OCTOBER 2023
TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL COURTS ARE OPEN!
As we are all very excited about the resurfacing of the tennis courts, and the addition of pickleball... we want to remind everyone that bikes, skates, skateboards, pets and other things of the like are not permitted in the courts.
**Parents, please help remind your kids of this too.**
We want to be able to enjoy the courts for as long as possible,
and ensuring that the facilities are used properly will help us extend the life of the courts.
Thank you for working together on this.
NOTE: New access code posted on resident's only page
TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL COURTS ARE OPEN!
As we are all very excited about the resurfacing of the tennis courts, and the addition of pickleball... we want to remind everyone that bikes, skates, skateboards, pets and other things of the like are not permitted in the courts.
**Parents, please help remind your kids of this too.**
We want to be able to enjoy the courts for as long as possible,
and ensuring that the facilities are used properly will help us extend the life of the courts.
Thank you for working together on this.
NOTE: New access code posted on resident's only page
JULY 2023
THE STONEHENGE PLAYGROUND IS OPEN!
Custom Recreation of Hendersonville completed the installation of our new Little Tikes playground piece on June 30. Bechmark Mulch of Murfreesboro delivered our new safety mulch on July 13.
All of the "Closed" signs and the "Caution" and "Danger" tapes on the new play structure and on the playground's gate have been removed.
The message board at the Franklin Road entrance was changed to a new message that informs everybody that the playground is now "Open".
This ends the 13-month saga that began on June 2 of last year when a large maple tree in the playground was felled by a storm. It has taken this long to remove the fallen tree, have a junk service remove the destroyed portion of the fence and the old damaged play structure, purchase and install new fence sections, locate a commercial playground equipment company, do the research on new equipment, meet with the sellers/installers, make a selection of a new piece, wait 5 months for the delivery/installation of the new piece, paint and refurbish all other metal playground pieces, and finally, deliver and spread the new mulch.
Lots and lots have gone on behind the scenes to get to where we are today. Your HOA board of directors is happy to be able to announce that the playground is now ready for all to enjoy!
JUNE 2023
Grounds Committee Update
written by Tom Spencer
TDOT Sod -- The sod on Franklin side of the subdivision's entrance is Fescue and was laid in cold weather. The sod on the Brentwood side of the subdivision's entrance is Bermuda and was laid in warm weather. The Fescue has survived and is growing. The Bermuda has died and is full of weeds. The board is working with TDOT, Jones Brothers Construction, and local authorities to attempt to have Fescue grass on both sides of our entrance. It is felt that our entrance will never have a proper appearance unless the grass on both sides is Fescue. This is an ongoing problem and is being addressed because it is delaying further landscaping of the Franklin Road Entrance.
Franklin Road Entrance -- On June 15, the G's Tree Company removed all old shrubs and trees from the landscaped areas, with the exception of two red maple trees. The other old shrubs and trees were not salvageable due to construction damage and the December 22 freeze. Landscaping companies have been interviewed and quotes for new landscaping have been obtained. At this time, the committee is evaluating the prospective companies. New landscaping is projected for mid to late October during the optimal planting season. An irrigation system for the new landscaping is also proposed that will include a new irrigation controller, a new backflow preventer, and all new pipes and valves.
Robert E. Lee Entrance -- On June 9, the G's Tree Company professionally pruned the crepe myrtle and removed 13 juniper stumps from the landscaped corner. A landscape company is preparing a quote for the leveling, edging, and mulching of this corner. Following that work, new landscaping boulders will be delivered and placed in this corner. A new bench was previously purchased and has been placed at this corner to provide seating.
Playground Repainting -- CertaPro Painters worked on June 14 and 15 to sand, prime, and repaint four existing playground pieces. This repainting project has been completed.
New Playground Equipment -- A new commercial-grade playground piece was ordered in January. Due to the manufacturer's production schedule, our new custom piece could not be delivered to the seller/installer, Custom Recreation of Hendersonville, until June. The seller/installer has informed us that the new equipment was delivered on June 14. Delivery and installation to Stonehenge are scheduled for June 26. Assembly and installation are estimated to require up to 6 days following the start of the work. A total of 24 holes that are 2-feet deep and filled with concrete will be dug for all the support posts of the new playground piece. This and many other safety requirements are required by ASTM F-1487, CPSC, CSA, and IPEMA regulations and standards.
New Playground Mulch -- New special-cut PlaySoft playground mulch is on order from Benchmark Mulch Company following the installation of the new playground piece. A minimum of three additional inches of mulch will be added once the new equipment installation is complete. Benchmark has Stonehenge on its schedule and will assign a delivery day once we notify them that we are ready.
Tennis Court Resurfacing -- Two tennis court companies have now been interviewed to obtain information and quotes for a resurfacing project. The two companies are located in Chattanooga and Memphis. No local resurfacing company could be found. The quotes include a new tennis playing surface, a new net, and Pickleball lines overlaid on each side of the court. This project is in the early stages and actual resurfacing would not happen until the fall due to the companies' full calendars.
Tennis Court Clean-Up -- A clean-up day has been scheduled for Saturday, June 24. Volunteers are sought to clean pine needles, leaves, and debris from around the fenced area. Rakes, brooms, blowers, and leaf bags are needed. Please look for more information on this clean-up project in the next few days. About one hour may be needed if there are volunteers. Please contact Lucy Bottorff to volunteer to help.
