Happy Happy Happy New Year!

Pretty peaceful around here during the holidays.  Still catching up after my month long trip up north, but had time to view 'Life of Pi' at SilverSpot, located in Mercato shopping plaza in North Naples.  

Life of Pi

If you haven't been to this theater, it's worth the drive.  It has a number of viewing rooms, a small restaurant at the entrance, & this venue allows you to purchase wine or beer at the bar to take into the viewing rooms. 

SilverSpot Bar

SilverSpot allows you to purchase your tickets in advance so there is no waiting in a ticket line.  Additionally, the seating is reserved, with large, leather chairs equipped with wide armrests. There are a number of  restaurants in the plaza so it's a great destination for eating and shopping too.

Seating in Viewing Theater

Mercato Shopping Plaza, North Naples

The movie was visually spell binding and will no doubt win lots of awards.

I see that Dorman Landscape, our new landscaping contractor, got a head start on cleaning up Forest Villas palm trees a bit.  Our palms trees, which were trimmed last January, were looking a bit shaggy. 

Since Forest Villas can only afford to get the palms trimmed once per year, it was recommended the palms get their trim closer to the hurricane season, maybe in May or June.

In making the shift in the new schedule, our previous landscaper declined to address the palms.  Dave's crew came in, before their contract starts in January, to at least trim up to the 15' limit their insurance allows.  They're not perfect, but it's better.  

Dave Dorman's crew installed the new landscaping around the clubhouse pool area.  I'm hopeful that this year I'll be finally able to remove the 1/2 green circle from my mailbox, and turn over the trimming of my courtyard to Dave's crew without fear that my plants will be chopped to pieces.  Dave will also coordinate our fertilizing and weed control.

It's the last day of the year!

Let's raise a glass, say 'Cheers' & toast to the New Year!

Here's hoping that 2013 will be

 Happy & Healthy for Us All!

In the event you no longer stay up until Midnight, here are some fireworks to celebrate the New Year!

And a final wish for you.

This blog is not affiliated with Forest Villas HOA

New Year's Eve Party Invitation

For those Forest Villas residents who might currently be out of town, invitations to this year's New Year's Eve Party arrived in our doors today.

I just arrived home this week after a lengthy visit up north for business.  It's evidently been rainy here as the ponds are high once again, & all the bushes are green & full.  The fountain in the east pond has been pulled over to the shore, so I guess the fountain is once again not working.  Our environment in Florida is very hard on electrical equipment.

There was to be a Forest Villas board meeting this past week, but I understand it was canceled or postponed.  Two more villas have gone up for sale during the month I was away.  Here's hoping the winter season brings the sellers lots of offers for their villas.

The ReVive Pharmacy, that I recently designed, across from The Forest Country Club on 41, had it's Grand Opening this weekend.  It's off to a good start!

Nicole Deforte, Pharmacist

Many patients that were customers of Nicole Deforte, the pharmacist formerly at the local CVS, have now transferred to her new store.  Nicole's mother & father surprised her by  traveling from Trinidad this week to be present & supportive of their daughter's new venture.

I understand that Rod MacDonald was seriously injured in a fall recently, & is in the hospital.  Please keep Rod & his wife, Beverly, in your thoughts and prayers.

This blog in not affiliated with Forest Villas HOA

New Look + A Preview

As soon as the landscapers finished trimming bushes 2 weeks ago, I grabbed my camera and headed out to get some current photos of FV.  Some of the results of my picture taking have now ended up as a 'new look' for my blog.  

I did have another reason for taking the pictures.....a Forest Villas HOA website.

The board decided that it might be time to consider a website for residents & prospective owners.  The website would be a location to post information for Forest Villas.  It would allow the HOA to post information about insurance, minutes from past board meetings, financial status of the HOA, present & past newsletters, forms that could be downloaded by residents for Variances & the like, & finally information about villas that are available for sale & rent. 

The board asked me to work on an outline & some content.  We've now taken it to the next level and developed a "test website" for Forest Villas.  It can be previewed at ForestVillasHOA.com  

The website is NOT complete & has not been checked for accuracy because it is still a work in progress.  I'm no expert in website creation, so if there's a resident with website skills who wants to help, or can bring the website to a better level of quality,.... I'm looking for volunteers.

