If you have not already done so, you might find it more convenient to have your bank automatically withdraw your monthly Manors Condo Association Fee payment from your bank account.
No more having to remember to write and mail that monthly check or having to pay a late fee when you do happen to forget.
By signing up for automatic withdrawal, your bank will automatically make your payment for you on the 6th of each month.
Click here to view and print out the authorization form. Fill in the required information and provide a voided check and send it all to Kramer-Triad's Troy office using one of the three methods described at the bottom of the form.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Refuse Collection Reminder
A reminder to all Manors residents, Tuesday is our normally scheduled refuse collection day and your refuse and recyclables should be placed at the curb no later than 7:00 AM to insure that they will be picked up that day.
You may place your items at the curb beginning at 6:00 PM of the evening before collection day. Empty containers should be removed from the curb no later than 6:00 AM of the day following the collection day.
You may place your items at the curb beginning at 6:00 PM of the evening before collection day. Empty containers should be removed from the curb no later than 6:00 AM of the day following the collection day.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Master Association Meeting - April 6, 2009
UPDATED: March 25, 2009
Manors co-owners will be receiving a second, revised letter in the mail announcing the Transitional Meeting of the Central Park Master Community Association. The letter is being revised to clarify the voting process. Click either link to read the revised letter: PDF or JPG formats.
The Central Park Master Community Association is responsible for maintaining the streets and areas such as the retention ponds that are shared by all four Central Park sub-associations (Manors, Kensington, Gardens and Meadows). A small portion of your monthly Manors Association fee is directed to the Master Association to fund their budget. Kramer-Triad is the managing agent for the Central Park Master Community Association.
The purpose of the April 6th meeting is to begin the process of transferring control of the Central Park Master Community Association from the developer (Grand Sakwa) to the four sub-associations. At this meeting, four co-owners (one from each sub-association) will be elected to Board of Directors of the Master Association, replacing the current Grand Sakwa Board of Directors.
The revised letter clarifies the voting process, which is that each Manors co-owner gets to vote for their preferred nominee in each of the four sub-association elections. Note that only Manors co-owners are receiving a revised letter, the other three sub-associations received the correct version.
I have already submitted my nomination to be a candidate for the Manors sub-association position on the Master Association Board of Directors. Any other Manors co-owner can also be nominated.
The designated voting representative for your Condo unit will be permitted to cast one vote for their preferred nominee to represent the Manors sub-association on the Master Association Board. They will also be permitted to cast a vote for their preferred nominee in each of the other three sub-association elections.
Likewise, co-owners in attendance or represented by proxy from the other three sub-associations will be entitled to vote in each of the elections.
We must have a quorum of 35% of the total homes in all four communities in order to hold this meeting. If you are not sure you will be able to attend, please follow the instructions for submitting your General Proxy, which will be included in a future mailing.
For more information, please read this PDF "draft" version of the Bylaws of the Central Park Master Community Association.
Manors co-owners will be receiving a second, revised letter in the mail announcing the Transitional Meeting of the Central Park Master Community Association. The letter is being revised to clarify the voting process. Click either link to read the revised letter: PDF or JPG formats.
The Central Park Master Community Association is responsible for maintaining the streets and areas such as the retention ponds that are shared by all four Central Park sub-associations (Manors, Kensington, Gardens and Meadows). A small portion of your monthly Manors Association fee is directed to the Master Association to fund their budget. Kramer-Triad is the managing agent for the Central Park Master Community Association.
The purpose of the April 6th meeting is to begin the process of transferring control of the Central Park Master Community Association from the developer (Grand Sakwa) to the four sub-associations. At this meeting, four co-owners (one from each sub-association) will be elected to Board of Directors of the Master Association, replacing the current Grand Sakwa Board of Directors.
The revised letter clarifies the voting process, which is that each Manors co-owner gets to vote for their preferred nominee in each of the four sub-association elections. Note that only Manors co-owners are receiving a revised letter, the other three sub-associations received the correct version.
I have already submitted my nomination to be a candidate for the Manors sub-association position on the Master Association Board of Directors. Any other Manors co-owner can also be nominated.
