty cold, but warmer weather is bound to come, and when it does, we’ll be working in our yards for the outdoor edition of spring cleaning.

No matter how many seasons we garden, it’s easy to forget what to cut down and what to leave be. Just as vexing: When it’s safe to plant favorite perennials and annuals, herbs and vegetables. April is fine for many plants (pansies and snapdragons, for example), but typical nighttime frosts can doom many others (zinnias and tomatoes come to mind); these plants shouldn’t meet the soil until all threat of frost is gone.

Chicago Botanic Garden: Another monthly todo list for the year: chicagobotanic.org (type “monthly gardening checklist” in the search field).

Also, the Schaumburg Community Garden Club will host its Native Plant Tent Sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, May 20. Pre-orders are accepted through May 6. You’ll find native plants tailor-made for our growing area that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

For full details on what’s available, go to schaumburggardenclub.org.

New Area Restaurants Now Open:

Miller’s Ale House

1300 N. Meacham Road, Schaumburg

Mother Cluckers

220 N. Northwest Hwy., Palatine

honeygrow

1741 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg

MOD Pizza

1731 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg

Opening soon:

Bonchon

Here are two websites with tried-and-true advice as we return to our beloved gardens and welcome the glories of another growing season: Morton Arboretum: Check out the helpful month-by-month checklist: mortonarb.org (type “garden calendar month by month” in the search field).

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1408 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg

And: The Woodfield Dining Pavilion is scheduled to open in June

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

Plum Grove Estates

Holiday Party December 3, 2017

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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

Plum Grove Estates

Holiday Party December 3, 2017

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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

Once again the generous members of Plum Grove Estates made PGE POA one of the largest contributors to the Palatine Township Food Pantry this holiday season with their donations collected at the Holiday Party. Below is a letter of thanks from Palatine Township.

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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

Genral Meeting Minutes Wednesday, February 21, 2018 Call to Order – The general meeting of the Plum Grove Homeowners Association was called to order

by President Guy Karm at 7:33 p.m. Wednesday, Feb 22, 2018 at the Plum Grove Park Banquet Room.

Board Attendees – Guy Karm, Rich Coha, Amy Pritchard, Dave Knowling, Lauri Mitchell, Lynn Meinzer, Susan McDonald, Gary Dindia Absent Board Members – Steve Sperling, Dave Freeman, George Reichl Resident Attendees: Carolan and Dan August, Jim Petersen and Martina Kelly, Tom Clark, Linda Harrison, Tommy and Contessa Hsu, Pat Bryant, Jonathon Kinyon, Tim Zels, Glenn Fallon, Mary Jo Hoadley, Susan Knowling, Pauline and Eric Pohl, Paul Dynak, Bruce Mueller, Carole England, Ted Papuya, Jim and Beth Campbell, Dennis and Sue Oates, Irene Vineyard, Kevin McDonald, Jim Melton, William Huley, Sue Dindia, Dawn Amos, Larry Amos, Randy Mitchell, George Manthey, Jeff Hermann.

There were questions regarding improvements to the building itself, i.e. flooring, lighting, sound insulation.

She indicated that in 2019-2020, there will be improvements made to the tennis courts with the inclusion of a couple of pickle ball courts. She was asked to see if the courts could be cleaned now as they are quite dirty. She indicated that the fear in cleaning the courts is further damage to the surface. Concerns were raised about increased car and foot traffic with the rental of the park.

She indicated that the traffic should be lighter with the pool closed.

New Neighbor Introduction – Lauri Mitchell, Membership Director, introduced and welcomed Tim and Susie Zells, (2311 S Circle Dr.), Sue and Dennis Oates, (393 Knollwood), Jim Petersen and Martina Kelly (2055 Brookdale), Jeff and

Guest Speaker – Amy Charlesworth, Exec Director of Rolling Meadows Park District.

Amy explained the historic problems that RMPD has experienced with the pool. These problems include a delaminated, crumbling shell, a leak that was estimated to cost $800,000 to repair, and an annual loss of $80,000 the last three years that the pool was open.

She provided details on the estimated $250,000 renovation that in Phase 2 will include new bathrooms with outdoor access that will be built in the kitchen space of the clubhouse. The pool space will be a large round green space which will include a pavilion and a trellis. She indicated that a large amount of trees and bushes will be planted to provide privacy to the homes near the park.

