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FAQ & Advice

HOA

  • HOA rules require that “no Improvements be constructed, erected, placed, planted, applied, installed or modified upon any Lot unless complete plans and specifications have been first submitted to and approved in writing by the Architectural Review Committee (“ARC”) of the Association.” (Article 6, Section 6.2 of the Declaration)

  • Start by consulting the Architectural Guidelines & Homeowners Handbook. This document defines what’s allowed and provides design standards and guidelines to help homeowners: (a) identify best practices for improving their properties, (b) prepare architectural submittals and receive timely reviews, and (c) assist with enforcement matters. Once your design is ready, submit it along with an Request for Architectural Change form to Haven for review. It can be submitted electronically on the homeowners portal or mailed to Haven based to the address on the form.

  • Common areas are maintained by the Homeowners Association. This includes the park, public landscaping, irrigation system, public walkways, and Harvest Junction signage. Submit maintenance requests for common areas using the online “General Request” form, or contact Haven Community Management at customercare@havencm.com or (303) 530-0700‬. Please include a photo and detailed explaination of the issue and location.

  • Public roads and street signs are maintained by Longmont City. Contact Longmont City Transportation to submit a street repair request.

  • Homeowners are responsible for maintaining their own property, including homes, sidewalks, landscaping, street strips, fences, and driveway out to the street. Directly contact the builder of your home if you have a maintenane issue that is under warranty.

  • The city is responsible for plowing public streets. Only arterial and collector streets are plowed regularly. Longmont’s snow & ice FAQ publishes a map of the snow routes that are plowed. Junction, Martin, and Quail are collector streets and therefore plowed regularly. Western Sky, Sugar Beet, Bountiful, Woodgate, High Meadow, and Deer Pond are residential streets and therefore only plowed under rare conditions such as an extreme snow storm.

  • The HOA is responsible for plowing common-area walkways. This work is typically contracted to the HOA’s landscapers. And homeowners are responsible for plowing their sidewalks and driveways.

Homecare

  1. Weather can be unpredictable. Wait until you are confidently past the last frost date, which is typically in May. Visit The Almanac for a quick estimate of frostdates.
  2. Restore water slowly to the pipes, and test each zone one at a time. Check for potential leaks in the pipes (above and below ground) and clogged or damaged sprinkler heads. Low pressure may be a sign of a clog or leak.
  3. Adjust sprinkler heads for even coverage and to avoid watering sidewalks.
  4. Check for leaks in the basement or other parts of the home due to frost damage. Yes, this has happened to homes in our community!
  5. When in doubt, consider hiring a professional to de-winterize your system and ensure everything is working correctly.
  6. Spring is also a good time to clean and test your air conditioning unit to ensure it is working efficiently. You can hire professionals to do an annual inspection and deep cleaning, or do it yourself. Most important is to clean the outdoor condenser unit coils, which can be done by first cutting power to the condenser, then gently spray cleaning them with a garden hose.

  1. Weather can be unpredictable. Winterize before the first frost, which is typically in late September or early October. Visit The Almanac for a quick estimate of frostdates.
  2. Shut off the water to your irrigation system. The master supply valve to your irrigation system may be located in your basement.
  3. Turn the ball valves on your backflow preventer to a 45-degree angle relative to the pipe to allow water in them to drain out.
  4. Set the irrigation controller to Off.
  5. Drain the water from your system. This is the most critical step of the winterization process. Some homeowners blow-out their irrigation lines using a home compressor, others hire a professional with a special high-volume compressor. Ensure the PSI is correct for your system – too high will damage the lines.
  6. Insulate any outdoor above-ground components, such as the main shut-off valve (if not in the basement), exposed pipes, and backflow preventers; however, be careful not to block air vents in the backflow preventer or drain outlets.
  7. Disconnect hoses from outdoor faucets.
  8. When in doubt, consider hiring a professional to winterize your system and ensure everything is done right.
  9. It is also a good idea to cover your outdoor air conditioning unit to protect it from dirt and debris during the winter, and to secure or store any loose items that may be affected by winter high winds.

  • Fences that are publicly visible must be stained. Fences that are not publicly visible may be stained, sealed, or left untreated. Stain and sealer both protect against water, but stain is preferred because it offers the most protection from the sun and consistent appearance across the community. Stain must be Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec Exterior Latex Acrylic Solid Color Stain from Guiry’s Longmont with the following formula:

    G18-1500 H (DUNE GRAY HARVEST JUNCTION)
    450 – 2X (Gallon)
    Y3 4x 13.5000
    S1 1x 2.5000
    R3 0x 11.2500

  1. Test your air conditioning and heating systems each year before you need them.
  2. Clean the outdoor condenser unit coils (e.g. cut power to the condenser, then gently spray clean with a garden hose)or hire someone to perform periodic maintenance and cleaning for you.
  3. Change or clean air filters regularly or seasonally.
  4. Pour a cup of bleach solution in the opening provided in the primary condensate line. This helps prevent mineraldeposits and algae collection in the line.
  5. Test smoke detectors and replace as needed.
  6. Fill any infrequently used p-traps to prevent them from drying out.
  7. Clean gutters at regular seasonal intervals (e.g. early spring & fall).
  8. Clean lint from the dryer vent.
  9. Check the pressure and proper operation of the radon fan (if installed).
  10. Inspect all caulk and grout inside and outside (baths, sinks, countertops, wall seams, tile, windows, beams, etc.)for shrinking, peeling and/or cracking on a regular basis will help prevent problems. Always remove the old caulkingbefore you re-apply fresh caulking.
  11. Repair and seal concrete cracks to prevent them from becoming a bigger problem over time.
  12. Inspect drainage to ensure moisture stays away from your home’s foundation.
  13. Test the sump pump and keep the area around it clear of debris.
  14. Clean and lubricate window tracks and garage door moving parts with a dry silicone spray.
  15. Seal and re-stain cracks in wood fences to keep them long lasting and looking new.