The reason for mentioning this project, in spite of its unfinished status, is because the board is looking for some input and feedback regarding the site from residents at the next board meeting in November.

Try the site, test some of the links, and if you have suggestions or information that could be added & would improve the content, let the board know at the next meeting, or send them an email.

P.S. We're still missing email address for about 25% of the FV residents and all of the renters.

Original Sales Brochure for Forest Villas

Earlier this year, one of Forest Villas' first buyers allowed me to scan the original Forest Villas sales brochure. It was created by David Swor, the developer for both The Forest & Forest Villas, back in 1987 when building began.  Maybe some of the latest villa owners would be interested in taking a look back.

Brochure Cover

Don't know if this is easy to see in the picture above, but the front illustration shows a side-loading garage that was noted on the original site plans for Forest Villas.  Not all the villa lots had enough room for this option, but it was evidently under consideration during planning.  See blow up below.

Page 1 of Brochure

Page 2 of Brochure

Page 3 of Brochure

Page 4 of Brochure

The aerial site plan also illustrates the side-loading garages that were under consideration at the time.  See blow up below.

For a while there, our villas were back at 1987 prices. See chart below.

Price List for Brochure

I don't think we'll begin to see a significant rise in our home values until the last old roof gets replaced.  Otherwise the real estate comps from these foreclosures will continue to drag our values down.

At the height of the boom in 2006, one of the villas, with the original roof, sold for $355k.  

This blog is in no way affiliated with Forest Villas HOA.

Clubhouse Pool Project - Part II

When we left off in Part I the pavers were being installed.

The installers worked for the better part of a week, when they ran out of pavers, & more had to be ordered to finish the project.  One of the neighbors mentioned he thought he saw a pick-up truck enter the complex at night and steal pavers from the piles stocked in the parking lot.

The paver style is called Stonehurst, the color is Sand Dune and the installation pattern was referred to as 'Random'.

PAVER INSTALLATION A FEW DAYS INTO THE PROJECT

NEW COPING AND POOL LADDER

A new ladder was installed in the deep end of the pool.  Our old ladder didn't have the cross bracing this one has, so perhaps that was the reason for replacing it.  The top tread of the ladder is higher than the pool water level, and that seems a bit odd.

SABAL PALMS AT POOL ENTRANCE WITH FOXTAIL FERNS
AND SPLIT LEAF PHILODENDRON BASE PLANTS INSTALLED

After the crews finished the pavers, the landscape crew came back and finished installing all the under plantings & Vita-Mulch.  Foxtail ferns were selected as base plants.  Space was left so plants with flowers or contrasting colors could be added at a later date.

The new furniture had been placed inside the clubhouse during construction.  So everything had to be washed and wiped down before it could go back into position.

NEW CHAISES PUT BACK IN PLACE WITH NEW PAVERS AND LANDSCAPING

NEW CHAISES IN FRONT OF NEW LANDSCAPING

The electrician came back and finished installing the landscape uplighting on 8 of the palms.  The night time appearance is quite dramatic.  Residents have suggested continuing the tree uplighting at the pool entrance & the parking lot.  It's doable with funding.

POOL & PALMS WITH NIGHT TIME LIGHTS TURNED ON

NIGHT TIME IN FRONT OF CLUBHOUSE

Our old white outdoor furniture stayed cool to the touch & reflected the sun. The new brown furniture attracts & holds the heat from the sun. During the sweltering summer months the furniture can really get hot. Residents complained they burned their skin trying to move or sit in a chaise.  

Shade umbrellas, selected to coordinate with the new furnishings, were purchased, on sale, at Costco. They provide instant shade for residents. The introduction of the umbrellas offers residents two more areas for seating, if they don't want to be in the full sun.

NEW UMBRELLAS  PROVIDE SOME NEEDED SHADE ON THE DECK

The umbrellas are very simple to open & close by turning a handle at the base of each pole.  The umbrellas are vented at the top to minimize any problems with wind gusts, and heavily weighted bases were purchased to anchor the umbrellas. It was a very small expenditure, & they instantly changed the ambiance of the pool area.