May 2023
Playground Update
Hello Neighbors;
We wanted to let you know about the status of the our new playground piece. Our new playground piece has been a priority item for months. It took the board quite a while and a good bit of research to find a new piece that would meet our needs. The board insisted that it be of "commercial" quality and not just a backyard piece. The board narrowed the search and decided on the Little Tykes brand after discussions with nearby daycare operators, the City of Brentwood's Parks Department, and others.
The distributor for Little Tykes, Mid-South Recreation, is located in Memphis. Their only local retail seller/installer, Custom Recreation, Inc., is located in Hendersonville. We had a representative of this company make a presentation to the board on January 10. The board evaluated the proposal from Custom Recreation, Inc. and placed an order for Stonehenge. We have been in the manufacturing queue since then.
Little Tykes equipment is not from stock. Each order is built per the customer's order. Our selection would be built for us on the manufacturer's timetable. We were also told that there were long production delays due to Covid and a shortage of qualified plant personnel. A first, we were told the interval between the order and the delivery/installation would be at least a year.
Our new piece is sized to fit our available space and has to conform to "safety zones" on all four sides. This somewhat dictated the size of equipment we could purchase. Because we could not purchase a large piece, we've been told our piece could be manufactured a bit quicker.
We've stayed in touch with Custom Recreation and the Memphis distributor, and we are working under their projection of a mid-June delivery and installation here, which will be about a 5-month interval between our order and the delivery/installation. We hope we can depend on the seller/installer's projected date and are not delayed any further.
Please be assured that when we are confident that we can depend on the delivery/installation date of our new piece, there will be ample fanfare and notification to all residents. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact any of the HOA Board Members.
November 2022
Grounds Committee Update
Completed Sign Work
Entrance Update 11-11-2022
There is a massive amount of information that's been accumulated about the Franklin Road and Robert E. Lee entrance projects. When we step back and look at it, there is just too much information to adequately cover it all, but there are a few things that the board wants everyone to know about our process and the limitations with which we had to comply:
A few things to know about the Franklin Road entrance
The new subdivision's sign is now under construction. Its look and size were determined by homeowner surveys and input. Its maximum size was governed by City ordinances. Per the ordinances, it could not be larger than 60 square feet in surface area. Our new sign is the maximum of 60 square feet in surface area. Its location was determined by TDOT right-of-way regulations, the City of Brentwood's Planning Commission, and the City's ordinances. The new sign could not be any closer to the TDOT right-of-way line than 10 feet. In addition, the City requires another 10-foot setback behind the TDOT right-of-way. The new sign is as close to these limits as possible. The height of the new sign is also governed by City ordinances. No subdivision sign can be more than 6 feet tall. Ours is a little more than 5 feet. As you drive through Brentwood, you will see subdivision signs that do not conform to the limitations described here. This is because Brentwood's ordinances change over time. The larger ones that you see were permissible at the time they were built, but would not be permitted today.
A few things to know about the Robert E. Lee landscaped corner
The HOA initially planned to build a smaller version of the Franklin Road sign in the landscaped corner at Robert E. Lee Drive and Dogwood Point. It was learned that every square foot of this common ground is within the City of Brentwood's right-of-way, plus the City's 10-foot setback behind the right-of-way. As a result, no permanent construction is permitted in this area, and that eliminated any opportunity to build a sign in this corner, or anything else "permanent" as well. The City is very firm about that. However, the City will allow the HOA to continue to landscape this area. The HOA proposed the addition of a few landscaping "boulders" and Codes could not specifically grant permission but stated that if we added a few boulders, it was unlikely that Codes would require us to remove them. So, landscaping boulders are being pursued along with a fresh landscaping look for this corner. This landscaping is proposed to be done at the same time as the landscaping of the entrance on Franklin Road. It is anticipated that the HOA may save money by bundling this work under a single contractor.
THE STONEHENGE PLAYGROUND IS OPEN!
Custom Recreation of Hendersonville completed the installation of our new Little Tikes playground piece on June 30. Bechmark Mulch of Murfreesboro delivered our new safety mulch on July 13.
All of the "Closed" signs and the "Caution" and "Danger" tapes on the new play structure and on the playground's gate have been removed.
The message board at the Franklin Road entrance was changed to a new message that informs everybody that the playground is now "Open".
This ends the 13-month saga that began on June 2 of last year when a large maple tree in the playground was felled by a storm. It has taken this long to remove the fallen tree, have a junk service remove the destroyed portion of the fence and the old damaged play structure, purchase and install new fence sections, locate a commercial playground equipment company, do the research on new equipment, meet with the sellers/installers, make a selection of a new piece, wait 5 months for the delivery/installation of the new piece, paint and refurbish all other metal playground pieces, and finally, deliver and spread the new mulch.
Lots and lots have gone on behind the scenes to get to where we are today. Your HOA board of directors is happy to be able to announce that the playground is now ready for all to enjoy!
JUNE 2023
Grounds Committee Update
written by Tom Spencer
TDOT Sod -- The sod on Franklin side of the subdivision's entrance is Fescue and was laid in cold weather. The sod on the Brentwood side of the subdivision's entrance is Bermuda and was laid in warm weather. The Fescue has survived and is growing. The Bermuda has died and is full of weeds. The board is working with TDOT, Jones Brothers Construction, and local authorities to attempt to have Fescue grass on both sides of our entrance. It is felt that our entrance will never have a proper appearance unless the grass on both sides is Fescue. This is an ongoing problem and is being addressed because it is delaying further landscaping of the Franklin Road Entrance.
