The Open Space Association cares for the natural drainage system, parks, and open spaces, including all planting strips along the streets. The association has a manager and a landscape crew located at High Point. It uses the most progressive, clean, “green,” organic, and low-impact maintenance techniques to care for open spaces, so that High Point does not poison nature with chemicals and other toxic materials. For more information on OSA meetings and committees contact Jeanette Fournier, OSA Manager, at 206.913.0080, jeanette@cdcmanagement.com.

Celebrate with your friends & neighbors at the Commons!

Join your community for a barbecue celebrating the opening of the Commons park! The main course will be provided, and those who come should bring their favorite side dishes and desserts for everyone to share and enjoy.

Come out not only for food and friends, but to enjoy games, a talent show for kids age six to 18. To volunteer, or for more event information, contact Julie Shaffer at 206-615-3560 or jshaffer@seattlehousing.org.

Please note that the Open Space Association and the Homeowners Association will be meeting this month on Thursday, June 26th, at the Community Center.
 
The Open Space Association meeting begins at 6 pm, followed by the Homeowners Association meeting at 7 pm.
 
Hope to see you there!

Jeanette Fournier, High Point Community Association Manager, has provided us with the tenative description of events for the July 4th celebration in Commons Park. For more info on the event you can download the flyer!
 
What will be there:  information booths/tables/tents (bring your own table, tent and chairs), music, lawn games (volley ball, badminton, bocce and croquet), talent show, story telling, face painting, and a picnic.

Commons Park is set to open later this summer.

Other activities:  A brief presentations by Tom Tierney (Seattle Housing Authority) and Tom Phillips (Seattle Housing Authority / Open Space Association President) to welcome you all to the opening of the Commons Park. This will include an “unveiling” of the community and artist created art at the amphitheater by Pomegranate Center.
 
Volunteers needed:  Assistance with set up, clean up, running activities, serving food, and litter pick up. If you are interested in any of these volunteer activities please contact Julie Shaffer at 206-615-3560 or via email jshaffer@seattlehousing.org. 
 
Donations needed:  Prizes for youth and adults, paper plates, napkins and utensils. If you are interested in providing any of these items please contact me directly or drop them off at the High Point Open Space Association Office at the Holly Church location @ 6558 35th Ave SW in the basement.
 
Other Notes: Please plan on bringing your camera to take candid photos that can be shareed with the community. We kindly ask that all involved be mindful that this is a fun, loud, family and kid friendly event so please have your dogs tucked in safely and quietly at home.
 
Thank you and we hope to see you there!

Phase 2 construction underway on rental homes.

Some questions were posed to the Open Space Association this week, regarding the current lack of builders for Phase 2. Tom Phillips, a member of the board, provided the following answers.

1. What was the original intent behind the plans to mix SHA and market-rate housing at HP?

That’s a long story.  I have attached a copy of the history of HOPE VI that is the best summary of the philosophy behind the original intent.

2. What was the original target ratio of SHA to market-rate housing for HP, and what was the rational for that ratio?

1600 units has always been the limit to the number of units.  At one time, 716 of those units were going to be income-eligible, or some form of subsidized housing.  Now the number is 676.  That breaks down as follows: 350 Public housing units, 250 Work Force units (near market rate), 75 Low-income senior units. The balance is market rate units.  160 are market rate senior units (BridgePark) and the rest are for sale units.

There are 250 for-sale units already built.  There will be another 550 built on the site..  It is possible that some of them will be market rate rentals as a future “condo” building may be a rental for a few years. 

3. Had the planners envisioned any contingencies in the event that the target ratio could not be achieved?

We have no intent to change it.  The market has slowed the sale of some of the for-sale lots but they are all for-sale lots. We expect to see all for sale homes started next Spring. 

4. Given that the target ratio may not be met because of lack of builder interest, the HP original intent (#1) is likely imperiled, potentially having a negative impact on our home prices. What avenue does the HOA have to redress the situation?

We expect that the market will come back and we will sell the land to for-sale builders.  We do not plan on changing the ratio.

Trash and recycling cans installed on 32nd Ave SW.

The topic of community garbage cans came up in the forums this week. JJB74 asked if there has been any discussion of public trash cans. Jeanette - our Community Association Manager - has provided us an answer:

There has been discussion about public garbage cans - Every month. The ones that are installed at the parks include the trash and recycle. The set up is about $3,000 for each. We have one set up that we are contemplating installing at the southwest corner of Raymond and 32 nd/Lanham – or at the “pocket park”, Judy Faye Park on Raymond in front of the townhomes on the south side of the street. There are also smaller trash and recycle cans at each of the courtyard/lawn/pocket parks among the rental units. Trash may look bad now, but actually it is quite improved. Summer time is the hardest. We have tried to get some groups to volunteer to help pick up trash in the neighborhood but it is difficult. There have been two volunteer trash pick up events thus far. A group of owners organized this independently. When the kids in the neighborhood are out of school for the summer it will be a necessity. The trash is not just from residents, we see items (furniture and car parts even) thrown from vehicles.

