Some great information from a friendly neighbor

I met an interesting woman at the Annual Meeting of HACH earlier this month. She sent me some great information today that I'd like to share.

First, some links about gardening in the NW, rain gardens and moss control in lawns.

Second, information about Citizen Participation Organization meetings and newsletters. This is an extension service in Washington County through Oregon State University. There is a great wealth of information in the newsletters about a wide range of important issues - check them out. I am hoping to attend the next meeting on June 1st at St. Vincent's Hospital.

Beaverton and Hillsboro are considering allowing urban poultry

City of Beaverton announces town hall and public process on urban poultry

The initial schedule for a community discussion about urban poultry is as follows:

• Tuesday, May 25 at 7 PM: BCCI meeting discussion
• Tuesday, June 8 at 6:30 PM: Town Hall
• Wednesday, June 30 at 6:30 PM: Planning Commission, public hearing
• Wednesday, July 14 at 6:30 PM: Planning Commission, public hearing (if needed)
• Monday, August 9 at 6:30 PM: Beaverton City Council Meeting, possible hearing and first reading of ordinance
• Monday, August 16 at 6:30 PM: Beaverton City Council Meeting, possible second reading (if approved)

Results from a reader's poll is posted here.

An Exciting Evening!

I am just delighted to have been elected to the Board of the Homes Association of Cedar Hills last night. Even more, I was so pleased to meet many of my neighbors and hear their excitement and hope for better communication in our neighborhood. I can already see there is desire and enthusiasm for more community interactions.

There was some pretty lively discussion last night, mostly regarding the permit process and the idea of allowing people in the neighborhood to raise up to three hens in their back yard. Please continue to make your voices heard on these topics.

I will look forward to the next meeting where I hope to meet more of you.

So, Why am I doing this?

I thought I'd start out with a bit of background on why I'm here and why I'm interested in being on the board of the Homes Association of Cedar Hills. Like most of the board members, I have a galvanizing issue that got me interested. However, I will also say that that has evolved into recognizing a more important issue to work on within the Association - Communication - which I will return to.

As for my galvanizing issue, it is my yard and garden. I have been putting a lot of effort into making my yard a nicer place to be and to see. I am aware of the HOA's dislike of dandelions and was looking for a way to reduce their growth in my grass. I am also keen to keep my yard free of hazardous chemicals, such as pesticides and certain fertilizers. So, a couple of years ago, my husband and I were shopping at our local nursery and we found a product called Envirolawn (www.baileyseed.com/envirolawn.asp). Envirolawn is a mix of grass seed and other beneficial annuals and perennials, such as yarrow, daisies, Strawberry clover, Alyssum, and Baby Blue Eyes. These plants are beneficial because they fertilize the soil, compete with other weeds like dandelions, attract and nurture beneficial insects and, in my opinion, look nice.

It is stated in the HOA CC&Rs that one's yard "shall be attractively landscaped and maintained in a neat and orderly manner free of weeds and debris." What I had not understood was that the board of the HOA defines a weed as any flower growing grass (or, as I understand it, the corollary of any grass growing in flowers). This, of course, presented a problem for my new lawn, even though I was now free of dandelions. I also felt that this issue represented a few more important issues.

The first and most important issue was the lack of communication regarding interpretation of the CC&Rs. What is a weed? What is attractive? Is it possible to make these definitions more specific? Are they written down anywhere that is easily accessible? Is it possible to make guidelines or a list of frequently asked questions associated with these rules (perhaps based on frequent discussions at the monthly meetings)? Could this information be on line? These are the kinds of questions I will work on if I am elected to the board.

Another thought regarding communication that came out of this was that it would be really helpful to know how others in our neighborhood have succeeded in maintaining a yard free of weeds (like this: www.richsoil.com/lawn-care.jsp), or in attractively landscaping their yard, or in a multitude of other activities that we all have in common in this neighborhood. The Internet provides amazing tools for this kind of communication and sharing of knowledge. I would like to create such a place. We could use it to share other ideas too, or questions and activities within the neighborhood. Some ideas I have had include plant or produce exchanges, or work exchanges; yard maintenance is just one example. We could share ideas about activities with children, or organize summer BBQs in the park. Where this forum could go would depend on you, the users.

Another issue that arose out of my experience with the HOA regarding the flowers in my grass is the question of landscaping and who decides (if anyone other than the homeowner) what is "attractively landscaped". I learned some important points about this question at the April monthly meeting that I believe the neighborhood should be aware of. First, a few years ago, there was a new rule developed that trees removed from the city strip must be replaced. The replacement tree must come from a list of tree species defined by the HOA. I also learned that there is interest in forming a Landscaping Committee to develop rules or guidelines regarding what is "attractively landscaped". I am very much in favor of improving the clarity of this rule but I am also concerned that this rule not be overly restrictive. It is my hope that many people in the community, particularly those interested in all types of gardening, will take part in this landscaping committee and the discussions it brings about.

Let's get started

Hi there,

Today I have started my new Cedar Hills Community Blog. I am hoping that this will be the beginning of a new level of communication in the Cedar Hills HOA neighborhood. Please check back again soon for lots of new information.