March 2018 Newsletter
2018 Internet Solutions
The Stonebrook community has the opportunity to become one of the first neighborhoods in Idaho Falls to have fiber optic internet lines installed in the ground (start date May 2018) directly to your home. TruFiber is a city utility company obtaining proper permits that will utilize the city utility easement between the sidewalks and streets in Stonebrook. There will be very little disturbance to the surface of the easement (approximately every 10 houses will have a green flat utility box installed similar to an in-ground valve box to manage turns in the fiber optic lines). Fiber to the home (FTTH) is the installation and use of optical fiber connected into the city fiber lines on Sunnyside and Holmes, bringing the fastest internet possible (1 Gig or 1,000 MBps) directly to individual homes. This is a great opportunity and will boost our home property values & real estate appeal. Visit www.mytruefiber.com website for prices and speeds. Tru Fiber’s goal is to have the most affordable internet options with the fastest speeds in our area, no internet lag time, data caps, contracts, or hidden fees. If you sign up for fiber internet through Tru Fiber while Stonebrook is being built out, they are offering FREE installation to your home. This offer is only during construction so you will need to call 208-904-4888 or go online and complete the interest form (see attached page). www.mytrufiber.com/Stonebrook
What Is Fiber Optic Internet? Fiber internet is provided through use of fiber optics. Fiber optics and fiber optic communication is when strands of fibers transmit information elsewhere by sending light pulses through a fiber optic strand. Optical fiber is used as a means to send information and is used to transmit telephone signals, provide internet communication, and cable television signals. Many of us are stuck with slow internet speeds, high monthly costs, contracts and data caps with no other options available. Unlike DSL phone lines, satellite, cable, and other ISP's, Tru Fiber offers a new dedicated Fiber To The Home (FTTH) connection with speeds of 1 Gigabit per second or 1,000 Megabits per second. This means you don't share your bandwidth with anyone outside the walls of your own home.
In a recent study, researchers at the University of Colorado and Carnegie Mellon University studied about half a million home sales from 2011 to 2013. They investigated the relationship between broadband connections, such as fiber and house prices. They found that access to fiber internet added 3.1% to the value of a home. A more recent study was conducted in 2014 by the Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council. They found that there was a higher per capita GDP in communities where gigabit internet was available. They also found that homes sold for 7% more if they had access to 1 gigabit broadband. If you would like, you can read more about the two studies: https://www.fiberbroadband.org/blog/study-shows-home-values-up-3.1-with-access-to-fiber
Door-to-Door gathering of TruFiber interest in 316 Stonebrook homes: 224 interested with initial survey; 34 not interested; 58 did not answer the door. As of March,117 of the 224 initially interested have completed the online form at www.mytrufiber.com/Stonebrook and will have installation charge waived during construction with fiber to the home.
The HOA Board unofficially gathered information regarding available internet options and monthly cost for Stonebrook:
- Viasat Satellite 12 Mbps for $65/month (Satellite to the home)
- Century Link Fiber 20 Mbps cap for $45/month (currently fiber to Sunnyside/Holmes, DSL phone line to the home)
- Century Link Fiber 40 Mbps cap for $55/month (currently fiber to Sunnyside/Holmes, DSL phone line to the home)
- Cable One 100 Mbps cap for $55/month (Cable to the home)
- Tru Fiber 100 Mbps for $49 per month (new installation Fiber optic line to the home)
- Cable One 200 Mbps cap for $105 per month (Cable to the home)
- Tru Fiber 1 Gig (1,000 Mbps) for $69 per month (new installation Fiber optic line to the home)
2018 HOA Update
STONEBROOK HOA UPCOMING EVENTS
· Saturday, May 19th from 8:00am to 3:00pm is our annual Community Yard Sale held rain or shine.
· Friday, June 8th from 6:00 to 8:00pm our first joint Stonebrook & Canterbury Park Community Block Party located at Sunnyside Elementary School. More details will be available online at stonebrookhomeowners.org/events.
· Wednesday, August 15th from 7:00 to 8:00pm is our Stonebrook Home Owners Association Annual Members Meeting. We will be seeking 4 volunteers nominated to serve on the HOA Board for a 2-year commitment. More details will be available online at https://www.stonebrookhomeowners.org/board.
WEBSITE & ONLINE APP
www.StonebrookHomeowners.org has launched a new website that includes our By-laws, Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions for each of the 16 divisions, HOA Board Contact Form, Violation Report Form, assessment & online payment options, upcoming events, and an online newsletter with FAQs to help keep you informed. CHECK IT OUT!
The Nextdoor App is the private social network for you, your neighbors and your community. We currently have 185 of our 316 homes connected. This is not required but recommended for quick neighborhood communication. If you would like to connect to those around you find our Stonebrook neighborhood at www.nextdoor.com/join Code: KBBCMP.
