Crossroads III HOA

Landscape Committee Scope

This is the beginning of the Landscape Committee Scope.  It is being developed to help identify and address the many landscape issues that exist onsite.  The following is a list of problems that we hope to evaluate in the near future.  If you would like to see an issue or concern placed on this list please post a discussion.  Your opinion is important and your contributions are appreciated!

1. Water Conservation - Irrigation systems & Plant selection

2. Landscape Preservation - Plant selection/replacement & Rock drainage system implementation.

3. Tree Management - Tree removal, replacement and maintenance program.

*There are many issues that are associated with our trees.  Here are just a few that the committee will address.

Pine - The needles not only create a mess, but they also damage covered parking structures and landscaping.  They create roof damage in the form of clogged drains and gutters when it rains and pose a fire hazard when it's dry.  The practice of the HOA of allowing the pine needles to pile up and block the drains has cost us much more than the maintenance to prevent the damage in the first place would have.  It was also observed that the piles of pine needles contained large amounts of cat feces and trash.  Trimming back branches that are hanging over the buildings will help cut down on the amount of labor needed to remove the needles from the roofs.

Elms - Many volunteer Elm tree come up every spring.  These need to be removed immediately or they will grow very quickly.  Their roots infiltrate plumbing and will crack sidewalks and porches.  They are also prone to disease, which makes them highly suseptible to breaking.    

Mulberry - (Fruited) These trees create a lot of mess when they drop their fruit.  This leads to new sapling sprouting up in really bad areas near front porches and along sidewalks.  These, like the elms, if not removed immediately, have the potential to grow very quickly.  The bigger the tree the more it costs to remove it.

Olives - Annual spaying is required to force the trees to produce LESS olives, but it isn't always very successful.  That is based on the fact that many olives do fall from these trees and create a mess.  The blowers used by the landscapers do not get rid of them.   The pollen they produce covers our cars, assault our eyes, noses, throats and lungs.  It is our goal to see if replacing these trees with something better could save us money every year from the year they are replaced.  Not only that our community will look cleaner and will cost less in the long run.

*I hope to have actual figures for the annual cost for Olive Tree spraying in the near future, as information is made available to me.  Thank you for your patience. We will get there!

4. Blowers - They are a necessary EVIL! 

If we can accept that blowers are a necessary tool in the landscaping industry, then we can begin to address the issue of "Time & Place".  If we can change the environment that is creating the issue then it will go away.  We hope that by working our landscapers we can help reduce some of the negative impact the desert landscape conversion is causing the community and make some positive changes that will help all of us breathe easier on Wednesdays!  DUST CONTROL

All of these issues affect our bottom line in one way or another.  Our aim is to help maintain and improve the quality of the grounds while still being fiscally responsible.