Magenta Grove Update
Over the past weeks, both the residents' committee and some residents of Magenta Grove, have been in talks with Waterford City Council and the architect of the development at Grange Heights regarding the temporary road development across the green area at Magenta Grove.
Over a series of meetings where fears of the residents of the estate were conveyed and the resultant problems caused by this development outlined, a deal has been brokered whereby the best outcome is sought for all concerned.
It was outlined at the meetings that the residents of Grange Manor had no desire to delay the development at Grange Heights, nor did they hold any responsibility to the applicants of the development nor the architect of the development.
The following set of agreements has been reached:
1) A set of rules, ensuring strict adherence to health and safety considerations, strict times for trucks to enter the estate, and liaisons with the residents regarding on-going works has been agreed with the council and the representative of the developer.
2) The re-instatement of the green area is set to commence in the week of the 9th July 2010. The residents have been given assurances that this will be done to a high standard and should there be concern or substandard work done, the council have assured a proper reinstatement of the green area will be performed.
3) The licence granted to the developer provides for regular street sweeping to take place, to ensure the cleanliness of the estate roads.
4) A protective fence will be erected, blocking off the temporary roadway, secured so as to prevent toppling and unauthorised access to the site.
5) The proposed fencing will close off the top section of the green completely and the grass beyond will be maintained by the contractor.
6) An agreement was reached that good quality materials would be used to reinstate the green area after the road has served its purpose.
7) An agreement was reached that the current drainage problem, as a result of the road, will be corrected A.S.A.P. after construction is allowed to recommence.
8 ) An agreement was reached that the council will never grant a licence again for such disruption of the green areas in Grange Manor, barring any essential maintenance that would otherwise cause significant disruption to residents, e.g. broken pipes, etc.
9) An agreement was reached that upon reinstatement of the green the council will make a compensatory contribution to the green area, helping to provide some extra trees to restore its beauty and also to help return it to its properly maintained state.
10) An apology for the disruption will be issued to the residents, for not consulting them prior to granting of the licence.
The residents' committee is providing this information to the residents so that as many people as possible are aware of what has happened and that proper representation was made, to ensure that the residents of the estate were acknowledged for their suffering and that a best possible outcome could be achieved for all parties. The residents' committee has to respond to the council by Thursday 15th April 2010, accepting the proposals. If you have a strict objection/concern regarding any of the proposals then please e-mail us on residents_at_grangemanor_dot_org and let us know by Wednesday night, April 14th so that we have time to put them to the council.
2009 and Things to do
2009 is well under way and with Spring fast approaching we all need to make sure that we get on top of the estate management issues. The most pressing matter to tackle is that of keeping the shared grassy areas of the estate cut and not to let them get out of hand. We have been lucky so far with the weather being cold and little growth in the grass. However, the weather is getting warmer now and we need to put in place, a contract with a landscaper to cut the grass on a regular basis. As such members of the resident's committee will soon be doing a door to door collection to gather funds for this important task. We ask all residents to be understanding and that maintenance of the estate is a shared problem that we will all tackle together. If everyone agrees to help out then the cost per home will be very small indeed. Let's keep our estate looking at its best!
Committee Meeting 21st October
On the 21st of October a meeting of the newly formed committee was held. At this meeting the committee positions for the coming year were formalised and an agenda for pressing items was drawn up. The most pressing item is currently to organise a grass cutting service for the estate for 2009. The committee are currently investigating options for this service and will be notifying residents of the need to collect money to pay for this service in the near future. The appearance of the entire estate is at risk if a service is not secured and there is a responsibility upon every resident to ensure that the estate is maintained as best possible to ensure that quality of life, house prices and other aspects are not affected by run down common areas. A newsletter will be circulated to the residents in the coming weeks.
EGM September 2008
On Monday September 15th 2008, an emergency general meeting of the Grange Manor Residents Association was held in the community hall of the Sacred Heart Church. The meeting was attended by a large number of residents who responded to the flyer circulated to all houses in the estate, the previous week.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the handover of the estate by the builder to the city council and the responsibilities that now lie with the residents of the estate. The biggest issue associated with the handover is that grass cutting and weed control within the estate will soon stop and become the responsibility of the residents. Various options were suggested at the meeting as to how funds can be raised for this task and a decision will be made in the near future. However, it was noted that all residents have a responsibility to contribute towards the upkeep of the estate and the amount of money required to hire a landscaping company to take care of the grass cutting equates to very little per house if everyone contributes.
The meeting also saw the election of a new committee for the Residents Association and the departure of some long-serving members. Appreciation is due to those who have contributed time and effort throughout the years and helped to keep the association active. Also, new members of the committee were welcomed and a very positive show of interest was noted for the future upkeep of the estate.