Hello Neighbors!

We are conducting an HOA meeting over Zoom on November 10^th at 7PM.

Zoom Meeting:

• Meeting Access Link
• Meeting ID: 815 9768 1877
• Security PIN: 01748

Here’s what to expect:

• Roll Call of all homes in the Association: Greenwood Road and Everette Circle
• HOA Board updates, including: financial review and neighborhood updates
• Open Discussion: What’s on your mind regarding our neighborhood
• Election of the Board Officers and Ballot Issue vote

The Election

You have been served by the current board for that past 4 years. The current members are running for reelection this year. A call for candidates has been sent out via email on 9/18/24. To date, no new candidates have come forward, but the ballot will remain open to nominees until October 31^st 2024.

Your current candidates are:

• Lesley Ficarri (57 Greenwood Road) : President
• Umesh Shah (19 Greenwood Road) : Treasurer
• Joe CaraDonna (53 Greenwood Road) : Secretary

One homeowner per lot may vote on Association business. A minimum of 35 Owners (or Proxies) is required to reach quorum for elections.

The Ballot Issues

Our HOA has Protective Covenants which serve as the governing constitution for our neighborhood.  They document rules, such as: No above ground swimming pools, No storage buildings, Trash containers may be placed on streets only on collection days, No fences, No trailers, No boats, No livestock. Note: exceptions may be granted by the Board. It is these rules which maintain the aesthetic of our beautiful neighborhood.

The Board is proposing two amendments to the Protective Covenants. Both proposals are common practice today, but we get enough questions/feedback that we believe adding clarity in the Covenants would be beneficial to our community and future Boards.

ISSUE 1: Landscaping Amendment

In the Paragraph FENCE, POOLS, TENNIS COURTS, STORAGE BUILDINGS, ADDITIONS, LANDSCAPING the following shall be inserted after the last sentence:

Additionally, lot owner shall regularly maintain landscaping including but not limited to lawns, shrubs, trees, flowers, flower beds, stone beds, stone walls and fences. Regular maintenance shall occur throughout the spring, summer and fall and shall mean such activities as: lawn cutting; trimming of trees, shrubs and flowers; weeding beds; removing fallen leaves, twigs and branches; ensuring trees and shrubs do not block the sidewalk and repairing issues with stone walls and fences.

ISSUE 2: Solar Panel Amendment

The HOA supports clean energy initiatives and allows solar panels on the back roof of homes. Having them on the front of the house, however, does affect the aesthetic of the neighborhood. The Board today actively consults with homeowners when it comes to front of house placement. We’d like this oversight documented in the Covenants as follows:

SOLAR PANELS: No owner of a Lot shall erect or permit to be erected on any Lot or street-facing rooftop (i.e. front and sides of house roof) solar panels without the prior written consent and design approval of the Grantor. The purpose of this restriction is to ensure that all structures and improvements within the Lots shall be compatible and aesthetically appealing.

We will conduct a vote for each individual amendment proposal at the meeting.

Proxy Vote

A minimum of 35 lot Owners is required to reach quorum for votes/elections.

While we highly recommend at least one representative from each household attend the meeting, we understand that it is not always possible. In which case, you may appoint a proxy to serve in your place.  Ideally your proxy is another member of the Association (e.g., your neighbor, a Board member).

You can download the proxy form here. Please fill out the proxy form and email it to board@hopkintonhighlandshoa.org at least 2 days prior to the meeting.

 

We held our 2023 Luminaria Event on Saturday December 16th, where Greenwood Road and Everett Circle were lined with candlelight. It was a beautiful display, and the weather was perfect for a walk through the neighborhood.

I’d like to thank all those who helped infuse our streets with the spirit of the holidays, and a night of peace on Earth.

Mold, it’s a dirty word, yet it exists and sometimes we have to deal with it.

We had a bit of a scare at our house recently, where this bad odor was emitting from a closet in the basement. Nothing visible. Just a smell. We feared the worst and started researching who to call for mold testing and remediation.

The research is a daunting experience, as you quickly come to realize how bad things can get. Mold can be toxic, get behind walls, and spread all over – causing you to gut spaces and entire rooms – and it can come back if not treated properly.

Then the next thing hits you – who can you trust to give you an honest assessment, and not needlessly rip your house apart and run your costs up (which is a real possibility in this business)?