The designated voting representative for your Condo unit will be permitted to cast one vote for their preferred nominee to represent the Manors sub-association on the Master Association Board. They will also be permitted to cast a vote for their preferred nominee in each of the other three sub-association elections.
Likewise, co-owners in attendance or represented by proxy from the other three sub-associations will be entitled to vote in each of the elections.
We must have a quorum of 35% of the total homes in all four communities in order to hold this meeting. If you are not sure you will be able to attend, please follow the instructions for submitting your General Proxy, which will be included in a future mailing.
For more information, please read this PDF "draft" version of the Bylaws of the Central Park Master Community Association.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Board of Trustees approve Lombardo request
At their March 3, 2009 meeting, the Shelby Twp. Board of Trustees approved Lombardo Homes' revised site Plan modification request.
The details of the approved request were the same as those acted on by the Planning Commission at their Feb. 9, 2009 meeting.
Several residents including myself spoke at the March 3rd meeting regarding the discussion held at the Feb. 9th meeting about the exterior colors that will be made available on these new units. At that meeting it was stated that they will be drawn from a palette that will be compatible with the Manors existing color and finish scheme and determined in conjunction with the Planning Dept. At tonight's meeting we expressed the desire that the petitioner and Planning Dept. follow through on that plan and we even mentioned that the palette could also be drawn from the color and finish schemes used on the Kensington condos. Based on our comments, Trustee Paula Filar asked for and received permission to modify the motion and added an additional condition to that effect.
The details of the approved request were the same as those acted on by the Planning Commission at their Feb. 9, 2009 meeting.
Several residents including myself spoke at the March 3rd meeting regarding the discussion held at the Feb. 9th meeting about the exterior colors that will be made available on these new units. At that meeting it was stated that they will be drawn from a palette that will be compatible with the Manors existing color and finish scheme and determined in conjunction with the Planning Dept. At tonight's meeting we expressed the desire that the petitioner and Planning Dept. follow through on that plan and we even mentioned that the palette could also be drawn from the color and finish schemes used on the Kensington condos. Based on our comments, Trustee Paula Filar asked for and received permission to modify the motion and added an additional condition to that effect.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Planning Commission Recommends Approval
UPDATED Feb. 13, 2009:
This request now moves to the Twp. Board of Trustees for their final approval at their meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2009.
At their Feb. 9, 2009 meeting, the Shelby Twp. Planning Commission forwarded a recommendation to the Shelby Twp. Board of Trustees that Lombardo Homes' revised site Plan modification request be approved.
During his presentation, Greg Windingland of Lombardo Homes noted that there had been some changes made to the revised proposal they submitted on Jan. 23, 2009. He explained the changes and made the following comments and commitments:
This request now moves to the Twp. Board of Trustees for their final approval at their meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2009.
At their Feb. 9, 2009 meeting, the Shelby Twp. Planning Commission forwarded a recommendation to the Shelby Twp. Board of Trustees that Lombardo Homes' revised site Plan modification request be approved.
During his presentation, Greg Windingland of Lombardo Homes noted that there had been some changes made to the revised proposal they submitted on Jan. 23, 2009. He explained the changes and made the following comments and commitments:
- The units to be built under this revised proposal will be:
a) a true ranch style, no one-and-a-half story options
b) limited to just one floor plan, a 1,499 sq. ft. model (with basement) called the "Silverado" - the other two floor plans shown at our Jan. 21st meeting and mentioned in the Jan. 23rd letter have since been removed from the site plan modification request
c) the "Silverado" will be offered with any of the four exterior elevations previously shown; Elevation "C" shows "false dormers" and there is no living space behind them; available exterior colors will be drawn from a palette that will be compatible with the Manors existing color and finish scheme and determined in conjunction with the Planning Dept. - Mr. Windingland estimated that these units will sell in the $170K-175K price range
- because of the odd shape of two of the Lots 1-15, the "Silverado" will not fit within their building footprint; therefore, they are requesting that the site plan be modified to show a total of only (14) 44 foot wide lots, with seven lots on either side of Walter Ct.
