Picking up from the recently archived posts, a few comments:
To the person with the $150.00 shoes: Are you kidding? You live in Orange County NY, not Orange County CA. Buy a pair of snowboots. As far as making a recommendation to the Board about your complaint, I suggest you march your $150 shoes over to the next meeting and do it yourself.
To the person who thinks we DON'T have to watch what we post about other people - on the contrary, We most certainly do! If we turn this site into a medium where we relay personal and private information about our neighbors, we become no different than the irresponsible members of the Board that we are trying to stop. In addition, we lose credibility and put this site at risk. We have the means (thanks to the Boss) to be able to speak to each other in an open forum. Lets not chance having it taken away.
Last, I agree that the performance of the plowing company is a big question. There are no marker stakes located through out the property to indicate the location of curbs and islands so it does make you wonder how damages are handled.
On other properties I have been involved with, annually, the property is walked with the contractor and property manager and existing damage is noted. The property is then "staked" so the plow operator knows the location of the curbs and islands. After the snow season, the property is again inspected by the contractor and a representative of the management company and new damage is noted and the contractor held accountable. Either the contractor is made to repair the damage or the damage is repaired by the managing agent and the cost to do so is witheld from the contractor's final payment.
Considering we don't have a managing agent to take on a project like this, it makes you wonder if anything similar is done. I don't see marker stakes anywhere and we are not told the terms and conditions of the contract with the snow removal company. We all assume they plow as they like and we end up paying for the damaes. We are not advised of anything to the contrary.
2 kids came to my door (and I am sure others) at 8pm to ask if they could shovel my walkway for $5 because it wasn't done yet. The kids were children of residents.
Even though my wife hired them to do it because I wanted to walk my dog before I went to bed it's sad when it starts snowing at ?1:00? and they come around on the 4 wheeler at 10pm to do it.
{To the person who thinks we DON'T have to watch what we post about other people - on the contrary, We most certainly do! If we turn this site into a medium where we relay personal and private information about our neighbors, we become no different than the irresponsible members of the Board that we are trying to stop.}
I think the person was trying to say that we (the residents) shouldn't have to watch what we say. The residents, about issues, nothing to do with people posting personal information about others. That is a no brainer.
The residents should feel free to say what is on their mind unfiltered.
"I think the person was trying to say that we (the residents) shouldn't have to watch what we say. The residents, about issues, nothing to do with people posting personal information about others. That is a no brainer.
The residents should feel free to say what is on their mind unfiltered"
I should hope so. And I should hope that people have the better judgement to know not to post personal things about other residents.
When I first started reading and contributing on this site it seems that people were more inclined to post nasty rude and obnoxious comments about board members and members of the staff. As of late, we have pretty much gotten away from that mindset and I think this is becoming more of a useful means of communication and a real sounding board. Let's keep it that way.
My point yesterday is that they need to clear the walkways more often. I can care less about the shoes. What happens if there is an emergency? Don't be insensitive, there are old people here too.
The sign on the top of the hill says No Solitation in Whispering Hills. It's not enforced and residents here don't give a dam about the rules unless it effects them.
So good job on your ad campain and can you get a spell checker on your comment area.
[stop littering my door with solicitations. you have been reported.]
Hey, if I was a board member stealing money from the residents I would be pissed also. I would do everything in my power to stop a company from taking over the job you people can't do. I don't blame you for being mad. But the ball is rolling and reporting people just shows that you are going out of your wat to protect your thieving selves.
Where has this forum been for the past 15 years? Something that should have been implemented years ago when I suggested a web suggestion box that was never implemented.
Thanks for the information, keep up the good work.
To the person that complained about the flyer.....get real! I don't see one thing on this site that pertains to selling anything.
Why is it that for the past 10 years I was denied the ability to expand the concrete in the deck area but when someone who lives here AND works on the board comes to my door and asks me if I want to pay HIM to do it I don't even need approval to do it?
So, he lives here, he is a member of the board, does contracting work here so HE DOESN'T HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES?
I counted about 40 expanded decks. How much did he charge?
$500 - $750?
So a board members, a resident, and a guy who works on the condos made $20,000? I'd like to see all the approvals for this?
After the kidnapping, the comments to the media, and now reading the money that is being made by a board member off of OUR residents without possible approval.
I'll be there.
Nice blog and thanks for the flyer. I would have never found this place.
I am actuall glad I have been reported. I can't wait to hear from someone.
Why you ask?
I have a list to include but not limited to:
3 Chinese Restaurants 2 Italian Restaurants 2 Board Member Elects 8 Town Council Personell and 2 Dog Grooming business.....
That have all put Sales Ads, Coupons, Menus, Literature to get them elected to some position in the town, and our own residents trying to get elected to the board.
I will look FORWARD to seeing how the punishment comes down for all of us.
On a lighter note.
We covered about 350 homes and hope you can all join in the discussion.
Remember folks:
Keep it respectful. Don't sink to the level of some (because we all know they are) because it just makes us all look bad. Think before you post and do not name call nor should we be rude or obnoxious.
As we grow "OUR" online community we will become stronger. When we become stronger we can and will make change.
Also....enjoy this site. it had more to offer than what we are currently doing.
You can advertise your business. You can set up sporting events, and even meet new people by being here.
It will eventually be a place where we (the residents) can come for more than what we are using it for right this moment.
Don't forget to check out the other sections as well.
Isn't there some type of measure in place to legally prevent a conflict of interest like this from taking place? Wouldn't our monthly fees take care of additional work like patio extensions?
" To the person who thinks we DON'T have to watch what we post about other people - on the contrary, We most certainly do! If we turn this site into a medium where we relay personal and private information about our neighbors, we become no different than the irresponsible members of the Board that we are trying to stop. In addition, we lose credibility and put this site at risk. We have the means (thanks to the Boss) to be able to speak to each other in an open forum. Lets not chance having it taken away."
I couldn't have said it any better. This would be my only concern with having a blog like this. This is a representation of the community. I think thats what is important to keep in mind when people are expressing their opinions.
Can you guys be sued in court for making post on this web site that 100 percent incorrect and influnce the rest of this community about another persons reputation?
Indimidation tactics don't work on me. We are educated people and know what our rights are.
If I have said anything libel, please point it out.
We do have the right to ask questions whether it be a freedom of speech right or a right to pose the questions here in an open forum.
Is someone feels that their reputation is being slandered they can defend themself in this internet forum or ignore it.
Typically, in my opinion the first stage of being guilty of something is to try to intimidate the other parties. Once that doesn't work, well then we shall see.
See....a few blogs ago someone called me a liar about our board meeting and the fact that I incured expense to cancel flights and hotel rooms to make that meeting. I defended myself and asked that person to come to my door so I can show them that I was being honest.
Well, the honest person came out on top.
The intent of this blog is for information exchange. We can not control what people say. It's an internet world and we live in it.
If you can't handle exchange by your own residents then don't come here. We have the right to say what is on our minds whether anything comes out of it or not.
We still have the right to question you and ourselves.
Is the officer that arrested the woman for the alleged kidnapping going to get sued for his report to the media? Is the reporter going to get sued for his report? Is the little girl going to get sued?
Here is my questions to you. How do you know that what all these people here aren't saying isn't true?
I don't know if it's true or not. But I do know one thing for a FACT.
There is a board member in this community that does do A LOT of work here in the community. That is a fact.
He DID collect money for making peoples patios bigger. How do I know, I was asked if I wanted it done, that is a fact.
Who makes the decisions as to who is awarded the contracts here, the board makes the decisions, that is a fact.
Here are the questions....and they are good ones.
Is this allowd by the rules of our organization?
Do we get 3 bids on all work?
How do we make decisions as to who is awarded the work?
Is everyone submitting bids licensed, bonded and insured?
As for the person who does the work.....
He has been friendly to me every time I have spoken to him, he obviously does very good work, if it is not a conflict according to our contract and he does the best work, meets all our requirments, and we are genuinly bidding out and making the decision based on the bids....I and I am sure many others don't care who does the work. For all we know he could be SAVING us a HUGE amount of money. Again, if we are kept in the dark, we will never know.
The fact still remains we still don't know the answers to those questions.
When I moved in I asked, I then wrote a letter asking. Never got an answer.
All we are lookig for are resonable answers.
Kelly went to a meeting and got NO ANSWERS. I am not sure if they promised answers and have delivered.
I am sure Kelly will chime in when she can.
If you want to sue...sue away.
But I tell you this...if my roof blew off and I founf out it wasn't insured...I'm not sure who would be sueing who here.
Remember folks...you give respect, you get respect.
If you want a bit more respect...post with your name. It gives your thoughts validity.
You constantly say board members are on the take. You don't say this just once but all the time. Just how many times have you said this.
You have no actual proof. You use this web site to discredit them. You bash their names and this is OK. You use a disclaimer to protect yourself when you are actually lying and messing with other peoples lives.
Somehow I don't think what your doing is right. If board memebers are stealing then they should be arrested and charged with a crime.
Would you like people saying things about you that are not true or could even be proven. Just what is the purpose of this web site; to spread crap that is not true?
Pleas post where I have said anyone is on the "TAKE?"
What I said was....
Someone who doesn't even entertain the idea of a proposal of an outside company to run the 2 million dollar association IN MY OPINION is hiding something.
Otherwise there would be no reason to say "Sure, if they can save us money, time, and hassle...AND if the majority of people that live here want it...let's do it"
That is what I am saying.
Please post where I said factually that anyone is stealing. I would never do that without seeing FACTS with my own eyes.
They knocked on my door. 2 young kids that I have seen walking their dogs before back by Condo III. The came earlier but the wife had no cash and asked them to come back when I got home. They did a good job and the dog was the most appreciative.
Then the guy on the 4 wheeler came a few hours later. He does a nice job on the walk ways.
Can't beat a 4 wheeler with a plow.
The plow though...they absolutely rip up the grass and dump the parking blocks. Like Kelly said....someone needs to stake out the property to prevent the guy from destroying the place. I am sure he doesn't do it on purpose and without stakes does the best job possible.
BUT....at the end of the day if we are not collecting for damages then we the residents are paying for it in the end.
When we write snow removal contracts for the hotels we make sure to have a damage clause specifically detailing cost of replacement for any item damaged.
MUCH harder for a place of this size...but if there isn't someone accoutable for inspecting the job is done correctly then it is hard to get money for damages. Once a day passes without someone verifying what is going on....very hard to go back for damages.
In my opinion.
No doubt...600 - 700 units is a monster job.
But collectively our money is a monster amount on a yearly basis.
You have a wonderful idea. Need to have 3ft reflectors to indicate where roads are. What do we do with the kids that pull them out of the ground for fun? I couldn't agree with you more about having the areas that have been damages repaired by Hudson Valley. It doesn't take that much time in the spring to do these repairs the only problem though is the calicum chlioridate they use.
Kelly said in an earlier post that all expenditures are in the HOA Financials that come out 1 time per year.
I believe (but don't quote me on it) that they sent out a notice to all residents that if they wanted a copy to come pick it up at the office. I, again, believe that 1 person out of all 600+ units picked one up.
Nice blog. Its a little confusing to navigate but I guess the more i use it the easier it will get. Does anyone else think that Joan in the Clubhouse is a cutie?
I am thrilled to see that this Blog is beginning to gain some momentum and exposure to the public @ large. I am in agreement that it behoves us not to cyber-snipe at one another, but to to actually brainstorm positive ideas & feedback that we can parley into a proactive call for action to benefit the owners in this community and to keep the non-interested parties (renters) honest. Hopefully this will translate into a BIG turnout @ the WHHOA meeting in January!
I think the snow removal stinks as well. 2 years ago my husband went out and bought a shovel so that we would have a walkway to take our dogs out since they dont shovel or plow until hours and hours after the snow starts. I think we pay way too much money each month to have to do our own snow removal.
I would also like to complain about the fact that people are not cleaning up after their animals. We have 2 dogs we clean up after them EVERY time...snow, rain, mud...doesn't matter! It's disgusting that people in this complex don't clean up after their animals. I find piles of dog and cat waste all over the place. I also feel that people should not be allowed to have outdoor cats in a complex like this. There is cat waste EVERYWHERE and it is unsanitary, makes the dogs sick, and is just plain disgusting!!! People need to be more responsible and rules need to be enforced!
You constantly say board members are on the take. You don't say this just once but all the time. Just how many times have you said this.
You have no actual proof. You use this web site to discredit them. You bash their names and this is OK. You use a disclaimer to protect yourself when you are actually lying and messing with other peoples lives.
Somehow I don't think what your doing is right. If board memebers are stealing then they should be arrested and charged with a crime.
Would you like people saying things about you that are not true or could even be proven. Just what is the purpose of this web site; to spread crap that is not true?
First, you need to learn how to read because none of us EVER said there were members of the board on the take. I have said time and again that these people arein over their head and don't know what their doing. The only person we know for a fact that collects money is Eugene Collins who collects a salary for being a maintenance person AND coincidentaly, a Board member. What I HAVE said is that unfortuneately, the Real Estate industry is riddled with payoffs. Before you make an attempt to shoot me down in defense of someone else, please get your facts correct, not second hand from some neighbor who has chosen to paraphrase this site in total and attach names to opinions they never gave.
Oh, and by the way, if we don't make noise and demand answers from the Board about their practices and procedures, how will the police (or more important and accurate, the District Attorney) know what is going on? Is the Condo fairy going to tell them? So now tell me exactly who is "spreading crap that is not true"?
Thanks to everyone who has at the very least, checked in and poked around on this site. Hopefully you'll paticipate and help us make this a really useful meduim for our fellow residents.
Finally, the definition of solicit: so·lic·it (s-lst) v. so·lic·it·ed, so·lic·it·ing, so·lic·its v.tr. 1. To seek to obtain by persuasion, entreaty, or formal application: a candidate who solicited votes among the factory workers. 2. To petition persistently; importune: solicited the neighbors for donations. 3. To entice or incite to evil or illegal action. 4. To approach or accost (a person) with an offer of sexual services. v.intr. 1. To make solicitation or petition for something desired. 2. To approach or accost someone with an offer of sexual services in return for payment.
All we as residents did was advise fellow residents of this site. We have no personal gain, and no rules were broken. Read your by-laws.
Boss . . . given that the blog rules "discourage messages on topics guaranteed to inflame", why not make this "Bip Bopper" your first(?) example of taking out the trash. Comments such as this, although certain to get the usual "free speech" argument (and identify the author as an IDIOT), do nothing to add anything positive to this blog.
That's the problem with computers being accessible to all. Sadly, you have to take his comments at face value and realize you're dealing with Archie Bunker.
I have a friend that lives in Lexington Hills. The only complex in the area that even comes close to being the size of Whispering Hills. They have a management company.
Their common charges are $ 365.00 per month and they don't even get the services we do. You and your crew should go their on a snow day and see what happens. My friend constantly complains about their management company.
The Boards here are like out Volunteer Fire Company and Ambulance Department. They do a service to this community and do not get paid. If we even had a management company they would still have to answer to the boards. The only thing you would be doing is eliminating the ladies positions in the upper office and the maintenance department. You would have to mail you common charges in to a company and if you wanted anything done you would have to fill out even more paper work.
My point is this. The wheel is not broken but needs alignment. If you want more professionals on our boards then lets make these position salaried and write up qualifications and responsibilites for each postion. By doing this we can then put expectations and demand results.
When someone volunteers to do something for nothing they are doing more to help this community than you are doing by discrediting them.
You must have been a militant in younger years. If you really want to make changes do it from within the system not outside the system.
Thank you for the first intelligent post for an alternative to a Management Company. Your points are valid and well thought out.
In order to determine where the $365 / month comes from we'd have to see the financials. Is there a ground lease or other financial obligation? Capital improvements that may have been amortized over a number of years? It's a good point, however it may not be a mirror of what would happen at WH.
The office positions would only be eliminated if we allowed it to happen. One point to remember is that the Management Agreement would be a contract drafted by WH, tailored to serve WH. Managing contractors would be part of that agreement and the Board would responsible to ensure that the Managing Agent is doing their job or be penalized.
