Residents often chat with the Deadheaders when they see us working on landscaping projects around the community. Occasionally residents ask us if we could clean up landscaping in their neighborhood. Our response usually depends on the location. The Deadheaders mainly work on Common Grounds areas and only under special circumstances take on assignments on the golf course or on HOA or Condo Association property.
The parts of Country Creek managed by Common Grounds include the entrances, all cul-de-sacs, peninsulas, swales, as well as the clubhouse, parking lots, fern garden, swimming pools, bocce and tennis courts. In addition, the bushes and trees along Country Creek Drive are considered part of Common Grounds.
Residents who live in a house, villa or condo should submit an ARC form to request landscaping changes to their property. This form can be downloaded from the Villages at Country Creek website. Completed forms are sent to the Architectural Review Committee and/or Common Grounds Committee and typically reviewed and a decision made within two-three business days.
If residents want to request changes to the landscaping in Common Grounds areas, they should download and complete the Resident Input form, also available on the Villages at Country Creek website. This form can be used, for example, to report overgrown hedges blocking sight lines at a traffic intersection or a damaged tree. Requests are reviewed by the Common Grounds Committee, which has the authority to allocate funds and hire contractors to fix the problem.
If the problem is minor and easily remedied, the Common Grounds committee may ask the Deadheaders to take on the project. So far this year, the Deadheaders have handled assignments ranging from clearing debris from the swales to removing dead hedges along Country Creek Drive, and pulling weeds and vines from overgrown shrubs at multiple sites.
VCC spends thousands of dollars each year addressing landscaping issues and the Common Grounds Committee requests that residents please not add to those costs by planting in Common Grounds areas. For instance, our community has paid hundreds of dollars to remove pine trees planted on Common Grounds by residents. Once tiny trees must be removed when they grow to 20-foot hazards that are easily snapped or uprooted by hurricane force winds.
If the landscaping issue is on Common Grounds and due to shoddy maintenance, an email to VCC General Manager Sharon Pisanchyn can usually fix the problem. Sharon knows all the contractors and the terms of their contracts and landscapers are quick to respond when she forwards resident complaints. You should attach a photo showing the problem to your email and specify its location in your complaint. If the landscaping issue is on HOA or Condo Association land, however, the complaint must be handled by the relevant HOA or condo board.