- Lombardo Homes will not push for a creation of a separate condo association for these 14 units, they would remain as part of the Manors Condo Association; left open was the possibility that they would push for a change to the Manors Master Deed that would change the maintenance financial responsibility for these 14 units.
- Lombardo Homes is committed to building low-rise ranch clusters on Kensington's Walter and Stebbins Courts; these clusters will be similar to those that were first built at Kensington.
- the site plan will be revised to identify the sidewalk that will lead to Walter Court and the addition of refuse walkway pads between the access drive and Central Park North.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Feb. 9th Planning Commission Meeting
The Shelby Township Planning Commission will meet at 7:00 PM on Monday, Feb. 9, 2009 to review the revised site plan modification request being submitted by Lombardo Homes.
Residents who received mailed agendas for previous Planning Commission meetings on this subject should have received a mailing this week advising them of the Feb. 9th meeting agenda. Within the next few days, I will distribute a "meeting notice" flyer to the front door of each occupied unit in the Manors at Central Park.
The petitioner's revised request is asking for permission to build detached, single-family, ranch-style condominiums on Lots 1-15 "that will reasonably match the character and appearance of the existing ranches in the Manors". Despite Mr. Sable's promise at our January 21st Annual Meeting, he still has not provided me with any additional information.
This will be the first chance for the Planning Commission to see and hear the petitioner's revised request. There will be an opportunity for public comment during the agenda item. It is possible that immediately following the petitioner's presentation and the public comment, the Planning Commission will move to forward a recommendation to the Township Board.
Residents who received mailed agendas for previous Planning Commission meetings on this subject should have received a mailing this week advising them of the Feb. 9th meeting agenda. Within the next few days, I will distribute a "meeting notice" flyer to the front door of each occupied unit in the Manors at Central Park.
The petitioner's revised request is asking for permission to build detached, single-family, ranch-style condominiums on Lots 1-15 "that will reasonably match the character and appearance of the existing ranches in the Manors". Despite Mr. Sable's promise at our January 21st Annual Meeting, he still has not provided me with any additional information.
This will be the first chance for the Planning Commission to see and hear the petitioner's revised request. There will be an opportunity for public comment during the agenda item. It is possible that immediately following the petitioner's presentation and the public comment, the Planning Commission will move to forward a recommendation to the Township Board.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Lombardo's revised proposal for Lots 1-15
On Jan. 19, 2009, Lombardo Homes withdrew their original site plan modification proposal for Lots 1-15 and served notice that they intend to re-submit a different site plan modification request to the Planning Commission, asking for permission to build "a ranch style home that will reasonably match the character and appearance of the existing ranches in the Manors".
At the Annual Meeting of Manors Co-owners on Jan. 21st, Richard Sable asked to be placed on the agenda so that he could present what his partner (Lombardo Homes) intends to re-submit, plus answer any questions we had. At the meeting, Mr. Sable passed out a few color copies of exterior elevations and floor plans which he indicated would be the basis of Lombardo Home's revised proposal. He indicated that the first floor exteriors would be fully bricked and that the three model floor plans would fit within the originally planned building footprints on Lots 1-15. He also discussed his intention to modify the Manors Master Deed with regards to these fifteen lots and indicated that he would provide more information that could be posted here on this blog by the end of January.
You can view a scanned version of his handout by going to this web page.
At the Annual Meeting of Manors Co-owners on Jan. 21st, Richard Sable asked to be placed on the agenda so that he could present what his partner (Lombardo Homes) intends to re-submit, plus answer any questions we had. At the meeting, Mr. Sable passed out a few color copies of exterior elevations and floor plans which he indicated would be the basis of Lombardo Home's revised proposal. He indicated that the first floor exteriors would be fully bricked and that the three model floor plans would fit within the originally planned building footprints on Lots 1-15. He also discussed his intention to modify the Manors Master Deed with regards to these fifteen lots and indicated that he would provide more information that could be posted here on this blog by the end of January.
