Neighborhood Notes

You've probably noticed the new additions to the holiday decorations in Jamison and Tanner Springs parks. Here's a couple photos just in case you haven't seen them.



Have you ever wondered who puts these decorations up? Or how about the holiday lights on all the trees, and the flower baskets in the summer?

The Hoyt Street Yards Community Association is the master Association to which many neighborhood buildings belong and pay assessments for membership. The assessments pay for common area (owned by the Association) maintenance, street clean up, supplemental maintenance of Jamison and Tanner Springs parks, neighborhood holiday decorations, hanging flower baskets, security patrols, neighborhood promotions and architectural control of the member buildings (including signage as well as other services). The master Association is much like a condominium association, except membership is granted to a group of owners, rather than individuals.

Hoyt Street Properties created the association as a way to manage all of the above issues for member buildings. I believe every building built by Hoyt is a member, as are a few others like the Sitka Apartments.

I bring all this up for 2 reasons. First, what do you think of the decorations? Personally, I think the lit figures is Jamison are a bit over the top, not my preference. On the other hand, I love the flower baskets and think they are worth every penny spent on them. But mine is just one opinion, how do the rest of you feel about them? Second, the annual meeting for HSYCA is coming up and that's a good way to understand the association and provide feedback on what it does. Member dollars pay for these things so the association should know how you think they are doing.

Before you start making plans to attend, membership is by lot, not individual condo ownership. One approach is for each member building to send a representative. Turn out at these meetings is usually very small and the location cannot support a huge turnout of individual condo owners. Representatives can bring feedback from the entire building and report back to the association. This is not to discourage attendance, just a way to keep it organized. Please be sure all comments are constructive and if you like what they are doing, tell them. Too often associations hear all the negative without hearing the positive. Every once in a while they could use a pat on the back.

The annual meeting is Wednesday December 12th at 3PM in the Hoyt Street Properties conference room, 1022 NW Marshall. That's the Metropolitan entrance on Marshall. All who plan on attending should rsvp to Ajohnson@msipm.com. Please be sure your building is a member.

Here is the agenda: HSYCA Annual Meeting Agenda 12-12-07.doc