As for maintenance, in order to get a common area repair done, it took a screaming match with Eugene Collins and an unanswered letter to the board president to get this accomplished. Something does have to change.
I agree - change could come from within, but with the board we have and their inability and apparent unwillingness to be open and up front about their dealings, we are looking to other options. Case on point being at the Condo III meeting on November 17, I hand delivered a request to review financial records, which is our rights as unit owners. To date, I have had no response.
And your militant comment is partly correct - when ignored and taken for second class residents when my hard earned money and investment is being mishandled by those in charge, it is a battle and one to be taken seriously.
If you were on the Board wouldn't you have access to all this information and could post it on this web site.
As far as getting on the board there is always open positions.
You would be serving this community better if you gave this some thought.
As far as Eugene Collins is concerened he is a paid employee by the HOA. You should make up a petition stating your cause for his removal and get signatures. If you get enough the the HOA would definately have to disiciplin him or let him go. All persons working for the HOA should show respect to every homeowner. All homeowners request should be handled within two business days depending wether they fall on a holiday or weekend. If your request is denied then the homeowner should be given written (not oral)notice of their denial and reasons why. This would start given the boards back creditability and respect which they deserve.
I have given it thought and right now, this is the time I can spare. When elections were held, I was new to the complex and due to personal reasons, I was unable to get involved, witht he exception of this site.
If I was on the Board, I would definitely post and explain and ask for imput from my neighbors. We all own WH together and although tedious and time consuming, getting imput from residents is crucial when it comes to decisions and hiring contractors. We are all the eyes of this complex and we all have our own spin on what type of job is being done. Every opinion counts, especially if it is honest and well meant.
I agree - the Collins issue needs addressing. I tried att he Condo III meeting, and was told they "checked with legal counsel and it is not a conflict of interest". Seems there's noise out there about the issue, enough to get the Board to react and contact their attorney, but no one had the insight to realise that someone should insist he steps down because the residents are not happy with the situation.
I think a time limit or an explanation of delays or failure to address items is a great idea. The typical "no response" is really unacceptable.
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I also agree that the snow removal stinks and Hudson Valley is the absolute WORST landscaping co I've ever seen. They have ruined almost every thing I've ever had outside my house. Besides when I've had my front door opened and they blown the cut grass right into my door into the living room where my 16month old plays. And as far as the towing company doing there job? WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree- my favorite was when they "pruned" my neighbor's lilac bush with a chain saw. Jason from Friday the Thirteenth could have done a better job. Not to mention they decapitated some of my lillies...
Here is a little link to what we are letting the landscaping crew get away with. If they fix the damage every year....I am going on 4 years of dirt without being fixed.
Nice to see everyone here...keep posting your great ideas.
I don't think its rascist to state that the employee's of a company are possibly illegals. I never said anything negative about any race and the Big Bopper is half Puerto Rican (Mother) half Mexican (Father). Me thinks that a few in here are being too sensitive and politically correct!
I agree with the towing company sleeping at the helm. I live in Condo 3 and trying to get into the garage is like driving through New York after a nuclear war. And the mailbox will always have a car parked in front of it sometimes all night! Plus this car has NO sticker or permit! And I received a $25 fine when my car had the permit hanging at the window!
I think they were referring to the cats that you want to shoot. Ridiculous question. Ya, bust out a weapon in the middle of the complex looking for cats. Real smart!
I agree - the towing company is a bit lax and I hate that car that parks in front of the mailboxes up in the 4200 section - especially when there are a dozen empty spaces just feet away.
I also think that if the tow company had more of a presence, that it would deter those teenagers from loitering in the parking lots and throwing trash all over and smoking pot. The tow driver probably won't do anything but another set of eyes is never a bad thing.
As many are aware, there is an open HOA meeting coming up in January. We should use this site as a means to get a collective voice together and list our issues so they can be addressed.
Aside from snow removal, landscaping complaints, what else should we try to address?
Hi, I hope I'm doing this right forgive me if I'm not. my husband and I live here for 7 years now, we love it and mainly keep to ourselves. In the winter he does interior painting on the side, room by room. if anyone is interested, you can call him, for a free estimate, he is neat and very reasonable. Thank you and God bless victoria Tuchman Steve's Painting - 674-6331
Power washing, rot repair fences and trash bin, implement a security guard it would prevent vandalizing, add safety and eliminate illegal parking. Work a deal out with the towing company, it would pay a portion of the security salary.(I would be interested in knowing if they make a portion of what the towing company charges when a car gets towed.)
The area is growing, so should we! There is a frikin Lowes going up RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD, whats next an airport? A......duh.... increase in crime. Don't say I didn't tell you so, wait 2 years and then come talk to me.
More building, more public municipality. I hardly think the police force is growing with the expansion. Think ahead Whispering Hills!! Be insightful, the bees nest is about to be stirred up.
New housing complexes are going up around the corner, did you know that? What do we do to compete with brand new custimized structures that are and will be built all over Chester?
What to do....What to do....
Take the trash out....If you know what I mean
Fix the problems....not many, but the ones we have are not chiwawa.
Ho....Ho....Ho.... My house value will decline if they don't consider this.
Do you want to know what kills me? Decitefu ignorance....Don' be coy Roy....What do you think you are dealing with morons here?? Come on HOA we know whats going on behind you transparent door. Look at you, unqualified and flagrant. You know this is not a communist country, right?
So what is the big man Collins going to do to make sure I am safe and that I don't loose my ass when I go to sell my unit?
I'm not sure but that car that is always parked in front of the mailboxes in the 4200 area, a pediphile lives there with His mother, and cars full of kids are always there just sitting in the car, probably doing drugs or dealing
The car I see is usually empty or people are coming / going. I see OTHER cars with the kids and the drugs (like those little piles of cigar tobacco left in the parking lot from the blunts they are rolling).
I did call the cops, and the police woman is investigating and everytime she goes there to find that person he slips out before she could get him, because he was supossidly not regestered in new york as an offender, so I think the mother is either hiding him or lying to the cops. the police woman said she would let me know if anything had changed, and that was about a month ago, I have kids that play around here so I will be keeping track, just wanted to see what others had to say before i posted my facts.
What do I care about the well being of a bunch of obnoxious, disrespectful teenangers who throw trash everywhere and smoke pot in the parking lot? Sorry if the word "kids" threw you. I am a resident concerned about the overall welfare of the complex. Not a social worker.
With regard to the obnoxious, disrespectful teenangers I have called the police and spoke to them at length about patrolling the parking lots. FYI, the Board recently signed and agreement with the town to patrol the parking lots because the police obligations to patrol end where the city streets end, unless responding to a call.
Did board members get the same flyer I did? I think it's insulting they have not said a word here. I went back into the old post and see condo 2 president/vice president Jeff Jones was actively posting. I got further into what he was writing and all I have to say is that it is absolutly pathetic! Go back to April and vomit like I did when I read how ridiculous this guy sounds.
This is a representation of who is running our complex magnified by the amount of people on the board.
Yes, same flyer as everyone else got. As a matter of fact, it seems that one of the Board members spotted us distributing the flyers and word amongst the Board spread. By the time we got to the President's house, he was expecting us.
At the very least they should be reading the site to get an idea of who everyone feels. This sight could be a huge advantage for them, but instead, I am sure we are looked as as a nightmare.
One day, no joking I observed 3 separate occassions in which teenagers where smoking pot out in the open. I finally got sick and called the Village police who responded and scared the punks away. Since then I haven't seen them in the 4200 parking area as blatant as before. I grew up in the NYC area and I was a teenager as well. But we never did anything in our nieghborhood where a nieghbor who knew your parents would see you.
The Big Bopper loves animals and was only joking about shooting homeless cats. However, if any pot smoking teenagers break into my house they won't be leaving! There will be a lot of slow singing, flower bringing, cars with there lights on and halo's and gowns! Cancel Christmas punks! You'll be hanging with Elvis!
Concerning the house with the NY state offender I did see the persons picture on a New york State website and the address listed. I remember when I first moved here seven years ago the village police officer came to my house investigating a crime that had just occurred and he was on a first name basis with the residents of that dwelling.
Bip Bopper would like to organize a community watch program. Maybe working with the village police and getting a radio or cellphone to contact them if fishy activities are observed. Two people per car at evenings and overnights on a volunteer basis. Maybe making a magnetic sticker to identify the car being used and a logo stating the Whispering Hills volunteer/auxillary police. We have enough law/fire/transit professionals to help organize this effort. Also, why don't people stop throwing thier large garbage items all over the place like dressers, furniture etc and just take them to the clubhouse dumpster.
I'm not so sure that the Board can or cannot approve of a Neighborhood Watch.
There is something that everyone seems to forget - the Board does not RULE the complex. There are By-Laws and Rules and Regulations of which, every resident here should have a copy. Yes, they are boring as hell however, it is the basis of the structure and indicative of the limits to the Board's reach.
Also, another thing is that we are not a bunch of hapless residents who's rights are governed by a few. We are all co-owners of this complex. We have a say. We have rights. We may not be able to organize a group named "Whispering Hills Neighborhood Watch" but we can organize some type of watch group and have every right to go anywhere on the property because we are residents and co-owners of the property.
If someone wants to spearhead a group effort - I wish you all the luck in the world. It's a wonderful idea. Just be sure to check with the local authorities (I believe many of these Neighborhood Watch groups work with the police and sometimes are assigned a contact person within the precient) and be sure that you do not overstep your boundaries and put yourself at risk. We live in extremely litigious society and there are too many people out there looking for a free ride.
Instead of everyone assuming that "the Board wouldn't approve" of ANYTHING, take 5 minutes and rifle through those by-laws and see if that is the case. Don't hesitate to step up or get involved because of an assumption that may be worng.
They tried the neighborhood watch program on the blog, read the archives. It didn't work because of lack of participation. It's a shame because if the complex doesn't want to spend the additional money on safety, it would be a great idea.
Hey boss,
Why don't you put up a survey or something giving a yay or nay on the NW. See if anyone is actually interested.
In response to Today's Post of the Day, I ask this:
Why is there an assumption that if we engage professional management that our commons charges will skyrocket and our services will deteriorate?
Was there a study done? Was the property put out to bid for this service? Was a scope of work for this management company defined?
I believe the answer to all those questsions are either unknown or, no.
We do not know what impact this would have on our community. But constantly thinking in negative terms is not going to satisfy many of us who believe a volunteer driven management system is not the be all and end all of condo living.
Yes, fine, we should cannonize the members of the board for giving up all their personal time and out of the goodness of their collective hearts doing the best they can to make WH a better place.
However, being in the real estate industry I believe otherwise and I look at numbers, contracts and facts before I assume it won't work.
Personally I find the Board to be unresponsive and quite frankly, arrogant. FYI, I HAND DELIVERED a request to the Board at the Condo II meeting back in November to review the financials (my right as a unit owner) and to date, I have not heard a word back. Not to mention, there were no minutes distributed and no followup memo sent to residents answering any of the questions they were asked at this meeting. So, please tell me why everyone views these volunteers with the greatest esteem? If that was how a professional management company handled requests, they'd be out of business.
ok i understand all that kelly, your right, but if we are co- owners of the property,(it is part their property too,and not wanting a liability )wont they hassle us if we put ourselves or even our property at risk. These kids can be cruel if they find out where you live they will vandalize or maybe even try and rob your house. I'm not being paranoid but it is a little too close for comfort here in this community, everyone knows someone. there has to be a way where we can all be anonymous, just for our saftey and for our kids safety, some of these teenagers might even know our kids and if you start putting faces on these neighborhood watch people, they can retaliate in that way, through our children.
Sadly, you are correct. Today kids seem to know the limits of the law and push the envelope when it comes to retalliation.
However, when did we become victims and fearful of teenagers? Don't these people have parents? Aren't retalliation and vandalism ILLEGAL? Who's tresspassing here?
I don't know about you, by my courage rises with every attempt to intimidate me. And I will be damned if some disrespectful POS teenager is going to make me fear coming and going and taking a stand against behavior I don't want happening in my community. I live here, I pay my taxes, work a full time job and take pride in my accomplishments. I will not give that up because I'm afraid someone is going to egg hy house.
THEY should be fearful of us - not the other way around. What has happened? Rememgber when we were young and wouldn't dream of acting like that?
kelly, your 100% right, but in realization they dont give a crap what you think or what you will do to stand up for yourself, these kids dont have any morals, or parental guidance they are latchkey kids running around while their parents work hard to make a good living and to keep them in good clothes, most of the parents dont even know what their kids are doing. so what's the point, it's like beating a dead horse, it will only get worse because kids these days love the challange and because they know they are underage they can get aways with it with just a warning from the police, while were still pulling out hair out fighting for the respect.
I made a suggestion to the Board that the "post" the property so we have some legal recourse with regard to tresspassing and loitering. The existing signage is not adequate enough to press charges.
NOTE TO ALL: On a recent windy day someone's patio umbrella blew onto my patio. Its green in color. Please come get it before the spring before I toss it in the garbage!
Real Estate is more than buying and selling. Ultimately, it's about asset management.
If you must know, I have been in Property Management (Commercial, Residential and Retail) and am now in the construction and development part of the business. I have dealt with escrows, titles and have been a closing agent.
With roughly 20 years in this industry, I think I have gained enough knowledge, through practical application, about the various areas of real estate and management to know that this Board is in way over their collective heads and the lack of disclousre on the operations level scares me.
Is that enough information for you? Anything else you'd like to know? Perhaps you'd like to share something about yourself?
A real estate commission is about 6 percent of your selling price. That's about $ 12,000.00 dollars. What does a real estate person do of that kind of money.
Your better read Kelly's last blog again. Twenty years of skill. Your not intelligent enough to post and sell. You need an expert to take your money.
The first person to post their condo here for sale will have Kelly calling them for a listing to take $ 12,000.00 or more from correct Kelly.
Just what do you do for that kind of money? No wonder why they have so much time to blog. Four to ten sales a year; sit back and relax. My first year in real estate I sold 24 homes in one month. The lawyers do most of the work and real estate people are like thieves.
I closed seven deals without a real estate person and lawyer and you can do it too.
Advertise you condo right here? Save 6 percent and that's lile half a car or three vacations or manny pairs or # 150.00 dollar shoes.
Do not advertise your condo listings here, they will be deleted!
If there is enough interest, a separate section of the blog will be developed catering toward the sale of real estate. Please email me any ideas and features you would like to see included.
note: This blog is intended to specifically reach Whispering Hills residents, not Orange County.
Obviously, some of you people need to learn how to read. I am not a broker - never said I was, never plan to be.
HOWEVER, if I was, what's the difference? I'm a concerned resident. Concerned about my hard earned money and how others manage the asset I am tied to. If I were a broker, would my postings be any less credible or relevent? At the end of the day, if I was a broker and looking to make a buck off selling one of these units, who wins and who loses if we have better service here, if the property is better maintained and if our commons charges are stabilized?
The truth or, as it may be, my perception of it, is what it is. I say what I see and thankfully I am literate enough to put it into words (typing skills not withstanding)and confident enough that I don't have to attack, belittle or attempt to chip away at the credibility of others in order to make a point.
We need to control the kids playing in between the units. The noise echoes something awful. Kids will be kids but they should not be allowed to skateboard and play ball in front of the garages.
What meeting have you gone to and when? What were you looking to have done?
Part of the purpose of this site is to try to gather our resources and approach the Board. The more of us that there are, they wull eventually have to respond.
Tell us all what happened so we can use it to our advantage.
Been here for 15 years honey, where do you want me to start? Last time I checked, this was a freedom of speech thing here. It's my opinion, the meetings are a joke!
What were you trying to do? Cryptic postings do me no good. I tend to be the type to keep pushing until someone pushes back. I have open items from the Condo III meeting that I intend to bring up yet again at the HOA meeting and demand answers. It wasn't as if I was asking them to recalculate the theory of relativity.
cant you all just get a grip, your worse than 5 year olds,dont you think our world is in enough turmoil to be bickering about stupid crap like this.our soldiers are dying, people are dying, and our morals have gone to hell.why do you even post here if all your gonna do is argue, go to iraq and fight about something really important.
