CHP HOA Meeting Minutes – 06/29/2020
Due to the recent COVID-19, all attendees practiced social distancing and/or the use of masks.
Meeting start: 6:30 pm
Board Members in Attendance: O’Neil Gilliam, J.J. Gentry, and David Bergeron.
Board Members Absent: Jan Talkish
Attendees: 8 residents and David Peterson of CAMS Residential Services
Pool: In general, the pool is running very well. The most recent problem concerns the gate, which has only been working intermittently over the past couple of weeks. The Sonitrol technician came back out today, and discovered that the maglock (magnet) has worn out. When the technician tried to work on the maglock, it shorted out. A new one was ordered, and should be arriving Wednesday morning, to be installed Wednesday afternoon. Per DHEC, unless the broken gate and the pool can be supervised by an attendant or resident volunteer (member of the Pool Committee), the pool must be closed. If a pool attendant is not present (example: during adult swim times), residents using the pool during these times of Covid-19 must follow the rules of the resident volunteer.
As this has been a continuous issue for the past couple of weeks, the Board has decided that – if the gate is not fixed for good – this will be the last chance for Sonitrol. The Board has been making inquiries with other security system companies, and has a backup person/business, which is local, if a permanent change needs to be made.
The Board would like residents to know that they don’t enjoy shutting down the pool, and that any closures are mandated by DHEC. Despite recent rumors, closures have not been Covid-19 related. Attendees to tonight’s meeting report that the pool attendants are doing a great job with cleaning and sanitizing chairs, tables, etc. after folks leave the pool area.
A resident in attendance tonight pointed out that the pool area bathrooms are looking very worn. The Board acknowledges that the bathrooms need work, at the very least a paint job.
Cameras are up in the pool area – one trained on the gate and another trained on the pool (there are also cameras in the clubhouse and overlooking the parking lot). All cameras are working, but additional network lines are being run to improve image quality and the live feed. Reminder to residents: cameras are recording 24 hours a day and the cameras do have audio!
Communications Committee: The new community signboards, located at the stop sign at Lost Creek and Pond Oak, and also at Lost Creek and Hollingshed, are looking good. Signs are very easy to read, and will help pass along information to individuals who are not on the CHP Facebook pages.
The Official HOA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChestnutHillPlantationHOAOfficial/) is doing very well. In the last two weeks, we have had 346 new people sign up. Residents are reminded that this is an information only page, with no commenting on posts.
The CHP website (www.chpsc.org) will be undergoing some changes, updating, and refreshing in the next few weeks. One particular project will be a page devoted to the clubhouse, which will include interior pictures, rules and regulations, and information about rentals.
The Comm Comm has been assisting with emails sent to the HOA Board members and CAMS, handling simple questions, and providing a timeline of when residents should expect to hear back on more complex issues. Thus far, this new system has been helping with the flow of communication between residents and the Board/CAMS.
Board members report that – between the website and the Official HOA Facebook page (which is open to the public) – a lot of interest has been generated in the community. We are receiving more and more requests for information about available homes, both from people within the area and out of state. Chestnut Hill Plantation homes are selling very quickly and it has become one of the hottest and most sought after communities in the Columbia area.
Social Committee: Due to Covid -19, spring and summer events have had to be canceled; however the Social Committee is hoping to be able to host an event in October (barbecue/Halloween celebration) and also in December (holiday party). All of this is contingent on the Covid-19 status and guidelines at those times as set forth by Columbia/state of South Carolina health services. As the Social Committee has not spent any of their allotted funds during the first half of the year, they are hopeful that – if further events can take place – they will be able to utilize some of the unused funds to make future events more memorable.
Inspections: According to David Peterson of CAMS, summertime is the peak time for violations in the community, especially for unkempt yards and illegally parked boats/campers. CAMS has sent out letters to 12 residents in three sections of CHP, and he will be checking next week to see if those households have come into compliance. In the upcoming weeks, David will also be working his way through other sections of the community, looking for additional violations. David expects that the number of violation letters will increase in the next few months.
Clubhouse: Jan Talkish was not available for tonight’s meeting, and therefore could not provide an update for the clubhouse. Discussion centered on the plans for the new clubhouse section of the CHP website.
Playground: The playground has officially been reopened, and residents are advised to practice social distancing and observe standard Covid-19 warnings. The playground will not have an attendant to keep it clean, so residents are advised that anyone using playground equipment does so at their own risk, and the CHP cannot be held liable should anyone catch Covid-19.
The playground was pressure washed prior to opening, but it is recommended that all residents using the play equipment bring hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus to their family.
