Old PO Box Being Discontinued

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, February 3 @ 10:24am

The HOA has had a PO box at the Allen post office since 2003, but it hasn\'t been actively used since 2007, and no account statements, letters or other documents reference it any longer. For this reason, the HOA is releasing the box back to the post office (and consequently saving about $150 per year).

That being said, there are still a handful of homeowners sending mail to the old PO box. If you are still sending mail to PO box 2265, please be aware that the HOA will no longer receive mail sent there. Please update your address books and other documentation to use PO box 328.

Broken (Missing) Rain/Freeze Sensor

Posted by rbutler on Friday, January 15 @ 12:13pm

Last week, during the cold weather, the sprinklers along Shelley ran several times causing patches of ice. It was determined by the HOA\'s landscape maintenance company that the rain and freeze sensor installed for that system had been removed by someone by tearing it off the brick wall (leaving screws and broken plastic). This is not the first time that vandalism along Shelley has occurred; there have been several other incidents with graffiti and knocked over sections of brick.

If you notice any suspicious behavior along Shelley, please immediately contact the Allen police department at (214) 509-4321 and notify the HOA as well by calling (972) 739-5221.

The rain and freeze sensor should be replaced by this weekend.

Potential Severe Weather Alert

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, January 5 @ 8:25pm

The National Weather Service is forecasting an Arctic Blast for our area that may include rain, sleet or snow. Freezing temperatures are expected to hit late Wednesday and last through Saturday. Residents are reminded of the following:

• Protect your pipes and pets.
• Cover exterior faucets. Faucet covers are available at any hardware supply store.
• Watch for ice on roadways, bridges and overpasses.
• Allen residents can call Community Services at 214-509-4500 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to report problems with water line breaks, sewer and/or drainage; after 5 p.m. call 214-509-4530.
• Do not run irrigation or other systems that create standing water resulting in ice formation on sidewalks and roadways.
• Do not call 9-1-1 to report power outages. Power outages should be reported to your service provider as follows:

  Electric

  CoServ Electric: 1.888.274.4014

  Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative: 1.800.967.5235

  OnCor Electric: 1.800.242.9113

  Gas

  Atmos Energy: 1.888.286.6700

  CoServ Gas: 1.800.274.4014

Outdoor restroom facilities at all Allen parks will be closed Wednesday through Sunday, Jan. 6 - 10. CWD services may be delayed or slide a day depending on the severity of weather conditions. Specific City of Allen facility closings and service notices will be posted in the Hot News section of the City of Allen\'s website.

Updated: Tuesday, January 5 @ 8:27pm

Sprinklers on Malone (again)

Posted by rbutler on Saturday, December 5 @ 9:17am

Despite the assurances of our landscape maintenance company yesterday that the sprinklers on Malone were off, the sprinklers ran again last night. They have been contacted again and made aware of the issue.

Study ranks Allen as safest city in Texas

Posted by rbutler on Friday, December 4 @ 12:18pm

Allen is the safest city in Texas and the ninth-safest in the country, according to CQ Press\' annual city crime rankings.

Frisco ranked second in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and 20th nationally.

Sprinkler on Malone

Posted by rbutler on Friday, December 4 @ 10:51am

It appears as though one of the sprinkler zones on Malone became stuck and ran continuously overnight. The HOA's landscape company was contacted early this morning and has now correctly set all of the sprinklers on Malone off for the season.

The sprinkler systems on Bethany and Shelley have rain and freeze sensors on them, Malone does not.

2010 HOA Dues

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, December 1 @ 10:48am

The dues rate for 2010 has been set at $230/year, a $10 increase from last year. This returns dues to the rate they were at in 2007.

Invoices will be mailed out today, and payment is due on January 1, 2010. Payments received after this date will be subject to late fees and interest. If you are unable to make your payment by this date, please contact the Association and set up a payment plan.

Here Comes Santa!

Posted by rbutler on Friday, November 20 @ 5:34pm

The Village at Allen will kick off the holiday season with a variety of events and activities. The fun begins on Saturday, November 21 with the arrival of Santa, a.k.a. "The Big Guy" and a community tree-lighting ceremony. Santa will be available for photos and wishes beginning November 21 from 7 - 9 pm and everyday through Christmas Eve.

Allen Heritage Guild Christmas Open House

Posted by rbutler on Friday, November 20 @ 5:32pm

The Allen Heritage Guild invites everyone out to the Allen Heritage Village to enjoy holiday decorations, refreshments, music and Nativity exhibit. Saturday, December 5 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. St. Mary Church and Allen Christian Church at the Allen Heritage Village, 450 E. St. Mary Drive.

S.O.S Campaign - Cleaning up Illegal Signs

Posted by rbutler on Friday, November 13 @ 4:16pm

American Association of Code Enforcement National Sick of Signs (S.O.S.) Campaign Recently, the City of Allen Code Enforcement Division participated in the American Association of Code Enforcement National Sick of Signs Campaign. More than 200 illegal signs were picked up while the Code team continued to educate business owners and residents about sign requirements within Allen.

Having a garage sale? With the return of sunny weather, the Code team wants to remind residents about the guidelines and restrictions regarding garage sales and signs. Visit the Code Compliance webpage or call the hotline at 214.509.4160.

Cell Phone Law Goes into Effect

Posted by rbutler on Monday, August 31 @ 9:34am

In accordance with the new state law regarding cell phone use in school zones (HB 55), the City has installed signs at the entrances to all school zones alerting drivers to the new restriction. The signs permit Allen Police Officers to issue citations for violations of the new law which takes effect September 1, 2009. Violators may be fined up to $200.

Other new traffic laws that go into effect on September 1 include HB 537 which requires all occupants of a vehicle, no matter their age, to be secured by a safety belt; HB SB 61 requiring that children under the age of 8 or less than 4 feet 9 inches tall be restrained in an approved child passenger safety seat; and HB 2730 increasing the penalties for driving while intoxicated with a child passenger in the vehicle.

Class on Horticulture Basics

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, August 13 @ 3:48pm

On Tuesday, August 18, from 7 pm till 8:30 pm, the City of Allen Water Conservation Division will continue its Sustainable Landscape Seminar Series. The topic for Tuesday night is "Horticulture Basics: Importance of Soil." Gail Donaldson is a terrific instructor and you are sure to learn a lot. The cost of the class is just $5.00. We except cash or check payable to Keep Allen Beautiful. Light refreshments will be served, along with door prizes.

The class will be held at the Ron Gentry Fire Training Center at 310 Century Parkway, which is located on the north end of the Central Fire Station. Please do not park in the bay area because that may possibly block the fire engines. If the parking lot to the north is full, please park across the street in the City Hall parking lot at 305 Century Parkway.

Get Rid of that Obsolete Technology!

Posted by rbutler on Friday, July 31 @ 7:58pm

Cyclone Aluminum will be at Allen City Hall on Saturday, August 8 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. accepting computers, monitors, printers and computer accessories from Allen residents for recycling. Residents are responsible for "wiping clean" or destroying memory contents. Participants must present water bill and driver's license as proof of Allen residency.

Please contact 214.509.4551 for additional information.

Updated: Friday, July 31 @ 7:59pm

Veterans' Memorial to begin Construction

Posted by rbutler on Friday, July 31 @ 7:57pm

In 2002, Bethany Lakes Park was the regional host site for the Vietnam War Memorial (Moving Wall). During its brief display, the memorial attracted an estimated 30,000 visitors. In 2004, Leadership Allen Class XV conceived a concept for a permanent American Veterans Memorial to honor all fallen or deceased veterans of all wars and of all branches of military.

Cooper Design Works was hired by the City of Allen in 2006 to refine the memorial concept into a design plan, with input from the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (V.F.W.) group. Construction funding was approved by the Community Development Corporation in 2008.

City Council recently approved the contract to begin construction of the memorial.It will be installed at Bethany Lakes Park.

Council Approves City Animal Shelter Expansion

Posted by rbutler on Friday, July 31 @ 7:54pm

The expansion of the City of Allen Animal Shelter was a project included as part of the 2007 General Obligation Bond Program approved by the voters. Recently, the City Council approved the construction contract to begin expansion efforts.

Construction is set to begin mid-August with a completion date estimated for January 2010. The current facility will be able to continue operations throughout the expansion and will be open regular hours to the public.

U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson Announces Mobile Office Hours

Posted by rbutler on Friday, July 17 @ 7:50pm

The staff of U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist-Texas) will host regular "mobile office hours" throughout the Third Congressional District to meet with constituents. During the mobile office hours the Third District staff will offer assistance with problems regarding federal issues or agencies, such as Medicare, Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Social Security Administration or the Internal Revenue Service. No advance appointments are necessary.

In the event people cannot attend the mobile office hours in their city, residents can contact the Congressman's office in Richardson at (972) 470-0892.

Allen Hours:
10 a.m. to Noon
Senior Recreation Center
451 East St. Mary

Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday Memorial Day Weekend

Posted by rbutler on Friday, May 15 @ 8:34pm

During Memorial Day weekend, Texas shoppers get a break from state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of certain energy efficient products. The 2009 Energy Star sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day).

The products qualifying for the exemption are:

• air conditioners priced under $6,000 (room and central units)
• clothes washers (but not clothes dryers)
• ceiling fans
• dehumidifiers
• dishwashers
• light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent)
• programmable thermostats
• refrigerators priced under $2,000.

For more information, see http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx96_1331/

Reduce Your Property Tax

Posted by rbutler on Monday, March 16 @ 4:14pm

The American Homeowner's Association is giving away their Homeowner's Property Tax Reduction Kit, which is normally $29.99. It's got ways for you to check your assessment, identify errors, and how to appeal it.

Having successfully appealed my own taxes in the past, some quick advice:

• For our area, information on filing an appeal can be downloaded from the Collin county assessor's website.
• Find comps. Please be aware, Texas is a non-disclosure state so the sales price is not published. What you will see on certain websites is the loan amount or the asking price.
• Don't be timid.

Keep Allen Beautiful

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, March 4 @ 7:13pm

Keep Allen Beautiful invites you to join Elizabeth Frisch with A Nurtured World on Tuesday, April 14, from 7 to 9 pm at the Allen Public Library Auditorium and find out how to live a satisfying, financially successful life that also is environmentally sustainable. For more information, visit www.cityofallen.org. To register, email egonzalez@cityofallen.org.

