How Do Trees Affect My Property or Community Association (HOA)?
This is what we do. We manage property. This means a full day of work. In this video we can see what recent wind and storms can do to a community with rain and tree cleanup.
A Tree Policy?
If you are a board member for an association, mother nature can be harsh on your Association but it doesn't have to be harsh on your budget.
Benefits of Trees
There are a lot of benefits to trees. They provide shade and can block unsightly areas or peering eyes from the neighbors. They can visually break up the space and add comfort to those hot summer days. They provide food for squirrels, birds and even pollen for bees. Flowering trees are crucial to local bee communities.
Some Considerations for Trees
Although there are many benefits to adding trees to your landscaping, they can also pose some problems. Every year, depending on the type of tree, we might see a need for spring and fall gutter cleaning services for single or two-story communities. Certain tree types can give off quite a bit of fall-off in terms of leaves or seeds. Maples generate thousands of "whirley birds" and Honey Locust produce large seed pods. Depending on your zone, taking consideration of the life-cycle of a tree and what it produces between seasons can add costs to your budget.
Additionally, when a storm front comes through, trees can give to strong winds and we can sometimes see limbs break and fall, or even entire trees topple over. Whatever is under the tree can be seriously impacted by this event.
What Can You Do As A Board Member?
As a board member, one consideration is to implement a policy when replacing trees within 50 feet of any structure to consider trees that grow only to 25-30 feet tall. This would minimize gutter cleaning services and damage to permanent structures. There are many ornamental trees that look beautiful in spring and fall and the larger trees can be placed in more open areas, minimizing their affect on permanent structures should something go wrong.
Here is an article from Better Homes & Gardens entitled 19 Small Trees for Front Yards That Explode with Color
Are you a community board member in the Chicagoland area of Illinois? If you have any questions or are looking for a Community Association Manager, call us here at PMI Service Group. 630-912-8742
