2023 Annual Report

2023 President’s Report

by Zarina Melik-Stepanova, Board President

What a wonderful year we had here in Ledgewood. As your president, it has been incredibly rewarding to lead this year’s Board of Trustees. I am amazed at their dedication to this neighborhood, at their unwavering commitment to helping our neighbors, and to their persistence at solving all problems. We are so fortunate to have them and I thank them for volunteering their time and energy.

In addition to our volunteers, Ledgewood is lucky to have many staff members who keep us running and operational. I thank Carleen Sundvall, Karyn Wheeler, Brian Nary, Eric Schmiedlin, and Ryley Mayberry for being indispensable in their positions.

Last year, we decided to raise our annual dues. It was a difficult decision to make at the time. However, because of that increase, our association remains fiscally sound. The 2024 assessment fee will stay the same.

Finally, a big word of gratitude goes to Nicole Burke Rosario, another Ledgewood neighbor, for maintaining our Ledgewood website and for dedicating her MOD Pros team to helping us do all things technological. We are appreciative of your time and attention.

What follows is our trustee report from this year. I urge you to come and join us in person at our Annual Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 14th, at 7 o’clock. It is in person that we make important connections and have conversations that allow us to understand each other better. If you have a concern, we want to see you. However, if you don’t have a concern and think that we are doing a good job, then we would love to see you as well. The meeting will take place at the Clubhouse where you can hear more details about our neighborhood, vote in and meet our new board members, and enjoy some refreshments.

Thank you for an eventful year and for the opportunity to serve as your president. I did not take this position lightly when I accepted it and I learned a great deal as the year went on. One thing I know for sure, we are very fortunate to live in this neighborhood.

Pool

by Holly Zadony

They say that “time flies while you’re having fun!” I think I’m safe in saying that this describes summer 2023 at Ledgewood Pool. We had a ton of fun and summer flew by in the blink of an eye! It was wonderful to meet new neighbors, catch up and spend time with friends, and enjoy the beautiful gem of our development - Ledgewood Pool!

Ledgewood Pool continued to host many of the neighborhood’s annual events. The 4th of July neighborhood pool party was very well attended. The Ledgewood swim team provided pizza and the HOA provided hot dogs. Neighbors brought side dishes, snacks, and desserts to share potluck style. The weather was absolutely beautiful and it was a perfect day to spend at the pool. The kids enjoyed playing the “greasy watermelon” game, while the adults enjoyed watching that entertainment! The annual Christmas in July pool celebration was another great day. The pool deck was decorated for Christmas and Christmas carols played throughout the afternoon. As in past years, children enjoyed a musical Christmas gift game. We also had one late night swim. The movie “Luca” was played on the big screen and everyone swam late into the night. The HOA provided pizza for the neighbors.

The Ledgewood Swim Team had another very successful year! We had the largest number of participants on our team in decades. It was great to meet so many new families and welcome many new swimmers to the team. Of course, it was wonderful to welcome back many of our returning families! We are hopeful that the team will continue to grow next year. The strong sense of community and the friendships that form between the swimmers on our team is truly amazing!

We are very happy with the new check in software we used this summer. Thank you to everyone who came down to the pool early to help us get residents registered in the new system. The new system not only made checking in residents and guests easier for our lifeguards, it also prevented people who do not live in Ledgewood from pretending to be residents. In general, we didn’t have too many problems at the pool - however, we did have a few issues throughout the summer. It is important to remember that Ledgewood Pool is a child/family friendly environment. Inappropriate behavior and disrespectful, foul language is NEVER PERMITTED. Please be mindful of who you bring to the pool as your guests. If your guests are asked to leave because of their behavior and/or language, you will be asked to leave as well. A complete list of our pool rules can be found on our neighborhood website at https://theledgewoodassociation.com/pool.

Thank you to our head pool manager, Ryley Mayberry for her exceptional work this summer. She managed a wonderful staff of lifeguards who worked diligently to keep all of our swimmers safe. Thank you also to our pool maintenance manager, James Race who kept our pool crystal clear, clean, and at an enjoyable temperature throughout the summer. We have been very lucky again to have a staff that cares so much about the pool and the neighbors who spend so much of their time there.

Thank you to everyone who helped make summer 2023 a wonderful one for our neighborhood. I am truly grateful for everyone who helped during our different swimming events, all of the parents who helped with the swim team, and for anyone who helped out when I needed an extra hand. For as much as I love fall, I am well aware of what comes after all of the gorgeous leaves have fallen from the trees... and I am not a fan! However, I wish you all a beautiful autumn and a cozy, healthy winter. Think summer 2024!