I agree, this is NY, not Iraq. I can respect soldiers are fighting but We have an obligation here that takes precedence. The world goes on with or without the war, we need to keep that in perspective.
............as a point of reference: 1)In 1991/92 there WAS a community watch group on a volunteer basis. Fizzled out quickly. 2) We once had a "rent-A-Cop" presence I believe circa 96-98. Non- effective, was not persued by the Board at that time. I too have been frustrated by many a WHHOA meeting, and it is like being in a hapster wheel, BUT I am determined to voice my concerns that I share with many a previous post on this blog! As an owner of an Aspen unit,a big concern is the use of garages and the driveways. Too much inconsiderate and/or ingnorant behavior is exhibited........... One last item in this post, I will be damned if I am intimidated by a bunch of teenagers who have no parameters due to insufficient parental contact. I am a teacher, so I see this wonderful attitude 1st hand on a daily basis! SEE YOU ALL ON 1/17/08!!!!!!!!!
The Big Bopper has had two posts deleted. Boss, do you lack a sense of humour or are you just a dictator behind the keyboard? Your the one who stuck the flyer in my screen door inviting me to grace my presence in here!
How about maturing up and using some of your sarchasm to help us here. You have some great ideas but then you say something totally rediculous which takes away all your merrit.
If it's attention that you didn't get as a child please don't ruin it for the others.
I understand it's the holiday and I am almost positive you are alone and lonely but you have some great ideas.
Your posts at best are inconsistent. You posted 4 times on 12/18, and they were pretty much very well thought out and a nice contribution to this site. I believe you have a lot to offer.
Bottom line is that this is a diverse community (one of the things that makes WH so special) and you really have to take a second look at your contribution. What you may not perceive as "off color" or politically incorrect, others may have a different view. We are not your friends here (so to speak) and some of the vernacular you use with your pals may inadvertently offend a neighbor.
By all means, keep contributing - I think you have a lot of valid observations and I welcome reading them.
Great question and one that will be continually addressed as we progress through our metamorphosis.
Candidly answering your question, anyone can read anything that is written on this or any public blog anywhere, any time.
We host our forum on Blogger, a free hosting site. We cannot keep our blog private or prevent it from being spidered & indexed by search engines. We were very careful not to link to it from any external sites because of obvious risk.
Bottom line, there will never be a guarantee of preventing unwanted eyes from reading or posting on our blog while it is still being hosted through Blogspot.com. Our solution that has been in motion is moving the entire blog to a web hosting company. I will post plans and our progression as it occurs. All security concerns will be addressed when this process is completed some time this spring.
We will be asking for donations where 100% of whatever is raised goes directly toward developing our new site. Keep in mind that we run on voluntary time & contributions. Let's work together to make this process as seamless as possible.
Thanks for the questions,
The Boss
Additional questions email to: whisperinghillsblog@yahoo.com
Great, more sprawl. When I first moved up here in 2001 there was nothing mup here but open land, farms and trees. Now we have a hotel, CVS and a car wash and about a thousands useless stores in Harriman. How much shopping can people do!? We have become a country of consumers and producing nothing!
Something similiar was promised to the American taxpayer a decade ago. We were told that if we reduced those on welfare we would pay less taxes. Well, there are less people on welfare and my taxes don't go down! The Big Bopper is thinking of moving further west, maybe Matamoras or the Port Jervis area, however it would add another half hour to my commute to the city.
Commuter’s nightmare, traffic is on the rise in Chester & surrounding areas!
I feel your pain. Rising fuel costs are not really adding to the situation. Car or van pools, not a new concept, but its practice is highly limited. Companies use vans and buses to pick and drop staff. Anyone in hierarchy tends to use their own transport, (car service, limo) if they can afford it. If your're an everyday strap holder, hold your breath & hit the rails (trust me, not everyone showers daily let alone weekly).
My 6 year experience commuting from St. James LI to Wall Street in the 90’s, sharing transportation is extremely effective. You don’t need a tutorial on the carbon footprint left behind by the millions of cars zipping up and down to work. I won’t even go into the time factor.
As for the RIDESHRE section proposed, it will not require a rocket scientist to develop a simple commuting page where interested commuters can key in information about employment demographics & work schedules to get matched up with those filling in similar parameters. Might be a good idea to even throw in a field for a person to enter his or her oversleeping tendencies!
Securing information must be taken into consideration. By now you should be aware of the "public" status of our blog. There must be certain precautionary measures taken it order to provide a sanctuary where commuters can unite.
How effective and successful the blog addition will be remains to be seen. Thanks for the suggestion, I will work on something over the next few days that will accommodate your idea.
Stony Brook to Uniondale for 10 years. I feel your pain. That is how I got into motorcycling...when they built the HOV lane...I bought a motorcycle. Man did I save time and gas.
If you feel a ride share link would benefit us...that would be great.
What the heck are they building now in front of the hotel in town? I see some metal framework going up. Is it possible that a small piece of grass or greenery be left intact without slabbing some concrete and metal on it!? I think the old abandoned garage was prettier than all that crap going up!
It's a Provident Bank Branch with I believe 2 or 3 small box retail stors on either side. I went to TH to get a copy of the permits but the permiting office was closed.
The main box is a Provident bank. The walls you saw first was the vault.
There is also a MEGA 20 screen movie theatre coming also. BEWARE :)
GREAT NEWS! Now are little rural village is going to become a suburb of Manhattan. If there is a terrible economic downturn up here our village will be on the web site deadmalls.com! I'll try to have a "merry christmas" but with all this commercialism all I can think of saying is: Merry Christmas Jesus, hope you like CRAP!
Every time I see snow piled up on the trees it eats at me. Between the salt and snow damage they are killing the trees that line the road. It's not the plows fault, it is the way they positioned the trees when they planted them.
What economic downturn. Are you losing your mind? Do you think they would throw up all this industry if they thought the area would fail. Amscan alone pays this town millions of dollars a year to keep their establishment here. Lowes, CVS, hotels, indusrial parks. Look at the price of our units and how stable the realestaste market is in Whispering Hills relative top are housing and then come talk to me.
People like you scare the hell out of me. Educate yourself before you post gibberish.
I think every resident in Whispering Hills should take look at this link. Wan't to know whats going on behind the planning boards closed door check out their site.
The Hills of Chester.........off Route 94, approx 24 homes (reduced from 200) - Background: The Planning Board objects to only access through Whispering Hills. The applicant was looking to get approval from Goshen for a connecting road to Arcadia but an emergency access is all that will be allowed. - No further details at this time.
What they originally wanted to do is make our road into a highway so these people can access their homes. Thank God it was shot down.
What about the Orange Plaza Mall on route 211 which is half empty. What if there were a major recession in this country? This Christmas season alone had the most shopping days in recent years and retailers numbers are down? What if the price of gas goes up to $4 or $5 a gallon? With all the Chester residents who commute to the city there would be no extra money to spend in all these stores. If AMSCAM closes to move to China or Mexico where would the millions of tax dollars come from then?
Also I said IF there was a economic downturn, NOT we are in one. I moved up here from NYC for the rural setting and farm lands. YOU scare me if you like all this crap going up and destroying this towns environment. You should have educated yourself because what you post is bird manure!
If you think there is a single place on this planet that is protected from building and construction...you better move now.
I DO like the new stuff and I hope they build on every single piece of broken down not used farm land. I hope that every farmer sells to condo/retail & residential builders.
I hope we get a 50 theatre movie, a new mall and more car dealerships.
Why...my home price will go up and my taxes will go down and there will be more stuff for the people & kids to do.
Should they have just left all the farm land in NYC, Chicago, Orlando, and San Fran?
Guess not.
Seems as if the BIF BOPPER needs to leave whispering hills. Seems as if the bif bopper will be moving and then we won't have to listen to him talk in the 3rd person.
Seems is if the big boffer will be leaving if the building doesn't stop. {eyes welling up}
I have a better idea, why don't you move to NYC city! Plenty of mega movie threatres, car dealers, traffic and crime! How can you tell me that you would want every farm to have condo's and houses on them? I work in the city and deal with the residents of that jungle at their worst. Listening to them whine about the government not doing enough for them, not taking responsibilty for thier own lives and letting thier children run around like wild wolve cubs. The Big Bopper needs the tranquility of the country to mentally cope with New York City. I don't want mega movie threatre's, car dealerships or malls!
Big Bop, you don't have a choice. If you want that type of environment, move out to the mid west. East coast, it ain't gonna happen! The reason why my condo is stable in a stagnant market is because of the diversity and conveniences our area offers. I am 100% for growth as long as it doesn't interfere with the overall landscape. Growth pays bills, builds better schools and municipalities. Moved here in 1999, paid under 90k for my unit. You do the math.
Face the facts, people. We ARE a suburb of NYC. We are also probably one of the last stops in what most would consider a "reasonable" commute.
In case you haven't noticed, 3 bedroom units in this complex run approximately $250-270K. Same size unit in Rockland County? $350-$375K. Westchester? Try in the neighborhood of $450K. We really don't need to discuss taxes or school systems, that should be obvious.
Sorry that for many of you, the bubble has burst and you are now faced with the reality that urban sprawl has caught up with you.
There really isn't a thing that can be done unless the proposed building has some sort of ecological or environmental nightmare attached to it. Despite protests and good intentions, we are sadly going to see our green open spaces diminished over time. The only thing that can slow it down (you'll never stop it) is if zoning ordinances and restrictions are put into place by elected officials.
But, like the post above just said, at least the value of our units is stable and although the Real Estate market is in bit of a quandry right now, our proximity to NYC should work to our advantage.
It's no secrete we are living in the new Rockland County. Rockland has evolved into an extension of Westchester. I don't know if you have driven around Rockland county lately but it seems as every 10-15, there is one for sale. Things are pretty bad down there, the zero down, adjustable mortgages are killing people. Personally I think the place is a dump. The topper, they put up 750k+ conds on the water next to Tilcon in Haverstraw. The owners of each unit had to sign a heath waver in order to purchase a condo. Where does it end?
Radiation, black lung, no thanks. I will take my good o'le OC air. For the record, I think they are doing a fine job here. Some things may need some adjustment but in my opinion, the overall health of the complex is borderline excellent.
I agree that growth is a part of expansion, but I think in our town we have enough. Why would we need a mega plex movie threatre with 12 screens when Hollywood rarely produces ONE good movie a year! The other day when at work in NYC in a Harlem housing project I saw a teenager beating a pittbull dog with a thick cardboard panel repeatedly. Everyone walking around him said nothing! When the poor dog squated to use the bathroom this barberan kicked the poor dog to the ground. I yelled at the third world invader to stop but he ran off into one of the buildings and I lost him. I would hate to see that situation here in Whispering Hills.
I have been playing catch up to all the messages that have been written recently. There have been some very insightful and intelligent comments/concerns that need to be brought to the HOA and Condo meetings. Keep in mind, that at the HOA meetings they only address HOA related topics (they won't talk about individual Condo issues). Also, elections will be coming up soon. Run for the board of the Condo you live in! That is the best way to make a change. For as many good posts that I read, I am disappointed about the negative/mud slinging/nasty posts that have were written. What is the purpose? What does it gain you? At the end of the day remember that the people on the boards (HOA and Condo) are volunteers and for the most part are good people trying to make a difference in the community they live in.
"For as many good posts that I read, I am disappointed about the negative/mud slinging/nasty posts that have were written. What is the purpose? What does it gain you? At the end of the day remember that the people on the boards (HOA and Condo) are volunteers and for the most part are good people trying to make a difference in the community they live in."
Right on !
Strength in numbers, let's unite in one voice(S) @ the 1/17/08 meeting for positive changes, and/or improvements in this community!
AS was said once by great man, the people get the representitives they deserve. Put up or shut up. If your not happy with the HOA board run for a position. The problem is so many here in Whispring Hills are commuters and by the time we get home we are to tired or busy to anything else. Its a great topic covered by abook Im reading now called "Bowling Alone". People in the last 20 years simply do not get involved in civic society's, PTA's and local community activities. I do think this Blog is a great start to see and know what my niegbors are thinking.
I agree! We, as a society have gotten very complacent about being "free", and have exhibited a laise`-faire attitude towards keeping our way of life solvent and relevent! You gotta LUV capitalism, eh?
Exactly Bopper. By the time we get home who the heck wants to participate especially when I for one am being pulled in 20 different directions during the day. It's a sacrifice for the betterment of the community to attend meetings. If you can't attend, at the very least, become a community activist. Participate by repecting neighbors and looking out for one another. We all have to live together and by giving consideration we will get more in return.
The mud slinging topic.
I think it's more of a cry for help than negativity, people are frustrated, some for years. Things do need to change and by bringing up some of the more important suggestions that are mentioned at the meeting, hopefully we can start to see some closure. All we can do is learn from what is written.
You guys are crazy! The gripe posts are the most important part of this blog. Everything isn't peachy keen, why should it be hidden? Are you all living on Fantasy Island? There are REAL problems and concerns that need to be addressed. Do you want them swept under the rug? There are real issues at hand that are not going away anytime soon. Seems like a few board members are posting trying to change the fact that they are not doing their job properly. Don't be fooled by their ploy to persuade into thinking everything is alright, because its not!!
At the end of the day remember that the people on the boards (HOA and Condo) are volunteers and for the most part are good people trying to make a difference in the community they live in.
As far as I'm concerned, if you can't do your job properly, get some people in who can. They may be good people but "nice" doesn't cut it when it comes to millions of dollars being allocated to the wrong people. Is there some type of detailed financial report that shows exactly where all the money is spent? I'm guessing no! I'm not talking about the general breakdown, I'm talking detailed!
Wow! This site's busy - been a lot of activity since last week - that is GREAT to see! There are those who think this site is a bad thing, but given everyone's hectic schedule (not only now with the holidays, as Bopper and others pointed out, just everyday life) this seems to be a very convenient way to keep a hand in what's going on.
I agree- the gripes are genuine and should be taken seriously-however, they do need to be free of mud slinging. I'm sure we all understand the frustration, and have probably felt that way at ine time or another for whatever reason. But by being just nasty, mean and rude, we detract attention from the issue and we aren't taken seriously. It doesn't mean we should give up complaining about something that is unresolved - EVER.
As I'm sure most of you know, we have an "Open" HOA coming up in January. Who plans on making time to attend? This site opens a whole new aspect to dealing with issues and the Board and we really need to take advantage.
By reading the posts, we all seem to have both individual issues as well as issues in common. I say that we gather our collective thoughts and address the Board.
I plan on attending. I plan on addressing the Board. I plan on bringing up issues I addressed at the Condo III meeting that were never answered. Like my request to review the financials, and why they find it acceptable to pay $30,000 to replace roofs that blew off instead of looking into the cost to extend the insurance coverage. Did you kow that they apparently do not have any more insurance coverage than what was required 20 years ago when the Sponsor was the major shareholder in the corporation? News flash - the Sponsor is no longer calling the shots and I find that failing to insure the buildings for storm damage is irresponsible. What are the costs to add this coverage? Is it more than the $30,000 Condo III alone spent? Hmmm - with no response, I guess we'll never know.
I will not be taking "no response" as a suitable answer. At the very least, the Board needs to be prepared to answer questions, concerns and confront issues brought to their attention at these meetings. Responding with a blank stare or by not being prepared is no longer satisfactory. They have more than enough time to prepare to address the issues of concern. After all, this is their big moment - if they show up unprepared, for goodness sakes - where do they think they are going? A Garden Party?
I know for a fact that they know this site exists (the HOA President was handed a flyer when they were distributed). It would be in their best interest to at least read through the postings on this site. I should imagine, being somewhat intelligent individuals that they will be able to determine what the major issues are and make an attempt to address them. The time of complacency is over.
