Even as scientists continue reminding us that Miami is one of the most susceptible cities to the potential damages of sea-level rise, developers continue erecting shiny luxury tower after shiny luxury tower in the areas most threatened by rising tides. So EMiami Condos, a website that tracks condo development in the city, put two and […]
Hancock Park HOA: The Drought, Our Trees, The Air We Breathe (CA)
Trees are essential to our very existence. Their power alone manifests as the air we breathe – so let’s not take them for granted! Now that we’re being asked to limit landscape watering, our good sense and the DWP are reminding us that we must still water our trees. Our trees provide shade that lowers […]
City of Chicago Adopts New “Cooling Ordinance”: What Do Chicago Community Associations Need to Know? (IL)
On June 22, 2022, the City of Chicago adopted a new ordinance commonly referred to as the “Cooling Ordinance”. The Cooling Ordinance modifies the cooling requirements for certain residential buildings, which does include condominium and community associations as well as residential cooperative high-rises that meet the building criteria Read the article……………………………
Building a Sustainable Condo Today Involves Designing for the Future
A graduate of my Sustainable Design course at Toronto Metropolitan University contacted me recently for advice. She is working for a real estate developer in the Niagara region of Ontario, about 30 miles west of the falls, building condominium apartments and townhouses. She asked me to review her proposal for the company’s sustainability initiative. […]
Researcher Warns About Sea Level Rise Impacting Buildings Like Champlain Towers South (FL)
Investigators continue to look into what was the official cause of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South nearly a year ago. A local researcher studying sea level rise told NBC 6 Investigators that saltwater intrusion may have played a role in damaging the foundations of the building. Read the entire article……………………………….
HOA responsible for erosion caused by negligent maintenance of lake vegetation (FL)
Q: About 60% of the homes in our HOA-governed community have property on the shore of lakes located entirely within the community. The HOA has long stressed controlling vegetation along the lake edge, with monthly spraying of emergent vegetation to keep the lawns looking very manicured. They’ve also been sold a bucket of fish – […]
‘It would be wildflowers’: Couple questions HOA’s rules governing lawncare, solar energy (PA)
Crouched in a grassy area outside her backyard fence, Hilari Hinnant proudly pointed out each individual plant in her two small gardens: black-eyed Susans, wild violets, yarrow, lamb’s ear, sedum and garlic. Read the entire article……………………………….
Hive mind: Birds and bees become haute amenities at NYC condo buildings (NY)
The latest spin on green amenities is landscaped areas with beehives that produce honey for residents and spaces that attract migratory birds. Read the entire article……………………………….
Rising Sea Levels Mean a Greater Likelihood of Flooding (FL)
It’s no doubt that global sea levels have been rising over the past century, and the rate has increased in recent decades. The Ocean Service estimates that in most areas, the rise is about one-eighth inch annually – a rate that barely noticeable from year to year, even for long-term coastal communities. Read the entire […]
Scottsdale homeowners push back against HOA plan to remove 670 trees from neighborhood (AZ)
The heat is on across the Valley, but things are a lot cooler in the Arcadia Community of SilverLeaf at DC Ranch in Scottsdale. Tom and Julie LaPorte want it to stay that way, but there’s no guarantee. Their HOA wants to remove hundreds of trees. Read the entire article……………………………….
Drainage Board approves Lakeview Estates contract (IN)
The Shelby County Drainage Board approved to use funding from the Lakeview Estates Maintenance Fund to pay a company to annually treat algae and other growth on the neighborhood’s lake. Read the entire article……………………………….
Grand Manor Condo owners still owed millions from Lowell, property remains contaminated (MA)
Any first-time homebuyer or young family moving to Lowell may think Grand Manor Condominiums are a steal. The affordable prices and idyllic neighborhood would be enough to pique anyone’s interest. But with a quick Google search, the condos quickly lose their luster. Read the entire article……………………………….