Franklin Road Entrance -- On June 15, the G's Tree Company removed all old shrubs and trees from the landscaped areas, with the exception of two red maple trees. The other old shrubs and trees were not salvageable due to construction damage and the December 22 freeze. Landscaping companies have been interviewed and quotes for new landscaping have been obtained. At this time, the committee is evaluating the prospective companies. New landscaping is projected for mid to late October during the optimal planting season. An irrigation system for the new landscaping is also proposed that will include a new irrigation controller, a new backflow preventer, and all new pipes and valves.
Robert E. Lee Entrance -- On June 9, the G's Tree Company professionally pruned the crepe myrtle and removed 13 juniper stumps from the landscaped corner. A landscape company is preparing a quote for the leveling, edging, and mulching of this corner. Following that work, new landscaping boulders will be delivered and placed in this corner. A new bench was previously purchased and has been placed at this corner to provide seating.
Playground Repainting -- CertaPro Painters worked on June 14 and 15 to sand, prime, and repaint four existing playground pieces. This repainting project has been completed.
New Playground Equipment -- A new commercial-grade playground piece was ordered in January. Due to the manufacturer's production schedule, our new custom piece could not be delivered to the seller/installer, Custom Recreation of Hendersonville, until June. The seller/installer has informed us that the new equipment was delivered on June 14. Delivery and installation to Stonehenge are scheduled for June 26. Assembly and installation are estimated to require up to 6 days following the start of the work. A total of 24 holes that are 2-feet deep and filled with concrete will be dug for all the support posts of the new playground piece. This and many other safety requirements are required by ASTM F-1487, CPSC, CSA, and IPEMA regulations and standards.
New Playground Mulch -- New special-cut PlaySoft playground mulch is on order from Benchmark Mulch Company following the installation of the new playground piece. A minimum of three additional inches of mulch will be added once the new equipment installation is complete. Benchmark has Stonehenge on its schedule and will assign a delivery day once we notify them that we are ready.
Tennis Court Resurfacing -- Two tennis court companies have now been interviewed to obtain information and quotes for a resurfacing project. The two companies are located in Chattanooga and Memphis. No local resurfacing company could be found. The quotes include a new tennis playing surface, a new net, and Pickleball lines overlaid on each side of the court. This project is in the early stages and actual resurfacing would not happen until the fall due to the companies' full calendars.
Tennis Court Clean-Up -- A clean-up day has been scheduled for Saturday, June 24. Volunteers are sought to clean pine needles, leaves, and debris from around the fenced area. Rakes, brooms, blowers, and leaf bags are needed. Please look for more information on this clean-up project in the next few days. About one hour may be needed if there are volunteers. Please contact Lucy Bottorff to volunteer to help.
May 2023
Playground Update
Hello Neighbors;
We wanted to let you know about the status of the our new playground piece. Our new playground piece has been a priority item for months. It took the board quite a while and a good bit of research to find a new piece that would meet our needs. The board insisted that it be of "commercial" quality and not just a backyard piece. The board narrowed the search and decided on the Little Tykes brand after discussions with nearby daycare operators, the City of Brentwood's Parks Department, and others.
The distributor for Little Tykes, Mid-South Recreation, is located in Memphis. Their only local retail seller/installer, Custom Recreation, Inc., is located in Hendersonville. We had a representative of this company make a presentation to the board on January 10. The board evaluated the proposal from Custom Recreation, Inc. and placed an order for Stonehenge. We have been in the manufacturing queue since then.
Little Tykes equipment is not from stock. Each order is built per the customer's order. Our selection would be built for us on the manufacturer's timetable. We were also told that there were long production delays due to Covid and a shortage of qualified plant personnel. A first, we were told the interval between the order and the delivery/installation would be at least a year.
Our new piece is sized to fit our available space and has to conform to "safety zones" on all four sides. This somewhat dictated the size of equipment we could purchase. Because we could not purchase a large piece, we've been told our piece could be manufactured a bit quicker.
We've stayed in touch with Custom Recreation and the Memphis distributor, and we are working under their projection of a mid-June delivery and installation here, which will be about a 5-month interval between our order and the delivery/installation. We hope we can depend on the seller/installer's projected date and are not delayed any further.
Please be assured that when we are confident that we can depend on the delivery/installation date of our new piece, there will be ample fanfare and notification to all residents. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact any of the HOA Board Members.
November 2022
Grounds Committee Update
Completed Sign Work
- September 22 and 25 -- Stonehenge homeowners reviewed the proposed construction of the new Stonehenge sign, including the Brentwood Codes approved site plan, the sign's materials and colors, the size and dimensions, the location, and the nameplate inscription. There was very positive approval expressed by the homeowners during the two presentation days.
- October 7 -- The HOA signed a contract with Centurion Stone for the construction of the new Stonehenge sign based on the homeowners' survey input, the two presentation sessions, and the approval of the Brentwood Planning Commission of the HOA's site plan.
- October 8 -- Centurion ordered custom parts of the new sign, including the nameplate, pillar caps, and the selected stone for the facade.
- November 1 -- Centurion was on-site to mark the sign's exact location in accordance with the Brentwood Planning Commission's approved site plan.
- November 2 -- Centurion's workers dug the hole for the foundation and footer of the new sign.
- November 3 -- Centurion and Brentwood Codes Department personnel met on-site to inspect the foundation's hole, concrete forms, and installation of the concrete re-bar. Brentwood Codes approved the project to go forward.
- November 4 -- Centurion workers filled the footer with concrete and are allowing the weekend for the concrete to dry and cure before the next step.