Getting on the Board is not the only answer. I personally commute at least and hour each way to work, put in a full day at the office and have to find time at night and on the weekends to get my housework and various errands done. I am not a stay at home mother and I am not retired with an unlimited amount of free time on my hands to be a member of the board. I would like to, because I am concerned, but my job and family have to come first. It doesn't mean I care any less than someone who is ABLE to make the time.
So, who's planning on attending the meeting? Who's willing to put their money where their mouth is? If we are all so busy, and plan on making time to attend the HOA meeting, wouldn't it stand to reason that our valuable time would be best put to use by actually speaking at one of these meetings, not just sitting there getting disgusted?
The Big Bopper will be there. In the very least camera's should be installed on light posts to monitor the parking lots before the summer comes and the hoodlums take over with their cigars and rock and roll music!
Whats up with the strange people that hog up all the spots in Condo 3 snow removal area? They have a Chrysler parked there that never moves! Plus two other cars, talk about carbon footprints! Share the spots with everyone, one car moves and another one takes that spot! WE want to park close to our homes too!
Condo 3 isn't the only place where this is happening. There are cars littering every single lot in this complex. What they need to do is have the towing company chalk the tires of reported and suspicious vehicle's monthly. Come back a month later, an ample amount of time to wait, then tow any cars that haven't moved in that period.
Good idea with the cameras bopper. Worst case it would deter if perpetrators knew they were being monitored. Cost factor would be the only drawback.
First come, first served when it comes to parking around here. As long as your properly permitted, not much you can do. I agree- would be nice to be able to park close, but what can you do? I don't think that chalking tires is a good idea- all it does is add yet another layer to a badly thought out parking scenario. Sadly, it's up to us to be decent neighbors about it, and share.
Cameras would be great - aside fromt he cost, who's going to watch them?
Kids will be kids, there is nothing anyone can do about it. If there was moderation, I don't see a problem, but that's not the way it is. Generally speaking, the kids here act like punks, get arrogant and pollute the environment with noise and speed. The weed isn't causing the problem, it's the parental supervision that is. As tax and hoa fee payers, there is no reason why any of us should have to deal with kids hanging out on the electrical boxes adding to the breech in security issue. It starts as hanging out and then boardum sets in and eventually progresses to delinquency.
Obviously winter is a different situation but if we nip this now before spring, we can live in peace this summer. I'm not complaining, all I'm asking for is some respect!
You can roll cameras on video, the same thing they do down by the clubhouses. They sell wireless cameras cheap that would do the job nicely. If there is vandalizim or crime, at least they have something to go back on and review.
This is actually the most cost effective security solution. See something broken, roll the tape. Someones house got robed, roll the tape. This solution doesn't need 24-7 human interaction and is more effective. When people see a camera, they think twice. Why do you think they sell fakes to stores who cant afford security systems? At the very least it will deter unwanted element and eliminate drug deals, corner loitering, vandalism to name a few.
Well put on the teenager issue- and I agree 100%. They are arrogant ounks and I would LOVE to take a few of them and drive them to the "hood" and leave them there to try to fend for themselves. They have no clue how off the mark they are - little over-priveledged bastards.
I live up near the end of the complex and every morning I am greeted in the parking lot by trash (mostly fast food and soda bottles - mind you the dumpster is 4 feet away) and little piles of cigar tobacco from the cigars the cannibilize to roll their blunts.
The only problem I see with the video cameras is that technically, by sitting in a parking lot, they're really not doing anything wrong (legally, other than loitering). The HOA needs to get involved and properly post and sign the property (what we have presently is simply not enough) and the police need to be more involved. Perhaps a combination of the 2 (cameras and police presence) would be the most effective.
I like the dummy camera idea- perhaps we use both real and dummy and rotate them around so no one catches on to which is the real camera.
You're right - nip it now so we have a peaceful summer and before it does escalate to breaking into homes and vehicles or more expensive vandalism.
Reading the new news posted on the new development they are throwing up, there is now way they should allow a road to pass through WH so these idiots have a way to get to their homes. Not only should we attend the board meeting on the 17th but also the next planning board meeting. What? They want to turn our quite dead end into a highway! That's right. You think the speeding is bad now, wait. We need strongly object to this! What is WH doing to preserve the integrity of our road? This is a HUGE deal people! Construction equipment, dump trucks,traffic, inconvenience and all the morons over at the planning board can say is
"Chester should let the project continue with its plans and be happy that “at least Whispering Hills will finally have an emergency exit.”"
Why was this never brought up to us? Don't we have a say in what happens in Chester, we do represent the majority of the town!!
To the President of Whispering Hills:
I hope you are opposed to the idea and can stand firm on the matter. Putting a highway through our complex is a slow death! I for one am contemplating sale of my unit to begin with. Build a highway through this place and watch how many for sale signs go up not to mention how much our unit price will decline.
Has anyone taken a legitimate survey on how it will impact the area or are they thinking strictly with their pockets? It's all about the all mighty dollar, Fu*@ integrity!
To hell with the camel, this is the final straw that broke my frikin back.
I agree. I'd rather have a quiet, clean peaceful home than one worth a lot of money. My home is where I come after a day of hell in the city, not something I'm planning to "flip". Plus the more your home is worth the higher the taxes. I agree with the punks. I grew up in the toughest areas of NYC and these kids ain't !#$@. But with camera's recording on tape it would be a deterrent before anything serious happens. I have had parts stolen from my car and vandalism also.
I agree. I'd rather have a quiet, clean peaceful home than one worth a lot of money. My home is where I come after a day of hell in the city, not something I'm planning to "flip". Plus the more your home is worth the higher the taxes. I agree with the punks. I grew up in the toughest areas of NYC and these kids ain't !#$@. But with camera's recording on tape it would be a deterrent before anything serious happens. I have had parts stolen from my car and vandalism also.
OK, so it's 24 units, not 200. Will WH Drive be a full blown road or only access for emergency vehicles? And the complex they are building - will that be a dead end or will that have another exit?
When Espisito had the traffic survey taken did they take into account the new Lowes going up or any of the new or future industry? What time of the year did they take it? How long ago was it taken? Shouldn't there be a few surveys done, not just one? Did the town conduct their own independent study?
How about the environment and the additional money it will cost to maintain Whispering Hills premises? 10x's the amount of cars = 10x's the amount of garbage thrown from widows, not to mention pollution. Who will pay for litter cleanup? Will you fee safe in in your homes knowing there are non residents passing through just because there is a thruroad?
If they accommodate this proposal, it will be the fault of the residents and Whispering Hills Management. We are now aware of the situation and can inform others that this is happening literaly right in our backyard. We need to stop this thing before it starts!
In reference to WHD becoming a public access road for the proposed subdivision;
I received a Public Hearing Notice last week. I'm sure (I hope) that many of you are in receipt of this letter as well. The meeting is scheduled for 1/2/08 @ 7:30 pm, and will be held at the Chester Town Hall, Kings Highway. When this proposal reared it's ugly head a few years ago, it made me sick to my stomach........well, I'm getting nauseous all over again. We need to be there in force, and with a clear, unified voice!!!!!!!!
I agree, all residents and board members should attend the meeting. This is absolutely detrimental to the health of our neighborhood. If this proposal goes through it will effect all of us! We need to bond as a group and oppose the passageway. I find it hard to believe they would allow this to happen with all the children in the area.
I smell serious palm grease! No doubt if they put a road through here someone is getting paid in a BIG way. There is no difference between developers and a common thief, they are synonymous!
I didn't receive a copy of the notice, but then again, if I'm correct, all they have to do is post it in a newspaper and they have satisfied the requirement for notification. Sometimes, they won't go to great lengths to notify if they don't want a particularly large tun out.
Interesting point about the Lowes being factored in to the equation.
In all honesty, I can't say having another means of egress is a horrible thing - think about if there was some type of situation that calls for an evacuation or some type of emergency - 690 families trying to leave on one road? Absolute insanity!
But the concerns listed here are legitimate- trash, pollution, noise, trucks - serious issues especially for those who have units facing onto WH Drive. We already have enough issues WITHOUT having WH Dr. being a through road- what measures are proposed if it becomes one?
And yes - what is the Board's position? Will they be at the meeting? Why wasn't anything sent around about this?
I most certainly received my holiday party and events schedule, and oh yes, my new payment coupons but must have missed the HOA mailing about this most serious issue.
I know there are Board members who read this site. If there was ever a time for any of you to come out from behind that rock your hiding behind and say something, NOW would be the perfect time!!!
I agree with the cameras in the light post idea! We have a crazy neighbor that I swear spends his entire day trying to figure out how to vandalize our car. It has cost us a fortune, the HOA cant do anything and the cops cant do anything unless we catch him on tape. With this and the gangs of kids that lurk around, I think it's time to spend our HOA fees on something that keeps our property safe. The HOA makes sure the club houses are monitored, why cant they do the same for our homes and vehicles?
In all honesty, I can't say having another means of egress is a horrible thing - think about if there was some type of situation that calls for an evacuation or some type of emergency - 690 families trying to leave on one road? Absolute insanity!
It would be a huge mistake! Imagine the droves of people who would be using our road if an emergency occurs.690 families plus another 20 from the new development, not to mention all the people who know the "new" shortcut. It's a lose, lose situation, there is nothing anyone can say that would make this sound like a logical proposal.
Does anyone know the size of the hills of Goshen? Never been there.
Without knowing exactly what these planners have in mind, it's tough to comment. I agree- an alternative exit may not be horrible- provided there are restrictions (no trucks except for local deliveries, speed humps - large ones - like the ones near schools, etc.). We also don't know if there will be an access to Lowes from West Street - what impact will that have on being able to get into the complex?
Not for nothing, but we're assuming that there will be this huge influx of traffic into our complex by making the main road a thru-road. How about the prospect of all the additional traffic into this new housing complex from our residents? - how can that be attractive to a potential buyer? Is there going to be another exit from that complex or will this just be like moving the now dead end a bit further down?
"We also don't know if there will be an access to Lowes from West Street - what impact will that have on being able to get into the complex?"
I am somewhat leary about this prospect. I have a gut feeling that this could occur, of course it makes no sense considering all the prior construction that was done with Rte. 94 to eleviate this very same scenario. But, if there is $$$ to be had, you might as well throw common sense out the window. I will be asking about this tomorrow evening. Happy New Year everyone!
Has anyone seen the amount of destruction the snow removal company has done.
I walked the complex today and counted exactle 117 parking blocks that are either on top of snow banks, in the middle of the grass or broken in half.
I have counted 4 tipped street signs and 3 completely broken ones.
I have counted 42 LARGE areas of grass ripped to shreds and from the little look I have taken the 4 wheeler that they are using to plow is being drive by a stunt driver that likes to do burn outs all over the place.
Who is paying for all this?
I asked a landscaper friend that works out of Northern New Jersey to come drive our development. He said that he would charge $20,000 to fix the grass damage, $5,000 to put all the parking blocks back in place, $2,500 to fix the tipped signage and countless amount of dollars to fix the skid marks all over the place.
Happy New Years fellow Whispering Hills residents and I'm really happy this blog is here. Its nice to see what my nieghbors feel about our community. I for one will start to get involved in community affairs.
191 comments:
* WHB was archived on 12/13/07. Old posts are listed under "Current Blog Topics" in the upper right pane of our site.
Picking up from the recently archived posts, a few comments:
To the person with the $150.00 shoes: Are you kidding? You live in Orange County NY, not Orange County CA. Buy a pair of snowboots. As far as making a recommendation to the Board about your complaint, I suggest you march your $150 shoes over to the next meeting and do it yourself.
To the person who thinks we DON'T have to watch what we post about other people - on the contrary, We most certainly do! If we turn this site into a medium where we relay personal and private information about our neighbors, we become no different than the irresponsible members of the Board that we are trying to stop. In addition, we lose credibility and put this site at risk. We have the means (thanks to the Boss) to be able to speak to each other in an open forum. Lets not chance having it taken away.
Last, I agree that the performance of the plowing company is a big question. There are no marker stakes located through out the property to indicate the location of curbs and islands so it does make you wonder how damages are handled.
On other properties I have been involved with, annually, the property is walked with the contractor and property manager and existing damage is noted. The property is then "staked" so the plow operator knows the location of the curbs and islands. After the snow season, the property is again inspected by the contractor and a representative of the management company and new damage is noted and the contractor held accountable. Either the contractor is made to repair the damage or the damage is repaired by the managing agent and the cost to do so is witheld from the contractor's final payment.
Considering we don't have a managing agent to take on a project like this, it makes you wonder if anything similar is done. I don't see marker stakes anywhere and we are not told the terms and conditions of the contract with the snow removal company. We all assume they plow as they like and we end up paying for the damaes. We are not advised of anything to the contrary.
2 kids came to my door (and I am sure others) at 8pm to ask if they could shovel my walkway for $5 because it wasn't done yet. The kids were children of residents.
Even though my wife hired them to do it because I wanted to walk my dog before I went to bed it's sad when it starts snowing at ?1:00? and they come around on the 4 wheeler at 10pm to do it.
Can I deduct the $5 from my fees?
{To the person who thinks we DON'T have to watch what we post about other people - on the contrary, We most certainly do! If we turn this site into a medium where we relay personal and private information about our neighbors, we become no different than the irresponsible members of the Board that we are trying to stop.}
I think the person was trying to say that we (the residents) shouldn't have to watch what we say. The residents, about issues, nothing to do with people posting personal information about others. That is a no brainer.
The residents should feel free to say what is on their mind unfiltered.
"I think the person was trying to say that we (the residents) shouldn't have to watch what we say. The residents, about issues, nothing to do with people posting personal information about others. That is a no brainer.
The residents should feel free to say what is on their mind unfiltered"
I should hope so. And I should hope that people have the better judgement to know not to post personal things about other residents.
When I first started reading and contributing on this site it seems that people were more inclined to post nasty rude and obnoxious comments about board members and members of the staff. As of late, we have pretty much gotten away from that mindset and I think this is becoming more of a useful means of communication and a real sounding board. Let's keep it that way.
My point yesterday is that they need to clear the walkways more often. I can care less about the shoes. What happens if there is an emergency? Don't be insensitive, there are old people here too.
I wanna date an old person that can afford $150 shoes :)
PLEASE ?
(Hey, we can have humor here also !)
Kelly,
It's a blog for g-d sakes. You're gonna get jerks no matter what.
Point them out and the come on stronger.
You, David, Boss and Buzz keep building your army. You are on a roll, don't slow down.
stop littering my door with solicitations. you have been reported.
Who are you warning and for what? People like this should not even bother. Good job, nice flyer. This blog can contribute greatly to our community.
Blod AD
The sign on the top of the hill says No Solitation in Whispering Hills. It's not enforced and residents here don't give a dam about the rules unless it effects them.
So good job on your ad campain and can you get a spell checker on your comment area.
To the person who said:
[stop littering my door with solicitations. you have been reported.]
Hey, if I was a board member stealing money from the residents I would be pissed also. I would do everything in my power to stop a company from taking over the job you people can't do. I don't blame you for being mad. But the ball is rolling and reporting people just shows that you are going out of your wat to protect your thieving selves.
Thanks for the flyer! This is a great place for the residents to be able to talk, air stuff out, and just plain old complain if we want to.
It's about time we made some change.
Say goodbye to the old and welcome the new.
It's LONG overdue.
Seems as if this blog gad been around for a while. Why did it take so long to let people know it was here?
What's this about kidnapping?
Why would a board member make a comment about it to the media?
Nice work here people.
Why is it OK for some people to allowe renters and others not?
Where has this forum been for the past 15 years? Something that should have been implemented years ago when I suggested a web suggestion box that was never implemented.
Thanks for the information, keep up the good work.
To the person that complained about the flyer.....get real! I don't see one thing on this site that pertains to selling anything.
You know I want to know.
Why is it that for the past 10 years I was denied the ability to expand the concrete in the deck area but when someone who lives here AND works on the board comes to my door and asks me if I want to pay HIM to do it I don't even need approval to do it?
So, he lives here, he is a member of the board, does contracting work here so HE DOESN'T HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES?