Starting May 1, sea level rise risks must be disclosed in all real estate transactions (HI)
Beginning Sunday May 1, all real estate transactions in Hawaii will be required to disclose sea level rise (SLR) risks to properties. The SLR mandate was enacted in 2021 by the State of Hawaii. Supplemental materials, including the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Report, and the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Viewer, have been used to […]
Co-op Boards Have a Word for the Climate Mobilization Act: Terrifying (NY)
A group of co-op board members have gone public with how they feel about the looming cost of the retrofits that will be required to bring their buildings into compliance with the Climate Mobilization Act (Local Law 97). They are, in a word, terrified. Read the entire article……………………………….
Natural drainage area creates flooding concerns for Shelby County neighborhoods (AL)
An elderly Shelby County is concerned about drainage and water issues. It’s something they never suspected when they bought their home a few years ago. Now they question why the city of Alabaster won’t do more to offer relief for their property and the neighborhood. Read the entire article……………………………….
FGCU Water School promotes pond management through HOA project (FL)
When residents at Fairwinds, a small homeowner association (HOA) in Bonita Springs, noticed the only stormwater pond within the community starting to erode at the edges, there was concern for the safety of the houses built close to the water. Read the entire article……………………………….
HOA plans to file damage claim against Florida Forest Service after Oyster Bay fire (FL)
It’s been a week since a prescribed burn got out of hand near Garcon Point in Milton, burning about 200 acres while narrowly avoiding homes. An email dated April 10 obtained by WKRG News 5 shows the Sea Pines neighborhood homeowners association plans to file damage claims against the Florida Forest Service’s insurance company. Read […]
Larkspur Creek neighbors closer to easing backyard buffer (CA)
Homeowners in a creekside neighborhood in Larkspur could soon get relief from an environmental constraint they say prevents them from enjoying their backyards. The restriction, a 50-yard creek setback, governs eight properties on Rose Lane. It was adopted to minimize storm runoff and erosion in Larkspur Creek, which runs behind the houses. Read the entire […]
Hollister Ranch: Will the Public Ever Have Access? (CA)
It was questions about the residents, their holdings, their guests, their water wells, their livestock, and other inquiries from coastal commissioners that led to the CEQA environmental report gambit and the missed deadline. The commissioners wanted information on present conditions at the ranch, but the residents — through the Hollister Ranch Owners Association attorney — […]
What to consider before ripping out your lawn
The grass lawn is as much a part of the lore of the American suburban dream as white picket fences and apple pies. But that page may be turning—some Americans are reconsidering why they continue to put money and time into this less-than-eco-friendly part of the home.Read the entire article……………………………….
Maui Condo Owners Want To Tax Themselves To Save Their Homes From Rising Seas (HI)
As sea levels rise due to climate change, one spot on Maui is particularly vulnerable: Kahana Bay. Hundreds of residents of this beachside community on the island’s northwest coast are trying to save their properties from collapsing into the sea, as happened to a home on Oahu’s North Shore in February. Kahana Bay residents formed […]
Whistleblower fired after reporting Bradenton condo mangroves were ‘filled in’ with waste (FL)
Palma Sola Harbour in Bradenton includes sweeping views of the bay, but mangroves on the border of the condo complex have allegedly been harmed with various types of solid waste. Read the entire article……………………………….
Whose lawn is it, anyway? (CO)
Nestled behind Willits along the Roaring Fork River is a charming subdivision known as River Oaks. In 2020, one of the riverfront homes sold for $2.2 million, according to the Compass listing. Had the Eagle County Department of Community Development followed a 1987 recommendation from the Colorado Geological Survey, the subdivision wouldn’t even exist. Read […]
California Wildfires’ Impact HOA Insurance
Severe weather and natural disasters have been a challenge for communities in different parts of California for decades, from droughts to earthquakes to wildfires. The state’s most recent wildfire season is putting pressure on insurance companies to cut back on coverage to homeowners. Read the entire article……………………………….
