To: Hickory Woods Residents,

Two members of the Board and our property manager met with Alliance Wednesday (2/22/2017) to talk about how the snow plowing is going.  During the meeting, we discussed the concerns that were brought to our attention by residents during the open Board meeting on 2/15/2017.

The primary topic of concern was the scrapes and grooves in the driveways, caused by the plowing. 

We walked around and examined the driveways where damage had been reported.  Most of the scrapes are shallow and can be covered with seal coating.  Some of the gouges are more than a half inch deep.  The deepest gouges are near the entrance of the driveways.

Alliance has determined, and we concur, that the scrapes and gouges are primarily caused by the snow blower attached to the Bobcat.  The transitions from the road to some of the driveways are sudden and create a situation where the front edge of the snow blower digs into the asphalt.  To reduce or eliminate this in the future Alliance agreed to modify the snow blower by welding a piece of metal on the front of the snow blower that will blunt the edge and reduce the degree to which it digs in.  While this will improve the situation, there is nothing that can be done to prevent scrapes altogether.  Some of these are created by rocks caught under the back scraper, some are caused by the edges of the equipment.

The shallow scrapes are cosmetic and can be covered by seal coating.  The deeper gouges are more of a concern and should be repaired.  Alliance said that they would fill the deeper gouges before people seal coat their driveways.  Exactly how this will be done is not yet clear.  Also, what options are available, if you are not planning to seal coat, have not yet been determined.  The Board continues to look into this and will provide an update in the near future.

If you live on Quarry Road or Pepper Hill Road, these scrapes are not an issue, because they will all be covered when the final top coat is applied by Mesiti this spring.

The Board and our property manager will continue to meet with and work with Alliance to find ways to improve the process and reduce damage to our driveways.  If you experience problems or have suggestions, please let us know at bod-input@hwcommunity.info

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors