Association Fees
There is some second hand information around the community that the Board was planning to establish annual or monthly fees. WRONG! The Board is always trying to keep fees out of the picture; while at the same time keep the common areas well maintained and property values on the rise. After careful review and much consideration the Board has initiated a Capital Contribution on all home resale's effective June 1, 2002.

Remember when you first purchased your home from the builder, you paid the Capital Contribution. The Board has determined that the proceeds from this contribution should fund the Association for approximately 5 years and beyond that time all capital funds will be exhausted. Additional funds would be needed in order to maintain the community. So the choices became either start collecting additional capital to pay for our annual expenses or assess a monthly or annual Association fee.

The Board decided that it was in the best interests of all homeowners to continue without a monthly or annual Association fee. To accomplish this, the Board has initiated the Resale Capital Contribution payable by the Buyer of your home when you sell it. The amount will remain the same, at $1,000.00. The Board estimates that with this added income and the potential number of sales, which take place, each year, the Association should not have to worry about paying annual or monthly fees for some time to come. Of course no one knows when disaster will strike and the ever present possibility of a special assessment might pop up from time to time, but it's better than paying for it at the present time.

So everyone relax, there will be and are no plans at present for starting any fees!

Know Your Property Lines
When installing a fence, shed or other such "outdoor" items, please make certain that you have your property lines established. Several homeowners have not done so and now face what are called encroachment issues. They have installed one or all of the above items on someone else's property of even on Association land. Any known encroachment issues, which are already in existence, will have to be resolved prior to selling your home. The Board does reserve the right to require resolution of any or all encroachment issues sooner if the need arises.

One way of avoiding this is when you want to install a fence of shed, file and architectural request with the Board. In addition to the architectural request, when installing certain items or doing certain kinds of work around your home, you will need to obtain a permit from the Township. The Township also requires a survey of your land or a copy of your plot plan. This plot plan or map is available through the Township and is most essential in assisting you with locating your property lines.

Ball Field Use
Please remember that the ball field and recreational facilities are for the sole use of Cranberry residents. NO organized league play or practice is permitted! The insurance coverage that the community carries is for the residential use only; allowing organized non-residential use opens the Association up to liability for needless lawsuits, which can ultimately result in the creation of Association fees. We also want to be sure that our residents are given priority to use the field when they desire. To avoid unnecessary issues, please help us limit use of the field to our community residents only.

The Board also wanted to remind everyone that the common ground areas or Association land is owned by everyone and everyone pays to maintain or repair them. Several people have seen fit to ride their ATV's on the common areas of the community and are creating a lot of damage that we now have to repair. Please DO NOT ride any motorized vehicles on the common grounds of the community! If you know of anyone who is doing this please notify management immediately, names are never given out. This is another way that you can help the Board keep the fees out of the picture.

Safety Committee
The Board of Directors has established a safety committee in reaction to numerous homeowner concerns regarding automobiles speeding throughout our community. The Safety Committee will be responsible for conducting a survey of the community roadways. This committee's objective is to prepare a report of sorts to be taken to the Township and presented for action! The committee will be formed of your caring neighbors. Anyone interested is requested to contact th management office and get your name on the list of volunteers. The duties of this committee will be to review all roadways and intersections within the community and prioritize them for potential hazards. The committee will be headed by Michael Newman and will have input from the Township and State Police. The Board anticipates the completion of this report by summers end and hope to be able to lobby the Township for response to the issues addressed over the fall and winter months. If you have small children this is a committee you will really want to get involved with!

Committee Volunteers and Block Captains
Even though we have had an enormous response to our requests for volunteers and block captains, we still need more. Our community, when construction has completed is all sections, will be 625 homes strong. We will need a lot of people to volunteer if we will be able to provide you all with the utmost attention on your issues. Block Captains are needed in order to get information such as this newsletter out to everyone and keep down costs and avoid having to impose fees.

Pooper-Scooper Ordinance
Did you know that the pooper-scooper law is not only a Cranberry Estates Rule it is also a Township Ordinance? Please be courteous of your neighbors and carry a bag with you when you walk your pooch. No one wants to step in any surprises on their walks and certainly not on their children when they come home from playing! Dogs are more then welcome in the community, but not as a nuisance.

Social Committee
Volunteers are needed for the Social Committee, which will be headed by Barbara Dunn. This committee will be working on such projects as a Fourth of July picnic (still tentative on number of volunteers), Halloween Parade and Holiday Decorating Parties. The Welcome Wagon is also looking for volunteers to go and greet all new homeowners. Nothing says community more then a welcome wagon!

Calling All Internet Addicts
The Board of Directors are looking for a volunteer Web Master for the soon to be developed Cranberry Estates web site. Please keep an eye out in future newsletters for the address of this new site. In the mean time anyone willing to give time to this project please contact management.

Landscaping Season
Greenscape Landscaping has been contracted this season to perform maintenance and upkeep of the common grounds of the Association. We welcome them aboard and look forward to a fruitful year under their watchful eyes. As Cranberry Estates is so large and they are so new to us, we thank everyone for their patience and FYI's on areas that they might miss when mowing.

Articles for Newsletter
If you have any articles for this newsletter or want to see anything specific in these periodic publications, please send them in writing to the management office.

Are You Planning on Doing Any Exterior Changes or Modifications?
If you are please remember to fill out and have approved an Architectural Request. These requests are available from the management office. [and now online!]

How Do I Contact the Board or Management?
Your Board of Directors are:
Vince Viney, President - 530 Northridge Road
Bill Mc Gill, Vice-President - 329 Countryside Lane
Barbara Dunne, Treasurer - 504 Brighton Road
Randy Hall, Secretary - 505 Northridge Road
Michael Newman, Member-At-Large - 208 Forge Road

Wentworth Property Management Corp.
Valerie Pyle, Community Manager
email address: vplye@wentworth-group.com
Telephone:  Voice (610) 650-0600 Extension 1251   Fax (610) 650-0700
Address: 901 South Trooper Road, PO Box 80690, Valley Forge, PA 19484