Hidden Springs & Hidden Estates Neighborhood
Message from the President, Donna Fontaine
Spring 2021
Hello Neighbors,
Happy almost spring! It's that time of year again -- a time of renewal. As you all know, we have a Yard of the Quarter program that is sponsored by John Scolaro, our long-time resident and real estate agent. John graciously donates a $50 gift certificate to each winner of the Yard of the Quarter. Take a look at your exterior and landscaping. Can it use some refreshed flowers? New sod? Let's get some competition going! Make it fun! Let us know what improvements you made – we’d love to hear!
Our big money project this quarter was repairing the cement wall that abuts Dr. Phillips Boulevard. Most of you know that we DO NOT carry liability insurance on our walls. It's too expensive, and we don't have enough money to carry it. The wall was crashed into a few months ago by a Volkswagen, and there was a big gaping hole. Fortunately, we were able to identify the driver's vehicle and file a claim with the driver's insurance company. Since we were having that section repaired, we used some of our HOA funds and had the entire wall shored up. A brick mason repaired the cracks created by years of settling and painted the entire 625-foot wall. We hope you all are happy with the results. The more we do as a community, the stronger our property values become. See below in the newsletter for before-and-after photos.
Speaking of property values and beautifying Hidden Springs/Estates… We have a big problem, especially around the Pin Oak/Sago Palm area. We STILL continue to find dog waste bags throughout the neighborhood. One of our Board Members has picked up at least 25 full bags in just the past few weeks. There are also reports of bags being thrown into neighbors' yards, which is not very neighborly. We have even placed additional signage in an effort to reach who might be doing this. Please keep an eye out, and if you see this happening, please kindly ask the person to take their waste home to dispose. We appreciate your assistance with cleaning up after your pets and in general.
Hurricane season is not too far off. Please start thinking about what preparations you need to make, and trim your trees so they don’t cause damage to your property or a neighbor’s during a storm.
Finally, a couple of our board members have reported uneven sidewalks to Orange County. If you're a walker, please upload the Orange County 311 app to report uneven sidewalks. They will come out and repair. It's a danger if someone trips. Actually, anything you see that is within County Code Violations, you can use the app to anonymously report. You can report things like: A car blocking the sidewalk, grass that is 18 inches high, cars that are abandoned. The County is pretty good at coming out. If we all work together, we can keep Hidden Springs/Estates an attractive neighborhood to live in. It truly takes a village.
Thank you, and as always, please let us know if there is anything the Board can do for you.
Sincerely,
Donna Fontaine
HOA President
Hidden Springs/Estates