You may have received a postcard invitation from Jamie Braithwaite (HOA President) & NextDoor App in the mail. Find out more at https://nextdoor.com/about
CONTACT THE HOA BOARD ONLINE
www.stonebrookhomeowners.org/contact
If you have any action items that need to be added to next month’s agenda, wish to resolve a violation complaint against your property, new to the neighborhood, need to update contact or billing information, or have questions/concerns please complete the form below. A member of the Stonebrook Homeowners Association Executive Board will be in contact with you soon.
REPORT COMMUNITY VIOLATION ONLINE
Help us improve our community. We are continually striving to provide high quality service to every one of our home owners. We want to hear from you!
Please review our covenants, conditions, & restrictions online at www.stonebrookhomeowners.org/ccrs for Stonebrook HOA before submitting a violation.
Stonebrook Home Owners Association pursuant to Idaho Code Section 55-115, the Stonebrook HOA board is required to use the following approach in cases where violations of the covenants and restrictions have occurred:
• When a violation has been identified, a letter is sent to the homeowner by certified mail or personal delivery.
• The letter provides the homeowner with written notice of an HOA board meeting to take place 30-35 days later.
• At the meeting, the board will vote on whether to impose a fine for the conduct. The homeowner will be invited to the meeting.
• If the homeowner resolves the issue prior to the meeting, then by law the board may not impose a fine.
• If the violation cannot reasonably be resolved within the 30-day period, no fine can legally be imposed if the homeowner “begins resolving the violation prior to the meeting” and thereafter “continues to address the violation in good faith until fully resolved.”
If the issue is not resolved and no resolution has begun by the time of the meeting, the board will vote whether or not to impose a fine for the violation.
2018 HOA Violation Reminders
Over thirty years of beautiful tree growth is one of our strongest assets in the Stonebrook Community. The HOA Board contracted with LawnTech to prune & spray the trees located in our entry at Stonebrook & Sunnyside. Although there is a wealth of knowledge online about caring for trees, finding the correct information for East Idaho is more difficult. In order to protect our neighborhood trees from disease and insects, Arborists have studied the science of the correct timing, temperature, and applications for more than 35 conditions unique to this area. Lawn Tech (208) 523-5296 has provided a discounted rate to raise clearance of trees for Stonebrook Homeowners in violation of HOA & City Code. Please call today to schedule. If you need help scheduling an appointment the Stonebrook Homeowners Association is willing to contact LawnTech and bill you accordingly for your convenience – see pricing sheet below. In addition to services, they offer Tree Appraisals and Tree Care Consultations with a limited 5% preseason/prepayment discount for Stonebrook Homeowners. Call today at (208) 523-5296 to ensure the health & prevent CC&R violation of your trees. www.golawntech.com/services/tree-care
LawnTech provides pruning services to assess clearance of street trees and to ensure all Idaho Falls city codes have been met, which are 8’ over sidewalks, and 15’ over roadways, respectively. Below is the rate, Bill, the pruning department manager, is offering Stonebrook Subdivision Homeowners.
Trunk Diameter Pricing
- 0-6 inches: $50.00/tree
- 7-10 inches: $75.00/tree
- 11” + inches: $100.00/tree
This service is raising clearance ONLY. Any and all other pruning work, if requested by individual homeowners, would be extra and require a separate estimate. Thank You,
Kari Atkinson, Arborist Account Rep
Idaho Falls 208-523-5296
VIOLATION REMINDER: TREES 8' Sidewalk and 15' Street Clearance Stonebrook Protective Covenants: TREES [Division 1-16]. Grantors will plant one or two trees on the front of each lot depending on width of lot. The purchaser of each lot will be required to maintain such trees. City of Idaho Falls City Code: COMMUNITY FORESTRY (TITLE 8, CHAPTER 9) RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PRIVATE TREES: (2) Remove, prune, or re-prune any private tree located on such person’s real property in a manner that provides for vertical clearance of the branches of such tree to a height of not less than eight feet (8′) above any public sidewalk or not less than fifteen feet (15′) above any public street or alley.
VIOLATION REMINDER: LIVESTOCK & POULTRY: Stonebrook Protective Covenants: LIVESTOCK and POULTRY [Division 1-16]. No animals, livestock, or poultry of any kind shall be raised, bred or kept on any lot, except that dogs, cats or other household pets may be kept, provided that they are not bred or maintained for any commercial purposes.