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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

Margaret Hermann (384 Briarwood), and Dan and Carolan August (2301 Westwood). Each spoke about why they chose our neighborhood.

Lauri also mentioned that since the beginning of 2016, thirty-four new residents have moved into PGE. Guy Karm thanked Lauri for all of her hard work in contacting and welcoming each new family.

Approval of Minutes – A motion to approve October General Meeting meeting minutes was made by Sue Dindia, seconded by Randy Mitchell and unanimously approved.

Treasurer’s Report – Amy Pri tchard presented the Preliminary 2018 Budget.

Because of continued negotiations with landscaping and fence repairs, she only had a draft budget but said that the new budget will

2017-2018 PGEPOA Officers and Directors President Vice President and Architectural Control Secretary Treasurer Area Control Civic Affairs Membership Communications Landscaping Audit Past President Social Committee Chair

Guy Karm Dave Freeman Susan McDonald Amy Pritchard Dave Knowling Steve Sperling Lauri Mitchell Rich Coha Lynn Meinzer George Reichl Gary Dindia Sue Knowling

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be ready for approval shortly. She mentioned that dues payments have increased and she recently collected $1,000 of past dues and she believes payments will continue to improve.

The actual percentage of unpaid dues is less than 4 percent of total residences. She stated that 2018 bills would be going out soon. There was a delay due to the addition of new residents and corrections to the mailing list. A motion was made by Jim Melton, seconded by Randy Mitchell and unanimously approved to be moved into records.

President’s Remarks – Guy Karm, President talked about the recent break-ins and robberies in the neighborhood and asked everyone to look out for each other and each other’s homes. He also recommended that we don’t hesitate to report anything unusual.

Preservation and Beautification Committee – As spring approaches, Lauri Mitchell said to keep an eye for the new spring bulbs to sprout up.

Bulbs were planted at Meadow, Crestwood and Briarwood. Work is now moving to repair and improve the islands, with Longacres and Briarwood and Longacres and S. Circle to receive the first attention.

Architectural Control – Dave Freeman was absent so there was no report.

Area Control – Dave Knowling provided an update of the light upgrade and his work to continue monitoring lamps. He explained his role as “keeping an eye on things.”

He is supporting the Cook County regulations as well as our covenants. He reminded that trailers and boats parked in driveways is also against Cook County regulation. Dave mentioned that he is also on the Beautification and Preservation committee. He has been in contact with Roland Sachs from Palatine Township Roads about the PGE common areas.

The township will be resurfacing a specific route of the roadway

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

which will include Briarwood north to Meadow Lane. They will also be repairing the snow plow damage on the roadsides except for the roads that will be resurfaced. There are some street signs that will also be repaired. There are some diseased trees that will also be replaced by the township.

There were some questions regarding the creek and the responsibility to groom and clean out shrubs in the creek. There was conversation that Roland should speak at our next meeting scheduled for May. Civic Affairs – There was no report as Steve Sperling was absent.

Landscaping – Lynn Meinzer mentioned that shortly spring cleanup will start. They would also be talking with the landscaper, M&B, to renew the contract. She also mentioned that the creek maintenance is very complicated and depends on if the tree roots are located in your property or on the creek bed itself.

This complication is another reason to have Roland present at our next meeting.

Social Committee – Sue Knowling reported that the holiday party was very successful. We had 110 adults and 24 children. She received accolades from many in the room regarding how great the party was. She said that the June party is scheduled for June 20 and planning will begin shortly.

Newsletter/Communications – Rich Coha reported that at the January board meeting it was decided that a new Plum Grove residence directory will be printed in 2018. He explained that we will need authorization from each homeowner to publish their contact information so the first step will be to mail these releases to each resident. There was a request to add a notice in the next newsletter to watch your speed while driving through the neighborhood.

New Business – No new business Adjournment – A motion was made by George Manthey, seconded by Larry Amos, and unanimously approved to adjourn. President Guy Karm adjourned the meeting at 8:30 PM.

In Memoriam Plum Grove Estates recently lost two very dear and longtime residents.