To make a long story short, we found AdvantaClean out of Waltham. They were courteous, professional, and best of all… didn’t rip my house apart. They did a thorough non-intrusive analysis, and found our problem to be quite trivial. They unclogged a return vent, and we bleached a couple small areas in and around the closet. Solved!

In addition, they had opportunities to upsell us on ventilation systems and their services, but they did not, and were instead very pragmatic (eg., consider upgrading your bathroom fan).  As a result of that experience, they earned a spot on our trusted Contractors list.

Those little fungi can create a lot of drama.

 

Good contractors are hard to find. They can be the difference between happy living and regrettable nightmares. We are assembling a list of contractors in our new Contractors section, based-on neighborhood experiences, to help with finding one for your next project.

If you have a contractor that you would like to recommend to hire or avoid, please leave a comment, or email us and we will update the list.

Need to dig a hole or trench to plant a tree/shrub, install a post, or run an irrigation line? Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, a safe job starts with a call to Dig Safe at 811.

Dig Safe is a free service that notifies participating utility companies of your plans to dig. Within 72 hours, the utilities come to your property to mark out the location of their underground facilities.

State law requires you to notify Dig Safe for even small projects, like installing a mailbox or planting shrubs. The depth of utility lines vary, and there may be multiple utility lines in a common area.

As we spring forward and with the melting of the snow, we can now see the tips of the daffodils, hyacinths and, oh no, all the dog doo-doo too! Remember, there are no Poop Fairies, so please clean up after your pet.

Signs have been installed in our common areas to remind those visiting from neighboring streets to leave no piles behind.

With 2021 upon us, we would like to wish you health, wealth, and happiness in the New Year ahead.

Your Hopkinton Highlands HOA Board met in January for the annual review our financials and to plan for 2021. As can be seen in our financial reports, our biggest expenses are with landscaping and basin maintenance. The HOA maintains ten common areas and five water detention basins throughout the Highlands.

We expect the expenses for the year ahead to have a similar profile. Given that, and the fact that our financial position continues to be strong, annual dues will remain at $375 this year. Invoices are being mailed out via USPS this week, and your payments are due upon receipt.

The Hopkinton Highlands is surrounded by open space, wetlands and conservation land. Some of this property is owned by Hopkinton Area Land Trust (HALT) and the Sudbury Valley Trustees(SVT).

You may have noticed some new markers appear in the woods. HALT is now marking boundaries with red flagging tape on trees, and with orange poles at corners, entirely around HALT’s open space in the area.

Some of these flags will be replaced by little 3½” signs on trees around that perimeter so people will know where the boundary is. These signs are not meant to restrict access: the land is open to all—they are simply meant to inform people where HALT property starts.

There are no plans to do any clearing, development or construct any trails that aren’t already there. HALT land stewards do periodically walk the area to insure that this area stays as natural-looking as possible.

Please remember that HALT and SVT are our neighbors. Do not dump lawn clippings, leaves, branches, or any other material onto their land. These piles of debris are not only unsightly, but when they build up they smother the forest floor.

Hopkinton Highlands is now illuminated at night!

The HOA has purchased solar powered lighting systems for our entryway signs.

The first one has been installed at the corner of Greenwood Road and Saddle Hill Road on 9/26/20. The second phase will illuminate the entryway sign near Wedgewood Drive.

Special thank you to Michael Lanuti and his wife Kristin’s dad,Tom, for installing this solar powered lighting system.

Are you considering alterations to your house or yard? If so, the Protective Covenants of Hopkinton Highlands and the by-laws and protective orders of the Town of Hopkinton could impact your project.

Home additions, sheds, pools, sports courts and land grading are a few examples that require review and pre-approvals from the HOA Board and your neighbors.

The septic restriction in the community could affect securing needed permits from the Town for finishing your basement and/or adding bedrooms to your home.

Because Hopkinton Highlands has significant open space, wetlands and conservation land, consultation with and necessary approvals from the Town of Hopkinton Land Use and Conservation departments along with the Hopkinton Area Land Trust (HALT) and the Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) is important for the maintenance of our common land required by the HH HOA By-Laws.

The Board encourages you to reach out to us if you are thinking about making changes to your property, so we can help you navigate the various processes.