2009 HOA Dues

Posted by rbutler on Saturday, February 28 @ 2:45pm

Please remember, 2009 HOA dues must be paid in full by today. If you have not already sent in your payment, you may use PayPal to send your payment to paypal@maxwellcreek.org. The total due today is $228.80; after today, additional late, collection, and interest fees will apply.

Landscape Update

Posted by rbutler on Monday, February 2 @ 2:36pm

The landscape maintenance company has completed scheduled pre-emergent and fertilization applications to prevent weeds and promote healthy green turf this spring. They have also removed sucker branches, tip pruned Crape Myrtle trees, and cut back ornamental grasses to promote new growth and remove brown winter foliage.

2009 HOA Dues - Due Date

Posted by rbutler on Friday, December 19 @ 10:56am

The dues mailing for 2009 was not mailed until Monday, Dec 15th. Because of the late mailing, dues will not be considered late until January 15th. A notice is included with the mailing explaining this.

2009 HOA Dues

Posted by rbutler on Sunday, December 14 @ 1:36pm

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the annual assessment for 2009 will remain at $220.00 for fiscal year 2009-2010. Per the Covenants, payment is due in full January 1st, 2009 and interest and additional fees will apply if received after that date. If, for any reason, you are unable to pay assessments by the due date, please contact the Association. We would prefer to amicably work out a payment plan rather than begin legal proceedings.

There are a number of additional budget pressures for 2009 including:

• increases in the cost of materials (plants, wood, brick)
• an increase in our service costs from vendors
• an increase in the water rate by the City
• and the high costs of repairs in 2008
• an inflation rate of 5%

Despite all of these increases, the Board felt that due to the current issues in the economy we would try to do our part and keep costs down as much as possible. Of course, this also means that we will have to pare down most capital improvements for the 2009/2010 fiscal year.

Brick Wall Restoration on Shelley

Posted by rbutler on Monday, July 28 @ 6:14pm

As you may already be aware, the Association is having the brick wall along Shelley Dr. repaired. This work involves removal of the cracked/missing sections of mortar in the wall and replacement. Additionally, on sections of the wall where the lower portions have begun to crack and sag, a metal lentil is being installed for support. While this work is being performed, the alley on Elm Spring Ct. may be blocked from time to time, and there may be small amounts of debris (which will generally be cleaned up daily).

The contractor performing the work is Steve Morris with Advanced Restoration Technology, he has done previous work for the Association (such as removing the graffiti on the entrance monument at Shelley and Forest Stream). He may also have one or more additional people working with him.

If you have any questions, please call (972) 739-5221, or email to officers@maxwellcreek.org.

Next Newsletter

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, July 22 @ 9:24pm

The next newsletter for the Association will be assembled soon, if there are any questions or topics you would like addressed, please let us know.

Also, if you are interested in advertising, please let us know as well.

Website Outtage

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, July 22 @ 12:10pm

Due to a change at our ISP that took far longer (and caused more problems) than we anticipated, the website and email were down for most of yesterday.

If you sent any email to the Association that bounced back with an error, please resend.

Website Updates

Posted by rbutler on Saturday, May 24 @ 5:26pm

The website has been updated with a newer revision of software that adds a few new features (primarily for residence owners). However, please note that this is a beta version of the software and may contain bugs or other unexpected behavior.

If you notice a problem, please send an email to webmaster@maxwellcreek.org with the details.

Spring Block Party

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, April 23 @ 8:55pm

The HOA will be holding the Spring Block Party this coming Saturday from 4-6pm in the cul-de-sac on Woodstream Ln. The HOA will be providing food (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, red beans and rice, biscuits) and drinks.

Vandalism and Sprinklers

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, February 26 @ 6:45pm

Sometime last night, graffiti was sprayed on the south entrance sign (the Parkside Villas neighborhood to our South was also affected with similar damage). A report has been filed with the Allen PD, and we hope to have the sign repaired in the next week.

Additionally, the sprinkler system on the North side of the neighborhood has been running for most of the day; the malfunction was reported to our landscape maintenance company, and the problem was fixed around 5pm.

Common Area Landscaping

Posted by rbutler on Monday, February 11 @ 5:06pm

There is a lot going on for landscaping in the Maxwell Creek community and we wanted to give you all a quick update.

As scheduled, pre-spring pruning of the Crape Myrtles has been completed, and they should look great this summer. We have also had tulip bulbs planted at the north and south neighborhood entrances.

You may be curious about the blue spots in the Common Areas, they are an indicator dye that is added to sprayed chemicals to show where the chemicals have been applied. With spring just around the corner, chemical herbicide applications have been made to kill both winter and seedling weeds. Left untreated they would multiply into troublesome spring and summer weeds. When the chemical has been applied to the turf it poses no harm to humans, animals, or the environment. A slow release granular pre-emergent has also been applied to further prevent and discourage weeds.

We are continuing our effort to achieve a beautiful lush weed free lawn for the community. Please let us know if there are any areas of concern, we are doing our best make the entire landscape as enjoyable as possible.

Phone Outage Scheduled for City Facilities On January 12 and 13

Posted by rbutler on Friday, January 11 @ 2:04pm

The City of Allen will be upgrading its phone system January 11 - 13.

Emergency dispatch will not be affected; however, regular phone service to all facilities will be out beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, January 11 through Sunday, January 13. Phone service is scheduled to resume by 8 a.m. on Monday, January 14.

The following temporary phone numbers will be available for the following facilities:

• Stacy Road Pump Station (for reporting water/sewer related emergencies)
  214-986-8312 or 214-986-5579
• Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium
  214-986-8599 or 214-986-7680
• Joe Farmer Recreation Center
  214-986-7517 or 214-986-7704
• The Edge Youth Center
  214-986-7502 or 214-986-7488

Theives Stealing Delivered Packages

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, December 18 @ 8:06am

As in years past, there are a few dishonest people throughout the Allen / Plano / McKinney area that are stealing packages that have just been delivered by UPS and FedEx. Although we haven't received any reports in our neighborhood (thus far), this problem has occurred in our neighborhood in past years.

If you see anything suspicious, please contact the Allen PD immediately at (214) 509-4321.

Neighborhood Christmas Lights

Posted by rbutler on Friday, December 14 @ 8:36am

As most people have probably noticed by now, Christmas decorations have been installed around the neighborhood entrances on Bethany and Shelley. There have been a few issues with the lights around the signs failing, but we believe the vendor we contracted has finally worked it out. If you notice any problems, please call us at (972) 739-5221.

Christmas Decoration Vandalism

Posted by rbutler on Friday, December 14 @ 8:32am

We've received a couple of reports of Christmas decorations being vandalized in the neighborhood. Please be on the lookout for any suspicious activity, and report it to the Allen PD at (214) 509-4321.

Various Tidbits..

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, November 29 @ 2:11pm

A couple items to pass on:

• The next newsletter should be printed and mailed tomorrow. It should be available online this weekend.
• Dues for 2008 will be $220, a $10 decrease from the last two years; invoices will be mailed this weekend.
• Christmas decorations will be installed at the north and south entrances sometime between Sunday and Tuesday, depending on the weather.

Final Public Hearing For Boundary Proposal Set For November 12

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, November 7 @ 8:54pm

The final public hearing for the Allen ISD boundary rezoning process will be held on Monday, November 12 at Boon Elementary School starting at 6:30 p.m. A fourth public meeting, which had tentatively been scheduled for November 13 at Ereckson Middle School will not be held. Additional time will be added to the meeting at Boon Elementary if needed so that all patrons may provide input on the plans which have been proposed.

Proposals for elementary school boundaries for 2008, 2009 and 2010 as well as middle school boundaries for 2010 are posted online.

The same proposals presented to the public will be presented to the Board of Trustees for comment and review on November 26. Based on the Board comments and public input throughout the month, the plan will be adjusted if necessary. The plan will then be presented to the Board on December 17. The Board will not take action on the proposal until January 28, 2008.

Gas Leak Near Malone & Oak Brook

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, October 11 @ 8:08pm

There is a strong smell of a gas leak near the intersection of Malone and Oak Brook; Atmos has been alerted and is sending a crew out to check the area.

Neighborhood Garage Sale - Saturday 13th

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, October 10 @ 7:54pm

The HOA will be hosting the Fall neighborhood garage sale this coming Saturday the 13th from 7am - 12pm. We will be placing signs in the Common Areas, and placing advertising in local newspapers.

If you'd like to participate, just set up shop or get ready to browse!

Web Site Outtage

Posted by rbutler on Sunday, September 23 @ 6:46pm

Well, I come back from vacation and find out that our web hosting company suspended our account because an unrelated domain (belonging to who, I don't know), included our domain name in a spam message that it was sending out.

I've been able to resolve it, and am going to escalate this through the ISP's support organization tomorrow to make sure this type of problem doesn't happen again.

Landscape Maintenance Update

Posted by rbutler on Monday, September 10 @ 10:22am

A quick update on the improvements to the Common Area landscaping mentioned in the last newsletter: On Friday another application of MSMA weed and broadleaf herbicide was applied. You will see noticeable brown spots in the Common Areas but do not be alarmed, they are the dead and dying weeds, the turf will fill in over it rather quickly. We also have on schedule to stake the four bent trees on Malone this week.

The section of fence on Maxwell Creek Dr that was damaged in the car accident was repaired last week. The cleaning and restaining of the entire wooden fence along Bethany and Maxwell Creek Dr is scheduled for late this week / early next week.

Damage to Maxwell Creek Fence

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, August 22 @ 9:57pm

The wooden neighborhood fence on Maxwell Creek Dr. was damaged during a car accident earlier in the week. A fence company has been contacted to come out and repair the damaged section. According to the police report, the driver did not have insurance.

City Considering Juvenile Curfew

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, August 9 @ 12:36pm

The Allen City Council will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, August 14, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Allen City Hall, 305 Century Parkway, Allen, Texas, to consider continuing and adopting a curfew for juveniles.

Anyone wishing to speak either FOR or AGAINST the continuance and adoption of a curfew for juveniles is invited to attend the public hearing and voice his/her opinion.

