Oxford Place   

Fort Mill, SC          

2004 Autumn Newsletter

New Email Address...

The Oxford Place email account has been changed to OxfordPlace@Gmail.com. Currently about 40% of neighborhood residents have sent us their email address. If you haven’t please do so. Occasionally, we need to send out time critical information that can not wait for the next newsletter. Email we send may include information about zoning hearings, garbage company issues, lost/found pets, neighborhood announcements, meeting postponements, maps & property info, and other important issues. Our new Gmail account gives us more space and flexibility than our old account. If you would like a free account invitation please email us.

Entrance Landscaping...

We now have wells and irrigation at our entrances. Unfortunately, we faced some unexpected cost overruns with the installation of the wells. To balance the budget, we reduced our regular maintenance until next Spring. The reduced regular maintenance freed up funds to seed and fertilize the entire grassy area along Doby’s Bridge Road and replace the bushes in East that died long ago.

Being unhappy with the current appearance of our entrances areas, the board recently met to discuss the problems and possible alternatives. A beautiful neighborhood such as Oxford Place needs to have consistently attractive entrance areas. Despite our efforts, large trucks and other vandals are constantly destroying the new grass, some of the sprinkler heads and even lights. With an annual outlay of almost $6000 on regular maintenance projected for next year and future years, we sought a new approach.

We are currently pricing alternatives and would like your help. Our entrance easements are triangular areas that run from Doby’s Bridge Road, roughly 3-5 feet behind the entrance signs and then connect to the entrance road (Kingston Way in West & Oxford Place Drive in East). The best suggestion we received was to eliminate regular maintenance of the entrance areas and put the annual $6000 towards completely converting the triangular areas into beautiful natural areas. These areas would be well lined to prevent weeds, then completely filled with a variety of beautiful bushes and interesting stones. Attractive medium sized boulders would be strategically placed to eliminate the problem with destructive truck traffic.

When the neighborhood was first created, the developer maintained the areas along Doby’s Bridge Road because residents did not yet occupy the entrance lots. The homeowners association continued to maintain these extended areas for the past 2 ½ years. The proposal above focuses our responsibilities on the areas for which we have easements. We would no longer maintain property for which we do not have an easement.

Recreation Lot Landscaping...

We would like to thank Alex Bebeau, David Flanagan, and Tripp Fogle for the great job they have done mowing the recreation lot this year. Also a thank you to Marla Fogle for coordinating their efforts. The recreation lot on Croyden Court is owned by Oxford Place.

Power Lines and Other Property Boundaries

Lot boundaries in our neighborhood abut the roads, power lines, creeks, and the green electric boxes. All green electric boxes are on property lines. The county has easements on parts of some properties. For example, the county can without asking - drive along the power lines to make repairs or they can run a new pipe or wire along the road. The following website http://maps.yorkcountygov.com/gisonline/ may help you find your property lines. If you have a general question about your property lines, please email or call a member of the board. If you have a more detailed question, you may need to call a York County employee.

Neighborhood residents have contacted us about a few other issues. The big power lines that separate East and West and the smaller power lines that separate properties in West should not be a dumping ground for yard waste, trash, and other debris. Please keep all parts of your property clean and well maintained. Please properly dispose of yard waste and other debris and do not dump waste along the power lines..

Food Drive Successful

In October, many neighbors in Oxford Place made food donations on Make a Difference Day. The Fort Mill Care Center thanks you for the 176 pounds of food you donated. Also a big thank you to the local girl scouts who collected all the donations and delivered them to the Center.

Garbage choices...

We recently sent an email about the three companies that provide garbage collection service to our neighborhood. Many found the information useful, so we are providing the info again in the newsletter..

Container Company of Carolina - (704) 377-5631 picks up garbage one day a week. They provide a brown- red pickup container. Residents report they are very satisfied with their service. Per Quarter charges - $48. (Had been charging $69 per quarter. If you are paying $69 per quarter call them to have your rate lowered.)

The Garbage Guy - (803) 327-3440 picks up garbage one day a week. You must provide your own pickup container. Residents report the service is unreliable. Per Quarter charges - $50

Trinity Waste Services - (704) 291-7872 picks up garbage twice a week. They provide a blue bin and a recycling bin. Residents report they are very satisfied with their service. Per Quarter charges - $51

A few residents take their own garbage to the convenience center (dump across from Leroy Springs on 160). If you have a suitable vehicle, very little garbage, and pass by the center on your regular commute, you can save money. Per Quarter cost - time and mileage. 

Bunko Group

Ladies, would you like to have a little fun and get to know some of your neighbors? Oxford Place is starting a Bunko group that will meet one Friday night each month. Bunko is a social dice game played with multiples of 4 people. Most commonly, it is played with 12 people. Call Nancy Allred at 547-3826 if you have any questions or would like to sign up.

Architectural Review...

If you need a copy of the Oxford Place C&Rs or Bylaws please send an email to OxfordPlace@Gmail.com or call a board member. Members of the board recently had discussions with an attorney about a property that has long been in violation of the following C&R: (see enclosed letter)

2. ...Once construction of a residence has commenced, the exterior thereof, including finished siding material, shall be completed within (6) months thereafter.

The members of the Architectural Review committee for 2004 are:

Laura Bradford  802-xxxx   628 Kingston Way
Roger Guchone   547-xxxx   603 Kingston Way
Jay Schwartz    548-xxxx   215 Oxford Place Drive
Johnny Webster  802-xxxx   202 Oxford Place Drive

Per item 27 of the C&Rs - No construction, reconstruction, remodeling or alteration of any building, improvement, or structure shall be commenced without prior written approval. Basically the architectural review committee wants to make sure plans meet the conditions of the C&Rs (square footage, 90% brick, stone, stucco, cement drive, extra walls, fences etc.) and some other common sense guidelines (not a duplicate of house next door, etc.). All Oxford Place property owners buy lots with these conditions in place and want to protect home values. The members of the Architectural Review committee are ready to review any plans you have and will be happy to help you with any questions or concerns.

Street Lights - Eliminating the Middle Man…

If you notice a problem with a street light near your house please call York Electric at (803) 684-4248. No need to report a street light problem to a board or committee member. York Electric is usually very prompt and repairs the street light within 2-3 days. If you have time, an even better approach would be to drive around the neighborhood to see if any other light bulbs need replacing. You would be a good neighbor and save someone else a phone call.

If you notice a problem with a entrance sign, an entrance light, or an entrance sprinkler please contact a board member or email us at OxfordPlace@Gmail.com.

The 2004 Board Members...

The 2004 Board continues to serve the neighborhood this year:

Clif Armstrong    547-xxxx   1422 Doe Ridge Lane
Angie Bivens      547-xxxx   1059 Croyden Court
Frank Collins     547-xxxx   1026 Croyden Court
Bob Katz          802-xxxx    824 Savile Lane
Frank Reitz       802-xxxx    417 White Chapel Court 
Kristena Schwartz 548-xxxx    215 Oxford Place Drive

If you would like to serve on the board, attend meetings as an alternate, or serve on the landscaping committee or architectural review committee, we can still make room. Please call or email us.