Gaining Steam...

To all of my neighbors,

Thank you for coming to the meeting we had last week. Your efforts in organizing this community are inspiring and Lakeland is starting to take notice. We have started an organization "to enhance the quality of life for the residents of the area of Lakeland know as Stonebridge." This includes the areas of Fletcher Trace and Hwy 64 West border to the Kingsridge/Canada Road East Border- everything South of I-40 and North of Hwy 64- for a look at a map click here.
We are currently:
amending the bylaws of our community organization
changing the name
securing a bank account for the organization (not for profit)
organizing a beautification strategy for our entrances, common areas, and medians
How can you help? We need your dues and contributions. We have set the organization's annual dues at a rate pf $25.00 per year. As of our current bylaws, when you have paid your dues, you are a voting member of this organization. The dues will be used to communicate to the residents via newsletter, postcard, etc on the how we are enhancing stonebridge and report on events, legislation, or developments that affect our community. This is your community and this is how we will make it better. This is the best $25.00 investment for your personal home. The effort that all of us will make will translate into higher property values over time.

We need the effort so we need you.

Please send your check for $25.00 to
CROSS
C/O Siobhan McOlgen
3006 Hepplewhite Cove Lakeland, TN 38002
As of our meeting last week we have elected officers and they are:

Michael Stansbury President mstanzbury@gmail.com 901-461-6045

Tom Pickering Vice President pick1776@aol.com901-387-0461

Siobhan McOlgen Treasurer mailto:msaspen@msn.com%20314-608-2153

Troy Wheeltey Secretary twheetley@gmail.com 901-382-0316

Leah Cook Lay Member leahdukecook@yahoo.com 901-382-7074

Wayne Butler Lay Member wbutler@acosta.com901-380-2700

James D. WalkerLay Member901-386-9109


Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions, comments, or news that we all need to here.
Respectfully,-

Michael Stansbury

Our values.

To all- Speaking with the Steering committee on Monday, we discussed our real estate values and how undervalued we are. Let me give you an example: In Woodland Park a home closed for $117.00 per sq ft across the street from Canada Road- In Stonebridge 8998 Breckenridge sold for $78.00 per sq ft- So how can we get a consistent over $100.00 per sq ft for homes in Stonebridge? Here are a few ideas:

• Consider their entrance- Woodland Park has a hoa that funds and maintains their entrance. We have an entrance, but no organized way of taking care of it, but soon will!!! If we can beautify our entrances and make it appealing- it will help the values. Not only this- but the landscaping that is on both side Davies Plantation running north through Stonebridge has great potential to bring our community to the higher standard.
• Keep the litter out- The visitors to our community seem to like McDonald's and Bud Light,
  
• Home curb appeal is important too- it sets the tone for what the buyer will see inside- I will post some good examples on the blog- and some bad examples outside of our neighborhood (keeping the peace)
• Master Bath
  This is one room in the house that you can ALMOST go overboard and still get your money back when you sell the home. Refinish or replace the cabinetry, put in new tile and sinks - even install a new, stand-up shower! When (or if) you put your home on the market, you should see a good return on investment.
• Kitchen- New appliances and new counter tops- Granite tops cost (if you go with a builder/generic stone, which look great) will cost $2000-$2800 with under mount sink, new appliances (cost $1500) also a tile back splash will help
  
• Keep the services updates- If your AC or Furnace is over 15 years old- you need to replace it. 10-15 years old, it's a good idea to replace the condensing unit unless it you have kept it serviced every year. (keep those coils clean and a new one will last much longer)

• Paint!!!
  It's fairly obvious, but painting your home modern, neutral colors makes a difference in the appearance of the home. And when you factor in the cost - roughly $1.75/s.f. - it would be mistake to forego painting your home when you decide it's time to modernize it. If you're planning on staying in the home for some time, paint it whatever colors you wish, but plan on repainting right before it's time to put it up for sale. If you plan on updating your home in order to sell it, go with neutral colors so that it will appeal to the widest audience.

