After such a harsh winter, I am glad, as I am sure you are, to be welcoming the warm seasons. With the onset of the warm weather, several projects have started, and changes are occurring. I would like to take this opportunity to keep you advised of what we are doing here at the property.

We are very busy getting ready for the summer season. We had a professional landscape designer review our property, situations and soil to determine optimum planting conditions and design of flowers. Our flowers will be planted throughout the property during the week of May 12th. This will be 3 days before "frostline" (the safe date for ensuring frost free conditions in our area) but the weather reports are favorable, so we will begin.

Our Spring cleaning is well under way, especially at the pool areas, as we get ready for our outdoor pool opening on Memorial Day Weekend. We have just finished sandblasting the pool, and will be resurfacing it in the days to come. We are doing some required electrical upgrades this week as well. During the winter, the Spa Committee and Management proposed some changes to the rules and regulations that govern the spa and tennis courts. These rules were proposed to and adopted by the Board of Directors. One of the most important issues that kept coming up was the use of our facility by persons who are entitled to be there. We will be watching closely this year to ensure that only residents who live at the property, and their guests are enjoying the facility. Security will be in the spa during peak hours to help our personnel manage the entry to the spa. Please take a moment to read the attached rules.

The warm weather brings out all of nature's creations, including pests. We have been working to eradicate the pigeon problem, and are finally starting to hear of some success from our residents and our exterminator. We are using cracked corn as bait, laced with a medication that makes pigeons a bit "neurotic." The pigeons begin to associate their neurosis with the food source and the flock begins to break up as they leave the building, looking for a new source of food. Once started, pigeon control must be (and will be) continued on an ongoing basis or the flock will return.

After 6 months of intensive investigation, research and consultation with our engineers, the repairs to the "berm"/giant planter areas were designed. The sealed bids came back ranging from $477,000 to over $1,000,000. I am pleased to advise you that Quality Building Contractors, Inc. a Siplast certified contractor, (we have a Siplast system now) will be doing the waterproofing work in our berms beginning May 12th. We are committed to causing the least amount of disruption to your routine as possible, and we are going to try to keep the plaza open as much as we can, but there will be barricades throughout the area. There will be times, when the driveway will need to be closed. We will try to limit those occurrences, and the inconveniences that may be caused by the work.

Now that the warmer weather has arrived, we are going to look at the waterproofing work that was done in the upper plaza area by Flag Waterproofing and Restoration, Inc.. Flag's owner and President has agreed to do some water testing work to ensure that the work that was done in the plaza was done properly, and has guaranteed to us that he will make any necessary repairs, if required. We continue to have a good working relationship with Flag and are all pleased to see that this contractor has indicated his willingness to honor his warranty, if needed.

Our cooling tower has outlived its useful life after almost 30 years. It worked long and hard, but it is time for a new one. The new cooling tower replacement has been approved by the engineers. We are reviewing our installation options with the Mechanical Engineer and now that we have chosen the model that we will be installing, we will be putting the installation process out to bid.

Most notable, perhaps, is the fact that our exterior envelope engineer has finished the survey. His findings were in line with expectations and we have a lot of work ahead of us. The Board has reviewed the findings, and has directed the engineer to begin writing the specifications that will be needed to make the repair. The engineer has recommended that the Board consider the installation of new windows at this time, and the Board has directed that the installation of new windows be provided for in the specifications that are written.

In the very near future, you will see changes and improvements to the protective bridging around the property. In keeping with the recommendations of our site safety consultants, we are closing off certain areas to the public for safety reasons. One of those areas is the lawn area on the south side of the indoor pool.

Finally, many residents have forgotten the rules pertaining to disposal of large items. Regular trash goes down the compactor chute. If you have a large item that is too big for the chute, you can leave it outside your door, but you MUST call the Concierge who will arrange for prompt pick up of the item. Please be considerate by following this rule.

I wish you a healthy and happy summer season.

Susan Fitzpatrick

General Manager