News and Notices
A huge thank you to the Social Club for hosting the Chinese New Year celebration! It was a great success…delicious Chinese food, lots of laughter and beautiful decorations that perfectly set the mood. Your efforts in bringing everyone together are truly appreciated. Looking forward to the next event!
With the help of Puddle Pool, the Council is working to identify the source of the hot tub leak. Puddle Pool used a Leak Detection Hydrophone and only heard a leak in the skimmer drain that runs under the spa deck. This is not as ominous as it sounds, because we can run our hot tub without a skimmer. The skimmer drains were plugged in hopes that it was the only issue. As a result, the leak decreased from 4 inches per day to 2 1/2 inches, so further investigation will be done this week. The next step is testing the integrity of the hot tub wall. We are hoping it may be leaks in the grouting throughout the tub that is the additional cause of the water loss. We will keep you informed.
We ask that Owners provide their visitors with a notice to place on their dashboard to identify the Unit they are visiting. If you are a resident parking in a visitor area, ensure your vehicle has a notice on the dashboard with your Unit number. The Council will issue a warning and then two fines before towing a vehicle. If we cannot identify the Owner of a vehicle, issuing fines becomes difficult. In such cases, we will leave a warning on the dashboard of the unidentified vehicle stating it will be towed on a specified date if it is not moved.
Coventry Woods has 94 Units but only 29 visitor parking spaces that we need to shared among residents and their guests..
the garage of their unit rather than on common property such as aprons or
visitor parking. Strata Lots 1 through 4 (Units 71 through 74) are exempt
from this bylaw, in that an owner, tenant, or occupant may park on their
garage apron but not visitor parking.
11 (3) Residents must not park in those areas designated visitor parking
between the hours of 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM. Residents may use visitor
parking during the hours of 9:00 PM and 9:00 AM.
11 (4) Visitor parking shall only be permitted in designated spaces. Visitors parking
over night must display on their dashboard, A Coventry Woods Visitor Pass
or a note, in large print, stating “I am a visitor to Unit # ___” and shall not
park overnight in excess of 5 consecutive nights without the approval of the
Council.
11 (5) Vehicles parked in violation of subsections (3) and (4) shall be towed at the
owner’s expense.
Unfortunately, the Spa is losing a significant amount of water. Puddle Pool Services has been consulted and will assess the source of the leak this coming week. They use an Acoustic Leak Detection device, which can accurately detect leaks under cement decking, and is less expensive than other detection methods. Once we have the results of the test and repairs needed, we will send a notice to keep everyone informed.
• On January 22nd, Lions Gate Garage Doors started the replacement of the 26 wooden garage doors (approved at the AGM in November 2024 and funded from the Contingency Reserve Fund) with the installation of 4 garage doors that were in stock at the local supplier. The balance of 22 doors are on order and should be here in approximately 3 weeks. Installation will be scheduled as soon as possible after arrival.
• The majority of the installation of replacement garage door seals was scheduled and completed at 37 Units on January 30th and 31st (seals approved at the Special General Meeting in August 2024 and funded from Special Levy 3). There are still a few Units to do that couldn’t be scheduled. They will be completed in approximately 3 weeks when the balance of the garage door replacements are done.
• 10 Owners who opted in to have the exterior perimeter trim installed (Owner funded) also had it scheduled and completed on January 30th and 31st. The balance of the exterior perimeter trim installation will also be completed in approximately 3 weeks when Lions Gate Garage Door’s stock is replenished from their local supplier.
• If there are any Owners (new or otherwise) who didn’t opt in for the exterior perimeter trim installation initially, there is time to do so now. The cost is $140.00 (payable on install). Please contact Brenda at 778-868-5249 as soon as possible if you would like to be added to the list.
It has come to Council’s attention that some Owners are concerned we are not disclosing information about the Units 1 to 6 Project. To help prevent rumours from spreading, we want to assure Owners this is not the case, as it would not be in Owners’ (Council members are Owners as well) best interest to delay the start of the project.
The Major Projects Committee is working with the Project Manager and different Engineers (both Geotechnical and Structural) to investigate the best approach to re-build the retaining wall behind Units 1 to 6. Since the wall borders the unnamed creek running through Coventry Woods, there are requirements by the Township, DFO, and possibly the BC Ministry of Environment and other government bodies. A plan needs to be developed to determine the best approach and to get the approval to proceed with the work. This is much more complicated than the Units 23/24 Project and is causing delays. When Council has the plan and a complete budget for the work, we will schedule Information sessions for the Owners. In conjunction, a SGM will be scheduled to vote on a Resolution to fund the Units 1 to 6 Project by a Special Levy. By sharing the correct information with all Owners at the same time, it prevents misleading information and keeps us all better informed.
