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.

Why So Long Between Blogs?

Hey Neighbors,

So sorry that it's been a year since my last entry.  Been busy.  Some of you know that just about the time of my last blog, I started working at the local CVS Pharmacy.  Had to supplement my interior design & corporate sign businesses that had taken a big hit with the bad economy.  I worked as a pharmacy tech, filling prescriptions for the pharmacists.  

Well, I wasn't there very long when I realized that working for a big retailer these days can be pretty daunting & demoralizing.  It seems to me that the same consultants that advise the fast food chains on efficiency, also consult for the pharmacy chains.  Well, what's the difference? ........Hamburgers versus Life Saving Medications???? Faster, faster, more, more.  It's all about the money.

My most memorable experiences are customers arriving at the pharmacy to pick up their medications, with no idea what they take, or what they need to refill.  "Give me whatever I'm supposed to get"  they tell us, as if pharmacies are in charge of your personal healthcare.  

No one ever walks into a restaurant and says, "Feed me whatever you think I should eat "   Hard to believe but this happens all the time.  It's a pretty stressful way to make $8.50 per hour with no benefits.  

Let me just take a moment to warn everyone that people are taking certain medications that warn against driving or drinking, and people continue to do both.  Sometimes at the same time.  So be careful out there when you're on the roads.............or even on the sidewalks for that matter.

My experience at the pharmacy has led to a new design project.  I was hired to design & outfit an independent pharmacy.  It is directly across the street from The Forest Country Club entrance on 41, near Phantom Fireworks. 

It's called ReVive Pharmacy, and besides providing prescription medications, it will offer home & office delivery, drug testing supplies, & homeopathic medications & supplements to treat what might be ailing you in a more natural form with no side effects. Here is the logo I designed for the business.

LOGO FOR PHARMACY

It's complete except for the outdoor electrical signs  The owner is simply waiting on some final approvals from the Feds before opening.

EXTERIOR OF PHARMACY

We started with a bare bones space.  Some of you may remember that a patio furniture showroom used to be housed in this space.

BARE SPACE BEFORE WE STARTED CONSTRUCTION

With my pharmacy training, I knew what was needed to create an efficient pharmacy space, I drew up a variety of floor plans & perspectives for the owners to consider.  We finally settled on one layout.

PERSPECTIVE TO ILLUSTRATE PLAN FOR PHARMACY

It has some retail space for products, an office for private consultations, & enough space to receive and fill prescriptions.

The design concept for the pharmacy grew out of a chartreuse green & white color scheme created to illustrate good health, cleanliness & life.

PHARMACY WITH PRIVATE CONSULTING OFFICE

  

CONSULTING OFFICE

Here are a few pics of the new pharmacy from the last few days.  Not your usual pharmacy, eh?

WAITING AREA FOR PHARMACY

Times being what they are, and the cost of opening a business so pricey, I was on a pretty tight budget for the build out.  But I love a challenge, & I've tried to be very creative with unusual objects that you wouldn't normally expect to see in a pharmacy. 

Well that's your sneak peek.  You'll have to wait for the Grand Opening in a month or so.

As for Forest Villas, some of us have been busy working to implement the changes to the Clubhouse Pool area.  (more about that in my next posting).  Some of the residents that had old roofs now have new ones.  Only one villa continues to have an old roof.  Possibly the villa is in foreclosure.  It's not posted on the MLS any longer.

LAST VILLA NEEDING NEW ROOF
IT'S ALREADY BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE THE FEW ROOF PROGRAM BEGAN

Some of our roofs, installed back in 2006, are due for a cleaning.  They are really dirty, and that is made apparent by comparison with the newly installed roofs.  A few of us are getting prices for having our villa, roof, walkway & driveway all pressure rwashed for a flat price.  I'll keep you posted on our results.

Another new development is the failure of many for the front lawn Queen palm trees.  The crowns on the palms fail to thrive, they stop sending out new fronds, & the complete tree begins to fail. 

QUEEN PALM WITH COLLAPSING CROWN

The trees are now more than 24 years old.  Their expected life span is 15-25 years.  So the HOA is probably facing an expenditure to develop a plan for replacement parkway trees. 

FAILING QUEEN PALM

The HOA spends about $5,000 every year to trim the Queen & Sabal palm trees.  A program to replace the failing trees with ones not requiring yearly trimming would save money in the long run.  Also trees that would provide some shade to our streets would lengthen the estimated life of the streets.

QUEEN PALM SHRIVELING UP

NAPLES STREET WITH PARKWAY DAPPLED SHADE TREES

Currently there are only three villas on the market.  Flo Westerman's villa sold recently, to the Wrights, who are transplants from down Island Park Road.

The shopping mall at 41 and Island Park recently sold at auction, so we're all hoping that we'll soon see some new businesses moving in, & the general appearance of the area improving.  I hear the Clam Bake is moving to the larger space formerly occupied by the Chinese restaurant.

Ale Mary's has folded in the other strip mall.  In it's place Cadillac Jack's has opened.  Haven't visited so I have no report on the food or the circus inside.

Across the street from the mall, GOODWILL is more than packed every weekend.  There was no way to get another car in the lot this past weekend.  You'd think that they were giving items away.  I guess it's a sign of the times.  GOODWILL has announced that they are opening more stores.  One will be in downtown Fort Myers.

The work on the 'flyover' connecting 41 & Alico Road to Metro Parkway/6 Mile Cypress continues.  The cost of the extension is $29.8 million, paid for by federal economic stimulus funds from the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act of 2009.

 The bridge over Alico is now complete.  It's hard to see the progress, although the State of Florida has announced that the project will be complete in the fall of 2012.  Don't hold your breath, we're on our second contractor.

BJ

This blog is in no way affiliated with Forest Villas HOA