Boat Ramp Chain

I was notified by one of our residents that the chain at the boat ramp has been down for several days. I have since secured the chain.

Please take care to re-install the chain after launching and removing your boat from the water.

Also, if anybody does see the chain down, please take a moment to reinstall it. I am happy to help, but do not want to be the neighborhood maintenance man.

thanks

Scott

Auto Break In

Apparently we had a car get broken into in our neighborhood recently. Officers responded to an Unlawful Breaking and Entering of a Motor Vehicle on Blackberry Cove. Someone knocked out the passenger window and took a purse and all of its contents.

Please keep an eye out for strangers in the neighborhood!!

Scott

Summer Water Levels

Emerald Lake’s water level is currently hovering near what is the designed "full pool” capacity. During the summer months, when evaporation rates are at their highest, it is typical for the lake level to drop significantly during dry spells. Unfortunately, sediment accumulation has made these dry spells much more noticeable than in past years. At times it will become difficult to navigate portions of the lake, and some lakeside property owners could lose water access and may have to temporarily resort to launching their boats from the community boat ramp. Boaters should also take more precautions to remain alert to sunken logs, rocks, irrigation pipes and other underwater hazards.

Because of its vital role in maintaining the safety and integrity of the dam, the valve on the pipe in the center of the dam will not be closed to raise the water level to satisfy navigational access or irrigation use of the lake. To help our residents understand the importance of keeping the valve open, I am providing a basic overview of our dam's structures and function.

The dam consists of three main components: the embankment, the principal spillway (the pipe running through the center of the embankment), and the emergency spillway (the concrete apron/creek channel located at the east end of the embankment).

"Over-topping" of the embankment is one of the leading causes of catastrophic collapse, accounting for 34% of all dam failures in the U.S. The spillways function to pass water out of the lake to maintain a safe vertical distance between the designed "full pool" capacity (the amount of water the dam was constructed to hold on a regular basis) and the top of the embankment. This margin of safety on a dam is called the "freeboard."

"Full pool" is reached when the water level is at the crest of the pipe and little to no water is exiting the lake.

As the water level rises above the crest of the pipe, water will begin to passively exit the lake through the pipe. As flow through the pipe reaches a maximum, water will begin to flow over the emergency spillway.

The pipe was designed to serve a dual purpose. With modification, it can be used as a siphon to draw down the lake level to facilitate repairs to the dam, dock construction, dredging, or other needs.

Significant rainfall events in the southeast are common and unpredictable. The effectiveness of having both of Emerald Lake's spillways in operation was quite evident this spring when our area was unexpectedly hit with two flash floods. Shoreline flooding would have undoubtedly been much worse had the valve on the principal spillway been closed. Furthermore, with both systems in operation, submerged docks were quickly uncovered after the storms thereby avoiding water-related damage, such as warped deck boards.

I hope this satisfies any questions or concerns about the fluctuations in the lake level. I ask that you please notify me, Scott, or Don immediately if you see anyone tamper with the principal spillway valve or notice that it is not in operation.

Thank you.

Sharon

Road Reapairs

Someone left a message on our home answering machine asking about what we were going to do with the spoils from the road repair project.

While I remember the message, I do not remember who left it, and the message has since been deleted.

Whoever left the message please call me back.

thanks

Scott

Road Repairs

I met with the road repair contractor this morning. We plan on starting the road patches in two weeks.

We will follow the same procedure as last year. The patches will be cut, bad subgrade removed and then good subgrade will be installed. We will then leave the patches open for a while in an attempt to gain additional compaction. While leaving the patches open is an inconvenience to us all the method proved very effective last year. We will ultimately install the asphalt in the patches after the we believe optimum compaction has been obtained.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

thanks

Scott

Front Entrance Irrigation System

The irrigation system at the front entrance has been broken for some time. Recently we commissioned a local irrigation company to fix the system and the system is now functioning properly.

