Announcements

Note from the President

May 2005 

Greetings to all,

The cold wet winter is finally behind us and I'm sure everyone's enjoying spring and looking forward to summer. As we start this new season, we would like to bring you up-to-date on your Midway at Lifescape Villa community.

Midway at Lifescape Villa has completed some great projects over the winter.

Stone Planters

After many rain delays this past winter, the stone entrance planters were finally finished. This really enhances our entrances! We just finished planting for Spring/Summer and we hope you are enjoying the new look. Many of the plants are perennials, which will keep the cost down in subsequent years. Due to the rain delays, the pansies were planted very late in the winter season and did not do well. Roberto (owner/operator of Select Landscaping) was disappointed with the results and has put in the seasonal color flowers for spring at no charge. This was very nice of him and we really appreciate this.  

If any of you ever need help with your backyard tree trimming etc., feel free to contact Roberto at 972 670 3521. His crews do a great job and his prices are very competitive,

Landscaping

Lifescape Villas has come a long way in the past 2 1/2 years.   We have completed several large projects recently and have a few areas that remain. After these areas are finished, it will be on to small projects. Our property has been dealing with some very old and tired shrubs, which were planted when our condominiums were built over 20 years ago. Many have died or are in poor condition. We hope you are enjoying all of the improvements.

Damaged Garage Doors

The damaged garage door project continues. We are attempting to do 10 every other month. (We receive a price break when we order 10.) Please try to make your garage accessible when Todd Anderson of SVI contacts you.

Kool Deck

Check out the new pool deck! The crumbling rock deck is gone and has been replaced with Kool Deck. This is a non-slippery surface, which stays cool. Those of us who live close to the pool endured several days of noise. Thank you for your patience while we made this much-needed improvement.  We had several requests for flowerpots at the pool and placed five flowerpots in that area.  They make a lovely addition.  The broken chaise lounges have been re-webbed and the bathrooms are cleaned and stocked for summer.

Front Doors

The project continues on damaged front doors. We are painting only. The cost to stain is expensive. If your door is stained and damaged, it will be painted. If this is unacceptable to you and if you want to continue with your stained door, the HOA will pay the first $50.00 (this is the cost to paint the door) and the homeowner will bear the additional cost for stain. Please try to work with Todd when he calls to set this up. The door will need to stay open for at least 30 minutes after it's painted. This is the time of year to do this work so you don't loose precious air conditioning during the hot summer.

Garage Sale  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The semi-annual garage sale has been set for May 21, 9:00 am. – 2:00 pm.  Flyers have been delivered to every condominium. There will be an ad in the Dallas Morning News and signs placed strategically on Midway Road. Hope you can participate and make some money! Keep in mind these are individual sales in your garages. So set them up and have fun.

Web Site

Don't forget about our website. www.lifescapevillas.org. You can use it for service requests, list items for sale, read notices, etc. Check it out!

Insurance Report

We just received the annual report from our insurance inspector. (See attached) The inspector gave us a 100% clean report. He said this never happens and we should be very proud. We were thrilled to hear this. Thank you to SVI, and all of the workers who made this report possible. We really are trying to make this community a safe and pleasant area for you.

Issues

As in any large community, there are always some things we need to address. Most of these are chronic ongoing problems. So, here we go.

Dumpster's

Our dumpsters are for household trash. Please do not use our dumpsters to discard appliances, furniture, water heaters, broken patio furniture, old charcoal grills, mattresses etc. This is not the City Dump!  When these items are left at the dumpsters your HOA dues are being spent to haul these items away. I would estimate this is costing us over $2000.00 per year. This money could be spent in a much more productive way. If you see anyone using the dumpsters for large items, please get as much information as you can i.e. condo #, auto lic #, make of vehicle, etc. and call it into SVI.

Visitors Parking

We are still having problems with cars being left in Visitors Parking for weeks at a time. These cars are being watched and they will be stickered after 3 days and towed. The rules state that any car left longer than 3 days without prior arrangements is in violation. If you have a visitor that will be here for an extended visit, please make arrangements with SVI. This is a huge property and Visitors’ Parking is limited. Please do your part to ensure that Visitors’ Parking is used properly.