- November 7 to 8 -- Centurion's workers plan to construct the concrete block interior of the sign.
- November 9 to 11 -- Centurion plans to install the custom Stonehenge nameplate.
- November 14 to 18 -- Centurion plans to install the sign's rock facade, the custom pillar caps, and the horizontal ledge connecting the two end pillars. When these tasks are completed, the new sign will be finished.
- A licensed electrical contractor has been selected to install 12-volt, low-voltage, in-ground lighting for the new sign. This contractor has also been selected to install household 110-volt wiring and receptacles on each side of the Ashby Drive entrance. This work is anticipated to closely follow the completion of the sign.
- Landscaping and design companies are being researched and evaluated to design and install new landscaping at the Franklin Road entrance and the Robert E. Lee/Dogwood Pointe landscaped corner. No selection of this contractor has been made at this time.
- Two reputable irrigation companies have been interviewed for the installation of an irrigation system at the Franklin Road entrance and quotes from these companies have been received for our evaluation. No selection of this contractor has been made at this time.
- Landscaping, then irrigation, will take place in the coming months as interviews and selections of contractors occur.
- The City of Brentwood's Water Department has recently restored the HOA's water meter at the entrance on Ashby Drive. The HOA's meter was disabled by the Water Department in about 2017 or 2018. The restoration of this service was necessary for access to water for the new irrigation system. The water used by this meter is only used for irrigation and is billed to the HOA at a lesser rate than household water because none of the irrigation water enters into the City's sewer system.
- The City of Brentwood's Water Department began the replacement of the aggregate concrete "school bus stop" at the intersection with Victoria Cove in the last week. This area was dug up during the Franklin Road project's construction to install a new water main into Stonehenge. The replacement of the school bus stop amenity has been delayed until the completion of the road construction at the subdivision's entrance.
- Jones Brothers Construction will soon re-install the stop sign and Ashby Drive street sign on our green post at the subdivision's entrance on Franklin Road. Work took place last week to shape this side of the entrance and the reinstallation of the Stonehenge post with the stop sign and street sign should occur soon. Doug McGee is storing the post and Tom Spencer is storing the stop sign/Ashby Drive street sign.
- Jones Brothers Construction continues to work on the new berm and will be completing the shaping of the berm along with other right-of-way finishing touches.
Entrance Update 11-11-2022
There is a massive amount of information that's been accumulated about the Franklin Road and Robert E. Lee entrance projects. When we step back and look at it, there is just too much information to adequately cover it all, but there are a few things that the board wants everyone to know about our process and the limitations with which we had to comply:
A few things to know about the Franklin Road entrance
The new subdivision's sign is now under construction. Its look and size were determined by homeowner surveys and input. Its maximum size was governed by City ordinances. Per the ordinances, it could not be larger than 60 square feet in surface area. Our new sign is the maximum of 60 square feet in surface area. Its location was determined by TDOT right-of-way regulations, the City of Brentwood's Planning Commission, and the City's ordinances. The new sign could not be any closer to the TDOT right-of-way line than 10 feet. In addition, the City requires another 10-foot setback behind the TDOT right-of-way. The new sign is as close to these limits as possible. The height of the new sign is also governed by City ordinances. No subdivision sign can be more than 6 feet tall. Ours is a little more than 5 feet. As you drive through Brentwood, you will see subdivision signs that do not conform to the limitations described here. This is because Brentwood's ordinances change over time. The larger ones that you see were permissible at the time they were built, but would not be permitted today.
A few things to know about the Robert E. Lee landscaped corner
The HOA initially planned to build a smaller version of the Franklin Road sign in the landscaped corner at Robert E. Lee Drive and Dogwood Point. It was learned that every square foot of this common ground is within the City of Brentwood's right-of-way, plus the City's 10-foot setback behind the right-of-way. As a result, no permanent construction is permitted in this area, and that eliminated any opportunity to build a sign in this corner, or anything else "permanent" as well. The City is very firm about that. However, the City will allow the HOA to continue to landscape this area. The HOA proposed the addition of a few landscaping "boulders" and Codes could not specifically grant permission but stated that if we added a few boulders, it was unlikely that Codes would require us to remove them. So, landscaping boulders are being pursued along with a fresh landscaping look for this corner. This landscaping is proposed to be done at the same time as the landscaping of the entrance on Franklin Road. It is anticipated that the HOA may save money by bundling this work under a single contractor.
September 2022
Check out the new berms and the clean entrance way. More details to come about a design for new sign and a new look for our entrance. Be watching! So exciting!
Check out the new berms and the clean entrance way. More details to come about a design for new sign and a new look for our entrance. Be watching! So exciting!
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AUGUST 2022
Grounds Committee Update
During the last two weeks, significant progress has been made by Jones Brothers Construction on the new Stonehenge berm and the area of the Brentwood side of our entrance on Franklin Road. The sculpting of the berm from the entrance to approximately Wikle Road has been completed and its appearance is complete. Before it was finalized, our mowing contractor inspected it twice for the degree of slope and the safety in mowing it. In the last week, the berm and the entrance area have been smoothed and sodded by the contractor. The sod was laid from the new curb to the edge of the construction easement. The remainder of the berm has been seeded, fertilized, and strawed.
Jones Brothers Construction is continuing with the berm's sculpting and shaping from the end of this finished berm section to the border of the Stonehenge property with the Shy-Redmond historic home.
The Grounds Committee has had several phone calls and meetings with stone companies concerning the construction of the new Stonehenge sign. Contacts with electricians and irrigation companies are also continuing in order to obtain quotes for these parts of the entrance's completion.