Scott

Lee County Master Plan Town Hall Meetings

Next week the Lee County Commissioners will be holding the second series of town hall meetings to gain citizen input regarding the development of the county's Master Plan. The county's master plan will establish goals and priorities for residential and commercial growth, infrastructure (water, sewer, roads), land use practices, community services, and economic development. Meeting locations, times and a summary report of the input received from the first series of town hall meetings can be found on the Lee County's website at www.leeco.us/masterplan/. I strongly encourage all Foxchase property owners to take an active interest and participate in the development of the county's master plan as it will undoubtedly impact our community.

I'm disappointed that on-going health problems have prevented me from attending the town hall meetings on behalf of the Lake Committee. Lakefront property owners have expressed concern over the large amount of sediment accumulating in Emerald Lake, which is symptomatic of a broader sediment control problem in our region and one I had hoped to raise at the meetings. For small lakeside communities like ours, maintaining water depth through dredging is simply cost-prohibitive. Unfortunately, Emerald Lake's sediment accumulation will continue to get worse unless the county makes protection of our water resources a top priority.

Photo 1 - Chewacla Creek Inlet (Emerald Lake)

Poor erosion control at development sites has had a significant adverse impact on our lake. This photo illustrates the heavy sediment loads that routinely dumped into Emerald Lake during the construction of several residential developments along branches of Chewacla Creek north of our subdivision in 2007-2008.



Photo 2 - Highway 51, silt fence near Robinson's Creek

This photo is a perfect illustration of lax erosion control measures in Lee County. Not only are these silt fences poorly maintained, but by creating a severe slope on erosion-prone soils, this developer has set the stage for long-term sediment dumping into nearby Robinson's Creek. This situation could have been prevented through use of best management practices, such as reducing the slope, selecting proper vegetation to stabilize soils, and installing a stormwater pond to catch runoff from the site before it enters the waterway.



Aging and/or inadequate infrastructures are also a concern for our community. For years our residents have been reporting problems with the City of Opelika's sewer line backing up and discharging into Chewacla Creek after heavy rains. Although ESG crews are quick to respond to leaks after they are discovered, it continues to be a re-occurring issue. Even though small leaks do not pose a significant public health risk to Emerald Lake users, they still threaten the lake's recreational and aesthetic value by fueling algae blooms and weed overgrowth. While the sewer system is operated and maintained by the City of Opelika, it is still important that the county's master plan addresses the immediate need for infrastructure improvements around the region as well as upgrades to support future demands.

Photo 1 - View of one of the spills from the sewer line located adjacent to Chewacla Creek just northwest of the Lee's Lake lift station.



Photo 2 - Raw effluent entering Emerald Lake from Chewacla Creek.



Next week's town meetings will provide a valuable opportunity for our residents to voice their thoughts and concerns about these and other broader issues, such as roads, schools, socio-economic impacts, etc. Again, I encourage everyone to try to attend.

Thanks,

Sharon

Front Entrance Landscaping

The Beautification Committee has approved a plan to install landscaping at the front entrance. We hope to have the work completed in the very near future.

Scott

Picnic

The neighborhood picnic was last Saturday and was a very nice.

Special thanks to all of the people who spent time organizing the event.

Scott

Picnic

Notices went out last week for the neighborhood picnic. The date stated was June 3, 2009. Unfortunately, June 3 is a Wednesday.

The actual date of the picnic is June 6, 2009. This is a Saturday. I look forward to seeing you there.

Scott

Garbage Cans

Just a reminder, Foxchase covenants require you take in your garbage cans the day that trash is picked up. I recognize that there are always unusual circumstances, but it was brought up at the last homeowners meeting that there are a good number of cans that are not being taken in consistently. Your cooperation on this issue is appreciated.

SH

Dogs in the Neigborhood

It was mentioned to me at the last meeting that there is concern with dogs running loose in the neighborhood. I understand that from time to time dogs can get loose (I know first hand, it happens to us occasionally), but in general please try to keep your dogs in your yard. Some of your neighbors may not be as fond of your dogs as you are. Additionally, dogs in the the road can be dangerous to drivers and the the dogs.