Condolences to the families of: Marie Gallagher of Longacres Lane and Alice Forbes of South Elmwood Lane You can read of their remarkable lives at Legacy.com.

Fight Traffic Noise The Plum Grove Homeowners Board is seeking interested neighbors to work on a committee to research sound walls along Frontage and Algonquin roads. The board feels that with the increase potential of development along the old Motorola property and the consistent traffic sound from Rte. 53, we as a community need to understand how best to address these concerns.

If interested please contact Board Member David Freeman at 847-975-1951 or email at dave.freeman@cbexchange.com. We are hoping to get 5 to 7 volunteers.

Thank you.

Old Business – No old business -8 ! -

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

 

The above is the final plan for the former swimming pool area as presented at the PGE POA general meeting on February 21.  -9 ! -

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

Board Member Reports

Area Control – Dave Knowling Palatine Township is planning to repave Briarwood Lane and all areas north of there, as well as Meadow Lane this year.

Snowplow damage will be repaired this spring, but the streets scheduled for repaving will not be repaired until the new blacktop is put down.

Membership - Lauri Mitchell As membership director, my responsibilities include visiting our newcomers, reviewing our By-Laws and Directory, introducing our Board responsibilities and providing a small gift from the Board.

It has been my pleasure to meet our new neighbors and answer any questions they may have about our Property Owners Association.

Plum Grove Estates welcomed five new neighbors in recent months.

Palatine Township will be replacing diseased trees at the Meadow Lane island and on Brookdale Lane near the pond. An oak tree on Woodland Court will also be replaced, as it is leaning severely. Removal of old shrubs, raising the soil level, and planting grass is under discussion for the island at South Brookdale Lane. This should help with flooding concerns at that location. Contact Dave Knowling at daveknow@comcast.net if you have any concerns about the work at these areas.

Please extend these newcomers a warm neighborly welcome if they live near you.

Jeffrey Hermann and Peggy Wojkowski 384 Briarwood Lane

Jim Peterson and Martina Kelly 2055 Brookdale Lane

A question about who is responsible for creek maintenance issues was brought up and will be pursued in discussion with the township.

Report any creek blockage to Dave Knowling or Palatine Township. We have had fallen trees across the creek, as well as beaver dams blocking the flow in the past.

Suzanne and Dennis Oates, Isabelle (11) 393 Knollwood Court Bill and Kaitlyn Kretch, Paige (4), Hayden (2) 2259 Longacres Lane Dan and Carolan August, Bryce (17), Kristen (21) 2301 Westwood Lane

Three extra post lamps were purchased recently, as our spares were needed due to vandalism last year.

In Cook County, trailers of any kind may only be parked on residential lots on a temporary basis.

We prefer not to call the police for enforcement of this ordinance, so we appreciate your cooperation.

Landscape – Lynn Meinzer Farewell to winter and Hello to spring! The weather is improving for checking out the landscaped common areas of Plum Grove Estates, as well as our individual homes. It is a good time to anticipate the spring cleanup to clear the way for perennial growth, shrubs and trees leafing out – some prior to blooming – - ! 10 -

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

some blooming prior to leafing out! Later there will be annuals planted by M&B Landscape.

Plans for updating additional median islands by the Preservation & Beautification Committee are being worked out to present new plant varieties that grow well together, are colorful, have complementary but different textures, are sturdy during winter snow and are chosen considering the sun and shade of the area, water requirements and amount of maintenance required as the plants mature. The soil has been tested and additional fresh soil, compost and fertilizers will be incorporated, as needed, to ensure good growth.

Many of the islands need work on the lawn areas and the M&B Landscape Company will be able to address improvements. Damage from snow plowing will be repaired by the Palatine Township Road District during spring. Many efforts are underway to continue to preserve and beautify our Plum Grove Estates community for the enjoyment of its residents and visitors!

-- Happy Spring – 2018!

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Civic Affairs – Steve Sperling Rolling Meadows council rezones most of the old Dominick's site.

Rolling Meadows aldermen voted 5-2 to rezone much of the former Dominick's property in the d o w n t o w n a re a , fro m c o m m e rc i a l t o residential.