Alterations to Units 

Recently, we've had front doors and porches painted different colors. Please remember that any alterations made to your unit must be consistent with the property and approved by the Board. The trim must be the dark brown color and front porches may not be painted a color that you choose. We all like to express ourselves but that is one of the issues with condo living that we have to endure. Of course, we want you to decorate and make your condo part of you - after all it is your home - but the permanent outside fixtures/structure of the units must remain consistent with the property. Please keep in mind window treatments viewed from the exterior must be neutral in color.

Dogs

Please pick up after your pets. There are doggie stations with plastic bags provided for you. 

Closed Garage Doors

I know it's easy to forget to close your garage doors. Unfortunately, some doors are left open all day. This invites thieves and it is also unsightly. If your garage door opener is broken please have it repaired in a timely manner.

Satellite Dishes

If you are planning on getting a satellite dish please contact SVI. You need to register it and understand where the approved locations for the dishes are. It is much easier – and cheaper - to install the dish one time vs. relocating it after installing incorrectly.

In closing, we have a great community and all of the Real Estate ads say it's a beautiful, well maintained property.  The Board appreciates your efforts and please continue to do your part to keep it that way. Our rewards will be increased property values and great neighbors.

On behalf of the Board we wish all of you a great summer.

Sincerely,

Renee Gower
President

SVI:  214-340-1893

Diane Lewis:  ext 28
Todd Anderson:  ext 22 

Home Improvement Tips

If you’re like us, looking to rework our Lifescape kitchen and needing some advise, you may be interested in Mary Jo’s latest article. A big thanks to Sunset Magazine and Mary Jo for sharing it with us.

Counter measures
Low-maintenance kitchen and bath countertops are great alternatives to stone

By Mary Jo Bowling

Choices in manufactured countertop materials — with the look but not the higher maintenance requirements of natural stone — are expanding every day. New surfaces are made from chemical compounds and are designed to mimic granite, limestone, marble, slate, or soapstone. In some cases, bits of natural material, such as quartz, are also part of the mix. Most of these countertops don't need periodic sealing, and scratches are relatively easy to sand out. If you want to maintain a pristine surface, these materials are worth a look. Note: The following products should be installed by professionals; cost ranges include installation.

COMPRESSED COMPOSITES

Made of: Compressed fibers, silica, paper, cement, or resin.

Characteristics: These materials feel like unpolished stone. Two products in this category are rapidly increasing in popularity: SlateScape, which contains cementlike materials; and Richlite, which contains resin. SlateScape is porous and requires sealing with 100 percent tung oil; Richlite is essentially nonporous and can be finished with mineral oil.

SlateScape is stronger and more durable than most natural stone, making it unlikely to scratch. High temperatures won't damage it, so you can put hot pots and pans on the surface. Richlite is a hard material but will scratch (although scratches can be sanded out).

What's new: SlateScape is available in five colors and offers six edge treatments. Richlite is available in six colors as well as a hemp-based product.

Cost: $50–$125 per square foot.

Products: Richlite, www.richlite.com or (888) 383-5533; SlateScape, www.americanfibercement.com or (800) 688-8677.

QUARTZ-BASED PRODUCTS

Made of: Crushed quartz crystals, polymers, and pigments.

Characteristics: The fact that this countertop uses quartz crystals makes it look and feel very similar to some granite, although it doesn't have the dramatic patterns found in granite. Quartz-based countertops don't require special maintenance such as sealing. The surface is very hard to scratch or burn. Only a few quartz countertops come in an unpolished finish; most are shiny. They are available in many patterns and colors.

What's new: A broader array of colors in natural tones.

Cost: $60–$150 per square foot.

Products: Caesarstone, www.caesarstoneus.com or (800) 666-8201; Silestone, www.silestoneusa.com or (800) 291-1311; Zodiaq, www.zodiaq.com or (877) 229-3935.