• Put in Wood Laminate Floors- The products for laminates are getting better and better- the warranty's are great and the installation is easy. Costco has some great products and our local flooring company, Tim Hogan Abbey Carpets has this new Armstrong line that is worth every penny.

I also would like to invite you to an Open House on Saturday from 2:00-4:00 at 9600 Pine Point, take Canada road North and Pine Point is on your right. We rehabbed the home and used some of the same strategies talked about above. If you like Flip that House- than you will like seeing what we did to this home. If that doesn't get you to come- we will have cookies there too. I love free food. Look out for your postcards on the meeting next week- they will be coming Saturday and Monday. If you need any help with the above- let me know ,I use good contractors for the work.

Mike S.

Steering Committee Meeting Update/We Need Door to Door Volunteers!

To All-

We had a steering committee update today-

Here is some information from the meeting:

• We are informally calling our organization Concerned Residents of Stonebridge Subdivision or C.R.O.S.S.
• Our purpose is to mutually support the quality of life in the community of Stonebridge
• We are sending out postcards to all Stonebridge residents for the meeting next Thursday at the Stonebridge Golf Course
• The members of C.R.O.S.S. are defined as residents who pay the annual fee of $10.00. This entitles that member to voting rights

Here is the agenda for the meeting next Thursday:

Where: Stonebridge Golf Clubhouse

When: 6:30 April 17^th

Who: Residents of Stonebridge

Why: To mutually support the quality of life in the Stonebridge Community

Agenda Items:

• Golf Course Update
• Beautification
• Neighborhood Watch/Crime
• Bylaw Ratification
• Nomination of Officers
• Setting dues/Receiving Contributions

For more information cal 461-6045 or e-mail mstanzbury@gmail.com

Call to Action! Please volunteer to go door to door- Show up at the golf course parking lot at 5:15 on Monday April 14th- We will have flyers to send out and a plan of where you need to go door to door. I appreciate all your help!

Response from Stonebridge and other notes

To All-
Sorry I have taken some time to get this posted- the General Manager for the golf course did return my call the next day and we had an interesting conversation. I told him to follow up with an e-mail and I would post it with regard to the operations of the course. First- He did offer the facilities of Stonebridge for our future meetings at a cost of $0 + gratuity for those employees who are there to keep the building open. A very gracious gesture.

Here is his letter-

Michael,

First let me say that I appreciate your working with us to both improve the community and the golf course.

One thing I might say is that the Pro Shop has a whole new look and feel to it, we are only a couple of things away from completing it. We also carry a broader variety of products at competitive prices. Honestly I try and keep them lower than all of the area golf stores. We are also going to be working on the rest of the clubhouse in the future working our way inside out. This will take some time as we are doing these projects ourselves to keep costs to a minimum. Don’t be alarmed if you see my two Assistant Golf Professionals and myself here later than normal, we are the ones doing that work.

As for the course, remember we are doing the best we can with the resources we have available to us. Over the past three years our Superintendent and his staff, which is shorthanded, has done a phenomenal job keeping the course and the greens in great shape. Do you remember the years when the greens would burn up in the summer? Did you notice in August when we were hitting 100 degree temperatures that the greens were still in a great shape? I grew up here and I remember paying $50+ to play on those same burnt greens. Now we are charging less to play on greens that have not burnt up in a few years (I know there are a couple of small spots). So the best thing that people can do is to help us maintain it. Don’t treat it like a public park, especially the greens. If you come out and play, repair your ball marks on the greens, fill in the divots in the fairway, rake the bunkers, and pick up any garbage that you might see. But come out and support the course, the more people come and play the more we can do to improve in the near future.

Please just know that the current staff here is doing everything that we can do and we are committed to improving the course as much as possible, not just for ourselves or for Stonebridge, but for Lakeland and all of Shelby County.

If there is anything else you would like to add Michael please feel free.

Thanks again.