Ryan Homes is proposing a 113 townhouse development on 9.5 acres of the former Dominick's property , while 1.5 acres would be retained for commercial use. The townhomes would be three story with built in garages and prices starting at $300,000.

Since these plans are preliminary there are two more council votes need for formal approval.

The plans reduced the townhome total by 2 and increased the commercial acreage by .1 acre from the plan presented in December.

Below is rendering of the current plan:

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

Beautification Committee Report Lauri Mitchell, Committee Chair Our committee members have been meeting over the last few months to decide what projects we will focus on this 2018 spring. We met with Mike Zehr from M& B Landscaping and expect to renew a 3-year contract with his landscaping company for mowing and maintenance. Many of you commented on the quality of his work so we trust our Board will grant him a three-year contract.

We look forward to seeing the pink tulips we planted last fall when we designed and planted the islands on Meadow/ Briarwood and Crestwood / Briarwood last fall.

The transformation of these islands was accomplished by all our committee volunteers who spent many hours designing and developing the landscape of these islands.

Roland Sachs from Palatine Township planted and purchased Chantilly pear trees for each of these islands. We look forward to seeing them in full bloom this spring!

high-impact internal islands: Briarwood/ Longacres and Longacres/Circle. Our research shows that many of the islands need to have the existing mulch removed and replaced, the surface roots removed, and soil enhancers added. We expect this procedure will enable our entrance flowers to bloom much better this summer. We also asked our landscaper to install premium shredded hardwood mulch to enhance the overall beauty of summer plantings. We are looking into replacing the sandy-colored pea gravel at Westwood with a more substantial and deeper-colored pebbles.

Additionally, Palatine township is working with us to clean up the debris on Salt Creek which seems to dam up the creek during heavy rains.

Pool Pass Discount for Members of PGE POA

The Rolling Meadows Park District will be oering Plum Grove Estates Residents a $25 discount on the non-resident rate for a pool pass purchased prior to July 1. Regular nonresident rate is $150.

Please email the Superintendent of RecreationConor Cahill at ccahill@rmparks.org and he will provide you with a letter to present at the time of purchasing your pool pass.Â

Pool passes can be purchased at the Nelson Sports Complex, 3900 Owl Drive or at the Community Center, 3705 Pheasant Drive.

Moving into our third year as a committee, our focus is to continue to replant and improve selected islands. We plan on improving two

If you have any questions please contact Amy Charlesworth at 847-818-3220.

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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

Share the Road

PGE residents are asked to remember a few important items that are good for the safety of our neighborhood.

The speed limit in Plum Grove Estates was set at 20 miles per hour a few years ago to help keep our neighborhood safe.

Plum Grove Estates is a unique neighborhood without sidewalks that allows residents and their children a beau@ful environment for walking, running, cycling and dog walking. When driving please observe this speed limit for your own safety and that of your neighbors.

Some residents have men@oned at the General Mee@ng that people have been speeding well over the limit. Please call 911 if you no@ce violators.

Also, with a 20 mile per hour speed limit there is an added benefit when parking on the street. Traffic is always light in our neighborhood, and most @mes not fast, so there is no need to park on the grass which will cause ruts in wet soil. With light traffic you do not need to make extra room for traffic, you can park on the street, not the grass.

Save the Date!

Mark your calendar for the

Kick Off to Summer party on June 20. Watch for your invitation in the mail.

Also watch your mail for the 2018 Fishing Derby notice.

Please remember…

To pay your membership dues

by April 14.

Your dues are what what keep Plum Grove Estates a beautiful neighborhood.

Your dues invoice is also needed to update the PGE POA Directory.

Thank you!

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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org

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Kick Off to Summer Party

PGEPOA Board Meeting

PGEPOA Board Meeting

PGEPOA Board Meeting

6/20

7/19

8/21

9/18

PGEPOA Board Meeting

producing and mailing the newsletter

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11/20

PGE POA General Meeting Plum Grove Park 7:30 PM (Pizza & dessert at 7:00PM)

PGEPOA General Meeting Plum Grove Park 7:30 PM (Pizza & dessert at 7:00PM)

5/16

10/17

PGEPOA Board Meeting

4/17

Calendar plum grove estates

Property Owners Association PO Box 2568 Palatine, IL 60078-2568

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org