Architectural Review

by Michele Dunn and Anthony Koenig

Ledgewood is a gem in our region. Our neighborhood includes approximately 321 single family homes and 200 condo/cluster homes. Its wooded lots, rich animal habitat and natural esthetic of the homes is a huge part of what we all love about our neighborhood. An important piece in preserving this idyllic setting is the maintenance of the neighborhood properties.

One of the primary duties of the Architectural Committee is to ensure this maintenance occurs. This is done throughout the year, in addition to our annual summer walk through. This year our walk through was spread out over a period of two weeks and 39 letters were sent out to our residents. Twenty of these issues have already been resolved and many have reached out to inform us of their plans to rectify issues in the near future. Just a few of the things that we frequently monitor for are: dead trees/branches, overgrown lawns, sinking sidewalks, and damaged/not working lamp posts. Thank you to everyone who has continued to maintain their properties and resolved issues that have come up throughout the year.

As a reminder, prior to any additions to the exterior of the property, such as fences, sheds, etc., residents are required to gain approval from the Architectural Committee, in addition to obtaining a building permit from the city of Strongsville. We have received several of these requests this year as many of our residents have been working hard on landscaping and renovation projects. From fences, to roofs, to new siding and gables, we
appreciate all the hard work residents put in to keeping Ledgewood looking beautiful.
We often get emails as to what requires approval.

Requires Approval:                                                  Does Not Require Approval:
• Fences                                                                         • Siding
• Sheds                                                                          • Roof Repair/Replace
• Gables                                                                         • Mailboxes
• Patios                                                                          • Landscaping
• Retaining Walls
• Pergolas
• Decks

When approaching maintenance and renovations we ask that your choices reflect the general
neighborhood aesthetic so that we can continue to keep that Ledgewood look and feel we all love.

As our days get shorter and darkness comes upon us earlier, please take care that your lamp posts are operational. Our children will still be out playing and we want to do our part in making our streets safe. If you notice your neighbor’s light is out, please let them know or reach out to the board via the website. If you need parts, please contact Brian Nary or Eric Schmiedlin at the Ledgewood garage to purchase them. In addition, if you need electrical work done on your lamp post, Eric and Brian can also be hired as private contractors to do the work for you.

Common Grounds

By Ken Tocco

The primary responsibilities of the Common Grounds trustee are to maintain all areas of Ledgewood property that are designated as common ground and manage the work of Ledgewood maintenance personnel and Ledgewood contractors. This includes negotiating and monitoring the landscape services contract, dealing with tree removal contractors and public utilities.

Additionally, I deal with residents regarding a wide variety of issues such as parts for driveway light poles and keys for the tennis courts, both of which are available for sale at the maintenance garage. I also liaise with the city of Strongsville as needed.

There are also projects that require oversight both for scope and budgeting. In 2022 and 2023 our maintenance staff replaced both lower and one upper retaining walls behind the pool and completely reworked the path from Falling Leaves to the playground. This included, at the suggestion of residents, extending the path to the roadway. For just one example, contractor estimates for the work on the fencing and path were in the $9-11,000 range. Instead, we purchased the materials directly, and the work was done by our maintenance personnel for about $1500 including labor and materials. The savings from all these projects allowed us to complete them in two fiscal years rather than 5 or 6 and accomplish some other things that would not have fit into the budget. Managing the portion of our dues that is allocated to Common Grounds and getting as much value as possible from those funds is my highest priority.

Clubhouse

By Kim Gillespie

The clubhouse continues to be a significant feature of the Ledgewood community.  It is used by many throughout the year for such events as graduation parties, wedding receptions, retirement celebrations, and birthday surprises.

This year our neighborhood hired a new clubhouse manager, Karyn Wheeler, and we are thrilled to say that she has been the most amazing addition to our staff. Karyn grew up in Ledgewood and currently resides here with her family. Her investment in the well being of our community was clear from the very beginning. I think those of you who have reserved the clubhouse for your events can attest to how easy it is to work with Karyn and how thorough she is in her position. If you would like to reserve our clubhouse for your future event please contact Karyn at reservations@theledgewoodassociation.com.

Annual Meeting

The Ledgewood Association annual meeting will take place:

Thursday, November 14, 2023, at 7 pm at the Ledgewood Clubhouse