Landscaping: O’Neill reports that there were multiple irrigation leaks discovered at the beginning of the month, all of which have been resolved. Also, the City of Columbia notified the HOA about a spike in water usage, which led us to search for another leak. It was found near the Hollingshed entrance. We are in the process of fixing that leak, which is located under the center island at the entrance (marked by caution tape).
The HOA has also been experiencing a problem at the well area across from the clubhouse entrance. A small magnolia tree had to be removed and others trimmed back so that repair trucks could get to the area. The well company, landscapers, and Richland County public works are in the process of coordinating this repair.
O’Neill will be speaking to the landscaping crews about trimming back the weeds in the ditches to the right and left of the Hollingshed entrance. These weeds tend to grow wild and are impairing the view of Hollingshed Road for residents trying to exit the community. Richland County used to take care of this area, but they have not been of late.
Gate: The HOA is looking into the possibility of placing an electric gate at the entrance to the clubhouse road. In the past they have turned down this idea, but recently the Board was approached by a company that offered a reasonable price, and said that they could make placards that would open the gates as residents drove up (they would also make guest passes which would allow guests to enter for clubhouse events). J.J. i would like to get quotes for consideration. This would eliminate a great deal of the trespassing traffic as well as illegal activities that take place at the clubhouse, especially after dark. Board members and police patrols cannot be at the clubhouse 24 hours a day – having a gate will keep the clubhouse area safer, cleaner, would prevent confrontations with trespassers, and also help with less trespassing on the river.
Tennis Courts: Keith Sarto of the Tennis Committee has been gathering estimates for resurfacing and repairing the tennis courts. The average cost would be approximately $5462 per court and he requests that the work be budgeted for next year. The Board will look over all the quotes in October (when preparing next year’s budget), and make a final decision in December.
Keith reports that some residents have asked about the possibility of turning one tennis court into a pickle ball court (approximate cost $2000), or outfitting a tennis court so that it may be converted from one to the other. The Board discussed the possibility of conducting a resident poll to see how much interest there was having a pickleball court prior to making a decision. Another resident stated that he would prefer a basketball court to a pickleball court, and so the question arose as to whether or not one of the courts could be made a universal space with removable nets in order to accommodate the various sports.
Clubhouse Parking Lot: The Board has received a quote for approximately $20,000 to repair the hole at the entrance of the parking lot. David Peterson will contact a few more companies to get additional quotes prior to any decision being made.
Trails Committee: Ward Squires of the Trails Committee reports that he has placed new sets of rules as well as new trail maps at each of the trailhead information boards. Ward will also send copies of these rules to the Communications Committee for inclusion on the CHP website.
The Board would like to thank CHP resident Matt Ciera for taking the initiate and making the new maps of the CHP trails.
Resident Questions:
1) A resident, who is a boat owner, had questions about residents parking boats in their driveways or on a pad at the side of driveways.
The resident states that – back in 2011 – she had originally been given written permission to store her boat in her driveway, but was later told that keeping a boat in the driveway was not allowed. Not understanding the turnabout – and not wanting to make a fuss – she put her boat into private storage (paying a monthly fee). However, she has noticed of late that many CHP residents have boats in their driveways, and she is now wondering why the rule seems to have changed for others?
Board members asked if she would be able to supply a copy of the permission letter for their inspection, and also asked David Peterson to check his files at CAMS for the same. This will allow the Board to clarify whether or not the resident had been given specific permission allowing her to park her boat in her driveway, as well as the specific reason such permission was granted.
The Board let the resident know that – as a general rule – boats and trailers are not allowed to be parked in driveways or on side pads, but may be stored in backyards behind fences. Residents who are cleaning or using a boat on a specific day, are allowed to park their boat or trailer in their yard for no more than 48 hours, During the upcoming neighborhood inspections, the Board and CAMS will also be looking for boat, trailer, camper, etc., violations, and sending letters to residents.
The same resident is also looking to purchase a property along the community lake, and asked about boat dock sizes, as some existing docks seem to be larger than others. The Board explained that all docks require approval, and while most follow a specific spec (found on the CHP website) others – depending on the space between properties and existing docks – may be allowed a variance.
2) A resident asked the Board if the clubhouse complex rule sign, located at the entrance of Clubhouse Road, was going to be replaced, as the sign has faded to a point where it’s almost impossible to read and looks unattractive.
The Board and David Peterson agree that it does need to be replaced, and the rules possibly updated. Ward Squires has pointed out that any new sign would be much sturdier and less prone to wrapping and warping if it was placed between two posts as opposed to the single post that is being used now. The Board plans to look into getting a new sign as soon as possible.
Meeting End: 7:39pm
Minutes reviewed and authorized by: David Bergeron, HOA Board Member
Renée Cabaup / Comm. Comm.