The Franklin side of the entrance will receive similar attention from Jones Brothers Construction until the entire entrance area, berm, and right-of-way on Franklin Road are completed according to the contract.
JULY 2022
The playground is now Open for all our families. Please do not let doggies play in the playground.
New equipment coming in the few months.
JUNE 2022
Please be aware that the Neighborhood Playground is closed due to storm damage. It is unsafe for our families to use until further notice.
JANUARY 2022
GROUNDS COMMITTEE UPDATE
The Grounds Committee and other interested homeowners had a meeting several weeks ago with Mr. Jeff Dobson, director of Brentwood Planning and Codes Department, concerning the Stonehenge entrances at Franklin Road and also at Robert E. Lee Lane. Mr. Dobson provided us with needed guidance on how to obtain City approval for our projects. We are in this phase of the project at this time where we are working toward meeting the requirements of Planning and Codes. We cannot begin any construction or move ahead with other phases until this approval is granted.
Franklin Road Entrance
No re-building can take place until all road construction at our entrance is complete. Once we have this assurance from the Jones Brothers contractor, we can begin to put all the pieces together. In the meantime, we can do preliminary planning and attempt to get past the step of obtaining the approvals of Brentwood's Planning and Codes before we get the green-light from the construction company. In this regard, Doug McGee recommended a draftsman who is now assisting us in producing the scaled map of our entrance that Planning and Codes requires. A first draft of the scaled map has been completed and sent to Planning and Codes for their review. It is anticipated that this first draft will need to be tweaked before Planning and Codes will give final approval, but we are encouraged that we are moving on this. Planning and Codes may also require scaled drawings of the proposed sign, and other views and drawings that may be necessary along the path to final approval. We are now in a waiting period to hear back from Planning and Codes concerning this first submission.
- A copy of the draftsman's scaled drawing of the entrance is attached to this email for your review. Scrolling may be needed to see the full attachment.
We have also used all homeowners' entrance surveys to come up with an example photograph of an entrance sign that closely resembles the majority of our homeowners' survey inputs. This is not the final design, but is a close example of what the residents' survey responses indicated they would like to build.
- A copy of this example photograph is also attached to this email for your review. Scrolling may be needed to see the full attachment
Franklin Road Berms
The berms' construction is separate and apart from the entrance construction. There has been recent work to shape the first phase of the berms, which is the area closest to the subdivision's entrance. The base material for the berm has been sculpted and covered with straw. The next step will be to move our stored piles of topsoil over the base material. Our contract calls for at least 6 inches of good topsoil to cover the entire berm to ensure good grass growth. It is uncertain when the topsoil spreading will occur, but it could be at any time without notice. The second phase of the berms will occur following the completion of this first phase. The second phase is from the picnic area to the Shy-Redmond historic house. There is drainage work now occurring in this area that will need to be completed before phase two of our berm can be addressed.
A group of board members and homeowners has walked the first phase and given approval to the shape and sculpting. The same opportunity will be given for inspection and review of the second phase at the appropriate time.
Many homeowners are aware of the fact that Stonehenge is receiving this $250,000 to $300,000 berm at no cost to us. Stonehenge negotiated a contract with Jones Brothers Construction Company to trade some of our common ground for the storage of excess material from the road project. This is a win-win arrangement for Stonehenge and for Jones Brothers. Without this arrangement, Stonehenge would not be able to afford this expensive improvement. All Stonehenge homeowners stand to gain from the vastly improved aesthetics of our Franklin Road frontage, the loud roadway sound mitigation and noise abatement, and from the increased property values resulting from having these improvements in place.
Robert E. Lee Lane Entrance
Planning and Codes did not have good news concerning the construction of an entrance sign on Robert E. Lee Lane. It was learned that the entire landscaped corner at this location is in the City's right-of-way and, as a result, no approval can be obtained to build a sign in this area. A sign is possible behind the City's right-of-way and the required 10-foot setback, but that would mean the sign would have to be at the edge of the woods and not in the landscaped area at all. This would seem to be unacceptable and seems to eliminate any chance of a sign approval for this location. However, this might not be bad news. The entrance survey responses showed that there were about as many homeowners who do not want a sign as there are those who do. The matter of signage at this location has been a contentious issue for quite a while. There are about as many REL/DP homeowners who are opposed to any signage as there are for it.
However, it is possible to refresh the landscaping in the HOA's landscaped corner, and Planning and Codes has told us verbally that they would not oppose us doing so even though this area is within their jurisdiction, and they could easily prevent us from doing anything new here. Loyce Hooker proposed a new and fresh look for this corner that consists mainly of mulch and medium-sized rocks. This proposal seems appealing because it is very-low maintenance, which is appropriate since there is not irrigation there for watering. Water is accessible across the street, but not on the side where the landscaping is located. Loyce's proposal also includes the retention of the large crepe myrtle tree in the landscaped corner, which a solid majority of the homeowners said in their surveys that they wanted to keep.
- A copy of a photograph of this example is also attached to this email for your review. Scrolling may be needed to see the full attachment.
NOVEMBER 2021
A group of committee members and homeowners met on November 17 to inspect and offer comments on the work that has been done on the first half of the Franklin Road berm. The base material has been sculpted and covered with straw. Pending the committee's approval of the sculpting, the stored mounds of topsoil will be used by the contractor to cover the berm's base material. All comments offered by the committee and homeowners were very positive. The topsoil cover on the berm's first half, and the work to shape the second half, will be done in the coming months.