I counted about 40 expanded decks. How much did he charge?
$500 - $750?
So a board members, a resident, and a guy who works on the condos made $20,000? I'd like to see all the approvals for this?
I will NOW be there for the HOA meeting.
After the kidnapping, the comments to the media, and now reading the money that is being made by a board member off of OUR residents without possible approval.
I'll be there.
Nice blog and thanks for the flyer. I would have never found this place.
Who is the contractor guy in the white van?
He is a resident.
He is also a board member.
He does NOT work for WH.
I assume he gets a lot of work here because the board makes the decision as to who get's the jobs.
So, I assume he has some pull or say with the other board members as to who they hire.
Which is strangly ALWAYS him.
Where are the 3-4 bids.
Conflict...I would say so.
So we have been reported?
I am actuall glad I have been reported. I can't wait to hear from someone.
Why you ask?
I have a list to include but not limited to:
3 Chinese Restaurants
2 Italian Restaurants
2 Board Member Elects
8 Town Council Personell
and 2 Dog Grooming business.....
That have all put Sales Ads, Coupons, Menus, Literature to get them elected to some position in the town, and our own residents trying to get elected to the board.
I will look FORWARD to seeing how the punishment comes down for all of us.
On a lighter note.
We covered about 350 homes and hope you can all join in the discussion.
Remember folks:
Keep it respectful. Don't sink to the level of some (because we all know they are) because it just makes us all look bad. Think before you post and do not name call nor should we be rude or obnoxious.
As we grow "OUR" online community we will become stronger. When we become stronger we can and will make change.
Also....enjoy this site. it had more to offer than what we are currently doing.
You can advertise your business. You can set up sporting events, and even meet new people by being here.
It will eventually be a place where we (the residents) can come for more than what we are using it for right this moment.
Don't forget to check out the other sections as well.
Enjoy...
Dave
Isn't there some type of measure in place to legally prevent a conflict of interest like this from taking place? Wouldn't our monthly fees take care of additional work like patio extensions?
What is the contractors name?
" To the person who thinks we DON'T have to watch what we post about other people - on the contrary, We most certainly do! If we turn this site into a medium where we relay personal and private information about our neighbors, we become no different than the irresponsible members of the Board that we are trying to stop. In addition, we lose credibility and put this site at risk. We have the means (thanks to the Boss) to be able to speak to each other in an open forum. Lets not chance having it taken away."
I couldn't have said it any better. This would be my only concern with having a blog like this. This is a representation of the community. I think thats what is important to keep in mind when people are expressing their opinions.
Thanks for the voice.
Kelly, Boss, David, Jim
Can you guys be sued in court for making post on this web site that 100 percent incorrect and influnce the rest of this community about another persons reputation?
Read the disclaimer.
So it's ok to check their backgrounds and post things anything about them that would discredit them on this web site.
I am sure their is no selletons in their lives that the rest of us in Whispering Hills should know about.
Indimidation tactics don't work on me. We are educated people and know what our rights are.
If I have said anything libel, please point it out.
We do have the right to ask questions whether it be a freedom of speech right or a right to pose the questions here in an open forum.
Is someone feels that their reputation is being slandered they can defend themself in this internet forum or ignore it.
Typically, in my opinion the first stage of being guilty of something is to try to intimidate the other parties. Once that doesn't work, well then we shall see.
See....a few blogs ago someone called me a liar about our board meeting and the fact that I incured expense to cancel flights and hotel rooms to make that meeting. I defended myself and asked that person to come to my door so I can show them that I was being honest.
Well, the honest person came out on top.
The intent of this blog is for information exchange. We can not control what people say. It's an internet world and we live in it.
If you can't handle exchange by your own residents then don't come here. We have the right to say what is on our minds whether anything comes out of it or not.
We still have the right to question you and ourselves.
Is the officer that arrested the woman for the alleged kidnapping going to get sued for his report to the media? Is the reporter going to get sued for his report? Is the little girl going to get sued?
Here is my questions to you. How do you know that what all these people here aren't saying isn't true?
I don't know if it's true or not. But I do know one thing for a FACT.
There is a board member in this community that does do A LOT of work here in the community. That is a fact.
He DID collect money for making peoples patios bigger. How do I know, I was asked if I wanted it done, that is a fact.
Who makes the decisions as to who is awarded the contracts here, the board makes the decisions, that is a fact.
Here are the questions....and they are good ones.
Is this allowd by the rules of our organization?
Do we get 3 bids on all work?
How do we make decisions as to who is awarded the work?
Is everyone submitting bids licensed, bonded and insured?
As for the person who does the work.....
He has been friendly to me every time I have spoken to him, he obviously does very good work, if it is not a conflict according to our contract and he does the best work, meets all our requirments, and we are genuinly bidding out and making the decision based on the bids....I and I am sure many others don't care who does the work. For all we know he could be SAVING us a HUGE amount of money. Again, if we are kept in the dark, we will never know.
The fact still remains we still don't know the answers to those questions.
When I moved in I asked, I then wrote a letter asking. Never got an answer.
All we are lookig for are resonable answers.
Kelly went to a meeting and got NO ANSWERS. I am not sure if they promised answers and have delivered.
I am sure Kelly will chime in when she can.
If you want to sue...sue away.
But I tell you this...if my roof blew off and I founf out it wasn't insured...I'm not sure who would be sueing who here.
Remember folks...you give respect, you get respect.
If you want a bit more respect...post with your name. It gives your thoughts validity.
Kelly, Boss, Dave, Jim
You constantly say board members are on the take. You don't say this just once but all the time.
Just how many times have you said this.
You have no actual proof. You use this web site to discredit them. You bash their names and this is OK.
You use a disclaimer to protect yourself when you are actually lying and messing with other peoples lives.
Somehow I don't think what your doing is right. If board memebers are stealing then they should be arrested and charged with a crime.
Would you like people saying things about you that are not true or could even be proven. Just what is the purpose of this web site; to spread crap that is not true?
One more thing...
Yes, we should not personally attack people here. That is not what this is about.
We need to exchange ideas, issues, and challenges as a whole.
We should not tolerate people attacking others personally.
If you have an issue with an individual...do what I do, tap them on the shoulder and talk about it. We're adults here.
No personal information should be given out...board member or not.
Public information is just that, public information.
Dave
Wrong information on your post. You just posted a lie. The contractor who is doing the patio's is not on any board or hoa. I know him.
Pleas post where I have said anyone is on the "TAKE?"
What I said was....
Someone who doesn't even entertain the idea of a proposal of an outside company to run the 2 million dollar association IN MY OPINION is hiding something.
Otherwise there would be no reason to say "Sure, if they can save us money, time, and hassle...AND if the majority of people that live here want it...let's do it"
That is what I am saying.
Please post where I said factually that anyone is stealing. I would never do that without seeing FACTS with my own eyes.
Then maybe I am wrong. I don't believe so.
A lie is to knowingly deceive which I do not do.
If I am wrong correct me please.
Just sticking my 2 cents in.
The culprits are the newspaper and police, not the people commenting on what they read.
Just adding 2 more cents. 90 percent of the people here are really good people. It's the other 10 percent and renters who could care less
Dave; How did you get such a good deal on snow shoveling. I offered some kids $10.00 to wash my car and they wanted $ 20.00 so I did it myself
They knocked on my door. 2 young kids that I have seen walking their dogs before back by Condo III. The came earlier but the wife had no cash and asked them to come back when I got home. They did a good job and the dog was the most appreciative.
Then the guy on the 4 wheeler came a few hours later. He does a nice job on the walk ways.
Can't beat a 4 wheeler with a plow.
The plow though...they absolutely rip up the grass and dump the parking blocks. Like Kelly said....someone needs to stake out the property to prevent the guy from destroying the place. I am sure he doesn't do it on purpose and without stakes does the best job possible.
BUT....at the end of the day if we are not collecting for damages then we the residents are paying for it in the end.
When we write snow removal contracts for the hotels we make sure to have a damage clause specifically detailing cost of replacement for any item damaged.
MUCH harder for a place of this size...but if there isn't someone accoutable for inspecting the job is done correctly then it is hard to get money for damages. Once a day passes without someone verifying what is going on....very hard to go back for damages.
In my opinion.
No doubt...600 - 700 units is a monster job.
But collectively our money is a monster amount on a yearly basis.
DAVE
You have a wonderful idea. Need to have 3ft reflectors to indicate where roads are. What do we do with the kids that pull them out of the ground for fun? I couldn't agree with you more about having the areas that have been damages repaired by Hudson Valley. It doesn't take that much time in the spring to do these repairs the only problem though is the calicum chlioridate they use.
They do come back and repair the torn up grass, the question should be who is paying for it?
Dave
Just how much money do we paid Hudson Valley per year and what does that come down to per household.
Kelly said in an earlier post that all expenditures are in the HOA Financials that come out 1 time per year.
I believe (but don't quote me on it) that they sent out a notice to all residents that if they wanted a copy to come pick it up at the office. I, again, believe that 1 person out of all 600+ units picked one up.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe we pay HV landscaping 350k per year.
Nice collection of information. Keep up the good work.
Nice blog. Its a little confusing to navigate but I guess the more i use it the easier it will get.
Does anyone else think that Joan in the Clubhouse is a cutie?
I am thrilled to see that this Blog is beginning to gain some momentum and exposure to the public @ large. I am in agreement that it behoves us not to cyber-snipe at one another, but to to actually brainstorm positive ideas & feedback that we can parley into a proactive call for action to benefit the owners in this community and to keep the non-interested parties (renters) honest. Hopefully this will translate into a BIG turnout @ the WHHOA meeting in January!
The snow removal stinks!! Come by a few times a day to plow with the quad. It would be a lot easier to maintain as it is snowing.
I think the snow removal stinks as well. 2 years ago my husband went out and bought a shovel so that we would have a walkway to take our dogs out since they dont shovel or plow until hours and hours after the snow starts. I think we pay way too much money each month to have to do our own snow removal.
I would also like to complain about the fact that people are not cleaning up after their animals. We have 2 dogs we clean up after them EVERY time...snow, rain, mud...doesn't matter! It's disgusting that people in this complex don't clean up after their animals. I find piles of dog and cat waste all over the place. I also feel that people should not be allowed to have outdoor cats in a complex like this. There is cat waste EVERYWHERE and it is unsanitary, makes the dogs sick, and is just plain disgusting!!! People need to be more responsible and rules need to be enforced!
Nothing can be perfect but it should be consistent.
It's neither.
To the person who said:
You constantly say board members are on the take. You don't say this just once but all the time.
Just how many times have you said this.
You have no actual proof. You use this web site to discredit them. You bash their names and this is OK.
You use a disclaimer to protect yourself when you are actually lying and messing with other peoples lives.
Somehow I don't think what your doing is right. If board memebers are stealing then they should be arrested and charged with a crime.
Would you like people saying things about you that are not true or could even be proven. Just what is the purpose of this web site; to spread crap that is not true?
First, you need to learn how to read because none of us EVER said there were members of the board on the take. I have said time and again that these people arein over their head and don't know what their doing. The only person we know for a fact that collects money is Eugene Collins who collects a salary for being a maintenance person AND coincidentaly, a Board member. What I HAVE said is that unfortuneately, the Real Estate industry is riddled with payoffs. Before you make an attempt to shoot me down in defense of someone else, please get your facts correct, not second hand from some neighbor who has chosen to paraphrase this site in total and attach names to opinions they never gave.
Oh, and by the way, if we don't make noise and demand answers from the Board about their practices and procedures, how will the police (or more important and accurate, the District Attorney) know what is going on? Is the Condo fairy going to tell them? So now tell me exactly who is "spreading crap that is not true"?
Thanks to everyone who has at the very least, checked in and poked around on this site. Hopefully you'll paticipate and help us make this a really useful meduim for our fellow residents.
Finally, the definition of solicit:
so·lic·it (s-lst)
v. so·lic·it·ed, so·lic·it·ing, so·lic·its
v.tr.
1. To seek to obtain by persuasion, entreaty, or formal application: a candidate who solicited votes among the factory workers.
2. To petition persistently; importune: solicited the neighbors for donations.
3. To entice or incite to evil or illegal action.
4. To approach or accost (a person) with an offer of sexual services.
v.intr.
1. To make solicitation or petition for something desired.
2. To approach or accost someone with an offer of sexual services in return for payment.
All we as residents did was advise fellow residents of this site. We have no personal gain, and no rules were broken. Read your by-laws.
Boss . . . given that the blog rules "discourage messages on topics guaranteed to inflame", why not make this "Bip Bopper" your first(?) example of taking out the trash. Comments such as this, although certain to get the usual "free speech" argument (and identify the author as an IDIOT), do nothing to add anything positive to this blog.
That's the problem with computers being accessible to all. Sadly, you have to take his comments at face value and realize you're dealing with Archie Bunker.
Kelly, Jim & Boss
I have a friend that lives in Lexington Hills. The only complex in the area that even comes close to being the size of Whispering Hills. They have a management company.
Their common charges are $ 365.00 per month and they don't even get the services we do. You and your crew should go their on a snow day and see what happens. My friend constantly complains about their management company.
The Boards here are like out Volunteer Fire Company and Ambulance Department. They do a service to this community and do not get paid. If we even had a management company they would still have to answer to the boards. The only thing you would be doing is eliminating the ladies positions in the upper office and the maintenance department. You would have to mail you common charges in to a company and if you wanted anything done you would have to fill out even more paper work.
My point is this. The wheel is not broken but needs alignment. If you want more professionals on our boards then lets make these position salaried and write up qualifications and responsibilites for each postion. By doing this we can then put expectations and demand results.
When someone volunteers to do something for nothing they are doing more to help this community than you are doing by discrediting them.
You must have been a militant in younger years.
If you really want to make changes do it from within the system not outside the system.
Thank you for the first intelligent post for an alternative to a Management Company. Your points are valid and well thought out.
In order to determine where the $365 / month comes from we'd have to see the financials. Is there a ground lease or other financial obligation? Capital improvements that may have been amortized over a number of years? It's a good point, however it may not be a mirror of what would happen at WH.
The office positions would only be eliminated if we allowed it to happen. One point to remember is that the Management Agreement would be a contract drafted by WH, tailored to serve WH. Managing contractors would be part of that agreement and the Board would responsible to ensure that the
Managing Agent is doing their job or be penalized.
As for maintenance, in order to get a common area repair done, it took a screaming match with Eugene Collins and an unanswered letter to the board president to get this accomplished. Something does have to change.
I agree - change could come from within, but with the board we have and their inability and apparent unwillingness to be open and up front about their dealings, we are looking to other options. Case on point being at the Condo III meeting on November 17, I hand delivered a request to review financial records, which is our rights as unit owners. To date, I have had no response.
And your militant comment is partly correct - when ignored and taken for second class residents when my hard earned money and investment is being mishandled by those in charge, it is a battle and one to be taken seriously.
Kelly
If you were on the Board wouldn't you have access to all this information and could post it on this web site.
As far as getting on the board there is always open positions.
You would be serving this community better if you gave this some thought.
As far as Eugene Collins is concerened he is a paid employee by the HOA. You should make up a petition stating your cause for his removal and get signatures. If you get enough the the HOA would definately have to disiciplin him or let him go. All persons working for the HOA should show respect to every homeowner.
All homeowners request should be handled within two business days depending wether they fall on a holiday or weekend. If your request is denied then the homeowner should be given written (not oral)notice of their denial and reasons why. This would start given the boards back creditability and respect which they deserve.
Dear Food-
I have given it thought and right now, this is the time I can spare. When elections were held, I was new to the complex and due to personal reasons, I was unable to get involved, witht he exception of this site.
If I was on the Board, I would definitely post and explain and ask for imput from my neighbors. We all own WH together and although tedious and time consuming, getting imput from residents is crucial when it comes to decisions and hiring contractors. We are all the eyes of this complex and we all have our own spin on what type of job is being done. Every opinion counts, especially if it is honest and well meant.