From your Strata Council
• On January 22nd, Lions Gate Garage Door started the installation of 4 garage doors that they had in stock.
• Brenda Wilson will start making arrangements with Owners the week of January 27th for the installation of garage door seals. Owners who paid for the extra garage door trim will have it installed at the same time as the seals.
• The remainder of the garage doors are on order and will arrive in approximately 3 weeks time.
• Owners who did not sign up for the garage door seals and would like to install them now can contact Brenda by January 31st.
• A job posting has been written and will be posted this week.
• A committee is working on a Job Description and interview questions for the new Caretaker.
• Chris left the suite in good condition, but it was lived in it for 8 years, so it needs some expected work and cleaning.
• The suite is being painted this week and new blinds have been ordered.
• If anyone is able to help with cleaning the suite after the painting has been completed it will be appreciated. Please contact Diane – 604 833-9132.
Please note the day and time of the meetings have been changed to Wednesday at 1pm.
The dates are included in the January 16th Minutes.
Thank you,
From your Council Members
NOTICE TO OWNERS
A reminder to Owners to please shut off your outdoor water and drain the system, leaving your outside taps slightly open. If you want, protect your hose bibs with a cold weather faucet cover.
The election of council for the coming year will be held at the AGM on November 28. There is one vacant Council position. If you are interested in serving as a Council Member, please put your name forward at the Annual General Meeting on November 27th. You need to be in attendance at the meeting if you are putting your name forward. Council Members are not required to do physical work around the Complex; that is done on a voluntary basis by those physically able to do so.
Biographies of current council members who are willing to stand for re-election have been sent to all owners by email.
The CRAFT FAIR/BAKE SALE is this Saturday, November 23rd from 10am-3pm. The Clubhouse Amenity Room, Gym and Spa will be closed from Thursday November 21st at 7pm until Saturday, November 23rd at 5pm. (Furniture needs to be stored in the Spa and Gym). Come and check out the crafts and baked goods available for purchase. As in past years, the Social Club has beautiful baskets to raffle off.
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NOTICE TO OWNERS
It has been brought to Strata’s attention that some Owners are not registered to receive Dwell emails. The affected Owners have been notified and should watch their email and/or junk mail for an invitation from Dwell to register. If you require help registering, contact Diane Fletcher (604-833-9132) or Brenda Wilson (778-868-5249) for assistance.
Dave Cieszecki has sent his regrets that he won’t be running for reelection to Council this year. He will continue to offer his expertise to the Major Projects Committee as required. We thank Dave for his commitment to the Coventry Woods community over the last two years.
If any Owners are interested in serving on Council, please submit a brief biography to Diane Fletcher (dfletcher@telus.net) by November 15th. The biographies will be posted for Owners to view prior to the AGM on November 27th.
The paved area adjacent to Unit 39 will be reserved for Service Vehicles only during the day from 7:00am – 4:00pm. Parallel parking only will be allowed for Visitors from 4:00pm – 7:00am. Lines will be painted and Signage posted accordingly.
Some Owners have noticed increased raccoon activity in the Complex with damage occurring to the common property in some areas. The raccoons are damaging the grass areas looking for chafer beetles. If Owners are able to roll back the grass and stomp it back in place, this might be a fix. We will be talking to Fraser StrataCare about possible solutions that might work.
Thank you from your Strata Council.
Brenda Wilson, Treasurer
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Note from Council re Chris’s return to work
April 16th, 2024
We want to welcome Chris back to work on Wednesday, April 17th.
His work schedule is 7:30 until 4pm, Monday to Friday.
The hours will change closer to the pool opening, 7am to 3:30pm.
If you require Strata work done on your Unit, we ask you not to phone Chris or email his private address. Please fill out the Service Request form and place it in the locked box in the Mailroom at the Clubhouse.
There is a downloadable form on this web site under Owners Only (no password required). Once it is printed and filled in, you must still deliver the Service Request to the Locked box in the Mailroom, so the form can be numbered and processed. We want to make sure all forms can be tracked and are not lost.
