FLOOD WARNING-

AVOID INSURANCE CLAIMS!

Many residents turn off the water in their units when they leave for an extended time. Last week a resident returned, turned on the water for his second-floor unit, and went out to do some errands. When he returned, he discovered that a pipe in the attic had burst, flooding his unit and the one below, causing significant damage.

Property Manager Randy Diveley reminds residents that most burst pipes can be prevented by carefully releasing water back into the lines. An experienced plumber recommends that returning residents should:

• Open many lines in the unit
• Turn the shutoff valve back on slowly at the main line
• Allow the air to "bleed the lines"

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*Photo of a flood, but not from the units referenced in this article :) 

SAVE the DATE!

TOYS for TOTS HOLIDAY PARTY, DECEMBER 11

The pumpkins are in the stores and the holiday music will begin soon! Start shopping for the Southbridge Toys for Tots party.

                                                                  1:00-3:00 PM

     Wednesday, December 11

     25041 Banbridge Court # 101

     Lynn and Alan Smith 

                              Details to be announced later.

          SOUTHBRIDGE /BAYCREST HAVE NEW                                           PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK

Crossing Pelican Nest Drive and dodging the oncoming traffic is sometimes a life-threatening proposition! And even moreso for Mike Wurzurg who lives in Bay Crest and has leg braces and walking sticks. Mike likes to walk the shady roads of Southbridge, appreciating both the smooth pavement and the lush landscaping. He also uses the sidewalk on the north side of Pelican Nest Drive to get to other neighborhoods.

After the crossing danger was repeatedly brought to PLCA's attention by Diane Winters, the board took action this fall. They trimmed the shrubs, removed some curbing, installed ramps, added pedestrian signs, and painted the roadway to remind drivers that pedestrians have the right of way in a crosswalk.

Mike wrote:

The crosswalk is finally being finished! I must admit my walking has many benefits as I meet lots of terrific people. Diane Winters, president of Southbridge, is a friend I have met walking through the community. Being presumptuous, I asked her in the spring if she could help us get a crosswalk. 

As we all know, this intersection is difficult to cross as pedestrians, and can be a challenge to exit on PND in our cars.Safety was my major concern, not only for myself  but for everyone entering the cross section on foot, on a bike, or in a car.

Thanks, Diane and Southbridge, from the residents of Bay Crest!​

              SOUTHBRIDGE to WORK with CDD to                                    MAINTAIN CREEK and IMPROVE VIEWS

An ad hoc committee consisting of a few Southbridge residents* worked with CDD Bayside representative John Crew this summer to do an informal survey of the creek bank. The goal was to learn what land lay in Southbridge's maintenance area vs. CDD's maintenance area, in order to determine who was responsible for trimming vegetation to enhance the residents' view of the creek.

In a previous issue, we asked residents to submit photos showing how the creek bank looked when they bought their units, and their current view. Brian Lanoway and Marilyn O'keefe submitted several photos which persuaded PLCA to take our concerns about overgrown vegetation seriously.

The committee learned:

1. Southbridge lies in two different CDD districts - Bayside and Bay Creek. Conflicts with CDD may come from our being directed to the wrong person.
2. CDD has a boundary of responsibility along the creek; the boundary depth depends upon the survey points, and is not consistent. 
3. The creek receives water from Whale Lake's overflow. In the summer water pours from the culvert and into the creek. The overflow area is usually dry in the winter.
4. Any landscaping, growth or shrubs that are on Southbridge land can be removed or trimmed by us at our expense, so long as it doesn’t interfere with sustaining the creek bank.
5. Southbridge has several invasive trees and plants along the creek bank that CDD will remove. Removing these trees will enhance the residents’ view.
6. Native plants along the creek bank (palmettos, for example) cannot be removed, but can be trimmed. To remove them would mean CDD to get permits from several environmental agencies. CDD should be able to trim the plants back at the base which will enhance the residents’ view.
7. Any trees that pose a threat to a building can and will be trimmed by CDD. 

John will ask the Bay Creek CDD representative, who is responsible for southern Southbridge and Creekside Crossing, to join him on a walk along the creek to search and tag invasive plants later this fall.

The residents' informal survey area has been recorded in a Power Point presentation on Dropbox. It correlates the survey points on the map (slide 3) to the residences along the creek. The photos are taken from the Southbridge side; land beyond the red flags is CDD's responsibility. 

*Ron Bulson, Vince Fitzgerald, Ed O'Keefe, Larry and Cyndee Perkins, and Diane Winters.