I agree - the Collins issue needs addressing. I tried att he Condo III meeting, and was told they "checked with legal counsel and it is not a conflict of interest". Seems there's noise out there about the issue, enough to get the Board to react and contact their attorney, but no one had the insight to realise that someone should insist he steps down because the residents are not happy with the situation.
I think a time limit or an explanation of delays or failure to address items is a great idea. The typical "no response" is really unacceptable.
Just a reminder...
Posts containing racism, hate or harm and derogatory comments will not be tolerated. The post will be deleted, in worst case the author's ip address will be banned.
Also watch your language. This forum does not allow swearing, and flaming other users will not be accepted!
Discussions and disagreements are part of blogging. Become a positive influence on fellow community members. Always keep your comments clean & respectful.
_________________________________
Something offending you?
Report offensive posts to: whisperinghillsblog@yahoo.com
Don't forget to include the post ID. We will review the request and take appropriate measure.
Thank You,
The Boss
Thank you for that last post "BOSS! I'm w/ya' 100%
I also agree that the snow removal stinks and Hudson Valley is the absolute WORST landscaping co I've ever seen. They have ruined almost every thing I've ever had outside my house. Besides when I've had my front door opened and they blown the cut grass right into my door into the living room where my 16month old plays. And as far as the towing company doing there job? WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree- my favorite was when they "pruned" my neighbor's lilac bush with a chain saw. Jason from Friday the Thirteenth could have done a better job. Not to mention they decapitated some of my lillies...
Here is a little link to what we are letting the landscaping crew get away with. If they fix the damage every year....I am going on 4 years of dirt without being fixed.
Nice to see everyone here...keep posting your great ideas.
GET INVOLVED !!!
Put this in your browser:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e183/dblxx/lawn.jpg
I don't think its rascist to state that the employee's of a company are possibly illegals.
I never said anything negative about any race and the Big Bopper is half Puerto Rican (Mother) half Mexican (Father).
Me thinks that a few in here are being too sensitive and politically correct!
I agree with the towing company sleeping at the helm. I live in Condo 3 and trying to get into the garage is like driving through New York after a nuclear war.
And the mailbox will always have a car parked in front of it sometimes all night!
Plus this car has NO sticker or permit!
And I received a $25 fine when my car had the permit hanging at the window!
Big Bopper,
I think they were referring to the cats that you want to shoot. Ridiculous question. Ya, bust out a weapon in the middle of the complex looking for cats. Real smart!
I agree - the towing company is a bit lax and I hate that car that parks in front of the mailboxes up in the 4200 section - especially when there are a dozen empty spaces just feet away.
I also think that if the tow company had more of a presence, that it would deter those teenagers from loitering in the parking lots and throwing trash all over and smoking pot. The tow driver probably won't do anything but another set of eyes is never a bad thing.
As many are aware, there is an open HOA meeting coming up in January. We should use this site as a means to get a collective voice together and list our issues so they can be addressed.
Aside from snow removal, landscaping complaints, what else should we try to address?
Hi, I hope I'm doing this right
forgive me if I'm not.
my husband and I live here for 7 years now, we love it and mainly keep to ourselves. In the winter he does interior painting on the side, room by room. if anyone is interested, you can call him, for a free estimate, he is neat and very reasonable. Thank you and God bless
victoria Tuchman
Steve's Painting - 674-6331
Power washing, rot repair fences and trash bin, implement a security guard it would prevent vandalizing, add safety and eliminate illegal parking. Work a deal out with the towing company, it would pay a portion of the security salary.(I would be interested in knowing if they make a portion of what the towing company charges when a car gets towed.)
The area is growing, so should we! There is a frikin Lowes going up RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD, whats next an airport? A......duh.... increase in crime. Don't say I didn't tell you so, wait 2 years and then come talk to me.
More building, more public municipality. I hardly think the police force is growing with the expansion. Think ahead Whispering Hills!! Be insightful, the bees nest is about to be stirred up.
New housing complexes are going up around the corner, did you know that?
What do we do to compete with brand new custimized structures that are and will be built all over Chester?
What to do....What to do....
Take the trash out....If you know what I mean
Fix the problems....not many, but the ones we have are not chiwawa.
Ho....Ho....Ho.... My house value will decline if they don't consider this.
Do you want to know what kills me? Decitefu ignorance....Don' be coy Roy....What do you think you are dealing with morons here?? Come on HOA we know whats going on behind you transparent door. Look at you, unqualified and flagrant. You know this is not a communist country, right?
So what is the big man Collins going to do to make sure I am safe and that I don't loose my ass when I go to sell my unit?
I'm not sure but that car that is always parked in front of the mailboxes in the 4200 area, a pediphile lives there with His mother, and cars full of kids are always there just sitting in the car, probably doing drugs or dealing
The car I see is usually empty or people are coming / going. I see OTHER cars with the kids and the drugs (like those little piles of cigar tobacco left in the parking lot from the blunts they are rolling).
Thats why we need either stepped up police patrol or a guard like the previous post mentioned.
Kelly and Anonymous,
Why wouldn't you call the cops to investigate the well being of the children?
I did call the cops, and the police woman is investigating and everytime she goes there to find that person he slips out before she could get him, because he was supossidly not regestered in new york as an offender, so I think the mother is either hiding him or lying to the cops. the police woman said she would let me know if anything had changed, and that was about a month ago, I have kids that play around here so I will be keeping track, just wanted to see what others had to say before i posted my facts.
What do I care about the well being of a bunch of obnoxious, disrespectful teenangers who throw trash everywhere and smoke pot in the parking lot? Sorry if the word "kids" threw you. I am a resident concerned about the overall welfare of the complex. Not a social worker.
With regard to the obnoxious, disrespectful teenangers I have called the police and spoke to them at length about patrolling the parking lots. FYI, the Board recently signed and agreement with the town to patrol the parking lots because the police obligations to patrol end where the city streets end, unless responding to a call.
Did board members get the same flyer I did? I think it's insulting they have not said a word here. I went back into the old post and see condo 2 president/vice president Jeff Jones was actively posting. I got further into what he was writing and all I have to say is that it is absolutly pathetic! Go back to April and vomit like I did when I read how ridiculous this guy sounds.
This is a representation of who is running our complex magnified by the amount of people on the board.
Yes, same flyer as everyone else got. As a matter of fact, it seems that one of the Board members spotted us distributing the flyers and word amongst the Board spread. By the time we got to the President's house, he was expecting us.
At the very least they should be reading the site to get an idea of who everyone feels. This sight could be a huge advantage for them, but instead, I am sure we are looked as as a nightmare.
One day, no joking I observed 3 separate occassions in which teenagers where smoking pot out in the open. I finally got sick and called the Village police who responded and scared the punks away.
Since then I haven't seen them in the 4200 parking area as blatant as before.
I grew up in the NYC area and I was a teenager as well. But we never did anything in our nieghborhood where a nieghbor who knew your parents would see you.
The Big Bopper loves animals and was only joking about shooting homeless cats.
However, if any pot smoking teenagers break into my house they won't be leaving!
There will be a lot of slow singing, flower bringing, cars with there lights on and halo's and gowns!
Cancel Christmas punks!
You'll be hanging with Elvis!
Concerning the house with the NY state offender I did see the persons picture on a New york State website and the address listed.
I remember when I first moved here seven years ago the village police officer came to my house investigating a crime that had just occurred and he was on a first name basis with the residents of that dwelling.
Bip Bopper would like to organize a community watch program. Maybe working with the village police and getting a radio or cellphone to contact them if fishy activities are observed. Two people per car at evenings and overnights on a volunteer basis.
Maybe making a magnetic sticker to identify the car being used and a logo stating the Whispering Hills volunteer/auxillary police.
We have enough law/fire/transit professionals to help organize this effort.
Also, why don't people stop throwing thier large garbage items all over the place like dressers, furniture etc and just take them to the clubhouse dumpster.
as good as this may sound big bopper, I highly doubt the board would approve this, it will just give them another reason to fine us
LOL
I'm not so sure that the Board can or cannot approve of a Neighborhood Watch.
There is something that everyone seems to forget - the Board does not RULE the complex. There are By-Laws and Rules and Regulations of which, every resident here should have a copy. Yes, they are boring as hell however, it is the basis of the structure and indicative of the limits to the Board's reach.
Also, another thing is that we are not a bunch of hapless residents who's rights are governed by a few. We are all co-owners of this complex. We have a say. We have rights. We may not be able to organize a group named "Whispering Hills Neighborhood Watch" but we can organize some type of watch group and have every right to go anywhere on the property because we are residents and co-owners of the property.
If someone wants to spearhead a group effort - I wish you all the luck in the world. It's a wonderful idea. Just be sure to check with the local authorities (I believe many of these Neighborhood Watch groups work with the police and sometimes are assigned a contact person within the precient) and be sure that you do not overstep your boundaries and put yourself at risk. We live in extremely litigious society and there are too many people out there looking for a free ride.
Instead of everyone assuming that "the Board wouldn't approve" of ANYTHING, take 5 minutes and rifle through those by-laws and see if that is the case. Don't hesitate to step up or get involved because of an assumption that may be worng.
Good luck Bopper!
They tried the neighborhood watch program on the blog, read the archives. It didn't work because of lack of participation. It's a shame because if the complex doesn't want to spend the additional money on safety, it would be a great idea.
Hey boss,
Why don't you put up a survey or something giving a yay or nay on the NW. See if anyone is actually interested.
In response to Today's Post of the Day, I ask this:
Why is there an assumption that if we engage professional management that our commons charges will skyrocket and our services will deteriorate?
Was there a study done? Was the property put out to bid for this service? Was a scope of work for this management company defined?
I believe the answer to all those questsions are either unknown or, no.
We do not know what impact this would have on our community. But constantly thinking in negative terms is not going to satisfy many of us who believe a volunteer driven management system is not the be all and end all of condo living.
Yes, fine, we should cannonize the members of the board for giving up all their personal time and out of the goodness of their collective hearts doing the best they can to make WH a better place.
However, being in the real estate industry I believe otherwise and I look at numbers, contracts and facts before I assume it won't work.
Personally I find the Board to be unresponsive and quite frankly, arrogant. FYI, I HAND DELIVERED a request to the Board at the Condo II meeting back in November to review the financials (my right as a unit owner) and to date, I have not heard a word back. Not to mention, there were no minutes distributed and no followup memo sent to residents answering any of the questions they were asked at this meeting. So, please tell me why everyone views these volunteers with the greatest esteem? If that was how a professional management company handled requests, they'd be out of business.
ok i understand all that kelly, your right, but if we are co- owners of the property,(it is part their property too,and not wanting a liability )wont they hassle us if we put ourselves or even our property at risk. These kids can be cruel if they find out where you live they will vandalize or maybe even try and rob your house. I'm not being paranoid but it is a little too close for comfort here in this community, everyone knows someone. there has to be a way where we can all be anonymous, just for our saftey and for our kids safety, some of these teenagers might even know our kids
and if you start putting faces on these neighborhood watch people, they can retaliate in that way, through our children.
Sadly, you are correct. Today kids seem to know the limits of the law and push the envelope when it comes to retalliation.
However, when did we become victims and fearful of teenagers? Don't these people have parents? Aren't retalliation and vandalism ILLEGAL? Who's tresspassing here?
I don't know about you, by my courage rises with every attempt to intimidate me. And I will be damned if some disrespectful POS teenager is going to make me fear coming and going and taking a stand against behavior I don't want happening in my community. I live here, I pay my taxes, work a full time job and take pride in my accomplishments. I will not give that up because I'm afraid someone is going to egg hy house.
THEY should be fearful of us - not the other way around. What has happened? Rememgber when we were young and wouldn't dream of acting like that?
OPEN HOA MEETING....
JANUARY 17TH @ 7PM
BE THERE....
kelly, your 100% right, but in realization they dont give a crap what you think or what you will do to stand up for yourself, these kids dont have any morals, or parental guidance they are latchkey kids running around while their parents work hard to make a good living and to keep them in good clothes, most of the parents dont even know what their kids are doing. so what's the point, it's like beating a dead horse, it will only get worse because kids these days love the challange and because they know they are underage they can get aways with it with just a warning from the police, while were still pulling out hair out fighting for the respect.
I made a suggestion to the Board that the "post" the property so we have some legal recourse with regard to tresspassing and loitering. The existing signage is not adequate enough to press charges.
NOTE TO ALL:
On a recent windy day someone's patio umbrella blew onto my patio. Its green in color. Please come get it before the spring before I toss it in the garbage!
Kelly
In real estated who do you work for the buyer or seller?
What's your priority (your commission or getting the seller the best price or the buyer the best price)
Please tell us. This tells alot about a person.
I'll answer this...
Priority #1 is building the VERY best relationship with your client and #2 is getting the VERY best price for the buyer/seller.
Why you ask...
Because word of mouth over time is going to pay 1000 fold of what you will make if always focused on making the quick commission.
In SALES....relationship + time = top sales.
Done !
Dave
Should homeowners be allowed to advertise their condo's on this web site for free without paying any real estate commissions?
Great
Now this web site has found a real value.
Not my call...it's not my blog.
Plus....real estate is a person to person job and IMO has nothing to do with listing it.
It's having a book of clients looking to buy in specific areas.
It's about client relationship, trust, and helping people.
I don't think listing, commission, or anything having to do selling your house has anything to do with this forum.
Dear F or F-
Real Estate is more than buying and selling. Ultimately, it's about asset management.
If you must know, I have been in Property Management (Commercial, Residential and Retail) and am now in the construction and development part of the business. I have dealt with escrows, titles and have been a closing agent.
With roughly 20 years in this industry, I think I have gained enough knowledge, through practical application, about the various areas of real estate and management to know that this Board is in way over their collective heads and the lack of disclousre on the operations level scares me.
Is that enough information for you? Anything else you'd like to know? Perhaps you'd like to share something about yourself?
Excellent answer, Dave!
Real Estate
A real estate commission is about 6 percent of your selling price. That's about $ 12,000.00 dollars.
What does a real estate person do of that kind of money.
Your better read Kelly's last blog again. Twenty years of skill. Your not intelligent enough to post and sell. You need an expert to take your money.
The first person to post their condo here for sale will have Kelly calling them for a listing to take $ 12,000.00 or more from correct Kelly.
Just what do you do for that kind of money? No wonder why they have so much time to blog. Four to ten sales a year; sit back and relax. My first year in real estate I sold 24 homes in one month. The lawyers do most of the work and real estate people are like thieves.
I closed seven deals without a real estate person and lawyer and you can do it too.
Advertise you condo right here? Save 6 percent and that's lile half a car or three vacations or manny pairs or # 150.00 dollar shoes.
Kelly
How does sell real estate relate back to the Boards being over their heads?
LIES
I sold 24 homes in one month
Do not advertise your condo listings here, they will be deleted!
If there is enough interest, a separate section of the blog will be developed catering toward the sale of real estate. Please email me any ideas and features you would like to see included.
note:
This blog is intended to specifically reach Whispering Hills residents, not Orange County.
Thank You,
The Boss
Kelly,
Obviously someone who wants get under your skin. Don't turn stop and shops comments into an argument, it's not worth it.
You go girl! You're tenacious.
Thanks, Powder.
Obviously, some of you people need to learn how to read. I am not a broker - never said I was, never plan to be.
HOWEVER, if I was, what's the difference? I'm a concerned resident. Concerned about my hard earned money and how others manage the asset I am tied to. If I were a broker, would my postings be any less credible or relevent? At the end of the day, if I was a broker and looking to make a buck off selling one of these units, who wins and who loses if we have better service here, if the property is better maintained and if our commons charges are stabilized?
The truth or, as it may be, my perception of it, is what it is. I say what I see and thankfully I am literate enough to put it into words (typing skills not withstanding)and confident enough that I don't have to attack, belittle or attempt to chip away at the credibility of others in order to make a point.
OPEN HOA MEETING FOR ALL RESIDENTS
JANUARY 17TH, 2008 @ 7:00PM
BE THERE TO GET ANSWERS TO YOUR ISSUES.