You can view a scanned version of his handout by going to this web page.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Snow piles
Based on the concern that was raised at the Annual Meeting about the size and locations of some of the large snow piles on our property, Ryan Dorner of Kramer-Triad contacted the owner of GM ProLawn (our snow removal contractor). As a result (and at no additional charge to the Association), they came in today and cut some of the snow piles down to size and dumped the excess snow on nearby vacant lots .
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Annual Meeting of Co-owners
The 2009 Annual Meeting of the co-owners of the Manors at Central Park was held on Wednesday night, Jan. 21, 2009.
A quorum of co-owners were in attendance for this meeting, of which the main order of business was to elect one co-owner to the Board of Directors of the Manors at Central Park Condominium Association.
Michael Grobbel was the only co-owner who was nominated for the position and he was unanimously re-elected for a one-year term.
Following the election portion of the agenda, Mr. Richard Sable was permitted to speak on behalf of the revised site plan proposal for Lots 1-15 that will be submitted to the Shelby Twp. Planning Commission by Lombardo Homes.
You can read the "unapproved" minutes of last night's meeting by clicking here.
A quorum of co-owners were in attendance for this meeting, of which the main order of business was to elect one co-owner to the Board of Directors of the Manors at Central Park Condominium Association.
Michael Grobbel was the only co-owner who was nominated for the position and he was unanimously re-elected for a one-year term.
Following the election portion of the agenda, Mr. Richard Sable was permitted to speak on behalf of the revised site plan proposal for Lots 1-15 that will be submitted to the Shelby Twp. Planning Commission by Lombardo Homes.
You can read the "unapproved" minutes of last night's meeting by clicking here.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lombardo withdraws his proposal
Late this afternoon, Anthony Lombardo withdrew his proposal for two-story units on Manors lots 1-15. Therefore, there is no need to attend the Jan. 20th Township Board of Trustees meeting. I will try and contact as many folks as possible by phone and e-mail this evening so they do not needlessly attend the Tuesday night meeting.
Above is a copy of Lombardo's withdrawal letter (click on it to enlarge it). Note that they intend to re-submit a new site plan modification request to the Planning Commission, asking for permission to build "a ranch style home that will reasonably match the character and appearance of the existing ranches in the Manors".
I also received the e-mail message below from the Shelby Twp. Clerk.
----- Original Message -----
From: Terri Kowal
To: Mike Grobbel
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 3:55 PM
Subject: RE: January Work Session meeting on SP #02-55 (PUD-1) The Manors at Central Park
Mr. Grobbel,
Great news for you and your neighbors – YOU WON!!!!!! Mr. Lombardo is withdrawing his application, it is coming off the agenda, and he is starting all over again at Planning. Can you please let your neighbors know so that they can save some effort and time tomorrow night?
Once again, it is OFF the agenda and WITHDRAWN!!!!!
Congratulations to all of you.
Terri Kowal
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Reminder - two meetings this week!
UPDATE - Jan. 19th
The Lombardo agenda item has been withdrawn from the Tuesday night meeting of the Shelby Twp. Board of Trustees.
On Tuesday night, Jan. 20, 2009 at 7:00 PM, the Shelby Township Board of Trustees will hold their regular meeting in the Board Room at the municipal offices at 24 Mile and Van Dyke. During agenda item #7 in the "Planning Commission" portion of their meeting, the Board is scheduled to make a decision on the request by Lombardo Homes to build two-story units on Manors Lots 1-15 instead of ranch style units similar to what is already built to the west along North Central Park. During this agenda item, the petitioner as well as the public are invited to speak on this matter. I intend to speak and present the survey results (see the prior post, below). Please join us at this meeting, even if you do not wish to speak.
The following evening, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, the Annual Meeting of the Co-owners of the Manors at Central Park will be held at Utica High School, in Room 160 (park and enter at the rear of the building, the room is on your left just inside the rear entrance). Registration begins at 6:00 PM and the meeting will start promptly at 6:30 PM.