Brandon Sledge

Director of Golf and General Manager

Stonebridge Golf Club

3049 Davies Plantation

Lakeland, TN. 38002

Office - (901)382-1886

Fax - (901)382-4476

Off the market but still on our Minds!!

Last week it was printed in the Bartlett Express that the golf course was officially off the market. I called and spoke with Stonebridge today and am awaiting a call back from the general manager Brandon Sledge. My reason for the call is to get a feel for Linkscorps plan for the future of the course.
Do they plan to continue to run the course without making upgrades?
Do they plant to continue to run the course without performing the deferred maintenance on the course?


The answers to these questions will help us determine a future plan of action for the homeowners at Stonebridge. We can lobby Linkscorp the make the improvements if they plan no to- or we can be their cheerleader if they decide to invest in golf course and our community.

I will let you know how the conversation goes-

Thanks-

Steering Committee Meeting

To all:

First- some folks are letting me know that they are not receiving my e-mails- please e-mail me back and let me know you are getting this-

We had a steering committee meeting this afternoon and here is a brief overview of what was discussed:

Those attending where: Michael Stansbury Nikki Wheatley, Wayne Butler, Tom Pickering.

• Setting up 4 committees under an one executive board
1. Golf Course Committee (a group that actively supports the city’s purchase of the golf course)
2. Neighborhood watch (crime deterent arm of the community)
3. Beatification of Stonebridge (medians, entrances, etc)
4. Social Activities (self explanatory)

• Setting up accountability for the funds we will ask for from the members of the association
• We will not have a pot luck event- we will have a meeting of Concerned Citizens of Stonebridge Subdivision of CROSS April 17^th at 7:00

Location to be determined

We need volunteers to go door to door- please e-mail me if you are interested

• Our agenda at the meeting may include approval of bylaws and organizing executive and sub committees, establishing contributions or dues for the group
• We will be sending a postcard or a mailer to all of Stonebridge residents as a reminder

Remember- our property values are directly tied into the golf course and its future- already we have seen homes stay on the market longer than normal. The market is not the best it’s ever been right now- but Stonebridge has lots to offer those seeking homes, especially in an affordable price range. Your participation and your action now will directly affect your investment in the future.

Have a great week, Spring is here and it is time for Stonebridge to bloom!!!

HOA Fruit

To All-

Thank you all for taking the time to come to the homeowner’s meeting last week. We had a great turnout.

Here is the fruit of this meeting-

• We were almost unanimous on agreeing to form an organization that will resemble or be a home owner’s association with the purpose of communicating to all of the Stonebridge community and to organize and act on events that may affect our community.
• The steering committee is meeting on Monday to discuss:

1. Newsletter

2. Hoa formation- getting $25.00 from Stonebridge residents

3. Accountability for funds

4. Using channel 19 for advertising our HOA meetings and other Stonebridge concerns

5. Block captains

6. Garage sale May 3^rd- we may want to have the community wide event May 10- Lakeland is having a city wide garage sale that day and something for Lakeland elementary

When we met I spoke about the need to respond when called for. Here is what we will need in the future- if you can take on this responsibility please let me know you are willing. If you are not willing, but your spouse is, volunteer them, that’s how I get in a lot of trouble at my house, so won’t you join me?

• Block captains (future responsibilities will include: neighborhood watch, flyers door to door on your street, responsible for letting your neighbors know and come to future HOA meetings, organize community wide block party’s with other captains)
• Stonebridge Green Thumb committee (many homeowners remember a time when our entrance were reflective of the seasons we were in- now our entrances do not look so great- they offered to beautify those areas if provided with the funds for landscaping and mulch: manual labor)
• Committed to be at the BOC meetings that discuss or vote on the golf course (responsibilities include: your time)

Please feel free to e-mail any suggestions- many of you have had great ideas, like this one:

One from Jack Smithmier on our organization title could be Concerned Residents of Stonebridge Subdivision or C.R.O.S.S. for short-

Just in time for Easter!