For further information, contact the Allen Police Department, 205 W. McDermott, Allen, Texas, or by telephoning (214) 509-4200.

Stolen Trash Cans

Posted by rbutler on Monday, August 6 @ 11:29am

In the early hours this morning (probably between 4-5 AM), several trashcans (but not recycling containers) in the alley of Woodhaven and Fir Harbor were stolen. Apparently this is a common technique of identity thieves.

If you saw anything suspicious this morning, or experienced this theft yourself, please contact the Allen Police Department at (214) 509-4200 to file a report.

Council Approves Suspension of Water Rate Surcharge effective August 1

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, July 26 @ 7:27pm

The Allen City Council recently approved suspension of the water rate surcharge effective August 1. The City will remain on the current twice weekly water use schedule (Thursday and Sunday for our neighborhood) until until that time.

After August 1 upon transition from Stage 3 of the Drought Contingency Plan to the Water Conservation Plan, there will be no day of use restrictions on landscape irrigation uses for water. However, the City Council strongly encourages all water customers to continue to conserve water and to practice twice weekly landscape irrigation.

School Begins August 27

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, July 26 @ 7:25pm

Classes will begin for all Allen ISD students on Monday, August 27.

No changes have been made to the school starting times for 2007-08. The elementary school day will begin at 7:55 a.m. Middle schools will start at 8:30 a.m. The Freshman Center will begin at 8:15 a.m. and Allen High School students will report either at 8:15 a.m. or 9:15 a.m. based on their schedule.

City Council Approves Stage 3 "Light" Restrictions

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, June 13 @ 11:38am

Last night, the Allen City Council approved a Stage 3 "Light" designation as part of the Drought Contingency Plan.

Changes to watering restrictions under the Stage 3 "Light" designation, include:

• Effective immediately - Washing or rinsing of vehicles and watercraft by hose will be permitted as long as a shut-off nozzle is used to stop the flow of water when not being used to rinse off the vehicle.
• Effective July 1 - Landscape watering with sprinklers or irrigation systems will be permitted twice a week per a designated schedule. The schedule will be mailed to all water customers on or before June 30.

On July 1st, the watering schedule for our area will become Thursdays and Sundays, from 4am-10am and from 6pm-12a.

Allen ISD Web Site Reorganization

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, May 22 @ 1:07pm

Due to reorganization that will take place in the next couple of weeks, the Allen ISD website will be unavailable from the end of the day May 31st until the morning of June 4th. ParentConnect will also be unavailable, therefore, AISD will be mailing home report cards on May 30th.

Don't Let the Rain Fool You - We're Still in a Drought

Posted by rbutler on Monday, May 14 @ 7:53pm

The following message was put out by the North Texas Municipal Water District:

Here in North Texas, we’re all thankful for recent rain. Lawns are green, plants are blooming and some lakes are filling up.

That’s why some people have asked why the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) service area remains in Stage 3 Severe Drought.

A drought is measured by more than rainfall (or lack of it).

NTMWD relies on three reservoirs—Lake Lavon, Lake Jim Chapman and Lake Texoma—to serve more than 1.6 million people in and around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. While Lake Lavon—our primary water source—has risen to 94 percent capacity, Lake Jim Chapman is still less than half full.

Other drought factors include:

• Drought conditions in the region and the watersheds of our lakes
• Lake levels/capacities
• Amount of water we’re permitted to draw from our reservoirs (the amount is limited by the State of Texas)
• Current and projected demand for water from our customers, which is increasing

Several projects, initiated prior to the drought, are under way that will add more water to our supply next year and help us keep pace with demand. While NTMWD may relax some watering restrictions later this year or early next year, our region may never return to a time when we could use all the water we wanted without worrying about the consequences.

Water conservation will always be an important part of NTMWD's water management strategy.

So we’re asking you to continue to save. Follow your community’s watering schedule and avoid wasting water. You will find easy water-saving tips at www.NorthTexas.WaterIQ.org

Working together, we can ensure there will plenty of water for our future. Always.

Updated: Monday, May 14 @ 8:53pm

City of Allen Storm Damage Recovery Plan

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, May 3 @ 9:37pm

Due to the impact of the high winds on Wednesday, May 2, a significant amount of tree and fence damage ocurred in Allen. The City's first priority has been the removal of wind damage debris from all streets, alleys, and public property. City staff has received hundreds of calls for assistance with debris removal. In response, city staff has developed the following response plan:

• Curb side pick up of storm damage debris at residential properties will be conducted.
• The City cannot come on private property to help reduce, cut up, or remove debris. The City will collect storm debris from the curb side (along a street) including: damaged tree and shrub plant materials and small quantities of fence boards and shingles. Small or loose plant materials should be placed in lawn/leaf type bags. The materials should not be placed in the street, but behind the curb. Any material placed along alleyways will not be collected by the City.
• All tree material must be no more than 6 feet in length. A limited quantity of fence materials that has been broken down into individual boards will also be accepted.
• The City will not collect whole fence panels or entire fences. The residents may personally take their complete fence panels or fence parts to the Custer Road Transfer Station Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The transfer station is located on Ridgeview Drive just west of Custer Road. Residents must take their driver's license and most recent City utility bill as proof of residency.
• We are not collecting construction or remodeling debris including, but not limited to: large quantities of roofing shingles, plywood, electrical items, computer equipment, sheet rock, dimensioned wood, wood-like products such as Hardi Plank, metal, bricks, rocks, insulation, carpeting, carpet padding, electrical wiring, or dirt.
• City staff will begin residential storm debris removal on Tuesday, May 8. This allows citizens time to trim trees and get the debris to curb side over the next few days. This process should be complete in about two weeks.
• The City has been divided into four quadrants with a work crew assigned to each quadrant.
• You may request pick up of debris at (214) 509-4509. However, City staff will inspect each street for storm debris that has been placed out for collection.
• The cost of this service is paid for as part of your residential waste service fees. This curb service is not being extended to any commercial or homeowner's association owned properties.
• On Friday, May 4, the City is placing 30-yard open top debris containers at two locations: Jupiter Park, south of Main Street and Allen Station Park (in the compacted gravel parking lot) south of Exchange Parkway on Cedar Drive. These containers are intended for storm debris disposal. They are not intended for disposal of household food wastes or household hazardous wastes. After the open top service appears to be reduced in usage, the containers will be removed.
• Please call (214) 509-4509 with your questions.

Power Outages at Allen ISD Campuses

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, May 3 @ 9:27am

Allen ISD will begin today - Thursday May 3 - at all campuses on a regular schedule.

As a result of the storms on Wednesday night, there are power outages at four campuses (Boon, Kerr, Green and Allen High School). There are no power problems at other Allen schools. Once they are able to determine how long the power outages will last, students will either remain or be moved to another campus for the day.

If there is an early release of students planned as a result of the continuing power outages - that information will be communicated immediately on the AISD school website.

Planning and Zoning Plat Discussion

Posted by rbutler on Monday, April 30 @ 4:35pm

At tomorrow night's City Planning and Zoning Committee Meeting, there will be a discussion to consider a Preliminary Plat for Morgan Crossing, Phase 3, being 15.866± acres located at the southwest corner of Angel Parkway (FM 2551) and the proposed Chaparral Drive.

This is in the open field area directly south of our neighborhood.

American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Allen, TX

Posted by rbutler on Sunday, April 29 @ 3:02pm

It is not too late to get involved in this fun community-wide event and join the fight against cancer. There will be a new team informational meeting on Wednesday May 2 at 7PM in the Club House of the Benton Pointe Apartments (205 Benton Drive, behind the Lowe's on McDermott).

Come and learn more about Relay For Life, how you can get involved, what it takes to put a team together and much more!

Relay For Life is the signature fund raising event of the American Cancer Society. Teams will come together and spend the night at the Allen High School practice field to raise cancer awareness, celebrate cancer survivors, honor cancer victims, and have some fun with live entertainment, food, games, music, children's activities and much more.

So come become part of this worthy event!

Zoning Change Public Hearing

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 24 @ 12:07pm

The City of Allen City Council will be conducting a Public Hearing tonight to Adopt an Ordinance Granting a Change in Zoning for Tract A of PD Planned Development No. 65 from TH Townhome to R-7 residential on 15± Acres of Land Located Southwest of Angel Parkway and Chaparral Road.

This is the same area that was discussed at the Planning and Zoning Committee three weeks ago.

Neighborhood Block Party Saturday 4-6pm

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 24 @ 11:58am

The HOA is hosting a neighborhood block party this Saturday the 28th from 4-6pm. There will be food from Sugar Baby's BBQ, a wandering magician, a bounce-house, and balloon animals. After the party, the HOA has arranged for Sugar Baby's to sell well drinks at ½ off.

Updated: Tuesday, April 24 @ 11:59am

Participate in the Great American Clean Up

Posted by rbutler on Monday, April 16 @ 12:54pm

Everyone is invited to "dump their junk" at the upcoming Great American Clean Up set for Saturday, April 21 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Trash of all kinds will be accepted with metals, computers, household goods, brush, cardboard and shoes being recycled and kept out of the landfill.

Annual Meeting Monday, April 16th

Posted by rbutler on Friday, April 13 @ 2:44pm

Just a quick reminder that the 2nd calling of the HOA Annual Meeting will be on Monday, April 16th at 8:00pm at the Joe Farmer Rec Center (across from Kroger).

If you will not be attending the meeting in person, please fax in your proxy! Given the average turnout at meetings, we are still short about a dozen proxies to reach a quorum.

Relay For Life of Allen

Posted by rbutler on Monday, April 9 @ 11:24am

The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteers and participants for the upcoming 4th Annual Relay For Life of Allen, TX to be held on Friday June 1 through Saturday June 2, 2007 at the Allen HS track.

There will be a general interest kickoff meeting on Monday April 9, 2007 at 7:00PM in the Fellowship Hall of the First Baptist Church of Allen (201 E. McDermott). We hope you are able to attend or send a representative to acquire more information. For information call (469) 569-8731.

Relay For Life, the largest fundraiser in the world, is the signature fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. Every year Relays throughout the United States help raise much needed funds to continue the research, education and patient service initiatives of the American Cancer Society.