A weed sprouts in High Point landscaping.

The topic of weeds came up in the forums this week. JJB74 and Jess both asked who is responsible for weeding the landscaping. Jeanette - our Community Association Manager - has provided us an answer:

We are meeting with landscape management late this week. We meet with the op manager every week, the crew of 5 (it was 3 last year) 3 days a week and management of the landscaping company every month. This week we are completing a “weed review” to determine if we need to ask for an additional “man” to work weeds before they get worse. Weed management is a weekly attack. Pulling, hoeing and spraying are needed. Though everyone would certainly love for the landscaping to be perfect, it was not designed that way. Case in point – Pond Park – there are three areas where tall grasses are planted that are designed to be allowed to grow to maturity before being cut. They are both dry and wet lands meadow mixes.

We do not use any chemical fertilizers or weed killers. It of course would be much easier to manage weeds if we used chemicals such as these. We have found one product, Burn Out, to be the most effective for weed killing. It is an organic product, but does not work when the growth is wet…so lots of the time it is not appropriate.

As I mentioned weeding is done weekly. But due to the size of the property in 3 weeks, when they return to an area, weeds are quite mature. It would be nice to have residents take an interest in working on some of the bio swales, tree right of ways and parks to pull weeds. This would assist in keeping the costs for services down.

The rental homes have their landscaping cared for by Impact Property Services, a limited partner of Seattle Housing Authority. They address weeds, mowing etc weekly, by block, just like we do.

The market rate homes have their landscaping cared for by the Homeowners Association landscape vendor, Northwestern Landscaping (now Brickman), of which I am the manager.

The Open Space Association has it’s landscaping cared for by the landscape vendor, Northwestern, of which I am the manager. This includes the pond, parks, bio swales, tree right of ways, greenbelt. We also need to organize a work party to clean the dumped trash in the greenbelt.

129 acres takes a lot of man/woman power to keep picked up. Involvement with the residents this summer and in the future is key.

Please join us in celebrating the High Point Commons Park Opening! If you would like to help make this a special celebration, please contact: Julie Shaffer - Development Department, Seattle Housing Authority, (206) 615-3560, JShaffer@SeattleHousing.Org

The Commons Park is nearing completion and here’s your opportunity to leave your mark… Pomegranate Center, a non-profit organization, skilled at integrating art into gathering places invites you to join them for a series of spring workshops. These workshops will focus on creating, carving and painting concepts onto wood columns and cloth banners that will be featured at the new amphitheater backdrop in the Commons Park. No skill level is required; simply willingness and excitement to be part of a community project. The workshop dates are:

• April 10 3:30-6:30
• April 19 11:00-3:00
• April 24 3:30-6:30
• May 3 11:00-3:00
• May 8 3:30-6:30

Please call Julie Shaffer to RSVP for these workshops so that we can plan for your participation. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

COME AND LEARN ABOUT COMMONS PARK on May 13, 2008 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the ELIZABETH HOUSE COMMUNITY ROOM.

Commons Park will be opening soon and there are questions about its operation.  Come and learn about how the Park will operate, how to make a reservation to use a part of the park for your event and many other things that will add to your understanding and enjoyment of this latest addition to the High Point Community.

The P-Patch Program offers space for individuals and their families to garden in over 60 gardens throughout Seattle. Now two gardens are being planned for The High Point area. One garden is in the Commons Park, and the other is on MacArthur Lane. Are you are interested helping to build this garden and in being a gardener?

Work parties to build the Commons Garden are scheduled for the following Saturdays from 10 am to 12pm: April 26, May 3 and May17^th

You can grow your own favorite fresh vegetables to share with family and friends. Gardening is good exercise and a fun way to meet your neighbors. If you are interested in finding out more about this opportunity, there are different ways to get involved.

The easiest way is to contact the P-Patch Community Gardening Program by calling Bunly Yun at 206-684-8495, cell 206-240-2093, or Julie Bryan at 206-684-0540, or at Julie.bryan@seattle.gov

The gardens are developed with the local community and will be managed by the City of Seattle P-Patch Program in collaboration with Seattle Housing authority and P-Patch Trust.