SH

Keys to boat ramp

I was supposed to get back to someone at the meeting about how to get keys for the boat ramp. Unfortunately, I lost the email address. For everybody's benefit, if you need boat ramp keys, please contact the Lake Committee chairperson, Sharon Ketchen. Sharon can be reached at sfketchen@earthlink.net.

SH

Thanks to everybody who attended the meeting

I think we had a good meeting. Thanks for attending.

Scott

Homeowners Meeting - April 28, 2009

We will be having a homeowners meeting on April 28, 2009.

6:00 pm at the Opelika Library

See you then.

Phase III Roads

Phase III roads were also discussed at our last officer meeting with Plainsman Development. We raised the concern of the height of the sewer structures as they relate to the pavement. Plainsman Development has agreed to lower the sewer structures (no cost to Foxchase). Work should start this month.

Scott

Picnic-Looking for Volunteers

I think we typically have a subdivision picnic sometime in May. I am looking for volunteers to coordinate the event, as I will not have time to perform the coordination.

If we do not have any volunteers, we will not have a picnic this year.

I can be reached at 334-745-3156 or shoppa@mcshane.com

Scott

Homeowners Meeting

I am trying to find a date that works for the officers for an association meeting. I hope we can get something scheduled this month.

SH

Roads

John Seymour and I will be meeting with our road contractor in the next week or so, to get the ball moving again on the road repairs. From our survey last fall, we believe there are nine patches left to be completed. We will also look for new areas of failure, so the number of patches may increase slightly.

The board met with Plainsman Development on the road issue last month. Plainsman turned over a check for $23,000 to the Foxchase Association for road repairs. It is our hope that this amount will cover the balance of patches to be performed and allow us to leave the road fund untouched in 2009.

2009 Boat/Trailer Decals

Lake committee members should be receiving their 2009 boat launch decals in the mail this week. [Note: Members with delinquent accounts will not receive any decals until their dues have been paid in full.] Additional decals are available upon request to accommodate members who own more than two boats and/or trailers.

Just as a reminder...all Foxchase residents are welcome to fish from the common areas, but only lake committee members are authorized to launch a boat on Emerald Lake. Last year the lake committee voted to create 10 "affiliate" (non-voting) membership slots for inland property owners willing to assume an equal share of the waterfront property owners' financial responsibility for maintaining the lake in exchange for boating access privileges. Four of those slots are still available on a first come, first served basis. Please contact me if you are interested.

Sharon Ketchen
Lake Committee Chairman

Earthwork Activity by the Lift Station

Many of you may have noticed late last year that some earthwork was being performed on the lake side of Pebble Shore Drive by the lift station. This work was being performed by some residents in the area and by Plainsman Development.

There is still some work to be done to tidy things up. This work is the responsibilty of Plainsman. Plainsman informed us at our last meeting that this cleanup work should be wrapped up over the next few months, weather permitting.

SH

Lake Level Valve

As some of you may be aware there is a valve that controls the lake level. It is located approximately half way down the dam. For some time this valve has be closed, resulting in a higher lake level. When the the valve being closed was discovered several months ago, it was opened up again, bringing the lake level down to where it is supposed to be.

I am pointing this out to everyone for two reasons:

1. While we all like a high lake level, the lower level is required so undue pressure is not put on the dam. The dam has never been inspected and breach of the dam would be catastrophic to our neighborhood. A conservative approach with the dam is very appropriate. As I mentioned in an earlier post, all of our property values are based upon us having a functioning lake.

2. Higher water levels result in water backing up by the lift station on Pebble Shore Drive. The water backs up under the roadway, and the resulting moisture has contributed to road failure in this area.

If you know anyone who has adjusted the valve, please encourage them to leave it alone. If you happen to notice that the valve is closed, please let me know.