Relay For Life is a great community service and outreach opportunity. In addition, it is also the perfect opportunity for family time, camaraderie, and some free entertainment and fun for your organization.

Update to the HOA Collection Policy

Posted by rbutler on Friday, April 6 @ 9:34am

The HOA Dues and Collection Policy has been updated for the first time in almost three years. There are no differences in policy; clarifications and details are more clearly spelled out, some additional costs of the Association's attorney are now listed and others have been updated.

Area Zoning Change

Posted by rbutler on Saturday, March 31 @ 11:54pm

At the next meeting of the City's Planning and Zoning Committee on Tuesday, April 3rd there will be a public hearing to consider a request to amend Tract A of PD Planned Development No. 65 from TH Townhome to R-7 Residential for Morgan Crossing. The property is 15.87± acres of land situated in the D.B. Hearne Survey, Abstract No. 427; located southwest of Angel Parkway and Chaparral Road.

According to the maps available from the City, our neighborhood is zoned R7.

New Retail at Bethany & 75

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, March 29 @ 3:40pm

A frequent question the HOA has received is about new retail around the neighborhood. Although this isn't in the immediate area, we would like to mention that several retailers are committed for the Watters Creek mixed-use development at Bethany & 75 including a Market Street supermarket, P.F. Changs restaurant, Borders books, Ann Taylor Loft and Eddie Bauer. There will also be an eight-screen Studio Movie Grill cinema and a 135-room hotel as part of the project.

Sprinklers Running On Malone

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, March 27 @ 10:48am

The HOA is aware of the one zone of sprinklers that has been stuck running on Malone for the last two hours. The HOA's landscape company was contacted at 9:15am, and the City's water department was made aware of the problem and the attempt to repair.

Annual Meeting Monday, April 2nd

Posted by rbutler on Monday, March 26 @ 8:11pm

The Annual Meeting for the Association will be on Monday, April 2nd at 8:00PM at the Joe Farmer Rec Center on Bethany (across from Kroger). A mailing announcing this meeting, along with a proxy form was mailed out last week. If you will not be attending the meeting, please mail in or fax your proxy form!

Current Board Members Robert Butler and Yesika Fletcher will be running for election again; Howard Fisher has decided not to run again. We are in need of new candidates to throw their hat in the ring! A candidate information form is available online for anyone wishing to run for a position on the board.

There is no new business to be discussed at the meeting other than the election of Board Members. However, we will be holding a question and answer session afterwards, and expect to cover issues such as the ongoing water restrictions, continuing vandalism to the brick wall on Shelley, upcoming construction and other activities occurring in the surrounding area, and other topics of interest.

Updated: Thursday, March 29 @ 3:42pm

Shingle Damage From Last Weekend's Strong Winds

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, February 27 @ 6:24pm

We've received several queries over the last few days about shingle damage caused by the strong winds over the weekend.

Depending on the age of your residence, you may still be covered by a warranty from the original builder. We also covered this in the newsletter last year, and more information is available there.

CyberSafety Forum Scheduled For January 18

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, January 16 @ 3:55pm

The Vaughan Elementary School PTA is hosting a community awareness presentation on Cybersafety on Thursday, January 18, 2007 from 7:15 - 8:15 p.m. for the presentation and 8:15 - 8:30 p.m. for discussion. The program will be held in the Vaughan cafeteria at 820 Cottonwood Drive, Allen, TX, 75002.

This presentation and discussion is for adult family members of elementary school-age children and is not intended for children. Cyber-Safety is a growing concern in the commitment to keep children of all ages in our community safe. Please join our PTA to learn more about "safe surfing" for our community's children.

For more information call Vaughan Elementary School at (972) 727-0470.

New Recycling Schedule

Posted by rbutler on Monday, January 8 @ 11:57am

The City has posted the new CWD recycling schedule, for most of 2007 we are now on the 2nd and 4th weeks of the month instead of the 1st and 3rd. However, please review the calendar posted for specific dates, as it varies throughout the year.

2007 HOA Dues Are Due on 1/1/07

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, December 20 @ 11:16am

Just a quick reminder to everyone that the 2007 HOA Membership Dues are due in full on January 1st, 2007. If received after that date, per the Covenants of the Association, interest will begin accruing at 18% APR.

Bethany Lakes Park Preliminary Samples Indicate No Public Health Risk

Posted by rbutler on Friday, December 8 @ 7:59pm

Southwest Geoscience has completed the preliminary sampling of the northeast corner of Bethany Lakes Park as a result of lead shotgun pellets surfacing in this area. The preliminary sampling indicates that lead concentrations of the tested soil and water are well below the human health exposure standard set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Southwest Geoscience will complete extensive sampling of this area late next week. It will remain closed to the public during this time and as needed for clean up efforts.

The pellets surfaced in this area due to the location of a firing range on the property prior to being purchased by the City over 10 years ago. The original property owners, Dallas Texas Rod and Gun Club, were required to perform site remediation for lead in order to comply with standards and other federal guidelines at the time prior to the City’s purchase.

The public should stay out of the closed area and observe other posted rules such as catch and release when fishing and no swimming or wading in the ponds. The trail through Bethany Lakes Park will remain open; however, holes #2 and #3 of the disc golf course are not accessible for play.

Board Adopts 2007 - 2008 School Year Calendar

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, November 30 @ 3:42pm

The Board adopted an official calendar for the 2007 - 2008 school year. School will begin on August 27, 2007 and end on June 5, 2008. Fall vacation will be two days and the winter vacation will be eight days. Thanksgiving and spring break will continue to be one week long. The school year is starting on August 27 based on a new Texas law requiring all school districts to begin no earlier than the fourth Monday of August.

Updated: Thursday, November 30 @ 3:43pm

Next Open Forum Monday, December 4th

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, November 28 @ 11:31am

The next open forum meeting will be held on Monday, December 4^th at the Allen Public Library at 300 N. Allen Drive in downtown Allen (near the post office) starting at 7pm. We will be discussing:

• The change in management companies,
• Annual dues for 2007 including accepting credit card payments,
• The stage 3 watering restrictions,
• Hiring off-duty police to curb vandalism,
• Whether to continue events such as the neighborhood garage sales, Spring Blockparty & Halloween parties,
• An urgent need for volunteers and what can be done to increase participation,
• Spending additional money to mail advance notices of meetings and events, so more people are aware of what's going on.

4th Quarter Newsletter

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, November 28 @ 11:29am

The 4th Quarter newsletter is now available and was mailed to everyone last week. Major topics include:

• Dues for 2007
• Water Restrictions
• Construction Along Shelley

Board Meeting Minutes (November 8th, 2006)

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, November 28 @ 11:26am

The meeting minutes from the November 8th HOA Board meeting are now available.

Area of Bethany Lakes Park Closed For Environmental Testing

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, November 9 @ 7:21pm

Approximately a one acre area in the northeast corner of Bethany Lakes Park will be closed to the public. The closing is a result of lead shotgun pellets surfacing in this area due to the location of a firing range on the property prior to being purchased by the City over 10 years ago.

The original property owners, Dallas Texas Rod and Gun Club, were required to perform site remediation for lead in order to comply with standards and other federal guidelines at the time prior to the City's purchase.

The public should stay out of the closed area and observe other posted rules at this time such as catch and release when fishing and no swimming or wading in the ponds. The trail through Bethany Lakes Park will remain open.

Testing of the area, including pond and related environmental samples, is being performed by Southwest Geoscience. Findings and recommendations are pending at this time.

4th Quarter Newsletter

Posted by rbutler on Friday, November 3 @ 3:57pm

The 4th Quarter HOA Newsletter will be published in the next two weeks. If there are any specific topics you would like to see covered, or you have an advertisement you would like to have included, please contact us ASAP!

Board Meeting Minutes (September 23rd, 2006)

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, November 2 @ 1:51pm

Meeting minutes from the September 23rd HOA Board Meeting are now available.

Halloween Party This Saturday

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, October 25 @ 1:47pm

The HOA annual Halloween kickoff party will be this weekend in the Woodstream cul-de-sac from 4-6pm. There will be a haystack and pumpkins for pictures, fresh popped popcorn, and bags of goodies for the kids!

Brick Wall Vandalism

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, September 20 @ 9:31pm

For the last three days in a row, we have had reports of damage to the brick neighborhood border fence along Shelley. Given the volume of damage created, and that the sheer weight of some of the sections are far greater than the mild winds over the last few days, we can only assume that someone deliberately vandalising the fence.

Please be on the lookout for any suspicious activity, including people (our groups of people) walking down the alley or the sidewalk along Shelley. Please contact the Allen Police Non-Emergency number at (214) 509-4321, and the HOA directly at (972) 739-5221 if you notice anything out of the ordinary. We do not have a specific time frame when the damage is occuring each day.

We just recently completed a third round of repairs to the fence in the last few weeks, and it will be another several hundred dollars to repair this most recent damage.

West Nile Virus in the City of Allen

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, September 12 @ 2:40pm

Due to recent notification from Collin County Health Care Services confirming a case of West Nile Fever in an Allen resident, the City of Allen Environmental Services Division is actively treating all standing bodies of water with larvacide.

To help protect yourself from the West Nile Virus, the Texas Department of State Health Services recommends the following:

• Apply insect repellent that contains DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide). Be sure to read label instructions. Spray clothing and exposed skin with repellent.
• Dress in long sleeves and long pants when you are outside.
• Stay indoors at dusk and dawn, times when infected mosquitoes are most active.
• Drain standing water in your backyard and neighborhood; old tires, flowerpots and clogged rain gutters are mosquito-breeding sites.

To learn more about West Nile Virus, please visit: Collin County Health Care Services. A copy of the most recent report from Collin County Health Care Services is provided for your review.

Updated: Tuesday, September 12 @ 2:41pm

3rd Quarter Newsletter, Board Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, September 7 @ 2:30pm

The 3rd Quarter newsletter is now available online, and has been mailed out to all residences. It should be in your mailbox today or tomorrow.

Meeting minutes and notes from the last two months are now available online as well.

Dedication To Honor Carlena Chandler

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, September 6 @ 12:00pm

The community is invited to attend a formal dedication ceremony for Chandler Elementary School on Sunday, September 10 at 2 p.m.