In order to legally hold this meeting, we need at least 35% of the co-owners to be in attendance, either physically or through their proxy. Failure to attain a quorum will cause us to have to re-schedule the meeting. If you cannot attend, please fill out the General Proxy form you received in the Jan. 7th mailing and send it to the meeting with a neighbor or call me and I will pick it up from you and take it to the meeting.
Here is the agenda for our meeting:
A) Call to Order (6:30 PM)
B) Introductions
C) Establish that 35% Quorum has been met
D) Comments - Board of Directors and Property Management Group
E) Nominations to Board of Directors
F) Introductions of candidates
G) Selection of Election Inspectors
H) Cast Ballots
I) Guest Speaker - Mr. Bob Hambright, Alcos Insurance Agency
J) Announce Election Results
K) Open Discussion
L) Motion to Adjourn
We intend to end the meeting no later than 8:30 PM. Note that we will have a guest speaker - please bring any condo insurance related questions you may have.
The Lombardo agenda item has been withdrawn from the Tuesday night meeting of the Shelby Twp. Board of Trustees.
On Tuesday night, Jan. 20, 2009 at 7:00 PM, the Shelby Township Board of Trustees will hold their regular meeting in the Board Room at the municipal offices at 24 Mile and Van Dyke. During agenda item #7 in the "Planning Commission" portion of their meeting, the Board is scheduled to make a decision on the request by Lombardo Homes to build two-story units on Manors Lots 1-15 instead of ranch style units similar to what is already built to the west along North Central Park. During this agenda item, the petitioner as well as the public are invited to speak on this matter. I intend to speak and present the survey results (see the prior post, below). Please join us at this meeting, even if you do not wish to speak.
The following evening, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, the Annual Meeting of the Co-owners of the Manors at Central Park will be held at Utica High School, in Room 160 (park and enter at the rear of the building, the room is on your left just inside the rear entrance). Registration begins at 6:00 PM and the meeting will start promptly at 6:30 PM.
In order to legally hold this meeting, we need at least 35% of the co-owners to be in attendance, either physically or through their proxy. Failure to attain a quorum will cause us to have to re-schedule the meeting. If you cannot attend, please fill out the General Proxy form you received in the Jan. 7th mailing and send it to the meeting with a neighbor or call me and I will pick it up from you and take it to the meeting.
Here is the agenda for our meeting:
A) Call to Order (6:30 PM)
B) Introductions
C) Establish that 35% Quorum has been met
D) Comments - Board of Directors and Property Management Group
E) Nominations to Board of Directors
F) Introductions of candidates
G) Selection of Election Inspectors
H) Cast Ballots
I) Guest Speaker - Mr. Bob Hambright, Alcos Insurance Agency
J) Announce Election Results
K) Open Discussion
L) Motion to Adjourn
We intend to end the meeting no later than 8:30 PM. Note that we will have a guest speaker - please bring any condo insurance related questions you may have.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Survey Results - Lombardo Proposal
Below are the results of the survey I distributed to all 86 occupied units on Jan. 10th. As of 2:00 PM, Jan. 19th, I have received a total of 40 responses. I wish to thank all who took the time to respond and I will include the survey results in my remarks at the upcoming Shelby Township Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 20th. Continue reading past the results for my opinions on this subject.
The Board of Directors of our Condo Association has declined to take an official position on Lombardo's proposal. This is because the other two Board members also happen to have a fiduciary responsibility to the Carpenters Pension Trust Fund which owns the majority of the unbuilt lots in the Manors at Central Park Condominiums and which has a on-going business relationship with Lombardo Homes that is unrelated to this site plan modification request.
While I do not have a potential conflict of interest that prevents me from taking a position on this proposal, in this situation I am in the minority on this Board and therefore can only speak for myself. For the purpose of this survey, I am "neutral". However, until we can get some assurances that the Township Board of Trustees would protect the Manors from any further changes of this type on lots 33-167, I will remain publicly opposed to this proposal. If we can get those assurances from the Township Board on the 20th (and I think we will), I will drop my opposition.