The Association’s Responsibility for Wildlife on the Property (FL)
As Floridians, we are familiar with various types of wildlife surrounding our neighborhoods. It’s not uncommon to spot feral cats and ducks while walking the dog, or large iguanas out on the golf course. And let’s not forget about the numerous alligators, as well as coyote and black bear sightings. As new communities develop and […]
A lesson from Surfside? Underground assault from sea-level rise puts coastal structures at risk (FL)
Subterranean assaults by rising seas on the ill-fated Champlain Towers South more than doubled over a 26-year period, according to a Florida International University study that measured how often water levels rose higher than the building’s basement floor. Read the entire article……………………………….
Engineers to remove water lilies from Northborough’s Solomon Pond (MA)
Environmental engineer Dominic Meringolo and SOLitude Lake Management were hired by the Pond View Homeowners Association in 2019 to survey and recommend management of vegetation in Solomon Pond. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Complex Elevation Going Smoothly (NJ)
A major project to elevate Ocean Aire Condominiums, a complex in Ocean City’s south end plagued by flooding for years, is underway and on track for completion by the spring. Read the entire article……………………………….
St Johns’s County proposes buying homes along Summer Haven beach, homeowners fight back against proposal (FL)
Homeowners in Summer Haven are asking the St John’s County board of commissioners to help prevent erosion along their beach and assist homeowners in maintaining their properties. A presentation from the home owners association on Tuesday to the board came after a commissioner proposed the county buy homes along the beach and allow the beach […]
Climate Change Time: It’s Five Minutes Till Midnight (NY)
I attended a year-end meeting with the president of a Manhattan cooperative and an outside engineer. In October, the engineer had informed the cooperative that under the Climate Mobilization Act, the building was likely facing massive annual fines beginning in 2030 if it did not undertake major energy-efficiency retrofits to reduce the building’s carbon emissions. […]
Toronto condo cut costs by reducing its waste (ON)
The superintendent of an east Toronto condo found a way to cut the building’s maintenance cost by getting residents to reduce waste. Princely Soundranayagam has taken the building form from nearly 30 dumpsters of garbage per week to one. Read the entire article……………………………….
Entire NJ Condo Complex Gets Lifted Amid Climate Change Floods
A 52-unit condominium complex at the Jersey Shore is being lifted 8 feet because climate change is flooding the area. NBC10 reporter Ted Greenberg talked to a scientist who said it’s the first of many such lifts expected in the future. View the news report………………………………….
Ruling clears way for DeBordieu to start groin project (SC)
A beach renourishment project will begin at DeBordieu this fall with construction of three rock and concrete groins to follow before spring. A state Administrative Law Court judge this week rejected a request from an environmental group to halt the work while it appeals the permits. Read the entire article……………………………….
Simple Ways An HOA Can Go Green
While there is continuing debate about global climate change, one related issue that all agree on is the need for better stewardship of the Earth. We all owe a debt of caring for our world. What better place to start than at home? While governments often move at a glacial pace to enact green policies, […]
HOA Initiatives to Build an Eco-Friendly Community Association
Environmental consciousness is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, and homeowners are even beginning to make purchasing decisions based on how green a property or community association is. To retain more residents and help reduce long-term costs, many Aurora, Colorado, HOAs are introducing initiatives that will help them be more eco-friendly. Read the entire article……………………………….
Camas residents urge city, HOA to settle lawsuit, restore area near Lacamas Lake (WA)
The city and state charged the Lacamas Shores Homeowners Association (HOA) with maintaining the biofilter and preventing the housing development from negatively impacting the water quality of the nearby Lacamas Lake. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Board Moves to Comply With Climate Mobilization Act (NY)
If you want to see how co-op and condo boards will comply with the looming limits on building carbon emissions under the Climate Mobilization Act, take a trip to the condominium tower at 400 Central Park West. Read the entire article……………………………….
Climate Change & Residential Communities – A New Reality Raises New Challenges
The reality of climate change is upon us. Weather patterns have changed, and seasons have been altered. We experience more intense heat, more frequent, destructive storms, wide-ranging wildfires, and more destructive cold. Tornadoes—the spawn of conflicting hot and cold air masses—touch down in places they were once almost unheard of. What was scientific prognostication only […]
Camas threatened with lawsuit over lake (WA)
City leaders say they have temporarily halted the committee’s activities after receiving notice last week that someone intends to sue the city, as well as the Lacamas Shores Homeowners Association over what he contends is a failure to maintain a biofilter on the shores of Lacamas Lake. Read the entire article……………………………….