The school is named for Mrs. Carlena Chandler, a retired Allen High School business teacher and former AHS graduate. Chandler is the thirteenth elementary school in AISD. A reception will follow the dedication in the Chandler Cafeteria. The campus is located on Bur Oak Drive in southeast Allen.

Notice of Recall on Summer Reading Program Toy Giveaways

Posted by rbutler on Friday, September 1 @ 9:33pm

Due to a recall initiated by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), the Allen Public Library is requesting the return of the bendable toy products given out as part of the children's summer reading program.

The CPSC recalled the bendable cats and dogs due to possible high lead content. Please see the CPSC web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06236.html.

City of Allen Water Restriction

Posted by rbutler on Friday, August 25 @ 7:31pm

The City of Allen staff will begin installing signs next week at subdivision entrances throughout the city that say Water Use Restrictions in Effect with the City logo, website, and phone number. Please contact Andrea Smith at (214) 509-4553 if you have questions or concerns.

July Yard of the Month - 1611 Oak Brook Ln.

Posted by rbutler on Monday, August 14 @ 3:35pm

Congratulations to Johnny & Maritza San Martin, their home at 1611 Oak Brook Ln. is winner of the Yard of the Month for July.

We'll try to have pictures up for August / September this weekend.

Fake Violation Letters

Posted by rbutler on Monday, August 14 @ 11:43am

So that everyone is aware, it appears as though someone is sending out fake violation letters to homeowners in the neighborhood, purporting to be from the HOA. The letter uses a copy of one of the images from the HOA website, and appears to be printed on an inkjet printer.

All valid deed restriction violations are handled by the HOA management company, NMI, and will have their letterhead and contact information.

If you have received one of these letters (which would appear similar to the image on the left), please contact us at officers@maxwellcreek.org, and if possible send us a copy of the letter.

Next Open Forum Monday August 21st

Posted by rbutler on Monday, August 7 @ 9:48pm

The next HOA open-forum meeting will be on Monday August 21st from 7-8:45PM at the Allen Public Library. If you have questions, comments, concerns, or just want to meet some of your neighbors, please join us in the meeting room along the main hallway.

We've also updated the HOA Public Calendar with dates of other upcoming events.

3rd Quarter Newsletter

Posted by rbutler on Friday, July 28 @ 1:40pm

The 3rd quarter newsletter will be published around the middle of next month. If there are any specific topics you would like covered, please let us know!

June Yard of the Month - 1618 Oak Brook Ln.

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, July 6 @ 2:19pm

Congratulations to Robert & Najwa Bueche, their home at 1618 Oak Brook Ln. is winner of the Yard of the Month for June.

We'll try to have pictures up for July this weekend.

Attempted Burglary on Oak Brook, 1700 Block

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, July 6 @ 1:42pm

Yesterday, Wednesday July 5th, around 11:00 AM an unknown individual tried to enter a house in the 1700 block of Oak Brook Ln. while the homeowner was home alone. Unfortunately, the homeowner did not get a good look at the individual, so we do not have a description to provide.

Please be on the lookout for any suspicious individuals, and always make sure to lock the doors to your home — and don't forget to close your garage door!

Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, June 29 @ 4:07pm

The meeting minutes from the May 15th and June 15th HOA board meetings are now available online.

HOA Watering Along Malone

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, June 13 @ 9:25am

We've received a few questions via email concerning the HOA sprinkler system and the current Stage-3 water restriction in place by the City.

The HOA has received a variance from the City to allow us to water the common area along Malone due to the recent construction that damaged the sod. This variance is through the middle of July, and is specifically to allow the damaged sod to regrow. This variance does not apply to the sprinkler systems along Bethany or Shelley.

The HOA is having soaker hoses installed along the center median along Maxwell Creek Dr. to assist these new plants to survive. The soaker hoses are allowed under the Stage-3 water restriction.

May Yard of the Month - 1605 Fir Harbor Ct.

Posted by rbutler on Monday, June 5 @ 4:29pm

Congratulations to Shahed & Shawli Kamal, their home at 1605 Briarhollow Ct. is winner of the Yard of the Month for May.

Everyone be sure and vote for June!

Construction Along Malone

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, May 31 @ 6:12pm

We've received a few queries about the work being done along Malone, as well as the flags extending through several homeowner's yards and wanted to report back on the information we found.

The work being performed is on behalf of Comcast; additional fiber optic lines are being run down Malone to feed the new neighborhood being built south of Shelley. This work has been subcontracted to Gardner Telecommunications, INC. Comcast is also working with the Engineering department with the city of Allen; the contact person with the City is Janet Moeri.

As part of this work, the contractor is pulling up sod relaying it after the fiber has been placed. We have been assured that this work is / will be done as non-destructively as possible. Because of the new water restrictions coming into force on June 1st, we raised a concern with the City that the sod would not be able to recover; the City is considering a temporary variance on the restriction.

Stage 3 Drought Contingency Alert

Posted by rbutler on Friday, May 19 @ 8:54pm

Stage 3 of the Drought Contingency Plan will be initiated on June 1, 2006, as a result of the City of Allen's notification from the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), our water supplier. Stage 3 includes mandatory water use restrictions.

In accordance with City Ordinance No. 2520-5-06, a warning or citation can be issued for water use violations. Please note that a warning carries no penalties; however, warnings may be followed by citations if further violations occur. Citations may carry fines up to $2,000.

Residential and commercial water customers will need to follow the restrictions in Stage 3 of the City’s Drought Contingency Plan. The water use restrictions include:

• Limit landscape irrigation to once every seven days on the same day as residential trash pick up. (Thursday for our neighborhood)
• Do not water between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• Do not drain or fill existing pools except to replace normal water loss.
• No hosing of paved areas, buildings, or windows.
• No wasteful water runoff.
• No vehicle washing or rinsing by hose.

In accordance with City Resolution Nos. 2500-3-06 and 2520-5-06, residential accounts will incur a 25% rate surcharge for water usage over 10,000 gallons per month. Since the mandatory water use restrictions will go into effect on June 1, 2006, the new rate surcharges will be reflected on the utility bills sent out in July 2006 and will continue as long as Stage 3 of the Drought Contingency Plan is in effect.

2Q Newsletter Available

Posted by rbutler on Monday, May 15 @ 7:17am

The 2nd quarter newsletter has just been released, and should be appearing on your doorstep over the next week. The main topics in this issue are:

• Annual Meeting and Elections
• Open Forum Questions & Answers
• Yard of the Month
• Water Campaign & Drought Update

Halloween Pictures

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, May 3 @ 10:25pm

After a very long delay (OK, really just pushed way down on the ToDo list) the pictures from the 2005 Halloween Kickoff Party have just been posted.

Spring Blockparty Pictures

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, May 3 @ 11:03am

The pictures from last weekend's Spring Block Party are now available online.

Yard of the Month August 2005

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 25 @ 2:46pm

After a very long hiatus, the Yard of the Month program is getting kicked off again with voting for May.

The winner for our previous contest for August of 2005 was William & Sally Phillips who live at 1712 Mapleleaf Falls Dr.

HOA Board Re-Elected

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 25 @ 7:52am

At the second calling of the HOA Annual Meeting on April 17th, we were able to reach a quorum. The three current board members who were running were re-elected: Robert Butler, Yesika Fletcher, and Howard Fisher.

Annual Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 25 @ 7:31am

The minutes from the HOA Annual Meeting are now online: April 3rd and April 17th.

Social Committee Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 25 @ 7:29am

The minutes from the last two Social Committee meetings are now available online: March 30th and April 13th.

Spring Block Party!

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, April 19 @ 10:42pm

The neighborhood Spring Block Party is around the corner… The Spring Block Party will be on Saturday April 29th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the Woodstream cul-de-sac.

The Association will be providing Pizza, salad, veggies and cookies. We will also provide bottled water and tea. Please feel free to bring a dish to share.

FUN, FUN, FUN…

We will have a bounce house, cotton candy machine, bubble blowing station, tons of fun with sidewalk chalk and door prizes.

Don't miss the fun and plenty of opportunity to meet and mingle with your neighbors… Oh, don't foget to bring a chair or two!!

Superintendent Search Firm Seeking Community Input

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 18 @ 7:14am

A community meeting to hear public opinion on criteria for the Allen ISD Superintendent of Schools selection will be held in the Lowery Center Library on Monday, April 24 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Dr. Bruce Wood and Dr. John Horn of Horn, Smith, Wood and Associates, LLC Education Consulting, are asking interested community members to help them form a profile of qualities and attributes that they should use in reviewing superintendent applicants. The meeting is open to all Allen ISD patrons. Enter the Lowery Center Library through the Administration Building on the south end of the campus (Main Street).

Interviews for the new superintendent are expected to be held early this summer with a start date of August 1, 2006 set by the Board of Truetees.

For more information contact Tim Carroll, Public Information Director, at (972) 727-0510 or email publicinfo@allenisd.org.

Annual Meeting Monday April 17th

Posted by rbutler on Friday, April 14 @ 3:46pm

The next call for the HOA Annual Meeting will be this coming Monday, April 17th, at the Allen Public Library. The meeting time is 7:00pm, and we will be meeting in the hallway outside the regular meeting room. This second call of the Annual Meeting is due to a lack of quorum at the first call on April 3rd.

City of Allen Remains Under Drought

Posted by rbutler on Friday, April 14 @ 3:39pm

Please help conserve water as municipalities in the North Texas Municipal Water District remain in Stage 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan. The easiest and most effective way to reduce water use is to reset residential sprinkler systems to water less frequently. See www.wateriq.org for more information about water conservation.

Rabies Case Confirmed

Posted by rbutler on Friday, April 7 @ 9:31pm

One positive case of rabies in a skunk was confirmed in the 700 block of Rockefeller.

Residents are reminded to make sure all pets have current vaccinations. Parents should remind children not to approach or touch any wildlife.

Questions can be directed to Animal Control at (214) 509-4378.