VIEW FROM PARKING LOT BACK GATE.
BLUE TARP POOL COVER IN DISTANCE

NEWLY ASSEMBLED FENCE AND GATE AT BACK PARKING LOT ENTRANCE

This may be a view that you have never seen before ,....... the back entrance to the pool from the parking lot.  There's some new sod installed in the area, & the landscapers have been asked to provide some TLC to make the entrance a bit more presentable.  

As I mentioned in Part I, our fence fell apart when it was removed to get the heavy equipment in the area.    Dorman Landscaping reassembled the fence, free of charge, and installed the posts in concrete to put us back together.

The total project took almost the whole month of August to complete. However, the pool was closed for more than a week after the project completion, while residents waited for Pegasus to secure an approval from the Lee County Health Department.  

Here are some pictures of items that still require some attention.

FADED POOL RULES SIGNS

The pic is the current posted pool rules.  These signs are slated to be replaced.

Not sure of the purpose of this shelf.

WOOD SHELF UNDER PERGOLA

BLUE TARP POOL COVER REEL

There's no great place to park this 'big blue whale' pool cover reel.  But the pool cover is only used about 3-4 months each year, so perhaps a tarp, in a correlating color, would make it less conspicuous?

TAN TARP SOLD ON-LINE

A standard 12' x 24' Tan tarp can be purchased for $40 on-line.  A custom size tarp of 5' x 22' is $220, so maybe we simply purchase a standard tarp and fold it in half?? Covers do not last long in Florida weather.  My 2 year old grill cover is in shreds.

EXISTING FOUNTAIN

The Pool Committee has mentioned possibly eliminating the drinking fountain rather than replacing it.  It's possible, like the hose next to it, the fountain might be required by Florida codes.  FV allows our contractors to use the clubhouse facilities when they work on our properties.  Having water for residents & workmen to get a drink on sweltering days seems, at least to me, like an amenity we should keep available.

VIEW OF THE NEWLY INSTALLED PAVERS & BACK WALL

The back wall surrounding the pool is ready for some paint.

VIEW FROM INSIDE THE CLUBHOUSE OF THE COMPLETED PROJECT

Here's another benefit of those new palms placed in the concrete cut outs.............shade for the clubhouse.  Since this wall faces straight west, the clubhouse was always an oven during afternoon meetings.  Now in the late afternoon, the palms provide a break from the sun, and keep the room cooler than before.  Pretty nice view too!

To see the full effect of all the work, here are some 'Before & After' pics of the area.  

     This Blog is in no way associated with FVHOA

Clubhouse Pool Project - Part I

Full-time villa owners, and there are 44 of you, may have been tracking the progress of the clubhouse pool project this summer & seen first-hand the final results.  Part-time villa owners, and there are 22 of you, may not have seen the final product. Because I worked on the project, I kept a photo diary of its progress, which is posted on this blog.

I am on the Building & Grounds Committee this year, chaired by Cindy Larsen, who was the board member tasked with getting the landscaping around the pool installed.

There had been a conceptual landscaping plan presented at the last board meeting in April.  

CONCEPTUAL LANDSCAPE PLAN

Since the project was fairly large in scope for us, Jack Lieber, a local, well-known landscape architect was asked to review the plan & make recommendations.  He had visited our community once before when I was on the board.

JACK LIEBER, NATIONALLY RENOWN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

Jack noted that a portion of the deck area collected water, was cracked, looked a bit bleak, & the west facing clubhouse could benefit from a bit of shade.

Instead of nestling the palms in the corner as originally planned, the area could be made more interesting if the concrete was cut to receive 3 large Foxtail palm trees.  The holes cut for the trees would drain some of the standing water, shade the clubhouse, & provide some visual interest to the area.

CONCRETE DECK WITH HIGHLIGHTED AREA THAT HOLDS WATER

REVISED AERIAL PHOTO LANDSCAPE PLAN USING FOXTAIL PALMS

Jack also suggested a more dramatic entrance to the pool area be implemented with a stand of Sabal Palms at the gate.  All Jack's landscape recommendations sounded very doable.

