When A Neighborhood Becomes Unfriendly
September 11, 2010
I’m going to start by stating my bias. I don’t have a lot of love for my current HOA board, especially some of the decisions that they make.
Many of the decisions appear to me – at least – to be self serving (this is where my bias comes in).
Take for example the latest decision by the board to install small custom made signs at the entrance of the community. These signs tell the viewer that they are not allowed to trespass, they are not allowed to fish and they are not allowed to loiter. The intention behind these signs is for the common area within our community, however the placement of these signs don’t suggest just that. The placement suggests that people can’t trespass on the city streets that run through our community (something which the HOA board has no control over).
This action by itself is not the reason for this post. This is just one of a few actions that the board has taken over the last couple of years that make me wonder if our HOA board didn’t get the message about (1) being good neighbors, or (2) being Texas-friendly.
About 8 years ago, the then board place soem very nice signs in the green belt that advised visitors that the area was private property and for the use of residents of Plantation Springs. Both signs were placed in an area that was noticeable. Of course, many people ignored this, and the infractions by non-Plantation Springs residents ate away at a couple of members of the board. So about a year ago, the board moved the signs to more “prominent” places, which were not prominent at all. One of these signs were almost deliberately nestled among the branches of the trees that lined the creek. I questioned the decision at the time, and was told that it was a great community project for a local boy scout troop. I guess that made it alright.
Then one of the signs got damaged, and the board advised that they would be repairing this and replacing this this sign. For months now, there has been a wooden pole sitting in the ground with no sign. The board were “working on it” advised the property manager when questioned a couple of months ago. Perhaps the tiny metal signs were the replacements. Questionable.
Did I mention that one board member actually attaches flyers to cars that park in the street to warn them that they are not welcome? Yeah, we are a real friendly bunch here.
And heaven forbid a racial minority were to move in! Especially someone from the Middle East! (that seems to currently be the most hated by the suburban over-zealous HOAs over Black or Hispanic).
Ironically, that would have been a reality in our neighborhood had our neighbor’s house sold. Somehow, I’m thinking our neighborhood is not as tolerant as it once was.