The curbside area of TDOT right-of-way along the berm is undergoing the installation of storm water drainage pipes. Upon completion, this area will be covered with new sod and will join our berm area. The TDOT area adjoining our entrance will have topsoil added and will also be covered with sod.
Most all of the stone pillars at the subdivision entrance have been removed, with only two or three remaining. These, and the green fence posts, are to be removed by the contractor in the coming weeks, which will result in an entrance area that will ultimately become ready for the HOA to re-develop.
On November 22, a tree service contractor performed the removal of five dead trees on common grounds, the grinding of five stumps, the removal of numerous dead tree branches, and a clean-up of the wild honeysuckle and brush on the Dogwood Pointe cul de sac.
On November 27, the mowing and landscaping contractor mulched and cleared fallen leaves on REL/Dogwood Pointe, and in various landscaped corners and common ground areas in lower Stonehenge also.
SEPTEMBER 2021
Outline of Events for the Stonehenge Entrance Projects
(These events are planned but may be revised as circumstances may change during the course of the projects)
DESIGN PHASE
1. Professional Landscape Design Proposal
a. Locate a professional landscape architect firm(s)
b. Obtain and evaluate quote(s) for landscape design services
c. Obtain approval from the Board for the quote that best meets our needs
2. The professional landscape firm draws up as many as three landscaping options
3. Present the landscaping options to the full Board
4. Present these options to all homeowners through a series of meetings and presentations
a. Get homeowners’ input about each option’s design specifics and their preferences
b. Record this input and present it to the Board, along with all homeowners’ entrances survey data
5. The Board will use homeowners’ input and make the final choice of the project’s design plan
6. The professional landscape architect firm will draw the final plans
7. All required approvals and permits will be obtained from Brentwood’s Planning and Codes Department
CONSTRUCTION PHASE
8. The Grounds Committee will take steps to implement the Board’s approved, final design plan
a. Contractors will be identified and interviewed for the construction of the plan’s various segments
b. Contractors’ quotes will be obtained and choices will be made that best meet our needs
c. Contracts will be signed with the contractors selected to perform the work
d. The various contractors will be scheduled to perform their work in a coordinated manner:
- The new monuments will be built first (FR and REL/DP)
- The low-voltage for the monument lights and 110v wiring for other electrical uses will be installed second (FR entrance only)
- The new landscaping plants and trees will be installed third (FR and REL/DP)
- The irrigation system will be installed last (FR entrance only)
PAYMENTS PHASE
9. The Board will give the Grounds Committee approval to expend funds from the HOA’s Capstar Bank money market account for the Entrance Projects
10. Upon review and approval of all contractors’ invoices, the Treasurer will instruct DC Capital to pay each contractor from the HOA’s money market account at Capstar Bank
11. Throughout the construction phase of the project, the Treasurer will report to the Board the amounts and status of all payments to contractors. The reports will include all expenditures from the Capstar Bank account, the total of funds remaining in the account, and projections for any deficits or surpluses.
AUGUST 2021
GROUNDS COMMITTEE UPDATE
Volunteers from the Board took down and removed all the green fence rails on Friday, August 20. A chainsaw was used to cut the scrub growth on the Franklin side of the entrance. There were numerous passers-by during this work and all gave friendly waves and thumbs up in support of the entrance's clean-up in preparation for further work towards the rebuilding of the Franklin Road entrance.
The Grounds Committee has talked with our mowing and landscaping contractor about our entrance plans. The contractor has been asked to begin shaping up the entrance in preparation for our rebuilding efforts. Admittedly, we have let portions of this area go unattended while it has been under intense construction. Our plan is to gradually improve the conditions with each week-to-week mowing.
There is a narrow but deep trench that runs from Franklin Road to the large utility pole inside the entrance on the Brentwood side. This trench was for buried AT&T cables to reach the utility pole. Jeff Donegan believes that AT&T no longer needs this trench and will request Jones Brothers to fill it. This open trench represents a safety hazard and needs to be filled.
There is also a long, unused utility pole lying on the ground beside the trench. This belongs to MTEMC and Jeff Donegan will assist us in getting it removed from our property because it is in the space where the new entrance will be constructed.
Our new public Works director was contacted last Thursday with a request that the chipper truck pick up our cuttings and debris on Victoria Cove. He agreed and the piles were gone by Friday morning.
There is some very good news from the superintendent of Jones Brothers Construction. He and Jeff Donegan stopped by on Friday and reported that Jones Brothers would be removing the green fence posts and the stone columns for us (without charge) in the next few weeks. That will give us a "clean slate" with which to work as plans are drawn up for the rebuilding of the entrance.
The Grounds Committee has made preliminary contact with the Heibert and Ball Landscaping Architect company of Franklin concerning a quote for their professional landscaping design services. A staff architect came to meet with us last Thursday to discuss our needs and we walked the area at the front entrance. He then went to look at, and photograph, the REL space. According to him, we could have a quote for their professional services within one to two weeks. When received, the Grounds Committee will present this quote to the full Board for discussion and acceptance. If the Board accepts the quote, Stonehenge could have a set of professional architectural drawings available in September or October.
JUNE 2021
Franklin Road Update
An update from Tom Spencer as of June 18
Work on Franklin Road was suspended by TDOT rules for the Memorial Day weekend. Since then, work has been very slow and has been negatively impacted by the contractor (Jones Brothers Construction) being required to shift men and machinery to another nearby TDOT project.
