The Neely
Farms Homeowners Association plans to meet twice in
2007, as several community projects are winding down
and there is less new business to deal with.
All homeowners are welcome at the public board meetings,
held the Southeast Regional Library, 775 N. Greenfield
Road, at the southeast corner of Guadalupe and Greenfield
roads in Gilbert. Note that this is not the elementary
school where we have often met previously.
Reg, Eleanor, Dan H., Bob and Dan A., look forward to
seeing you there. Below are the meetings and events
planned so far (dates may be subject to change so check
back here frequently).
How to Reach NFHOA’s
Property Manager
Chris Thompson is our representative at R&R Property Management,
2850 E. Camelback Road, Suite 315, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Phone
is (602) 954-9252; fax is (602) 954-8805; email
What You Need to Know
About Painting Your Home’s Exterior
Several homeowners have asked about painting their exteriors
in new, fresh colors. They have a good point, as exterior
house colors can become dated looking. The Board has checked
out dozens of paint palettes and come up with an approved
list that includes the community’s current colors as
well as exciting new options. You can see them all in a special
NFHOA book available at the Dunn Edwards store, 5959 E. Southern
Ave., (480) 985-3820. A new Dunn Edwards store is set to open
soon in Gilbert, and the book will be there once it opens.
If you purchase Dunn Edwards paint, you will receive a discount.
After selecting your color scheme, please complete an Architectural
Request form (download here). Submit the completed form by
mail, email or fax to Chris Thompson, the NFHOA property manager.
The request will be reviewed based on roof color and the next
door neighbor’s exterior paint color. Why? The NFHOA’s
goal is to maintain property values, which means supporting
a cohesive neighborhood look, and the appropriate paint colors
are a key factor to achieving that goal.
Trash Collection Schedule
For Neely Farms residents, trash will be collected as follows: Black can – Tuesday Blue can –
Friday
Bulk trash – week of the second Monday of the month
(more on bulk trash below)
Holidays do not affect collection days. Questions? Call the
Town of Gilbert, (480) 503-6400.
Bulk Trash Clarification
First, the basics: the town picks up Neely Farms’ bulk
trash monthly. Our pick-up week starts the second Monday of
each month. Put your trash out Sunday afternoon/evening, and
at some point during the week, the truck will make one pass
through the neighborhood. We never know if the pick-up will
be Monday, Tuesday, Friday….If you miss the pick-up,
bring the bulk trash back inside your fence or garage; it
cannot be left out until the next pick-up. Don’t block
the sidewalk with your bulk trash.
Second, the town also picks up large appliances (“white
goods”) on the Thursday of our bulk trash collection
week. Refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, water heaters
and air conditioners must be emptied and placed on the curb
Wednesday night (not before). Also, you must call the town
to get on the pick-up route, (480) 503-6400.
Third, we are again getting complaints that a few homeowners
are setting piles of bulk trash out one or even two weeks
early for the Town of Gilbert monthly pick-up. Many of us,
when noticing a neighbor’s bulk trash pile, assume it’s
pick-up week and add to the problem without realizing we’re
all making piles way too early. As a result, bulk trash accumulation
is out of control. Not only is early or inappropriate bulk
trash accumulation a finable violation under NFHOA rules,
it violates city sanitation and code compliance regulations.
Home owners who block sidewalks with trash can also be ticketed
by Gilbert Police. And who wants our property values to drop
because our neighborhood looks like a dump site for half of
the month? Below are the Town guidelines: CLICK
HERE
Who Are Gilbert’s
10 Largest Employers?
Per government statistics, our biggest employers are: Gilbert
Unified School District, 5,000 workers; Town of Gilbert, 1,107
workers; B.H. Drywall, 1,100 workers; GoDaddy.com, 700 workers;
Target, 660 workers; General Dynamics C4 Systems, 607 workers;
Costco Wholesale, 550 workers; Hunter Contracting, 500 workers;
Earnhardt’s Gilbert Dodge, 480 workers and Wal-Mart,
470 workers.
