Hidden Brook Farms

Spring News Letter 2021

Happy Spring to everyone. Our last yearly community meeting was in June of 2019.
Due to Covid we were unable to hold a meeting last year. We plan on getting together
this year, but since we can’t use the Library conference room, we plan on having an
outdoor meeting right here on the grounds of Hidden Brook Farms. A separate mailing
will be forthcoming with more details and the date of event.

Reminder to the residents on Aspen Court. The entire street is being paved this year, curb to
curb. Step one will be replacing curbs that are in need. Tearing apart the road and repaving
probably won’t start till sometime in May.

Also on the Agenda is our yearly painting and wood repairs. This year the scheduled buildings
are 36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43 and 44. To view which buildings are included, please visit
The following link https://www.hiddenbrookfarms.com/currents.html. This project may
already be in progress at the time you receive this newsletter.
 DECKS

2020 was a busy year for deck replacements and installations. We are anticipating that 2021
may be just as busy. Hopefully the following will guide our residents to follow the community
Guidelines and explain some options.
If you are building, replacing or repairing your deck with a wood material, the deck must be
painted or stained using Sherwin Williams, SW-2211 Bird Bath Tan.
Other materials on the market can be Composite or Aluminum which we currently have. It seems
that Fiberglass is also an option but we haven’t seen what that looks like and there may be other
product materials coming down the road. Having said this, if one chooses to go this route, it is
imperative that the color choice chosen is as close to a match to Bird Bath Tan as possible. A
sample of this color and material must be supplied by the contractor to home owner and then
reviewed by board member(s) for approval together with a modification request.

For those that may install concrete patio’s, modification requests must also be submitted
Showing the color scheme being used.

Fire Pits

Propane fire pits are allowed on concrete patios and also

On composite, vinyl or aluminum decks provided they
Are on legs and have a non-combustible base.
Wood burning fire pits are prohibited anywhere
Dear Homeowners:

Spring is fast approaching and before you know it, the planting season will be upon us.

The Hidden Brook Farms beautification community would like to extend an invitation for all
those who are interested to join us to plant our annual flowers.

The areas to be planted are the main entrance way, center island, end caps and the oval.

Why volunteer your time? It gives us a chance to get to know others in our community and
provide us a sense of pride knowing you helped to improve the appearance of our neighborhood.

With this being an outdoor activity, each individual should decide upon themselves the use
of wearing a mask and adhering to social distancing.

If interested, please contact Gary Hallas – ghallas@aol.com. Please include your contact
information as the beautification community will reach out once the date and time is confirmed.

Thank you for considering participating in our neighborhood community planting event.
 Board Vacancy

We are currently short one board member. If you have lived here 1 year and are interested
In joining the board, please contact Jim Dafoe at ami@amicondos.com This is for a 2 year
Term and members are elected at our annual community meeting. Special note: All 5
Board member positions are up for vote this year, due to our last meeting not being held.

Only requirements are that you can receive and send emails and can commit to monthly meetings
(approx. 2 hours in length)

Areas of interest.
Updating our web site
Secretarial work (Able to take minutes at meetings and produce a report)
Work on our gardening activities – Being that go to person for volunteers.
If you are a walker – keeping your eyes open on the community for appearance, safety,
violations, ect.
If you are a handyman and enjoy doing odd jobs, helping to save money.

Fiduciary Responsibility
Members of the board of directors have a responsibility to the association that is
equal to that of a business. They function under what is termed a “fiduciary
relationship.” This means that, by accepting a position on the board, they agree
to work for the benefit of the community rather than themselves, and with all of
the care that anyone else would in their position. They act in good faith, and for
the good of all.
 Sharing the Road

Just want to bring to everyone’s attention that our roads are used for other activities other than
driving.
We have people that walk on our roads
We have people that walk their dogs
We have people that ride their bicycles
We have people walking with strollers
We have people walking with walkers
We have elderly people riding on scooters
We have younger people riding on kid scooters
With all this in mind, it is important for drivers to be aware of residents using our streets
and watch their speed and drive responsibly.

Thank You

If you haven’t registered for our community blast emails, please send a request to the following
address. 140 of your neighbors are currently subscribed. hiddenbrookfarmsgroup@aol.com
Remember, any emails sent out to the community will go out as Blind Copies. Also: Matters of
great importance will still be mailed out from AMI.
 The Problems with Feeding the Wildlife

Most people assume that feeding a stray animal or giving the occasional duck a bit of bread is
helpful and even a fun activity however, it can make animals sick, or even kill them. The food
we put out for animals is often not in their natural diet, and is commonly unhealthy for them. The
tradition of feeding ducks bread is particularly bad. Bread can cause malnutrition in ducklings
and it can cause a condition called angel wing in ducks and geese, in which an overgrowth of
bone deforms the wings and leaves them unable to fly and thus vulnerable to predators.
Food that is not consumed by the wildlife you meant it for can attract pests, including rats and
mice. Leaving any food outside without being under constant supervision is likely to attract
rodents, ants and pests, not to mention the other scavenger animals that may be attracted to the
smell. These can infest your home and make it unsafe for children to play outside.
Animals that are being fed can become a nuisance. The droppings of ducks, geese, and pigeons
can, in excess, cause damage to outdoor art and even buildings. Deer that come to associate
humans with food may decide to also chow down on your garden, or may bring ticks (which
carry Lyme disease) in contact with humans. They may also eat plants which are toxic to them.
Coyotes will also follow deer into the neighborhood, or may eat pet food, and they have been
known to eat cats and small dogs that get out.

Page 13 of our Rules and Regulations Handbook states the following:

FEEDING OF ANY WILDLIFE IS FORBIDDEN – (Because it attracts rodents and
unwanted animals.)