We need to control the kids playing in between the units. The noise echoes something awful. Kids will be kids but they should not be allowed to skateboard and play ball in front of the garages.
Dave, why don't you go to the meeting and report back! I'm done with the bantering and pleading. Meetings are a big waste of time!
JANUARY 17TH, 2008 @ 7:00PM
Be prepared for smoke, mirrors and a lot of hot air.
What meeting have you gone to and when? What were you looking to have done?
Part of the purpose of this site is to try to gather our resources and approach the Board. The more of us that there are, they wull eventually have to respond.
Tell us all what happened so we can use it to our advantage.
Been here for 15 years honey, where do you want me to start? Last time I checked, this was a freedom of speech thing here. It's my opinion, the meetings are a joke!
What were you trying to do? Cryptic postings do me no good. I tend to be the type to keep pushing until someone pushes back. I have open items from the Condo III meeting that I intend to bring up yet again at the HOA meeting and demand answers. It wasn't as if I was asking them to recalculate the theory of relativity.
And what do you mean by "freedom of speech"? If you post something, then elaborate. Unless of course all you want is an avenue to pointlessly vent...
cant you all just get a grip, your worse than 5 year olds,dont you think our world is in enough turmoil to be bickering about stupid crap like this.our soldiers are dying, people are dying, and our morals have gone to hell.why do you even post here if all your gonna do is argue, go to iraq and fight about something really important.
That is completely irrelevent and has absolutely no bearing on this site.
My morals happen to be fine, thank you.
I agree, this is NY, not Iraq. I can respect soldiers are fighting but We have an obligation here that takes precedence. The world goes on with or without the war, we need to keep that in perspective.
Bills still need to get paid.
OPEN HOA MEETING FOR ALL RESIDENTS
JANUARY 17TH, 2008 @ 7:00PM
BE THERE TO GET ANSWERS TO YOUR ISSUES.
............as a point of reference:
1)In 1991/92 there WAS a community watch group on a volunteer basis. Fizzled out quickly.
2) We once had a "rent-A-Cop" presence I believe circa 96-98. Non- effective, was not persued by the Board at that time.
I too have been frustrated by many a WHHOA meeting, and it is like being in a hapster wheel, BUT I am determined to voice my concerns that I share with many a previous post on this blog!
As an owner of an Aspen unit,a big concern is the use of garages and the driveways. Too much inconsiderate and/or ingnorant behavior is exhibited........... One last item in this post, I will be damned if I am intimidated by a bunch of teenagers who have no parameters due to insufficient parental contact. I am a teacher, so I see this wonderful attitude 1st hand on a daily basis! SEE YOU ALL ON 1/17/08!!!!!!!!!
make that hampster* wheel! ;-)
The Big Bopper has had two posts deleted.
Boss, do you lack a sense of humour or are you just a dictator behind the keyboard?
Your the one who stuck the flyer in my screen door inviting me to grace my presence in here!
Big bopper:
How about maturing up and using some of your sarchasm to help us here. You have some great ideas but then you say something totally rediculous which takes away all your merrit.
If it's attention that you didn't get as a child please don't ruin it for the others.
I understand it's the holiday and I am almost positive you are alone and lonely but you have some great ideas.
Put them to use man. We like having you here.
sarchasm, rediculous, merrit.
I think the only thing thats lonely this holiday season is your spell checker!
Does anybody else think that the HOA office hours are too limited? Why can't they have one late night a week or 1 Saturday a month?
You can have the ability to spell well while typing and I will have people that love me.
Obviously you can't say the same.
Seek help.
Bopper-
Your posts at best are inconsistent. You posted 4 times on 12/18, and they were pretty much very well thought out and a nice contribution to this site. I believe you have a lot to offer.
Bottom line is that this is a diverse community (one of the things that makes WH so special) and you really have to take a second look at your contribution. What you may not perceive as "off color" or politically incorrect, others may have a different view. We are not your friends here (so to speak) and some of the vernacular you use with your pals may inadvertently offend a neighbor.
By all means, keep contributing - I think you have a lot of valid observations and I welcome reading them.
OPEN HOA MEETING FOR ALL RESIDENTS
JANUARY 17TH, 2008 @ 7:00PM
BE THERE TO GET ANSWERS TO YOUR ISSUES.
Dave,
We get it!
Boss
When you sent out flyers they had the Whispering Hills blog address on them.
What's stopping anyone who has this address from posting here.
Glad you get it - the point is that you show up!!!
Exactly...be there.
I am going to post it everyday so anyone who goes away for a few days will see it.
It's called "dynamic repetitive advertising"
There is a simple solution...don't read it.
As for who can come here....anyone that access to the internet. Whether they live in Iraq, California, or Whispering Hills.
OH and by the way...
OPEN HOA MEETING FOR ALL RESIDENTS
JANUARY 17TH, 2008 @ 7:00PM
BE THERE TO GET ANSWERS TO YOUR ISSUES.
:)
Posting Blog,
Great question and one that will be continually addressed as we progress through our metamorphosis.
Candidly answering your question, anyone can read anything that is written on this or any public blog anywhere, any time.
We host our forum on Blogger, a free hosting site. We cannot keep our blog private or prevent it from being spidered & indexed by search engines. We were very careful not to link to it from any external sites because of obvious risk.
Bottom line, there will never be a guarantee of preventing unwanted eyes from reading or posting on our blog while it is still being hosted through Blogspot.com. Our solution that has been in motion is moving the entire blog to a web hosting company. I will post plans and our progression as it occurs. All security concerns will be addressed when this process is completed some time this spring.
We will be asking for donations where 100% of whatever is raised goes directly toward developing our new site. Keep in mind that we run on voluntary time & contributions. Let's work together to make this process as seamless as possible.
Thanks for the questions,
The Boss
Additional questions email to: whisperinghillsblog@yahoo.com
LOL
Does anybody know about a new residential subdivision called Hills of Chester?
Yeah...it's up on the hill by the water tower. By clubhouse #1.
There are already 10 homes there.
Looking to build 20 more.
Great, more sprawl. When I first moved up here in 2001 there was nothing mup here but open land, farms and trees.
Now we have a hotel, CVS and a car wash and about a thousands useless stores in Harriman.
How much shopping can people do!?
We have become a country of consumers and producing nothing!
Hey bopper...let's just hope our taxes go down with all the development and our home prices go up !!!!
Wishful thinking ?????
Something similiar was promised to the American taxpayer a decade ago. We were told that if we reduced those on welfare we would pay less taxes.
Well, there are less people on welfare and my taxes don't go down!
The Big Bopper is thinking of moving further west, maybe Matamoras or the Port Jervis area, however it would add another half hour to my commute to the city.
Well... I already commute 1:15 each way now...so if I move it's west like Arizona or south like Texas.
My commute can't get any further than Chester, NY to Fairfield, NJ.
Hey Boss...
We need a section on the blog where people can list where they commute to. Then people can see if then can pair up to save time and $$$.
Like a RIDESHARE section ?
Commuter’s nightmare, traffic is on the rise in Chester & surrounding areas!
I feel your pain. Rising fuel costs are not really adding to the situation. Car or van pools, not a new concept, but its practice is highly limited. Companies use vans and buses to pick and drop staff. Anyone in hierarchy tends to use their own transport, (car service, limo) if they can afford it. If your're an everyday strap holder, hold your breath & hit the rails (trust me, not everyone showers daily let alone weekly).
My 6 year experience commuting from St. James LI to Wall Street in the 90’s, sharing transportation is extremely effective. You don’t need a tutorial on the carbon footprint left behind by the millions of cars zipping up and down to work. I won’t even go into the time factor.
As for the RIDESHRE section proposed, it will not require a rocket scientist to develop a simple commuting page where interested commuters can key in information about employment demographics & work schedules to get matched up with those filling in similar parameters. Might be a good idea to even throw in a field for a person to enter his or her oversleeping tendencies!
Securing information must be taken into consideration. By now you should be aware of the "public" status of our blog. There must be certain precautionary measures taken it order to provide a sanctuary where commuters can unite.
How effective and successful the blog addition will be remains to be seen. Thanks for the suggestion, I will work on something over the next few days that will accommodate your idea.
Thanks Dave,
The Boss
Hey boss...
Stony Brook to Uniondale for 10 years. I feel your pain. That is how I got into motorcycling...when they built the HOV lane...I bought a motorcycle. Man did I save time and gas.
If you feel a ride share link would benefit us...that would be great.
What the heck are they building now in front of the hotel in town? I see some metal framework going up.
Is it possible that a small piece of grass or greenery be left intact without slabbing some concrete and metal on it!?
I think the old abandoned garage was prettier than all that crap going up!
It's a Provident Bank Branch with I believe 2 or 3 small box retail stors on either side. I went to TH to get a copy of the permits but the permiting office was closed.
The main box is a Provident bank. The walls you saw first was the vault.
There is also a MEGA 20 screen movie theatre coming also. BEWARE :)
Merry Christmas Whispering Hills!
K
GREAT NEWS!
Now are little rural village is going to become a suburb of Manhattan.
If there is a terrible economic downturn up here our village will be on the web site deadmalls.com!
I'll try to have a "merry christmas" but with all this commercialism all I can think of saying is:
Merry Christmas Jesus, hope you like CRAP!
Every time I see snow piled up on the trees it eats at me. Between the salt and snow damage they are killing the trees that line the road. It's not the plows fault, it is the way they positioned the trees when they planted them.
What economic downturn. Are you losing your mind? Do you think they would throw up all this industry if they thought the area would fail. Amscan alone pays this town millions of dollars a year to keep their establishment here. Lowes, CVS, hotels, indusrial parks. Look at the price of our units and how stable the realestaste market is in Whispering Hills relative top are housing and then come talk to me.
People like you scare the hell out of me. Educate yourself before you post gibberish.
Whats up with the login section at the bottom of the page? What do we login to?
I think every resident in Whispering Hills should take look at this link. Wan't to know whats going on behind the planning boards closed door check out their site.
http://www.preservationcollective.com/
chester_developments.html
This is my favorite part.
The Hills of Chester.........off Route 94, approx 24 homes (reduced from 200) - Background: The Planning Board objects to only access through Whispering Hills. The applicant was looking to get approval from Goshen for a connecting road to Arcadia but an emergency access is all that will be allowed. - No further details at this time.
What they originally wanted to do is make our road into a highway so these people can access their homes. Thank God it was shot down.
What about the Orange Plaza Mall on route 211 which is half empty. What if there were a major recession in this country?
This Christmas season alone had the most shopping days in recent years and retailers numbers are down?
What if the price of gas goes up to $4 or $5 a gallon? With all the Chester residents who commute to the city there would be no extra money to spend in all these stores.
If AMSCAM closes to move to China or Mexico where would the millions of tax dollars come from then?
www.deadmalls.com
This is jibberish, its the TRUTH!
Also I said IF there was a economic downturn, NOT we are in one.
I moved up here from NYC for the rural setting and farm lands.
YOU scare me if you like all this crap going up and destroying this towns environment.
You should have educated yourself because what you post is bird manure!
If you think there is a single place on this planet that is protected from building and construction...you better move now.
I DO like the new stuff and I hope they build on every single piece of broken down not used farm land. I hope that every farmer sells to condo/retail & residential builders.
I hope we get a 50 theatre movie, a new mall and more car dealerships.
Why...my home price will go up and my taxes will go down and there will be more stuff for the people & kids to do.
Should they have just left all the farm land in NYC, Chicago, Orlando, and San Fran?
Guess not.
Seems as if the BIF BOPPER needs to leave whispering hills. Seems as if the bif bopper will be moving and then we won't have to listen to him talk in the 3rd person.
Seems is if the big boffer will be leaving if the building doesn't stop. {eyes welling up}
{NOT} :0)
I have a better idea, why don't you move to NYC city!
Plenty of mega movie threatres, car dealers, traffic and crime!
How can you tell me that you would want every farm to have condo's and houses on them?
I work in the city and deal with the residents of that jungle at their worst. Listening to them whine about the government not doing enough for them, not taking responsibilty for thier own lives and letting thier children run around like wild wolve cubs.
The Big Bopper needs the tranquility of the country to mentally cope with New York City.
I don't want mega movie threatre's, car dealerships or malls!
Big Bop, you don't have a choice. If you want that type of environment, move out to the mid west. East coast, it ain't gonna happen! The reason why my condo is stable in a stagnant market is because of the diversity and conveniences our area offers. I am 100% for growth as long as it doesn't interfere with the overall landscape. Growth pays bills, builds better schools and municipalities. Moved here in 1999, paid under 90k for my unit. You do the math.
Face the facts, people. We ARE a suburb of NYC. We are also probably one of the last stops in what most would consider a "reasonable" commute.
In case you haven't noticed, 3 bedroom units in this complex run approximately $250-270K. Same size unit in Rockland County? $350-$375K. Westchester? Try in the neighborhood of $450K. We really don't need to discuss taxes or school systems, that should be obvious.
Sorry that for many of you, the bubble has burst and you are now faced with the reality that urban sprawl has caught up with you.
There really isn't a thing that can be done unless the proposed building has some sort of ecological or environmental nightmare attached to it. Despite protests and good intentions, we are sadly going to see our green open spaces diminished over time. The only thing that can slow it down (you'll never stop it) is if zoning ordinances and restrictions are put into place by elected officials.
But, like the post above just said, at least the value of our units is stable and although the Real Estate market is in bit of a quandry right now, our proximity to NYC should work to our advantage.
It's no secrete we are living in the new Rockland County. Rockland has evolved into an extension of Westchester. I don't know if you have driven around Rockland county lately but it seems as every 10-15, there is one for sale. Things are pretty bad down there, the zero down, adjustable mortgages are killing people. Personally I think the place is a dump. The topper, they put up 750k+ conds on the water next to Tilcon in Haverstraw. The owners of each unit had to sign a heath waver in order to purchase a condo. Where does it end?
Radiation, black lung, no thanks. I will take my good o'le OC air. For the record, I think they are doing a fine job here. Some things may need some adjustment but in my opinion, the overall health of the complex is borderline excellent.
PC
I agree that growth is a part of expansion, but I think in our town we have enough.
Why would we need a mega plex movie threatre with 12 screens when Hollywood rarely produces ONE good movie a year!
The other day when at work in NYC in a Harlem housing project I saw a teenager beating a pittbull dog with a thick cardboard panel repeatedly. Everyone walking around him said nothing! When the poor dog squated to use the bathroom this barberan kicked the poor dog to the ground. I yelled at the third world invader to stop but he ran off into one of the buildings and I lost him.
I would hate to see that situation here in Whispering Hills.
Happy Holidays to all.
I have been playing catch up to all the messages that have been written recently. There have been some very insightful and intelligent comments/concerns that need to be brought to the HOA and Condo meetings. Keep in mind, that at the HOA meetings they only address HOA related topics (they won't talk about individual Condo issues). Also, elections will be coming up soon. Run for the board of the Condo you live in! That is the best way to make a change. For as many good posts that I read, I am disappointed about the negative/mud slinging/nasty posts that have were written. What is the purpose? What does it gain you? At the end of the day remember that the people on the boards (HOA and Condo) are volunteers and for the most part are good people trying to make a difference in the community they live in.
"For as many good posts that I read, I am disappointed about the negative/mud slinging/nasty posts that have were written. What is the purpose? What does it gain you? At the end of the day remember that the people on the boards (HOA and Condo) are volunteers and for the most part are good people trying to make a difference in the community they live in."
Right on !
Strength in numbers, let's unite in one voice(S) @ the 1/17/08 meeting for positive changes, and/or improvements in this community!
LAST POST WAS BY "THE BUZZ"! Computer does not always cooperate!
Peace, and Merry christmas to aLL!
AS was said once by great man, the people get the representitives they deserve. Put up or shut up. If your not happy with the HOA board run for a position.
The problem is so many here in Whispring Hills are commuters and by the time we get home we are to tired or busy to anything else.
Its a great topic covered by abook Im reading now called
"Bowling Alone". People in the last 20 years simply do not get involved in civic society's, PTA's and local community activities.