Camas and Lacamas Shores HOA receive notice of citizens intent to sue via federal Clean Water Act (WA)
Steve Bang’s patience has finally run out. After seven years of discussions with the Lacamas Shores Homeowners Association (LSHOA), city of Camas staff, council members, and state representatives and agencies, Bang’s attorneys at Plauché & Carr LLP sent a notice of intent to sue for violating federal clean water standards. Read the entire article……………………………….
Grass wanted: Southeast Boise HOA threatens lawsuit over synthetic turf lawn (ID)
Two Southeast Boise homeowners are gearing up for a potential court fight over their front lawns, or a lack thereof. This spring, Ken Fox and Florian Penalva took stock of the drought and the long hours required to maintain a lawn during the summer months and decided to take a different tack. Read the entire […]
Sea rise under scrutiny in condo collapse
Scraped clean of tons of rubble late last month, the bare garage floor of Champlain Towers South appears to rule out at least one early suspect in its catastrophic collapse. There were no telltale signs of a sinkhole. Read the entire article……………………………….
Green Roofs Failing to Sprout on City’s Co-ops and Condos (NY)
In late 2019, city and state leaders boosted incentives for building owners who turn their rooftops green by installing gardens. Since then, according to the Department of Buildings, exactly 11 buildings have applied for the property-tax credit through April, Crain’s reports. That’s 11 applications, not approvals. Why the anemic response? Read the entire article……………………………….
Deal would make Lakewalk more accessible, enable residents to fight erosion (MN)
The proposed ordinance would grant the residents of an upscale waterfront housing development called the Ledges on Lake Superior access across city-owned land, providing a homeowners’ association with a perpetual easement, so that mutually acceptable erosion control measures can be implemented and maintained. The homeowners’ association would bear the cost of those shore-side improvements. Read […]
Tahoe Keys association working on water solutions (CA)
The Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association is working on multiple solutions to the neighborhood water issues. Last December, uranium was discovered in two of the communities’ wells and since then, the residents have had limited access to water. Read the entire article……………………………….
Golf thrives on the ocean’s edge. What happens when the oceans rise? (SC)
To walk along the 18th hole at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is to stand outside the lion’s cage. Nature’s awesome power is implied and understood, but from the safety of your perch, it is only there for you to gawk and marvel at. The Atlantic Ocean, visible from your raised ground just beyond […]
Elk Point bubble curtain protects against aquatic weeds (NV)
When Charles Jennings moved to Elk Point four years ago, he noticed thick green and brown plants dominating the bottom of the marina. The plants were knocked back last fall but could possibly return. Read the entire article……………………………….
A Keys Yacht Club Needed A New Roof — The Fix Disturbed A ‘Colony’ Of Protected Birds (FL)
One day last spring, a roofer arrived at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center with a bin containing chirping chicks and eggs, not such an unusual delivery for the center during nesting season. Read the entire article……………………………….
Hawaii ‘The Situation Is Critical’: Saving This Maui Beach Won’t Be Easy Or Cheap (HI)
Perched on Maui’s westernmost edge, nine condominium towers at Kahana Bay offer owners and guests a sweeping oceanfront panorama with distant views of Molokai and Lanai and an up-close seat to the seasonal parade of breaching humpback whales. But the tradeoff of this water’s edge location is the anticipatory dread of watching the sea steadily erode […]
Affluent Buyers Agree to Be Hobby Farmers at This Unusual Hawaiian Development
When buyers purchase new homes within the private Hawaiian community of Hokuli’a, they transform themselves into lady and gentlemen farmers, embracing the environmentally friendly traditions of the Big Island’s specially zoned Kona Field System—the largest, rain-fed agricultural region on Earth. Read the entire article……………………………….