Our Brentwood commissioner, Ken Travis, noticed the absence of any meaningful progress and consulted with Jeff Donegan, Brentwood's project consultant, to research the cause. Ken Travis has written a strong letter to our Tennessee congressman, Mark Green, imploring him to put pressure on TDOT to devote the contractor's resources to the Franklin Road project and move it toward completion.
We have also learned from Jeff Donegan that Jones Brothers paving equipment has been moved to another Jones Brothers project and that project has fallen behind schedule. The paving equipment will return to the Franklin Road project as soon as possible but no firm date has been given. One of the first paving tasks when the equipment returns will be the paving of Stonehenge's entrance and its connection to new pavement on Franklin Road. Once the new pavement is in place, traffic will soon be shifted to this new pavement so that major project work can commence on the side of Franklin Road opposite Stonehenge.
MAY 2021
Meeting on May 17 regarding Entrance Way
A meeting with Brentwood's liaison, Jeff Donegan, was held on May 17 at the home of Tom and Brenda Spencer to discuss the Franklin Road entrance to Stonehenge with all homeowners who could attend. Jeff also introduced a new Brentwood projects manager, Darek Baskin, to those attending this meeting.
* Jeff Donegan was on hand to answer homeowners' questions and to show an engineer's drawing of the Stonehenge entrance's dimensions. The drawing shows an overlay of both the old dimensions and the new dimensions. This drawing is attached to this email.
* The actual width of the new entrance will be wider than before, but it appears smaller now due to the optics and not having black asphalt on the ground and attached to the new road's asphalt. Once it is paved, it will look wider.
* The old width was 24 feet. The new width is 26 feet. In addition, there are 2 feet of concrete curbs on each side, adding another 4 feet. There is also a 6-inch high back that stands above the flat concrete portion of the curb.
* The new curbs now hold the drain openings for stormwater. There are 4 drains in the curbs on each side of the entrance. These can be driven on, unlike the 2 old storm drains that could not be driven on, which will add to the entrance's width.
* Buried beneath all storm drains is a huge concrete catch basin that weighs thousands of pounds. Moving the newly installed curbs even by a few inches would require moving all 4 huge catch basins too, at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars.
* Homeowners attending the meeting were in favor of having a center stripe at the entrance to define the incoming and outgoing lanes. More input from all residents is requested concerning a center stripe.
* Within another month, Stonehenge should see the new entrance paved with a base coat of asphalt. We will drive on this base coat for several months. A second base coat will be applied later, and the final top coat will be applied near the project's end.
* Also within the next month, the contractor will shift traffic to the Stonehenge side of Franklin Road in the portion of the new roadway adjacent to us. This is to allow major filling, retaining walls, and preparation for the walking/bike trail on the side opposite from Stonehenge.
* The Franklin Road Project is expected to be finished in 2022.
* There will not be a traffic light at our entrance because the Federal and TDOT regulations do not allow it.
* The Stonehenge berm will be shaped, sowed, fertilized, strawed, and established under a contract between Jones Brothers Construction and the Stonehenge HOA at no cost to Stonehenge, although such a berm might cost $200,000 to $250,000 if Stonehenge had to bear the full cost. The berm will be shaped in the coming months, and in the Jones Brothers' construction schedule. The new berm will make Stonehenge far more aesthetically appealing, and will provide sound protection for the entire neighborhood. The berms at Vanderbilt Legends Golf Club are the models for Stonehenge's new berm.
* The new curb along Stonehenge's entire frontage with Franklin Road will actually be only 3 feet into Stonehenge more than the old road's edge. Stonehenge lost only a minimal amount of frontage, and this was due to TDOT having to engineer the new road around the historic Shy-Redmond home.
Thank you all for the great comments and all your concerns regarding this matter. Also, thank you for reaching out to the Commissioners and to the City Manager. Our voices have been heard.
If you have any further questions and comments, please contact Lori Locke at email Lori.lyn.locke@gmail.com or Tom Spencer at email Spencer2@comcast.net
Entrance Way & Landscaping Update
An update from Tom Spencer on May 11
As you may have noticed, Stonehenge's entrance had its curbs partially poured yesterday. At this time, you can now see the outline of the curvature at Franklin Road. More base material has to be delivered to finish tying the new curbs to our existing curbs. That should happen within a week, according to the contractor. We should also see new, base asphalt put down along Franklin Road and into our entrance, again within about a week according to the contractor. This will allow ingress and egress to Stonehenge on pavement as opposed to the crushed gravel of the past couple of weeks.
Within a short time, we should see the Franklin Road traffic moved over to our side of the new road. This will allow the contractor to begin work on the opposite side where new retaining walls, road base, and walking/bike path base must be constructed.
Concerning our landscaping, the HOA board will be meeting with the mulch company one day this week to do new measurements and obtain a quote for new mulching of our landscaped beds. We do not plan to include new mulch for the landscaping at the entrance because it will not withstand the ongoing construction phases. There are funds in our 2021 budget for mulching and the board will attempt to stay within the budget, but won't know the price until we meet with the mulch company and new measurements are made. The Board will report again with prices and potential installation dates as soon as we have them.