I personally believe that the loss of visual and architectural continuity can be tolerated in this isolated area of the Manors, that any impact to our property values will be minimal and that our Board of Directors can manage any incremental maintenance costs resulting from this change. As a member of the Board of Directors, I believe that the petitioner's interest in building single detached condos in this specific location, even though they would be different from those in the original plan, is a positive development in a market that has been on "life support". If this proposal is approved with appropriate conditions and the proposed two story units are successful in the marketplace, they will contribute to the viability of our Association and bring in other shoppers who might be inclined to buy elsewhere in the Manors at Central Park. Also, Lombardo has promised the Township and the residents of the adjacent Kensington Condos that if this is approved, he will build only the low rise ranch-style clusters on Walter and Stebbins Courts (which are just to the north of Manors lots 1-15).
The Shelby Twp. Board of Trustees received plenty of input at their Jan. 7th work session on the Lombardo Homes proposal to build two-story units on Lots 1-15 instead of ranch style units similar to what is already built to the west along North Central Park. The Board is now scheduled to take action on this proposal at their Regular Meeting of Jan. 20, 2009 at 7:00PM in the Township municipal offices. Please plan to attend this important meeting.
In preparation for this next (and final) meeting and recognizing that not everyone from the Manors can attend and speak on this manner, I would like to survey all co-owners for their opinion so I can present the results to the Board of Trustees.
Please read and provide a response for both sections 1 and 2.
Section 1
1. Based on what I know so far about this proposal, I am
(a) _29__ opposed to the Lombardo proposal for Lots 1-15
(b) __4__ in favor of it
(c) __7__ neutral
(d) __0__ need more information
Section 2
The property taxes on Lots 1-15 are delinquent and if this proposal is denied on Jan. 20th, there is a very high likelihood that the County will foreclose on them and that ownership of the 15 lots will change hands by the March 31st deadline. Since the Carpenters Pension Trust Fund (owners of unsold Manors Lots 33 and up) is not interested in acquiring these lots, possible outcomes include:
• an entirely new builder could become involved in the development of this part of the Manors and build on Lots 1-15 according to the original site plan
• the new builder could instead have different ideas on what style of single detached condos to build on Lots 1-15 and we would be faced with another round of Planning Commission and Board of Trustee meetings
• these 15 lots could sit vacant for a very long time.
2. Based on what I know about this proposal including the above information, I am
(a) _21__ opposed to the Lombardo proposal for Lots 1-15
(b) _10__ in favor of it
(c) __9__ neutral
(d) __0__ need more information
The Board of Directors of our Condo Association has declined to take an official position on Lombardo's proposal. This is because the other two Board members also happen to have a fiduciary responsibility to the Carpenters Pension Trust Fund which owns the majority of the unbuilt lots in the Manors at Central Park Condominiums and which has a on-going business relationship with Lombardo Homes that is unrelated to this site plan modification request.
While I do not have a potential conflict of interest that prevents me from taking a position on this proposal, in this situation I am in the minority on this Board and therefore can only speak for myself. For the purpose of this survey, I am "neutral". However, until we can get some assurances that the Township Board of Trustees would protect the Manors from any further changes of this type on lots 33-167, I will remain publicly opposed to this proposal. If we can get those assurances from the Township Board on the 20th (and I think we will), I will drop my opposition.
I personally believe that the loss of visual and architectural continuity can be tolerated in this isolated area of the Manors, that any impact to our property values will be minimal and that our Board of Directors can manage any incremental maintenance costs resulting from this change. As a member of the Board of Directors, I believe that the petitioner's interest in building single detached condos in this specific location, even though they would be different from those in the original plan, is a positive development in a market that has been on "life support". If this proposal is approved with appropriate conditions and the proposed two story units are successful in the marketplace, they will contribute to the viability of our Association and bring in other shoppers who might be inclined to buy elsewhere in the Manors at Central Park. Also, Lombardo has promised the Township and the residents of the adjacent Kensington Condos that if this is approved, he will build only the low rise ranch-style clusters on Walter and Stebbins Courts (which are just to the north of Manors lots 1-15).
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