Announcing a Lost/Found
Message Center for Residents
Putting up lost or found pet notices on mail boxes is against
U.S. Postal Service rules. To facilitate recovery of pets
gone walkabout, Director Eleanor DiMaria coordinated the purchase
and installation of a message center in the playground area
at Settlers Point and Riata. Feel free to post your pet lost/found
messages there; once found, if found, please take them down.
Remember that dogs and cats that are wearing identification
tags are much more likely to make it back home.
WalMart Nixes Warner/Gilbert
Store
There will not be a WalMart built at Warner and Gilbert roads,
according to a store spokesperson, who says “we have
sold that land” and will build elsewhere. That’s
good news to some residents, like Gilbert Councilman Dave
Crozier, who last year said in an e-mail to the NFHOA newsletter
editor, “I do not like the Wal Mart location and will
work to see that they find another alternative. However, they
are working hard at a PR campaign against us and are gearing
up for a legal fight.” Info provided by WalMart: As
of June 2007, WalMart employs 31,130 people in Arizona, paying,
on average, $10.35 per hour for regular, full-time positions.
In Arizona, the company paid $42.8 million in state and local
taxes in fiscal 2007.
Town To Add 2 Dozen
Stoplights
As of early August 2007, there are 139 traffic signals in
Gilbert, but that number will increase by “more than
two dozen” by the summer of 2008, according to town
officials. The intersections at issue include Greenfield Road
and Knox Avenue; Fire Station #3 on Guadalupe Road near Greenfield
Road; Ray Road and Agritopia Loop; Warner and Higley roads;
Discovery Park and Pecos Road; Gilbert Road and Fairview Avenue;
and Greenfield Road and Knox Avenue.
Say Goodbye To A Familiar
Face
The big, old-fashioned white building on the corner of Warner
and Elliot roads is coming down “soon,” according
to Town of Gilbert officials, ending 89 years of service to
locals. Built in 1918, it is one of our earliest structures,
functioning as the first Mormon church in town, then spending
its last 10 years as headquarters to the Gilbert Boys and
Girls club. The club moved out in 2003. Although many town
officials and residents wanted to renovate and re-lease the
building, its lead-based paint, asbestos and other problems
doomed that plan. Proposals on what to do with the land will
be solicited, probably this fall, so stay tuned.
Cosmo Dog Park Re-Opens
Landscapers are sweating through the dog days of summer to
replace turf and expand the beach area damaged by heavy usage
during the park’s first year of operation. A separate
area for timid dogs is also being added to the park, located
on Ray Road, west of Higley. On temperate days, several hundred
people and dogs pass through the park, recently voted “Best
Dog Park in America” by readers of Dog Fancy Magazine.
Check out the park’s “grand re-opening”
on August 15.
Commercial Airline To Fly Out
of Gateway Airport
Allegiant Air will begin flying two, 130-seat jets out of
Mesa’s Williams Gateway Airport on October 25. The carrier
currently services more than 50 U.S. airports. A spokesperson
says Allegiant plans to offer Mesa departures to 13 destinations,
probably by sometime in December. At least two other airlines
have failed establish commercial routes out of Gateway in
recent years, but Allegiant’s strategy is to build traveler
momentum by starting out with many destinations rather than
just one or two. Check www.allegiantair.com starting August
9 to get more information or book flights.
Our Town of Gilbert
….
….is just 87 years old, incorporated on July 6, 1920
….was once known as “The Hay Capital of the World”
….had a population of 5,717 in 1980, and grew to more
than 138,000 by early 2003
….has a sister city in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland,
located immediately north of Belfast, and covers 54 square
miles
Thank you to the wonderful
Neely Farms residents who adopted kittens rescued from
feral cats using our backyards as havens. Currently
there are 6 new kittens available for adoption, all
six weeks old, litter-box trained, happily domesticated
and affectionate The mother cat was trapped and neutered
as part of the “trap, neuter, return” feral-cat
program some Neely Farms homeowners participate in.