City Planning & Zoning Public Hearing/Replat

Posted by rbutler on Friday, March 31 @ 8:39pm

During the Tuesday, April 4th meeting, the City Planning & Zoning Committee will conduct a public hearing and consider a replat for Lots 16B-1 and 16B-2, Block C, North Bethany Lake Estates, Phase One, being a Replat of Lot 16B, Block C, North Bethany Lake Estates, Phase One. The property is 5.66± acres of land located at the northwest corner of Bethany Drive and F.M. 2551.

This is the property just west of the Walgreens at the corner of Bethany and 2551. The full details and plat drawing are available on the City's web site.

Committees Information Page

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, March 15 @ 8:18pm

There is a misprint in the welcome letter that was recently sent out to all homeowners with information about the hiring of NMI as the HOA management company. The misprint is in the link for the committees information page, the correct link is: http://maxwellcreek.org/community/hoa/committees/

Please note that this misprint was not the fault of NMI, but rather the information they were provided with.

Updated: Wednesday, March 15 @ 8:31pm

Board Meeting Minutes (February 28th, 2006)

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, March 9 @ 3:27pm

The meeting minutes from the February 28th HOA Board meeting are now online.

1st Quarter Newsletter Now Available

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, February 28 @ 10:07am

The 1st quarter newsletter is now available online, and printed copies will be distributed throughout the neighborhood during the next week. The main topics covered in this issue are:

• Management Company Selection
• Dues Collection Update
• Annual Meeting and Elections
• Spring Block Party

Neighborhood Scam / Security Warning

Posted by rbutler on Monday, February 27 @ 9:52pm

At tonight's open-forum meeting we were told that the scam artist we reported on on December 28th is still active in the area, and has approached at least one resident.

Please be aware that in addition to being a scam, there is a security risk as well, as this resident was home alone, and the perpetrator later opened the gates to their fence and walked through their backyard.

Spring Neighborhood Garage Sale

Posted by rbutler on Friday, February 24 @ 1:12pm

The HOA will be hosting a neighborhood garage sale on Saturday, March 4th from 7am - 12pm. The HOA will provide newspaper advertising and signs directing people to the neighborhood.

Set up in your own yard or join your neighbors for one big sale to share "monitoring duties". Take turns with your neighbors to browse sales on other streets!

Please let us know if you plan to participate!

Management Company Selected

Posted by rbutler on Friday, February 24 @ 12:03pm

After several months of diligent deiberation, the HOA has selected Neighborhood Management, Inc. (NMI) to handle the day-to-day management responsibilities of running the HOA. All homeowners will be receiving an information letter in a few weeks detailing the services NMI will be providing as well as the various communication options available.

We covered the possibility of hiring a management company in the last newsletter, and discussed the options available at the last open-forum meeting in October. Once the decision to go with a management company was made, we contacted seven companies and requested bids.

In the end, NMI was elected as best meeting the long-term needs of the Association. Their combination of cost, flexibility, specialized management experience, and location (NMI is based in Allen) made their selection inevitable.

Open-Forum Meeting 2/27

Posted by rbutler on Friday, February 24 @ 12:01pm

The next open-forum meeting will be this coming Monday, 2/27. As with previous meetings, there is no set agenda, merely an opportunity to meet your neighbors and to ask questions tothe HOA board members. We expect that there will be a discussion of the management company selection, as well as an update on dues for 2006.

Board Meeting Minutes (February 22nd, 2006)

Posted by rbutler on Friday, February 24 @ 11:59am

The meeting minutes from the February 22nd HOA Board meeting are now online.

Board Meeting Minutes (February 9th, 2006)

Posted by rbutler on Monday, February 13 @ 8:42pm

The meeting minutes from Friday's HOA Board meeting have now been posted.

Board Meeting Minutes (February 6th, 2006)

Posted by rbutler on Monday, February 6 @ 10:18pm

The meeting minutes from tonight's HOA Board meeting have now been posted.

Board Meeting Minutes (October 26th, 2005)

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, February 1 @ 12:25pm

The meeting minutes from the October 26th, 2005 HOA Board meeting have (finally!) been posted.

January 20th, 23rd, 24th Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, January 31 @ 2:34pm

The meeting minutes from the January 20th, January 23rd, and January 24th HOA Board meetings have now been posted.

Updated: Tuesday, January 31 @ 2:38pm

Animal Shelter Reports Rabies Case

Posted by rbutler on Monday, January 30 @ 9:36am

The City of Allen Animal Control reported confirmation of one positive case of rabies on January 27. The rabies case was confirmed by the Department of State Health Services in Austin from a skunk that was picked up on January 24 from a backyard in the 500 block of Northridge Dr. (located near the SE corner of Bethany and Greenville).

Residents are reminded to vaccinate all animal against rabies and to contact Animal Control if any wildlife is seen in the area. Children should be reminded not to approach or handle wild or stray animals.

For more information, call Animal Control at (214) 509-4378.

January 3rd Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Friday, January 20 @ 4:40pm

The meeting minutes from the January 3rd HOA Board meeting have now been posted.

January 16th Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, January 18 @ 4:21pm

The meeting minutes from yesterday's HOA Board meeting have now been posted.

Resident Participation Encouraged for Planning City's Future Growth Projects

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, January 18 @ 12:21pm

Allen residents are encouraged to participate in a planning process to determine the future capital improvement projects for the City of Allen as part of the 2006-2012 Bond Program.

Participation in this process will result in a recommendation for a five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to the Allen City Council. With support provided by City staff, interested residents will serve on sub-committees to identify and prioritize needs as related to Parks/Recreation, Streets/Drainage, Water/Sewer, Public Safety, and other City facility needs for the next five years.

The Allen City Council will appoint sub-committee chairs in March. Sub-committee meetings will be conducted on rotating Thursday evenings, beginning in April and ending in May. Funding for projects approved in the bond election will be initiated with the sale of the first series of bonds in June 2007.

The last comprehensive general obligation bond election for the City of Allen was in June 1999. Most the projects funded in that bond election have been completed.

Residents interested in participating on a CIP bond sub-committee can contact the City Secretary's office at 214-509-4107 for more information.

Stage 2 of Drought Contingency Issued

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, January 17 @ 6:50pm

On January 11, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) initiated Stage 2 of the NTMWD Model Drought Contingency Plan.

Stage 2 was initiated in response to:

• Extreme drought conditions in the service area;
• Continuing decline of water levels of the NTMWD water supply reservoirs; and
• Long-range weather forecast that projects the drought to persist.

Actions that residents and business owners in Allen can voluntarily take:

• Reduce all water usage; and
• Wait to establish new landscaping until the drought situation has passed.

For more information, see the letter and information provided by NTMWD or see the information posted on the Community Services web page.

Homeowner Missing Package

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, January 12 @ 5:44pm

One of our homeowners, Sue Ridder, reported a missing package, and asked that anyone with information to please contact her. The package was delivered by DHL from the Dr. Pepper Museum and it was supposedly delivered at 1:55 p.m. December 21 to 1622 Briarhollow Court. The package weighed approx. 2 lbs and should be in a small- to medium-sized box.

Escadrille Makes Final Preparations for Tournament of Roses Parade

Posted by rbutler on Saturday, December 31 @ 10:44am

After more than a year and a half of planning and community support, the Allen Eagle Escadrille will travel to Pasadena, California on December 28 to perform in the 2006 Tournament of Roses Parade.

A total of 608 students, 40 staff members and 800 parents will make the 3,000-mile roundtrip. The combined Allen High School band, color guard and drill team will perform at the Rose Parade on January 2 before returning to Allen on January 3.

The parade will be broadcast on ABC, NBC, Univision, HGTV, Travel Channel and Discovery HD beginning at 10 a.m. (CST). The Escadrille will perform twice prior to the parade, at the Rose Parade Bandfest at Pasadena City College on December 30-31 and at the Disneyland Evening Parade on New Year’s Eve.

Fun Facts

• It will take 6 airplane flights to transport the Escadrille, which is believed to be the largest in the United States.
• 26 charter busses will be required to transport the group between locations in California.
• If the students stood in a single-file line fingertip to fingertip, it would stretch over 3,400 feet.
• Six sets of twins are members of the Escadrille, including two sets who coincidentally have the same first names and birthdates.
• The combined weight of the Escadrille is over 40 tons.

Jan 3rd Planning & Zoning Meeting

Posted by rbutler on Saturday, December 31 @ 10:39am

During the January 3rd Planning & Zoning commitee meeting, there will be a discussion of two topics for neighborhoods in the nearby area:

• Final Plat - Consider a Final Plat for Parkside Village, being 28.012± acres located at the southeast corner of Shelley Drive and Malone Road.
• Preliminary Plat – Consider a Preliminary Plat for Morgan Crossing, being 156 Residential lots on 51.597± acres of land located at the southeast corner of Shelley Drive and Malone Road.

"Mike" the scam artist is back!

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, December 28 @ 2:58pm

For at least two years, a man has been approaching in Allen and Plano residents and posing as a new neighbor in order to scam them out of money. He is so calm and smooth that resident's never suspect and he doesn't even try to hide his car. There is no telling what else he is up to (he could be scoping out your house for burglary or he could be a sexual predator) and there is no telling what someone that fearless is capable of.

If you see him, call 911 immediately and try to get a license plate. If you see any adult male on your street that is not a neighbor, call the Allen PD's non-emergency tip line at (214) 509-4321 and ask them to come check it out. Follow this link for stories from residents discussing their unfortunate encounters with "Mike" the scam artist.

HOA Dues For 2006

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, December 28 @ 1:02pm

As most everyone should be aware by now, HOA dues for 2006 have been increased to $230 from the previous $180, a difference of $4.17 per month.

None of us like to see our expenses go up, but the Maxwell Creek Homeowners Association, to remain viable and able to serve our community, must have the funds to do so on a current basis and build a contingency fund for ongoing as well as unforseen expenses. Right now, the Association is operating very close to the nub, with very little money in reserve.

For the past several years, to save money, the Board has tried to self-manage the Association, and has done a most creditable job. Board members have served without pay while working full time, (with little or no help from the membership or volunteers) and the responsibilities have become overwhelming. As a result, we are now in the process of hiring a Management Company to assume responsibility for the day-to-day workings of the Association.

All members of the Association were alerted to the necessity of an increase, in writing, in advance of membership meetings, and in the in the 3rd quarter newsletter. Unfortunately, at this time we are not equipped to handle credit card payments. As indicated in the letter that accompanied the statements, accounts are not considered delinquent until February 28.