March 2021
Entrance Update regarding trees
An update from Tom Spencer on March 26
On March 26, Middle Tennessee Electric removed the two oak trees on the Franklin side of Stonehenge's entrance on Franklin Road. These two trees were badly damaged by the road construction project and misshapen from years of right-of-way clearance for the power lines. Neither tree was expected to survive or be an attractive part of Stonehenge's new entrance. The removal of these trees and their stumps will allow for a new landscaping plan for the entrance. As a part of Middle Tennessee Electric's tree program, these two trees were removed at no cost to Stonehenge. Middle Tennessee Electric will also provide new replacement trees at no cost. The replacement trees will be planted at the appropriate time in the reconstruction of our entrance
Entrance & Survey Update
An update from Tom Spencer on March 2
The two surveys concerning our Franklin Road and Robert E Lee/Dogwood Point entrances have been out for completion by our homeowners since late last year. Our plan has been to collect homeowners' surveys through the end of February and then to tabulate the results. This has been done over the past several days and contains the responses received through February 28, 2021. There have been a total of 65 surveys submitted by homeowners. Of these, 40 are for Franklin Road, and 25 are for REL/DP. At the present time, 44.2 percent of Stonehenge's homeowners have shared their choices by submitting their surveys. It is hoped that many more will respond SOON so that their input can be included in the formulation of the plans before employing a landscape architect to draft plans.
- It is proposed to have a professional landscape architect create as many as three options for Franklin Road and three for REL/DP. These would be presented first to the Board for review and consideration. The Board could ask for revised options from the architect using input from homeowners' surveys until workable and acceptable options are determined.
- Following the Board's review and approval, these options will be presented to Stonehenge homeowners. This is currently proposed to be done in a series of COVID-compliant presentations of the various architectural options in outdoor settings over a period of days. The presentations are proposed to be in a drop-by format between set hours, for example, 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., or 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., or 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., or other variations that are appropriate to meet homeowners' needs. All presentation periods would be manned by Board members to explain the options and answer all homeowners' questions.
- At the conclusion of this process, and with the architect's plans and the homeowners' input, the Board would make the decision on the final plan from the options available.
February 2021
Franklin Road Project Update
An update on February 25 from Tom Spencer
Jeff D visited with Tom yesterday, Feb 25th and gave a brief update about the latest happenings. Jeff states that things were at a halt all last week due to the weather, but are now moving again. There was a flurry of activity at the entrance this morning with subcontractor, Martin Construction. They are moving a gas line and hope to complete that work sometime next week. When Martin, completes the gas line work, they will repair our recently-installed conduits before closing the holes on both sides of our entrance. Tom as asked Martin Construction to place steel stakes on each side of our entrance to mark the ends of the conduit, so they will be easy to find when we need to access the ends in a few months. Please continue to be careful driving thru this area and watch for traffic coming both ways.
JANUARY 2021
Franklin Road Project Update
An update on January 21 from Tom Spencer
The most current projected completion date is spring or early summer of 2022. Jeff Donegan says Jones Brothers Construction is now making good progress, and we can see this by curbs being poured along the new roadway's edges. Jeff says that soon the contractor will move traffic to our side of the road in some stretches so that needed work can be done on the far side. Jeff says that we will be driving on the new road surface well ahead of the project's completion date. The last several months of this multi-year project will be spent on the walking/bike path on the far side and the completion of the right-of-ways on both sides.
Of particular importance to Stonehenge is the pouring of the curbs at our entrance. Once the curbs are in place, we will know exactly where our boundaries and setbacks are and where we can landscape and build. This will allow us to begin designing for new landscaping and a new sign. However, we may not be able to build immediately until we are sure that any further construction activity will not endanger or damage any new landscaping, water, electric, or sign that we want to build. There will come a time when the "coast is clear" for us to begin to construct. That time is not known right now.
Currently, we are working with Martin Construction, a Jones Brothers' subcontractor, to settle a claim for damages to two of our large pin oaks at the entrance that Martin's negligence caused severe damage to. The root systems were severed and the trunks of these two trees were damaged by Martin's equipment. These two large, 48-year old trees are not expected to live and are irreplaceable with anything of their size. Martin Construction also cut into our pines on the Franklin side beyond the legal right-of-way and damaged them. And, Martin Construction was moving a large piece of pipe recently and destroyed one of our stone columns. Jeff advised that we make a claim for damages. This is being pursued on Stonehenge's behalf.
DECEMBER 2020
Stonehenge Entrance Update
An update on December 11th from Tom Spencer:
In talking to Jeff Donegan on December 10th, he informed me that yesterday's paving was to cover the multiple trenches across our entrance that were needed to bury various pipes that cross it. While these trenches were open a few weeks back, Jeff, Scott Bartelsen, and I bought 100 feet of 3-inch diameter conduit from Home Depot, including several 90-degree bends, caps, pipe cement, etc., and brought it here using Scott's trailer. Using these materials, we worked with the contractor to install two, 50-foot conduits in the open trench that will remain underground until the time when we need to run water and electricity from the Brentwood side to the Franklin side of the entrance. By procuring these materials ourselves, using Scott's trailer for delivery, our labor, and the cooperation of the road contractor, we were able to install these conduits at the lowest cost possible, which was under $500.00. The purchase of these materials came from this year's operating budget and not from our earmarked Capstar funds for entrance construction.
Jeff has told me that the winter paving of our entrance will occur in two phases. Yesterday's paving was primarily to put a base cover on the trenches. Jeff hopes the full paving will occur today, or at least in the next several days. According to Jeff, the weather must be reasonably warm so that the hot asphalt will not get too cold to use as it is transported from the asphalt plant to the job site. If it cools too much in transportation, it will crumble and not produce a stable surface. So, this paving is weather-dependent.
Again, this paving is for the winter. It will be removed and replaced with a permanent surface at the appropriate point in the project.