I do think this Blog is a great start to see and know what my niegbors are thinking.
I agree!
We, as a society have gotten very complacent about being "free", and have exhibited a laise`-faire attitude towards keeping our way of life solvent and relevent! You gotta LUV capitalism, eh?
Exactly Bopper. By the time we get home who the heck wants to participate especially when I for one am being pulled in 20 different directions during the day. It's a sacrifice for the betterment of the community to attend meetings. If you can't attend, at the very least, become a community activist. Participate by repecting neighbors and looking out for one another. We all have to live together and by giving consideration we will get more in return.
The mud slinging topic.
I think it's more of a cry for help than negativity, people are frustrated, some for years. Things do need to change and by bringing up some of the more important suggestions that are mentioned at the meeting, hopefully we can start to see some closure. All we can do is learn from what is written.
Well, true,,,,,,,,,,,,but when ya' start slingN the mud around, it ain't helpN nobody!
You guys are crazy! The gripe posts are the most important part of this blog. Everything isn't peachy keen, why should it be hidden? Are you all living on Fantasy Island? There are REAL problems and concerns that need to be addressed. Do you want them swept under the rug? There are real issues at hand that are not going away anytime soon. Seems like a few board members are posting trying to change the fact that they are not doing their job properly. Don't be fooled by their ploy to persuade into thinking everything is alright, because its not!!
At the end of the day remember that the people on the boards (HOA and Condo) are volunteers and for the most part are good people trying to make a difference in the community they live in.
As far as I'm concerned, if you can't do your job properly, get some people in who can. They may be good people but "nice" doesn't cut it when it comes to millions of dollars being allocated to the wrong people. Is there some type of detailed financial report that shows exactly where all the money is spent? I'm guessing no! I'm not talking about the general breakdown, I'm talking detailed!
Hello All- hope everyone had a great holiday.
Wow! This site's busy - been a lot of activity since last week - that is GREAT to see! There are those who think this site is a bad thing, but given everyone's hectic schedule (not only now with the holidays, as Bopper and others pointed out, just everyday life) this seems to be a very convenient way to keep a hand in what's going on.
I agree- the gripes are genuine and should be taken seriously-however, they do need to be free of mud slinging. I'm sure we all understand the frustration, and have probably felt that way at ine time or another for whatever reason. But by being just nasty, mean and rude, we detract attention from the issue and we aren't taken seriously. It doesn't mean we should give up complaining about something that is unresolved - EVER.
As I'm sure most of you know, we have an "Open" HOA coming up in January. Who plans on making time to attend? This site opens a whole new aspect to dealing with issues and the Board and we really need to take advantage.
By reading the posts, we all seem to have both individual issues as well as issues in common. I say that we gather our collective thoughts and address the Board.
I plan on attending. I plan on addressing the Board. I plan on bringing up issues I addressed at the Condo III meeting that were never answered. Like my request to review the financials, and why they find it acceptable to pay $30,000 to replace roofs that blew off instead of looking into the cost to extend the insurance coverage. Did you kow that they apparently do not have any more insurance coverage than what was required 20 years ago when the Sponsor was the major shareholder in the corporation? News flash - the Sponsor is no longer calling the shots and I find that failing to insure the buildings for storm damage is irresponsible. What are the costs to add this coverage? Is it more than the $30,000 Condo III alone spent? Hmmm - with no response, I guess we'll never know.
I will not be taking "no response" as a suitable answer. At the very least, the Board needs to be prepared to answer questions, concerns and confront issues brought to their attention at these meetings. Responding with a blank stare or by not being prepared is no longer satisfactory. They have more than enough time to prepare to address the issues of concern. After all, this is their big moment - if they show up unprepared, for goodness sakes - where do they think they are going? A Garden Party?
I know for a fact that they know this site exists (the HOA President was handed a flyer when they were distributed). It would be in their best interest to at least read through the postings on this site. I should imagine, being somewhat intelligent individuals that they will be able to determine what the major issues are and make an attempt to address them. The time of complacency is over.
Getting on the Board is not the only answer. I personally commute at least and hour each way to work, put in a full day at the office and have to find time at night and on the weekends to get my housework and various errands done. I am not a stay at home mother and I am not retired with an unlimited amount of free time on my hands to be a member of the board. I would like to, because I am concerned, but my job and family have to come first. It doesn't mean I care any less than someone who is ABLE to make the time.
So, who's planning on attending the meeting? Who's willing to put their money where their mouth is? If we are all so busy, and plan on making time to attend the HOA meeting, wouldn't it stand to reason that our valuable time would be best put to use by actually speaking at one of these meetings, not just sitting there getting disgusted?
Couldn't have said it better myself. Hopefully there will be a large turnout on the 17th. Strength in numbers folks! You can count on me being there!
M
By the way, does anyone know who owns this blog?
Good job mystery person!
The Big Bopper will be there.
In the very least camera's should be installed on light posts to monitor the parking lots before the summer comes and the hoodlums take over with their cigars and rock and roll music!
On a lighter side, what does everyone think about the Lobster pier.
Is it good dining?
Anyone know of any other good eateries in the area?
Whats up with the strange people that hog up all the spots in Condo 3 snow removal area?
They have a Chrysler parked there that never moves!
Plus two other cars, talk about carbon footprints!
Share the spots with everyone, one car moves and another one takes that spot!
WE want to park close to our homes too!
Condo 3 isn't the only place where this is happening. There are cars littering every single lot in this complex. What they need to do is have the towing company chalk the tires of reported and suspicious vehicle's monthly. Come back a month later, an ample amount of time to wait, then tow any cars that haven't moved in that period.
Good idea with the cameras bopper. Worst case it would deter if perpetrators knew they were being monitored. Cost factor would be the only drawback.
First come, first served when it comes to parking around here. As long as your properly permitted, not much you can do. I agree- would be nice to be able to park close, but what can you do? I don't think that chalking tires is a good idea- all it does is add yet another layer to a badly thought out parking scenario. Sadly, it's up to us to be decent neighbors about it, and share.
Cameras would be great - aside fromt he cost, who's going to watch them?
Kids will be kids, there is nothing anyone can do about it. If there was moderation, I don't see a problem, but that's not the way it is. Generally speaking, the kids here act like punks, get arrogant and pollute the environment with noise and speed. The weed isn't causing the problem, it's the parental supervision that is. As tax and hoa fee payers, there is no reason why any of us should have to deal with kids hanging out on the electrical boxes adding to the breech in security issue. It starts as hanging out and then boardum sets in and eventually progresses to delinquency.
Obviously winter is a different situation but if we nip this now before spring, we can live in peace this summer. I'm not complaining, all I'm asking for is some respect!
You can roll cameras on video, the same thing they do down by the clubhouses. They sell wireless cameras cheap that would do the job nicely. If there is vandalizim or crime, at least they have something to go back on and review.
This is actually the most cost effective security solution. See something broken, roll the tape. Someones house got robed, roll the tape. This solution doesn't need 24-7 human interaction and is more effective. When people see a camera, they think twice. Why do you think they sell fakes to stores who cant afford security systems? At the very least it will deter unwanted element and eliminate drug deals, corner loitering, vandalism to name a few.
Well put on the teenager issue- and I agree 100%. They are arrogant ounks and I would LOVE to take a few of them and drive them to the "hood" and leave them there to try to fend for themselves. They have no clue how off the mark they are - little over-priveledged bastards.
I live up near the end of the complex and every morning I am greeted in the parking lot by trash (mostly fast food and soda bottles - mind you the dumpster is 4 feet away) and little piles of cigar tobacco from the cigars the cannibilize to roll their blunts.
The only problem I see with the video cameras is that technically, by sitting in a parking lot, they're really not doing anything wrong (legally, other than loitering). The HOA needs to get involved and properly post and sign the property (what we have presently is simply not enough) and the police need to be more involved. Perhaps a combination of the 2 (cameras and police presence) would be the most effective.
I like the dummy camera idea- perhaps we use both real and dummy and rotate them around so no one catches on to which is the real camera.
You're right - nip it now so we have a peaceful summer and before it does escalate to breaking into homes and vehicles or more expensive vandalism.
Yet another point to bring up on 1/17....
I am angry and outraged!!!!!!!!
Reading the new news posted on the new development they are throwing up, there is now way they should allow a road to pass through WH so these idiots have a way to get to their homes. Not only should we attend the board meeting on the 17th but also the next planning board meeting. What? They want to turn our quite dead end into a highway! That's right. You think the speeding is bad now, wait. We need strongly object to this! What is WH doing to preserve the integrity of our road? This is a HUGE deal people! Construction equipment, dump trucks,traffic, inconvenience and all the morons over at the planning board can say is
"Chester should let the project continue with its plans and be happy that “at least Whispering Hills will finally have an emergency exit.”"
Why was this never brought up to us? Don't we have a say in what happens in Chester, we do represent the majority of the town!!
To the President of Whispering Hills:
I hope you are opposed to the idea and can stand firm on the matter. Putting a highway through our complex is a slow death! I for one am contemplating sale of my unit to begin with. Build a highway through this place and watch how many for sale signs go up not to mention how much our unit price will decline.
Has anyone taken a legitimate survey on how it will impact the area or are they thinking strictly with their pockets? It's all about the all mighty dollar, Fu*@ integrity!
To hell with the camel, this is the final straw that broke my frikin back.
ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree. I'd rather have a quiet, clean peaceful home than one worth a lot of money. My home is where I come after a day of hell in the city, not something I'm planning to "flip". Plus the more your home is worth the higher the taxes.
I agree with the punks. I grew up in the toughest areas of NYC and these kids ain't !#$@. But with camera's recording on tape it would be a deterrent before anything serious happens. I have had parts stolen from my car and vandalism also.
I agree. I'd rather have a quiet, clean peaceful home than one worth a lot of money. My home is where I come after a day of hell in the city, not something I'm planning to "flip". Plus the more your home is worth the higher the taxes.
I agree with the punks. I grew up in the toughest areas of NYC and these kids ain't !#$@. But with camera's recording on tape it would be a deterrent before anything serious happens. I have had parts stolen from my car and vandalism also.
I thought that the access to the housing complex through WH was shot down.
I also thought that the number of homes proposed to be built was 20 as opposed to 200.
People. Read the article under the news section of the blog. It will sum up future plans to develop our road into a thruway.
Disgusting!
OK, so it's 24 units, not 200. Will WH Drive be a full blown road or only access for emergency vehicles? And the complex they are building - will that be a dead end or will that have another exit?
Unbelieiveable.
When Espisito had the traffic survey taken did they take into account the new Lowes going up or any of the new or future industry? What time of the year did they take it? How long ago was it taken? Shouldn't there be a few surveys done, not just one? Did the town conduct their own independent study?
How about the environment and the additional money it will cost to maintain Whispering Hills premises? 10x's the amount of cars = 10x's the amount of garbage thrown from widows, not to mention pollution. Who will pay for litter cleanup? Will you fee safe in in your homes knowing there are non residents passing through just because there is a thruroad?
If they accommodate this proposal, it will be the fault of the residents and Whispering Hills Management. We are now aware of the situation and can inform others that this is happening literaly right in our backyard. We need to stop this thing before it starts!
Vic
December 29, 2007
In reference to WHD becoming a public access road for the proposed subdivision;
I received a Public Hearing Notice last week. I'm sure (I hope) that many of you are in receipt of this letter as well. The meeting is scheduled for 1/2/08 @ 7:30 pm, and will be held at the Chester Town Hall, Kings Highway. When this proposal reared it's ugly head a few years ago, it made me sick to my stomach........well, I'm getting nauseous all over again. We need to be there in force, and with a clear, unified voice!!!!!!!!
...............AND WE SHOULD INSIST THAT ALL WHHOA BOARD MEMBERS BE IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree, all residents and board members should attend the meeting. This is absolutely detrimental to the health of our neighborhood. If this proposal goes through it will effect all of us! We need to bond as a group and oppose the passageway. I find it hard to believe they would allow this to happen with all the children in the area.
Why didn't the HOA send around something telling us about the road? Also the town meeting on the 2nd? What are they hiding something?
I smell serious palm grease! No doubt if they put a road through here someone is getting paid in a BIG way. There is no difference between developers and a common thief, they are synonymous!
I didn't receive a copy of the notice, but then again, if I'm correct, all they have to do is post it in a newspaper and they have satisfied the requirement for notification. Sometimes, they won't go to great lengths to notify if they don't want a particularly large tun out.
Interesting point about the Lowes being factored in to the equation.
In all honesty, I can't say having another means of egress is a horrible thing - think about if there was some type of situation that calls for an evacuation or some type of emergency - 690 families trying to leave on one road? Absolute insanity!
But the concerns listed here are legitimate- trash, pollution, noise, trucks - serious issues especially for those who have units facing onto WH Drive. We already have enough issues WITHOUT having WH Dr. being a through road- what measures are proposed if it becomes one?
And yes - what is the Board's position? Will they be at the meeting? Why wasn't anything sent around about this?
I most certainly received my holiday party and events schedule, and oh yes, my new payment coupons but must have missed the HOA mailing about this most serious issue.
I know there are Board members who read this site. If there was ever a time for any of you to come out from behind that rock your hiding behind and say something, NOW would be the perfect time!!!
Speak up!! Stop being a bunch of cowards!
I agree with the cameras in the light post idea! We have a crazy neighbor that I swear spends his entire day trying to figure out how to vandalize our car. It has cost us a fortune, the HOA cant do anything and the cops cant do anything unless we catch him on tape. With this and the gangs of kids that lurk around, I think it's time to spend our HOA fees on something that keeps our property safe. The HOA makes sure the club houses are monitored, why cant they do the same for our homes and vehicles?
In all honesty, I can't say having another means of egress is a horrible thing - think about if there was some type of situation that calls for an evacuation or some type of emergency - 690 families trying to leave on one road? Absolute insanity!
It would be a huge mistake! Imagine the droves of people who would be using our road if an emergency occurs.690 families plus another 20 from the new development, not to mention all the people who know the "new" shortcut. It's a lose, lose situation, there is nothing anyone can say that would make this sound like a logical proposal.
Does anyone know the size of the hills of Goshen? Never been there.
Without knowing exactly what these planners have in mind, it's tough to comment. I agree- an alternative exit may not be horrible- provided there are restrictions (no trucks except for local deliveries, speed humps - large ones - like the ones near schools, etc.). We also don't know if there will be an access to Lowes from West Street - what impact will that have on being able to get into the complex?
Not for nothing, but we're assuming that there will be this huge influx of traffic into our complex by making the main road a thru-road. How about the prospect of all the additional traffic into this new housing complex from our residents? - how can that be attractive to a potential buyer? Is there going to be another exit from that complex or will this just be like moving the now dead end a bit further down?
"We also don't know if there will be an access to Lowes from West Street - what impact will that have on being able to get into the complex?"
I am somewhat leary about this prospect. I have a gut feeling that this could occur, of course it makes no sense considering all the prior construction that was done with Rte. 94 to eleviate this very same scenario. But, if there is $$$ to be had, you might as well throw common sense out the window. I will be asking about this tomorrow evening.
Happy New Year everyone!
Has anyone seen the amount of destruction the snow removal company has done.
I walked the complex today and counted exactle 117 parking blocks that are either on top of snow banks, in the middle of the grass or broken in half.
I have counted 4 tipped street signs and 3 completely broken ones.
I have counted 42 LARGE areas of grass ripped to shreds and from the little look I have taken the 4 wheeler that they are using to plow is being drive by a stunt driver that likes to do burn outs all over the place.
Who is paying for all this?
I asked a landscaper friend that works out of Northern New Jersey to come drive our development. He said that he would charge $20,000 to fix the grass damage, $5,000 to put all the parking blocks back in place, $2,500 to fix the tipped signage and countless amount of dollars to fix the skid marks all over the place.
Who is paying for this?
Happy New Years fellow Whispering Hills residents and I'm really happy this blog is here.
Its nice to see what my nieghbors feel about our community.
I for one will start to get involved in community affairs.
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