New Speed Limits Set for Allen Roadways

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, December 28 @ 12:53pm

Completion of several roadway projects and relevant speed studies led the Allen City Council to pass an ordinance amending maximum speed limits for Bethany Drive, Bray Central Drive, Exchange Parkway, Hedgcoxe Road, and Watters Road within the city limits.

In many cases, existing speed limits were used for extended portions of roadways either nearing completion or recently completed. Other speed limits were based on speed studies and set in accordance with the Texas Administrative Code, Title 43, Part 1, Chapter 25, Subchapter B, Rule 25.20. This rule calls for a maximum speed limit to be set based on an 85% speed calculation. In simplified terms, the average speed of the majority of vehicles in a speed study sets the maximum speed allowed for that roadway.

Residents are encouraged to note and adhere to the new speed limits were applicable.

Halloween Party

Posted by rbutler on Saturday, October 29 @ 2:28pm

The neighborhood Halloween party is today, Saturday October 29th from 4:00 - 6:00pm in the cul-de-sac on Woodstream Lane (closest to Malone). We'll be having candy bag handouts and popcorn for children, and hay and pumpkins for pictures.

Open Forum Meeting Monday Oct. 3rd 7:00pm

Posted by rbutler on Friday, September 30 @ 8:29pm

The next open forum meeting will be held on Monday, October 3rd at the Allen Public Library, starting at 7pm. Please note the new location at 300 N. Allen Drive. As with previous meetings, there is no specific agenda, the plan is to hold an informal question and answer session, and to help everyone meet their neighbors.

HOA Board Vice-President Appointed

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, September 20 @ 8:33pm

Yesika Fletcher, currently the Volunteer Coordinator for the HOA, has been appointed to the HOA Board and will act in the Vice-President role. Yesika's appointment comes shortly after the previous Vice-President, Bill Butt, resigned last Wednesday.

Social Committee Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, September 20 @ 8:18pm

The meeting minutes from the August 29th Social Committee meeting have now been posted.

HOA Board Vice-President Resigns

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, September 15 @ 8:09pm

Vice-President of the HOA, Bill Butt, resigned at the regularly scheduled HOA Board meeting yesterday. Bill had spoken privately with Robert Butler, President of the Association, in early August about resigning, and Robert had asked him to consider remaining on until his term expired next April. However, due to ongoing health concerns he did so last night.

It is with much regret that I resign my position as Vice-President of the Villates at Maxwell Creek HOA. Health complications necessitate that I withdraw from any evening activities at least for the foreseeable future.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my association with the Villages at Maxwell Creek HOA and am particularly sorry to give up my office. If I can be of any help to my successor, I am available by telephone.

Best wishes to all of you. I will look forward to joining again as soon as possible.

3rd Quarter Newsletter Published

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, September 15 @ 8:07pm

The 3rd quarter HOA newsletter has just been published, and should be distributed to everyone by this weekend. The main topics in this issue are:

• Management Company Decision
• Halloween Kick-off Party
• Yard of the Month
• Fundraising for the Allen Eagle Escadrille

Board Meeting Minutes (September 14th, 2005)

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, September 15 @ 8:01pm

The meeting minutes from the yesterday's HOA board meeting have now been posted.

Board Meeting Minutes (August 17th, 2005)

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, August 23 @ 8:39pm

The meeting minutes from last Wednesday's HOA Board meeting are now available.

Website Problem

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, August 10 @ 9:18pm

It looks like there was a small problem with one of the updates yesterday, which caused the web site to be inaccessible. Everything should be resolved, please let us know if you're still seeing a problem.

The error message that users of IE are seeing ("We're sorry, your browser doesn't support XMLHttpRequest functions.") should be resolved later this week.

Sprinkler Problem on Shelley

Posted by rbutler on Monday, August 8 @ 12:41pm

Just to let everyone know, we're aware of the sprinkler problem on Shelley (two zones running for 24hrs+) and contacted our landscape company about the problem on Sunday.

Thanks to everyone who let us know about the problem!

July Yard of the Month - 1736 Oak Brook Ln.

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, August 3 @ 2:53pm

Congratulations to Michael & Cherlyn White, their home at 1736 Oak Brook Ln. was the winner of Yard of the Month for July!

Candidates for August's Yard of the Month have just been posted, everyone go vote!

Next Open Forum Meeting Saturday August 13th @ 2pm

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, August 3 @ 10:32am

The next open forum meeting will be held on Saturday, August 13th at the Allen Public Library, starting at 2pm. Please note the new location at 300 N. Allen Drive. As with previous meetings, there is no specific agenda, the plan is to hold an informal question and answer session, and to help everyone meet their neighbors.

HOA Newsletter

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, August 3 @ 10:29am

The 3rd quarter HOA newsletter will be going out in a few weeks. If there are any topics you would like to see covered, or advertisements you would like to place, please contact us as soon as possible.

Two Rows Classic Grills hosts Escadrille Spirit Night

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, August 2 @ 2:12pm

Every Thursday night from 5:00 pm – closing Two Rows Classic Grill of Allen will host Escadrille Spirit Night to raise funds for the Escadrille's march in the 117th Tournament of Roses Parade held in Pasadena, California.

Two Rows Classic Grill was one of the first restaurants to offer a Spirit Night in which each and every patron mentioning their support of the Escadrille or March to the Roses, will be donating 10% of that ticket total to the Allen Eagle Escadrille via Two Rows.

Fundraising efforts have been underway since November, 2004 in order to move this enormous band from Allen, Texas to Pasadena, California. The band members will tip the population scale at 630 for the 2005/2006 school year. Not only will the Escadille bring its gigantic band, directors and chaperones, but over 800 family and friends will also attend the Tournament of Roses Parade in person on January 2, 2006.

For additional information go to www.allenband.com.

Neighborhood Along Shelley and Malone

Posted by rbutler on Monday, July 18 @ 12:48pm

At Tuesday night's City Planning and Zoning meeting, there will be a discussion and vote for the Preliminary Plat for Parkside Village Addition, being 28.012± acres located at the southeast corner of Malone Road and Shelley Drive. This proposal represents property previously owned by the Allen Independent School District that was zoned for CF Community Facilities. In January 2005 it was determined that a school is not required at this location and the tract was rezoned for residential uses.

City of Allen Water Emergency Ended

Posted by rbutler on Friday, July 15 @ 10:34am

The North Texas Municipal Water District has lifted all water use restrictions and terminated their water emergency alert. The City of Allen has also lifted all water use restrictions and terminated its water emergency alert.

• Please note that the City's water conservation plan, a separate plan from the drought and emergency water plan, is still in effect. That plan continues to restrict landscape irrigation uses from 10AM to 6 PM daily from June 1st through September 30 annually. The complete City water conservation ordinance is available at the following URLs:
  1. http://www.cityofallen.org/commservices/23320904 Water Conservation Plan.pdf
  2. http://www.cityofallen.org/commservices/aFinal Model Water Conservation Plan.pdf
• The City of Allen will complete its work to turn residential irrigation systems back on by noon today, Friday, July 15th. Residents are encouraged to check to assure their landscape irrigation (lawn sprinkler) systems have water supply as soon as possible after noon on Friday. Please report any water supply problems to the utility billing office at 214-509-4510/4509/4562/4563/4564/4566/4568/4570. The City's water and sewer division is staffed on Saturdays. Customers who do not discover that they do not have water supply to their irrigation systems after 5 PM and over the weekend may call the Stacy Road Pump Station at 214-509-4530 for assistance.
• The City staff appreciates the residents' understanding and support during this emergency situation.

City of Allen Water Emergency Update

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, July 14 @ 10:33am

North Texas Municipal Water District completed repairs on the broken water line at the Wylie plant last night. They are in the process of restoring full system capacity and water reserve storage today.

Allen's ground and elevated storage reached maximum storage capacity of 25.5 million gallons during the night.

This morning North Texas Municipal Water District and the Allen City Manager have lowered the City's Drought Contingency level from Stage 4 (Emergency) to Stage 2 (Moderate).

At stage 2:

• City governments are asked to halt nonessential use and use for governmental landscape irrigation.
• The public is encouraged to wait until the emergency situation has passed to establish new landscaping.
• The public is encouraged to make voluntary water use reductions.

During the day today, staff will circulate the City to turn residential and commercial irrigation systems back on. Allen residents with an irrigation system that does not flow water by 9 a.m. Friday morning, can contact the City's utility billing office at 214-509- with any of the following extensions: 4562/4563/4564/4566/4568/4570. City staff will check reported systems during the day on Friday, July 15.

The City of Allen expects the drought contingency stage to continue to improve later today or tomorrow if the water line repairs at the NTMWD plant in Wylie continue to hold.

HOA Board Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, July 13 @ 9:05pm

The meeting minutes from the July 12th HOA Board meeting are now available.

City of Allen Water Alert!

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, July 13 @ 9:12am

Allen residents and businesses must curtail all non-essential use of water until further notice due to a broken water pipe at the Wylie production plant of the North Texas Municipal Water District. NTMWD stopped delivering water to the City of Allen (and several other cities) early this morning. NTMWD is requesting all water customers in affected areas to not irrigate, use minimum water, not wash cars, etc. Allen has about one-half of its ground storage capacity at the present time.

NTMWD states that it will be at least noon before they can deliver water at low flow to Allen and it will take at least 24 hours to affect complete repairs. This estimate may change as time goes by. Check the City of Allen web site (http://www.cityofallen.org/) for updates.

Update @11:21AM: There is currently NO water delivery taking place to Allen. We now have only 10 hours supply in our ground and elevated storage tanks at normal usage levels. If we successfully limit our water use to essential uses only, we can make this water last 36- 48 hours.

The water the City of Allen still has to deliver to residences and businesses is still safe and drinkable- the present situation is not a water quality issue.

