VANDALISM OF CLUBHOUSE FEBRUARY 10, 2021;  In the early morning hours of Wednesday, February 10, four young adults estimated to be fourteen (14) to eighteen (18) years of age entered Van Dyke Farms via Van Dyke Farms Road at just after 1:50 AM in a white SUV (click here).  They were seen entering the Association's Parking Lot at the Park less than a minute later.  Three were males and one appears to have been female.  Within a couple minutes, the three males walked from the parking lot to the Clubhouse (click here) and appeared to have forced their way through the iron gate lock/door on the north side of the Clubhouse.  Between 1:57:30 AM and 1:58:30 AM one of them is heard breaking the door to the stall in the men's restroom - then stating "I did it".  At 1:59 AM this individual was videoed carrying the broken door out of the Clubhouse (click here), through the Parking Lot, and laying it in the Parking Lot median.  This incident was captured in vivid detail on multiple newly installed Association security cameras (video and audio).  The incident was reported to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department the same day, which opened an investigation.  There is reason to suspect that these individuals may have been the same individuals that have been breaking bottles in the Parking Lot, Park Gazebo, Playground and Tennis Courts over the last number of months in the late evening or early morning hours.  These four individuals left the Parking Lot (drove off) at 2:24 AM.  However, they do not appear to have left Van Dyke Farms for another twelve (12) minutes.  This could mean one or more of the individuals involved were dropped off.  As the Board has stated repeatedly, these type of incidents will be reported to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for appropriate legal action.  If anyone is familiar with the individuals involved from the pictures above or from other information please contact Association President Dave Moore (vdf.dave.moore@gmail.com) or Community Association Manager Tasha McAlister (tmcalister@greenacre.com).  These individuals will ensure your privacy and forward information provided to the appropriate Hillsborough County Sheriff Deputy/Detective.    

 

FEBRUARY 25, 2021, BOARD MEETING:  The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors will be held via video conference on Thursday, February 25, 2021, at 7:00 PM.  Meeting participation codes, agenda, recommendations and background material are  posted on the Board Meeting February 25, 2021 Page of this website.  This meeting will start deliberations of several key deed restriction issues that have been in abeyance since the initiation of the Charter Review (formerly Documents Review) Committee in the summer of 2019.    

 

RESTATED BYLAWS APPROVED AT THE JANUARY 23, 2021 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MEMBERSHIP:  The restated and amended Association Bylaws were approved at this year's annual meeting of the membership and have now been recorded at Hillsborough County.  The final recorded Bylaws can be reviewed at the Governing Documents page of this website.  They are also included for review in the My Association/Association Documents/Governing Documents folder on the Association's G360 web portal.  

 

THE PHASE II PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT THE FACTORY:  On January 4, the Association signed the contract to order and install the Phase II Playground Upgrade, which will replace the existing Yellow and Red and Blue and Tan multi-purpose unit with a single larger unit.  The vendor has recently conveyed the installation should be the week of March 20.  Can't wait until this upgrade is complete!!!   

 

ASSOCIATION INSTALLS COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY SYSTEM:  In early January, the Association installed a comprehensive security system which went operational January 6.  The Association is coordinating with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office to ensure all laws, and the Association's Common Areas Rules and Regulations are complied with.  The installed security system will be monitored by multiple individuals in real time and also record any activity of a multi-week loop.  Signs and plaques were installed at the Park, Playground, Clubhouse, Lake and Park Gazebo, and all three entrances to notify everyone of the 24/7 video surveillance of the Association's common areas.    

 

ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL SIDEWALK PRESSURE WASHING NEARING COMPLETION:  On Tuesday February 16, 2021, Tampa Pressure Washing started its annual pressure washing of the sidewalks lining Van Dyke Farms Boulevard (click here) and the community common areas.  The utility areas throughout the neighborhood are also pressure washed.  The cleaning should be finished by February 24.  

 

OAK TREE TRIMMINGS:  in mid-February, Natural Designs completed a work order trimming the nine large and eight smaller oaks on Equestrian Trail and the southernmost end on Van Dyke Farms Boulevard.  Four of the large oaks bordered the pond in the 17100 block of Equestrian Trail (click here), three were in the common area on Equestrian Trail directly behind the Park, and two were at the corners of Equestrian Trail and Van Dyke Farms Boulevard.  Three other trees near the Lake Gazebo were also trimmed.  Natural Designs has been issued a second work order to trim 109 oak, elm and bottle brush trees along the entire length of Van Dyke Farms Boulevard.  This trimming should occur in the next two weeks.

 

SIX-MONTH ANT CONTROL:  This week Natural Designs will complete its every six-month broad based treatment for ants at the Park and Athletic Fields.  Although no treatment will completely eliminate ants, this TOP CHOICE application has been effective at controlling ants at the Park and Athletic Fields.  In addition to these every six-month treatments, Natural Design landscaping staff do spray individual ant beds everytime they see them when they mow along Van Dyke Farms Boulevard and other common areas. 

 

COMMUNITY SIDEWALK REPAIRS:  The County has confirmed they plan to return over the coming months to repair the sidewalk offsets in Van Dyke Farms that are greater than 1.5 inches. 

 

We will endeavor to update the Weekly Update page on a regular basis.  Please send any suggestions for further improvements to vdf.dave.moore@gmail.com or tmcalister@greenacre.com