You can contact Chris to welcome him back, but please do not do so while he is working from 7:30 to 4pm. Unfortunately, Chris has come back to a busy Spring and Summer work load and we all want to see things completed before the fall.
Thank you,
Diane Fletcher, President
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Notice to Owners, April 4, 2024
Bird Feeders: When walking the Complex, assessing for repairs, we noticed some Owners have Bird Seed Feeders in their back yards. Our Bylaws state that we are allowed to have Hummingbird feeders ONLY, but NO bird seed feeders. Please remove your Bird Seed Feeders as soon as possible as they attract pests.
Wood Rot at Foundations of Units: We have begun the repairs on the trim boards that have rot and discovered a possible reason is the soil in the garden beds is too close to the boards. Please ensure that soil and plants are pulled back at least 4 to 6 inches from the foundation. If possible, place a perimeter of rocks so there is better drainage and airflow around the boards to prevent moisture and rot. When watering, please try to avoid hitting the trim boards.
Service Request Forms: The template for the new 2 sided form will be available on the Coventry Woods website for those Owners who want to print it out in their homes. The completed form must be brought to the Clubhouse and deposited in the Service Request Box. This ensures the forms will be recorded properly and not lost.
Gate Remotes: Thibault has adjusted the vehicle gates to make our remotes more responsive. Thibault advises Owners to press and release the button on your remote to open the gate. Do not hold the button down, as this will interfere with the function of the remote and the gates will not respond as quickly.
Volunteers: We are looking for help to clear the property and spread the soil across from Units 18 and 19 where the visitor parking is located. Anyone who is available the morning of Friday, April 12th at 10:00am (weather permitting), please contact Diane at 604-833-9132.
Pressure Washing the Units: We are going to postpone the window washing and pressure washing of Units until next year due to budget constraints. This year, we are focusing on repairing and painting the rotting trim boards and fences in the Complex. The siding that has green growth will be addressed this year.
Garage Sale in Complex: We are planning a Complex wide Garage Sale for Saturday, May 25th. Further details to follow for those who would like to participate.
Thank you from your Strata Council.
From your strata council:
Service Requests: A review of recent service request identified several common requests that are the Owner’s responsibility.
#1. Mice Infestation: The BC Government website, ‘Managing rat and mouse pests’, is an excellent resource https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/pesticides-pest-management/managing-pests. If you have a mouse problem you cannot manage, please call a Pest Control Company of your choice as soon as possible. Council is not responsible for Pest Control costs unless the rodents have gained access to the connecting wall between Units. If this has occurred, the cost to remedy the situation would have to be negotiated with the Strata and Owner, on a unit to unit basis. If you have had good success with a Pest Control Company, please share the name with Council. Checking the exterior of your Unit for areas mice can gain access is important; examples are under trim boards, holes in garage walls, etc. If you are unable to do this yourself, please ask a family member, friend or neighbour to help you. If entry points are found, use steel wool or other methods to block the openings. Council is making plans for future repairs to rotted trim boards; it will be discussed at the March Council meeting. Please act quickly if you think you have rodent problems, as delays will allow them to multiply and cause more damage and stress. Often garage doors are left open for ventilation which allows easy access for rodents. If you must leave your garage door open, please only leave the side door open and block the bottom half of the door with plywood or other solid material, to prevent mice getting in. Always use your screen doors when leaving front and sliding patio doors open. Flexible seals are used at the bottom of garage doors in the complex because they create a better seal. Unfortunately, the budget does not allow us to change all the damaged garage seals in the same year. Priority will be given to the garage door seals with the most damage. If you notice any open areas around the plumbing in your cabinets, use steel wool or other means to plug the holes, this will help prevent mice in the walls gaining access to your cupboards. I hope you have found this information helpful.