PHOTO RENDERING OF FOXTAIL PALMS TO BE INSTALLED IN HOLES IN CONCRETE

Plans were revised and photo renderings created to illustrate the final appearance he suggested.  Areas were measured. Contractors were called. Landscaping quotes were revised.  Marking flags were placed in the ground to check locations.  Things started to fall into place.

PHOTO RENDERING OF FOXTAIL PALMS WITH AWABUKI VIBURNUM HEDGE BEHIND
 AND FOXTAIL FERNS AT BASE OF PALMS

RENDERING OF PROPOSED LANDSCAPED ENTRANCE TO POOL AREA

Eleven, 2,500+ lbs. palm trees had to be planted, before workmen could begin the installation of 1" thick pavers on top of the existing concrete deck.

An electrician was called to locate & disconnect existing electrical conduits, that would be utilized later for the landscape uplighting.  The first electrical box caught fire when opened.  I'm told it was caused by corrosion entering the line after more than 24 years of service.  New wires had to be pulled for the service from the box to the first light post.

The paver contractor was contacted about cutting the concrete to receive the new palms.

ACCURATE PAVERS WORKMEN CUTTING SQUARES IN CONCRETE
IT WAS 98 DEGREES WHEN THESE PICTURES WERE TAKEN

ONE OF THE THREE 5' SQUARES CUT TO RECEIVE THE NEW PALMS

The existing fence at the back gate fell apart when a portion of it was removed to allow the large landscaping equipment into the pool area. The project had a rocky start.

Before any plants could be installed, all the existing overgrown trees, bougainvillea & arbicola hedge had to be removed.  

The Awabuki Viburnum hedge & Foxtail Palms were then installed.

THREE NEW 20' FOXTAIL PALMS INSTALLED IN SQUARE CUT OUTS

DORMAN LANDSCAPING INSTALLS FIRST OF THREE 
SABAL PALMS AT ENTRANCE TO POOL

Sabal Palms were installed at the side entrance to the pool area. Dorman Landscaping provided these trees with large root balls, so the trees could be installed with their large crown of palm fronds intact.

SABAL PALM IS INSTALLED WITH BOBCAT AT POOL SIDE ENTRANCE

ENTRANCE TO POOL WITH 1st SET OF SABAL PALMS INSTALLED

Cindy & I thought the trunks of the Sabal Palms should all match in color for the best effect at the entrance, so Dorman removed and replaced the grey trunk palm with a brown trunk palm a few days later.  No kidding.

All this work was done by 4 of the hardest working landscapers I've ever seen.  They worked tirelessly & quickly in spite of a heat index of 103 degrees most days.  They stayed past 6pm everyday until the area was cleaned up.

Bob Barto made arrangements for a sprinkler contractor to adjust our sprinklers to accommodate the new plantings.

Next came the paver installation which begain with a bed of fine sand across the existing concrete deck.

BED OF SAND INSTALLED ON DECK TO RECEIVE NEW 1" CONCRETE PAVERS

CONCRETE SLAB REMOVED SO THAT EXISTING WALK 
MEETS PAVERS AT LEVEL THRESHOLD

THIS ILLUSTRATES HOW EXISTING COPING WAS REMOVED AND VOID BENEATH OLD COPING WAS BUILT UP WITH 2" PAVER BLOCKS SO NEW COPING COULD BE INSTALLED

Can't tell you too much about the paver portion of the project, because the installation was coordinated by Shawn McKenna in Minnesota.  

SHOW CONDITION OF ANT EATEN POSTS ON EXISTING CANVAS PERGOLA

I did photo document some existing conditions that may need to be addressed soon.

DETAIL OF ROTTING POSTS OF CANVAS PERGOLA

Water & wood will always draw ants.  Even now, with the new pavers installed, the ants are still making their way back to the canvas & wood pergola for lunch. 


The base of these posts are covered with some trim to hide the damage, but if there had been a hurricane this year, the pergola could have never withstood heavy winds.

It's my hope we'll soon get rid of this slowly rotting structure, and replace it with something like these wall-mounted, fully adjustable, solar umbrellas. (See below)  They can provide all the shade needed, but will be minimum maintenance compared to this wood 'ant buffet'.

Part II of Project in Next Blog

This blog is in no way associated with the FVHOA.