Landscaping

  • Trees need water in the winter too. During dry spells, water your trees at least once a month. If the soil is dry 2 inches deep, your tree needs some slow water! Tip - hook up your hose and open it to a small stream for about 15-20 minutes per tree. Don’t forget to disconnect your hose again! Snow is less water than you think; 1 inch of snow is only about ¼ inch of liquid water. Even if it snows, your trees might need water!

  • Cool-season grasses green up in mid-spring, require regular watering over summer, need ½ - ¾ of a day of full sun, and go dormant in late fall. They stay green longer than warm-season grasses but require more water. Seeding can begin in mid-spring before the last average frost date of spring and continue until early summer. Avoid seeding when temperatures reach the 90s or above. Aerating can help bring air, water, and nutrients to the roots. Be careful not to drown your lawn by overwatering. Start slowly, and increase watering as the weather gets warmer.
  • If your landscaping grew a few weeds over the winter, now is the time to get rid of them. Remove weeds when the soil is soft, wear protective gloves, grab from the base of the weed, and pull slowly and steadily to ease the roots from the soil. There are several great tools to help with weeding – just make sure they are designed to remove the roots.
  • If it’s been at least a year, pull the stakes that are supporting any of your trees. The roots have been established enough to support the tree on their own, and pulling the stakes will prevent the tree from becoming reliant on the artificial stake support going forward.
  • If you want to get a jump start at adding native and water-wise plants to your landscape, then the City of Longmont and Resource Central have two amazing opportunities. Sign up online to be notified of their next sales: Longmont’s annual Arbor Day tree sale, and Resource Central’s Garden in a Box.

  • Rake leaves, fertilize with an organic “winterizing” fertilizer, and pull weeds so they don’t compete for nutrients with the rest of your lawn. Aerating helps bring air, water, and nutrients to the roots and help the lawn survive winter. Consider seeding bare spots or overseeding in fall. Mow as you normally do until the lawn stops growing for winter. Consider allowing the lawn to grow a little longer for winter so it is better insulated (~4”).
  • For smooth barked trees (e.g. maples, elms, crabapples) that are less than 5 years old, wrap the trunk up to the lowest branch with light colored tree wrap. This will protect the delicate bark from sun scald reflected off the snow.
  • Trees need water in the winter too! During dry spells, water your trees at least once a month. If the soil is dry 2” deep, your tree needs some slow water! Tip - hook up your hose and open it to a small stream for about 15-20 minutes per tree. Don’t forget to disconnect your hose again!
  • Insulate the topsoil of flower and vegetable beds by adding mulch.
  • If you are tempted to clean up your flower beds try to hold off until Spring. Many of our beneficial insects make homes in the dead branches and leaves over the winter.

  • Turf/lawn requires at least 1” of water per week, or more during periods of high heat or wind. On average, it takes 60 minutes to get 1” of water, so 20 minutes, 3 times per week is a typical minimum. Water early in the morning using a run/soak cycle is the most water efficient way to water. For example, water at 5am for 10 minutes, wait 30 minutes for the water to soak in, then water an additional 10 minutes.
  • Trees should have a ring of mulch 3” deep around their trunk extending at least 12”. Do not allow the mulch to get closer than 3” to the trunk, as that can cause rot and injure or kill a tree. Consider installing a drip line for any trees irrigated by only sprinklers. Your tree will develop strong roots and not pull moisture from your lawn. Here’s some helpful advice on how to properly water trees during the Summer on the Front Range.
  • Summer is an excellent time to aerate and dethatch your lawn so that your fertilizer and water can reach the roots of your lawn.
  • If it’s been at least a year, pull the stakes that are supporting any of your trees. The roots have been established enough to support the tree on their own, and pulling the stakes will prevent the tree from becoming reliant on the artificial stake support going forward.
  • Organic fertilizers are preferred because they can last for months in your lawn, slowly being uptaken over the growing season. One application in spring and one in fall is sufficient nutrition for your lawn when correctly watered. Inorganic fertilizers are discouraged because they wash out of the soil quickly and run into our streams.
  • Keep checking for weed growth throughout the summer. If possible, remove weeds by hand and avoid herbicides such as Roundup which contain chemicals linked to colony collapse disorder of bees, vastly reducing the number of bees in our environment.

Trash

  • Visit Longmont’s Waste Diversion Center at 140 Martin St. to dispose excess cardboard, yard waste, compostable materials, single stream recyclables, plastic bags, styrofoam, used automotive and cooking oil, automotive batteries, shredded paper, holiday trees, wrapping paper, lights, and scrap metal. Disposal is free to Longmont residents – just bring a current City of Longmont utility bill and identification to show that you are a City resident.

  • Contact Longmont Code Enforcement at (303) 651-8695 if you find something was illegally dumped, such as furniture, mattress, etc. They will go out there in person, confirm the item, and then schedule the sanitation department to haul it away.

  • Download the Longmont Waste Service app for iPhone or for Android) to view your trash pickup schedule, determine which week is for recyclables vs. compost, discover how to dispose of various items, and be notified of special events for shreading, yard waste, hazard waste, etc.

© 2023 Harvest Junction Village Homeowners Association, Inc.
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