#2. Ants The following information was posted in the Vancouver Sun. Ant scouts enter your home looking for crumbs, spills, oil and grease, and any accessible items in your pantry. Behind them, they leave an invisible trail that will be followed by an army of ants. Soap and water is your best early defence. Locate where the ants are entering your home and spray the area with a mix of dish soap and water. Also, be sure to spray the trail they are following so you wipe out the pheromone that is being left for other ants. The soap and water confuses them. Don’t give into temptation and stomp them with your shoe. Ants come and collect the squashed ants if you leave them there. It ends up being a free meal and you are essentially feeding them. Squashing is not preventing. Ants generally only have five per cent of their colony outside of the colony at any time. Use the small ant traps in areas where you cannot spray. Liquid ant bait with Borate is a good solution for small ant invasions. (Liquid Ant Out works well). The positive thing about the domestic products is they usually have just a 0.025 concentration of borate which is perfect for households. Anything higher than that concentration and it will kill the ants instantly that come in contact with it, and that’s not what you want. With the lower concentration, the ants will take some back to the nest for other ants to consume, therefore you can kill the ants at the source. If you see one or two ants in winter or early spring, leave out a more diluted mix of borate-based ant bait. Mix the domestic product with some sort of sweet substance like apple juice and put it out in an application tool like a shallow lid. The ants have gone all winter without food so even the low-concentrated domestic products will be too strong and kill them. You want them to take the bait back to the nest. (Credit to Scott Brown, writer for Vancouver Sun)
#3. Sewer smells inside the Unit: Some people are complaining of intermittent sewer smells in their Units. The source of the smell can come from several different areas. There is a good article online by: Mr. Rooter ‘Why Does My House Smell Like Sewage’.https://www.mrrooter.com/greater-syracuse/about-us/blog/2019/may/sewage-smells/#:~:text=Sometimes%2C%20a%20sulfur%2Dlike%20smell,is%20buildup%20in%20the%20overflow.
It is a lengthy article that offers a lot of good information and ways the homeowner can fix the problem. If the homeowner fixes do not work, it is best to call a professional plumber.
#4. Water leaking around bathroom fan: This is a combination Owner and Strata issue. If you notice water leaking from your fan or water stains on the ceiling around the fan, fill out a Service Request and write URGENT on it. We will contact you quickly. It may be the ventilation pipe from the fan to the roof, that goes through the attic, needs to be insulated. This is Strata’s responsibility. We will do our best to get the insulation installed. However, this may not be the only problem. These issues are the Owners responsibility: Problems with the fan itself. To get rid of moisture, turn on the fan while taking a shower or bath and run it for 10 to 15 minutes afterward. That way, condensation doesn’t build up and remain in the pipes. And don’t forget to CLEAN your bathroom exhaust fan regularly to prevent buildup and malfunctioning. Older and slower ventilation fans are less effective at moving moisture out of the bathroom. To make sure your bathroom stays moisture-free, replace your fan when it’s reached the end of its life cycle. To repair the stain on the ceiling, make sure the ceiling is dry and use a stain blocking ceiling primer, followed by high quality ceiling paint for “bathrooms” or “kitchens”. Good Luck. I hope you have found some of the information useful. Diane Fletcher/President Strata Council
NOTICE TO OWNERS: URGENT
Effective immediately, Chris will be on leave for the next 8 weeks. Do not contact Chris about any Strata matters.
In case of an emergency, please contact any Council member:
Diane Fletcher – 604-833-9132
Jae Smigel – 604-202-3723
Brenda Wilson – 778-868-5249
Dave Cieszecki – 604-835-2127
Dona Klyn – 604-882-5088
Helene Elias – 604-218-7982
Also, our Property Manager, Brendan Materi, is available in an emergency to be paged 24 hours a day through the Dwell paging service (604-821-2999) and he will respond quickly.
Non-emergency repairs should continue to be requested on the paper Service Request forms in the Mail Room and placed in the Service Request Box. The Service Request Box will be checked daily.
We will keep you informed as pertinent information is received.
Diane Fletcher, President
Brenda Wilson, Treasurer
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Just letting everyone know about the Nutrimulch that’s been placed on some of the bases of shrubs, trees and cedar hedges by Fraser Strata Care. It’s a combination of bark mulch and manure to bring much needed nutrients to the exposed roots and new trees. It will be done over 2-3 years due to budget restraints, therefore only 1/2 of the complex has been completed, starting from the south end, a choice made by the gardeners. For those areas that will be done next year,it’ll be something to look forward to as it’s already an improvement to the appearance of our complex, as well as its health. Thankyou. I hope this meets your satisfaction. Dona, your landscaping supervisor.
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Sierra Waste Company has requested all waste and recycling be placed within one meter from the end of your apron/driveway.
If it is not within the one meter parameter your waste or recycling will not be picked up.
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Clubhouse use
The clubhouse common room is a shared resource. With the lifting of occupancy restrictions there will be times when individuals and groups will share the common areas. This is how it should be—please be courteous so that everyone can enjoy the space.
Attention photographers: We are looking for some nice seasonal photos of local scenery for the web site heading and for our photo gallery.