SH

Front Entry Gate

I have been contacted by several residents over the last few months regarding the malfunctions of the entry gate. We are well aware of the problems with the gate. John Seymour has personally spent a lot of time trying to keep the unit operational.

It is my opinion that the current gate system is antiquated and probably does not have the ability function properly on a consistent basis. My guess is the unit is 15 years old and has never received consistent maintenance.

While funds are tight with the homeowners association, I think we need to obtain bids for updating the gate system. I personally do not have a good feel for what the cost will be. Once we know what our cost exposure is going to be, we can make an informed decision from that point forward.

I am looking for volunteers to assist in the bidding process. I can give direction if someone is willing to help. If there are no volunteers, I will ultimately get to it, but it will be later in the year. A volunteer would help expedite the process.

Please let me know if you are interested.

SH

Street Light Outages

I have noticed that one of the street lights, located by the lift station has been out for some time. I have contacted Alabama Power, and they have stated they will have it repaired in 7-10 days.

For future reference, Alabama Power can be reached at 1-800-245-2244. Anyone can call. The call for me took less than 5 minutes. Please feel free to make the call yourself if this occurs in the future.

Scott

Entry Sign Common Area

It appears that the construction of the front sign is almost complete. During the period that the sign was damaged, and we were evaluating replacement options, it was discovered that the entry common area land was still deeded to Plainsman Property.

Since this discovery, we have worked with Plainsman, and the entry common area has now been deeded to the homeowners association.

SH

Vandalism at the walking path gate by the boat ramp

As most of you know, there is a gate to restrict vehicles from accessing the walking path around the lake. The gate is located by the boat ramp. Unfortunately, someone has removed one of the gates. We believe it was an intentional act, as the support posts seem to have been cut cleanly with a saw.

It is unclear as to who performed this act, or for what reason.

It is important that we restrict cars/trucks from driving over the walking path/dam for the the lake, and also over the concrete spillway. The weight from these types of vehicles can compromise the dam, unltimately leading to dam failure. Since all of our property values are tied to the viability of the lake, we should all be dilligent about keeping vehicles off of the dam and spillway.

SH

New Blog Access/Foxchase Entry Sign

Hello everyone. I have recently gained access to this blog site thanks to Sharon Ketchen. While this blog was originally set up as a tool for the lake commitee, we are going to expand its use. The homeowners association officers plan to use this site to keep everybody informed of subdivision news. Please pass this information along to your neighbors, along with the web address! We had an officers meeting last Saturday, so I will try to get some news updated over the next few days.

Many of you have asked about the front entry sign. Fortunately, reconstruction is in the works. Plainsman Development has released a contractor for reconstruction, with the hope of being wrapped up by the end of the month. The sign will be brick as originally constructed, although there will not be a water skier on the placard portion of the sign.

Look for more posts in the coming days/weeks.

Scott Hoppa

This is a test

This is a test to allow Scott to use the Foxchase blog.

New Comment - Tennis Court Access

I intend to update our blog site soon, but first I want to address an anonymous comment that was posted yesterday about a new lock on the tennis courts. Unfortunately I cannot offer a response to the comment because I have no involvement in the matter. To clarify, I created this blog site last September in anticipation of the lake drawdown and to serve the future needs of the lake committee. As lake committee chairman, I have nothing to do with the general operations of the Foxchase subdivision. Association dues, road repairs, operation of the front gate, security concerns, maintenance of the common areas, etc. all fall under the responsibility of the Foxchase Residential Association officers.

I have forwarded the comment about the tennis courts to our Residential Association President (Scott Hoppa) and Vice President (John Seymour) so they can respond. Recognizing the need to have a tool to keep our residents informed on issues beyond those of the lake committee, I have also offered to modify this blog site on their behalf to serve both our interests. In the meantime, please contact your officers directly with your questions/comments.

Thanks,

Sharon Ketchen
Lake Committee Chairman