Category: Uncategorized

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.

Mailboxes – they stand quietly, they stand proud, our connection to the physical world, as they send and receive our mail each day. We have 69 of them lining the streets our neighborhood, manning their post. Some are standing prouder than others, and it may be time to consider a refresh.

The Hopkinton Highlands HOA is pleased to offer a Mailbox Post Rebate Program, for a limited time. Members of the association can receive a $100 rebate from the HOA, for a newly installed mailbox post.

To qualify for the rebate, the mailbox post must conform to the HOA Mailbox Standard, and have been purchased after July 1st 2020 and installed before November 30th 2020.

After installation, please send a copy of your receipt to the board to receive your rebate.

Note that the rebate program is for the mailbox post only, and is not applicable to the mailbox or lantern posts.

In addition, we have arranged for a special 20% discount with Walpole Outdoors at Jordan’s Furniture in Natick. When you place your order, ask for Scott Sandvos (the store manager), and let him know you are with Hopkinton Highlands. This 20% discount is applicable to the following products: mailboxes, mailbox lettering, mailbox posts, lanterns, and lantern posts.

Scott Sandvos (store manager)
Walpole Outdoors, Inside Jordan’s Furniture, Natick
(508) 875-6668

Please note, lanterns and lantern posts must conform to the HOA Lantern Standard.

On May 19th 2020 the neighborhood elected a new HOA Board, consisting of Lesley Ficarri as President, Joe CaraDonna as Secretary, and Umesh Shah as Treasurer. In addition, Brian Douglas and Mike Lanuti have volunteered to head the Landscape Maintenance Committee.

We are currently in a transition period, learning the ropes from our predecessors.

We’d like to thank Kim Mirazimi, Mehran Fattahy, Doug Doyle and Janice Doyle, for carrying the neighborhood forward over the past five years. Thank you!