VIOLATION REMINDER: TRAILER PARKING Stonebrook Protective Covenants: TEMPORARY STRUCTURE [Division 1-16]. No structure of a temporary character, trailer, basement, tent, shack, garage, barn, or other outbuilding shall be used on any lot at any time as a residence either temporarily or permanently. No outbuildings may be constructed unless first approved by the Architectural Control Committee. No house trailer, motorhome, boat or camper will be parked in front of house, on a street or driveway, including side streets of corner lots. The area next to the garage may be used for parking of such vehicles if fenced and approved by the Architectural Control Committee. City of Idaho Falls City Code: STORAGE OF VEHICLES, MOTORHOMES AND TRAILERS ON PUBLIC STREETS: TITLE 9, CHAPTER 4 (A) It shall be unlawful for anyone to use City streets or alleys for storage of motorhomes or trailers. Trailers and motorhomes can only be parked upon a street or alley within the City for the purposes of loading and unloading for a period not to exceed two 24-hour periods in a 7-day time period. Any person who parks or allows a trailer or motorhome to be parked upon any street or alley within the City for a period in excess of this time in the same location shall be guilty of an infraction. (B) Any person who parks or allows a vehicle to be parked upon any street or alley within the City for a period of 48 or more consecutive hours in the same location shall be guilty of an infraction.
SUNNYSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND STONEBROOK COMMUNITY UPDATE
Crossing Guards & School Zones: The Sunnyside Area Safety Committee was created Fall 2017 to bring awareness of the rising traffic concerns surrounding children in the Stonebrook area using Sunnyside Elementary crosswalks before and after school. The city of Idaho Falls and District 91 are now providing paid crossing guards at the four surrounding crosswalks of Sunnyside Elementary School located in the Stonebrook neighborhood. If you are interested in becoming a crossing guard contact Principal Lance Lindley at (208) 524-7880. The city of Idaho Falls is currently in the process of moving the flashing “School Zone” signs to their proper location as they have not been updated since 1991 when the school opened. PLEASE TRIM YOUR TREES IF THEY ARE BLOCKING TRAFFIC SIGNS.
LawnTech (208) 523-5296 has provided a discounted rate to raise clearance of trees for Stonebrook Homeowners in violation of HOA & City Code. Please call today to schedule. If you need help scheduling an appointment the Stonebrook Homeowners Association is willing to contact LawnTech and bill you accordingly for your convenience.
Sunnyside School Enrollment Caps
George Boland, Superintendent, recently sent out the following:
As Sunnyside Elementary School prepares for spring registration for the 2018-19 school year, we wanted to let you know we’re implementing new enrollment caps to ensure the best learning environment for students. With rapid growth on Idaho Falls’ south side, Sunnyside now has more than 600 students. It is the largest elementary school in Idaho Falls School District 91. It also has some of the largest class sizes in the district. We’ve been addressing this situation by providing additional aide time and other supports for teachers, but with no sign of the growth abating, it’s clear we need to take additional steps. For the 2018-19 school year: Enrollment at Sunnyside will be capped at a maximum of 26 students per class in kindergarten, a maximum of 28 students per class in grades 1-3 and a maximum of 30 students per class in grades 4-6. The only exceptions to these caps would be made to accommodate students who are currently enrolled and attending Sunnyside. New students registering for 2018-19, in excess of those caps, will be overflowed to nearby elementary schools. The siblings of children who are currently enrolled and attending Sunnyside will have a priority for kindergarten openings over new students. Students who live in Sunnyside’s boundaries, and who are currently being overflowed, will have priority over new students for any openings that become available. If openings become available during the school year, overflow students will be contacted by date of enrollment, and offered the opportunity to return to Sunnyside. As the Board of Trustees works to address the district’s long-term facility needs, including upgrades to Idaho Falls and Skyline high schools, it will be looking at a more permanent solution to address the growth on the south side of Idaho Falls. That could include elementary school boundary changes and/or the construction of a new elementary school. In the meantime, if you have any questions about these measures we’re implementing for the 2018-19 school year, please contact Sunnyside Elementary School or the district office at (208) 525-7500. Sincerely yours, George Boland (Superintendent)
2018 Stonebrook Statistics and General Information:
Total Homes: 316; Owner Occupied Homes: 301; Rental Homes: 15
Schools: Sunnyside Elementary School; Taylorview Middle School; Idaho Falls High School
Homes Sold in Stonebrook: 13 (from August 2017 to March 2018)
Average sales price: $303,351.62
Average Days on Market: 59 days.
Quickest sale 3 Days on Market. Longest sale 135 Days on Market.
Homes currently listed for sale: 6 homes
Homes currently under contact: 5 homes
Assessment for Stonebrook Home Owners Association has 27 accounts totaling $1,734 delinquent assessments updated March 2018.
Note: $1 late fee per month has been applied to late accounts. Please pay promptly online: https://www.stonebrookhomeowners.org/pay-assessment
- Division 1: 58 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 2: 23 homes; 2 delinquent accounts
- Division 3: 15 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 4: 22 homes; 3 delinquent accounts
- Division 5: 14 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 6: 12 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 7: 21 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 8: 18 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 9: 12 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 10: 9 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 11: 24 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 12: 24 homes; 2 delinquent accounts
- Division 13: 25 homes; 4 delinquent accounts
- Division 14: 14 homes; 3 delinquent accounts
- Division 15: 14 homes; 1 delinquent account
- Division 16: 11 homes; 3 delinquent accounts