The TNR program is a national initiative, locally supported
by the Maricopa County Animal Control department and
animal welfare leagues. The kittens, trapped at four
weeks, are being “fostered” by a Neely Farms
resident.
In the last three months, neighborhood TNR participants
have trapped, spayed/neutered and returned an adult
female and an adult male cat, and rescued 19 kittens.
To adopt a kitten, donate kitten/cat food or participate
in TNR, Eleanor, 480-632-9154. Click Images To Enlarge/Click To Close
NFHOA Directors Invite Motivated
Homeowners to Join the Board
Reg Parker – President
Eleanor DiMaria – Vice President
Dan Herman – Treasurer
Bob Frederick – Secretary
Daniel Acosta – Director-at-Large
Want to meet your neighbors, make friends, change what needs
fixin’ and help protect your precious property value?
Due to job transfers and the like, three long-term, hard-working
directors will be departing the board soon. We need to replace
them with level-headed decision-makers who can compromise
and put the organization’s needs first. To find out
if you qualify and obtain an application, contact Chris Thompson,
(602) 954-9252.
Compliance Corner: the Top
5 Violations Reported to NFHOA
1) Street Parking - overnight parking on the street is prohibited
2) Trash Containers - trash/recycle containers must be stored
behind gate or in garage except on collection days
3) Weeds - weeds and/or grass growing in granite landscape
or turf must be removed
4) Vehicle Fluid – fluid must be removed from driveways
(drip pans must be stored out of sight when not in use)
5) Bulk Trash set out early – bulk trash pick up is
the week of the second Monday of each month. Trash may be
set out no earlier than the Saturday/Sunday before pick up
week. Trash must be set in corner of homeowner’s lot
(NOT in street or on the sidewalk)
New Town Council Member Snares
More Votes Than 3 Incumbents
Kudos to Beth Lucas, a reporter for the East Valley Tribune,
for an interesting, front-page look at our new council member,
Linda Abbott. In an April 6 story, she says Abbott “swept
into office with an overwhelming majority of votes.”
Here’s more juice on Abbott, squeezed out of Lucas’
article: Abbott, 48, is married to a Tempe fire battalion
chief, with two grown daughters. She earned an education bachelor’s
degree at ASU and master’s degree at NAU, and moved
to Gilbert in 1987. She teaches history and government at
Mesquite High School. She plans to turn a critical eye to
town build-out and proposed economic development projects;:
investigate whether the town can help Gilbert’s 30-plus
HOAs pay to repair private roads; and continue advocating
for fire coverage of unincorporated residents. Locally, she’s
got a significant foot print, having served on the Islands
Elementary School PTA, co-founded Gilbert Leadership and worked
closely with the East Valley League of Women Voters. Abbott
also is a parishioner at St. Anne Catholic Church. As a member
of the Gilbert Public Safety Memorial committee, she helped
raise $15,000 to honor fallen police officer Rob Targosz,
reportedly killed by a drunk driver. No wonder voters backed
her at the polls!
Graffiti Committee Needs Volunteers
The Board recently bought a graffiti removal kit to wipe out
markings reported on the tot lot at the east end of Stottler
Dr. Statistics indicate that immediate removal of graffiti
is the best deterrent against future vandalism, so please
immediately report any new graffiti to Chris Thompson, the
NFHOA property manager, (602) 954-9252. If you would like
to volunteer to be on the Graffiti Committee, call Chris.
Complimentary Advertising Opportunity
If you are a Neely Farms Homeowner, we will mention your business
in the newsletter and here on the Website, as space allows.
Send information – business name, address, phone, fax,
email, Website, a brief description of your business’
products or services, and discount offer to NFHOA members,
if any - to Chris Thompson.
Stay Abreast of Neighborhood
and Town Issues:
Go to www.newszap.com
and click on “Gilbert.” Along with recent newspaper
headlines and classified ads, you can access Gilbert’s
Public Issues Forum, a blog. There’s also a place to
post and read press releases and announcements (“Gilbert
Post Your News”) and a free bulletin board (“Post
for Free”).