The North Texas Municipal Water District has issued a News Release on the current Water Emergency situation:

• Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Melissa, Lucas, Parker, Prosper, The Colony, Princeton, and several smaller towns and water supply systems are all affected.
• The problem is a broken pipeline that NTMWD is going to repair as soon as possible. Actions by the water district are underway to restore JUST partial service to affected communities; about 30-40% restoration of delivery is all that is anticipated. This partial restoration is hoped for in the next 12 to 24 hours. When repairs are affected, it will take several days to restore full system capacity. The water district cannot estimate how long it will take to affect full repairs at the present time.
• The NTMWD and the City Manager of The City of Allen have declared a Stage 4 Emergency Condition. The following water use restrictions are now in affect:
  1. All non essential usage of water is prohibited. Essential means required for health, safety, and welfare of our citizens.
  2. Vehicle washing is prohibited, including commercial car washing.
  3. All commercial and residential landscape watering is prohibited.
  4. No filling of new swimming pools; existing pools may maintain their water levels.
  5. All commercial water users must reduce uses by 60-70%.
  6. The City is also shutting down all commercial construction including home building with below ground activities, directional boring, and water/sewer line installation to help avoid water line breaks.

Update @1:13PM:

• The Community Services Staff and Parks and Recreation Staff field staffs have met to implement a decision to cut off all landscape irrigation systems in the City at the Check Valves as soon as possible. This will be done City-wide for all 21,000 residential and commercial customers. We have made this decision because the current best-case scenario is for 30-40% water supply restoration by NTWMD by this evening some time. At even 40% supply, we cannot afford to allow any landscape irrigation.
• NTMWD reports that they are soon to establish the alternate delivery system to provide 30-40% of normal supply but it will take several hours to fill the pipes with water and for the cities to see any delivery.
• At 1 PM, we had about 11.5 million gallons of water in ground and elevated storage; this is down from 13 million gallons we had at 9 AM. We have reduced consumption to 0.5 million gallons per hour. Curtailing irrigation uses is critical to maximizing our time with the water we have on board now.
• If repairs to the broken 78" line in Wylie are completed as expected in 24-36 hours, it will still be a total of 3-4 days with reduced water supply to the many affected cities.
• We have not shut down any businesses in Allen except car washes. We have shut down all residential home and commercial construction with underground activities to minimize our chance for a water main break. McKinney has shut down all restaurants and some other businesses as they evidently did not have as much water in storage when the event hit as we did in Allen.
• The water that is in our system is safe. This is not a "water quality" issue, it is a water supply issue.
• A decision will be made later today about activating the City EOC to manage calls and our response. The Collin County EOC was activated at about noon. The City's Emergency Manager, Craig Gillis, is in constant contact with Collin County.
• Teresa Warren us inviting media coverage through print and television media to aid in getting the word out on conservation. Staff has already met with Channel 11 and spoken with 8; and the Dallas Morning News and the Allen American. Both papers will have articles tomorrow.

Update @ 8:15PM

• North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) has begun to deliver the 30-40% of the City's usual water demand. The limited supply will be directed first to the cities that have the lowest current water supply.
• The low supply allows for continued residential usage for purposes other than landscape irrigation and car washing.
• Allen plans to continue the Stage 4 (Highest Stage) Water Emergency Condition until NTMWD repairs the broken water main in Wylie and restores full system capacity. Repair is expected to be completed by tomorrow, Thursday, July 14.

Updated: Wednesday, July 13 @ 8:15pm

Volunteer Trash Pickup

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, July 7 @ 1:11pm

Beginning this coming Sunday, July 10th, the HOA will be organizing volunteers to help with roadside trash pick up in and around our neighborhood. We will be looking for volunteers on the 2nd Sunday of each month. If you would like to participate, please contact Yesika Fletcher.

June Yard of the Month - 1716 Mapleleaf Falls Dr.

Posted by rbutler on Friday, July 1 @ 9:15pm

Congratulations to John and Nikki Butcher, their home at 1716 Mapleleaf Falls Dr. was the winner of Yard of the Month for June!

Candidates for July's Yard of the Month have just been posted, everyone go vote!

No Fireworks Permitted Within Allen City Limits

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, June 30 @ 4:17pm

With the 4th of July fast approaching, the City of Allen released a reminder about fireworks being prohibited within the city limits. City Ordinance No. 256-2-79 prohibits fireworks including sparklers. A fine of up to $2,000 can be imposed for those in violation of the ordinance.

Collin County also released a notice about the restriction of certain types of aerial fireworks within county limits due to a burn ban that began June 24. The burn ban is effective for a period of 90 days or such time conditions change and the ban is either lifted or extended.

Allen Eagle Escadrille Sonic Drive-in Takeover

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, June 29 @ 8:40pm

The Allen Eagle Escadrille, the largest marching band in the world, is set to overtake Collin County Sonic Drive-in Restaurants on July 23, 2005 as it raises funds for its upcoming trip to the 2006 Tournament of Roses Parade.

To support the Escadrille takeover, simply go to any Allen, McKinney or Plano Sonic Drive-in restaurants July 23rd. All tips made to your Escadrille server go directly to the Allen Eagle Escadrille Tournament of Roses fundraising goal.

For more information please contact Pam Toups at (972) 727-3078 or go to www.allenband.com.

Allen Eagle Escadrille Featured on CNN Headline News

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, June 29 @ 8:37pm

The Allen Eagle Escadrille of Allen, TX will be featured on Comcast local edition of CNN Headline News beginning June 27, 2005 through July 17, 2005.

The Allen Eagle Escadrille has been invited to march in the 2006 Tournament of Roses Parade and that's big news to Comcast since the Escadrille is thought to be the largest high school marching band in the world. The Escadrille, directed by Chuck Pennington, High School Band Director and Anthony Gibson, Allen Independent School District Director of Bands, just finished taping the CNN Special Feature at Comcast studios in Irving, TX.

Gibson said, Moving the Escadrille community from Allen, Texas to Pasadena, California won't be a small feat because we're Texas size! Over 600 students, plus chaperones and directors will be making the trek and that doesn't even include all the families and friends who will attend The Tournament of Roses Parade in support of the Escadrille. The Allen Eagle Escadrille is thought to be the world's largest High School Marching Band and is in the process of certification in the Guinness Book of World Records. The award winning Escadrille is well known for its bold sound, precise drills as well as its fun-loving spirit and it is certainly hard to miss when its eighteen busses arrive at an event.

The Comcast local edition of CNN Headline News Special Feature will begin airing June 27, 2005 through July 4, 2005, four times per day at 55 minutes past the hour. It will also be available on Comcast Video On Demand beginning June 27 through July 17.

For more information concerning the Allen Eagle Escadrille go to www.allenband.com.

Open Forum Meeting

Posted by rbutler on Monday, June 27 @ 11:21am

Due to the delay in publishing the 2nd quarter newsletter, many people were not aware of the date of the last Open Forum meeting on Tuesday, June 14th.

Because of this delay, we will be holding a second special Open Forum meeting on Tuesday June 28th at the Allen Public Library, starting at 7pm. As with previous meetings, there is no specific agenda, the plan is to hold an informal question and answer session, and to help everyone meet their neighbors.

Please note the new location at 300 N. Allen Drive.

Yard of the Month Voting

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, June 23 @ 9:37pm

Everyone should now see the Yard of the Month voting box on the left side of your screen, there was a small error that took longer than expected to resolve.

Board Meeting Minutes (June 20th, 2005)

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, June 21 @ 12:38pm

The meeting minutes from Monday's HOA Board meeting are now available.

Allen Sets Public Meeting for SH 121

Posted by rbutler on Friday, June 17 @ 8:36pm

The City of Allen will host a public meeting in regards to the future development of SH 121 on Thursday, June 23, beginning at 7 p.m. at Allen City Hall, 305 Century Parkway. Tolling and non-tolling options for funding the expansion of S.H. 121 will be presented.

Allen USA Celebration

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, June 16 @ 7:14pm

You're invited to join a large group of neighbors during the Allen USA Celebration on June 25th.

We're planning on gathering together mid-field in front of the main stage early in the afternoon, and staying through the fireworks. See familiar faces and meet new people from your neighborhood!

More information about the Allen USA Celebration is available online at http://www.allenparks.org/AllenUSA05.htm

Open Forum June 28th

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, June 16 @ 7:12pm

Due to the delay in publishing the 2nd quarter newsletter, many people were not aware of the date of the last Open Forum meeting on Tuesday, June 14th.

Because of this delay, we will be holding a second special Open Forum meeting on Tuesday June 28th at the Allen Public Library, starting at 7pm. As with previous meetings, there is no specific agenda, the plan is to hold an informal question and answer session, and to help everyone meet their neighbors.

Please note the new location at 300 N. Allen Drive.

Board Meeting Minutes (June 8th, 2005)

Posted by rbutler on Monday, June 13 @ 2:38pm

Meeting minutes from last Wednesday's HOA board meeting are now available.

Open Forum Meeting

Posted by rbutler on Monday, June 13 @ 1:15pm

The next open forum meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 14th at the Allen Public Library, starting at 7pm. Please note the new location at 300 N. Allen Drive. As with previous meetings, there is no specific agenda, the plan is to hold an informal question and answer session, and to help everyone meet their neighbors.

2nd Quarter Newsletter Published

Posted by rbutler on Monday, June 13 @ 11:49am

The 2nd Quarter Newsletter has just been finished, and should be distributed to everyone later this week. The big topics in this issue are:

• Annual Meeting and Elections
• Web Site Updates
• Allen Goes Extreme
• Yard of the Month

Bethany Road Expansion

Posted by rbutler on Monday, June 13 @ 9:38am

The City will award the contract to widen Bethany Drive to four lanes divided (two lanes each direction divided by a median) from Malone Road to FM 2551 on June 14, 2005. This means that Bethany Drive should be under construction starting mid-July. The Bethany Road project will also widen the Malone Road intersection. Due to funding limitations, the project does not include lighting or improved medians at this time; however, the roadway will be constructed with sleeves and conduits under the paving, such that those improvements (lighting, irrigation) can be added at a later date. The total budget for this project is estimated at $1,872,217.

There will be a new lane for northbound right turn and northbound through traffic. There will also be a dedicated left turn lane on Malone Road to serve northbound traffic that is turning left on Bethany Drive. The northbound right turn and through traffic lane is identified for the initial phases of construction so you may expect to see the City's contractor start work in this area shortly after July 15th. The Malone Road and Bethany Drive intersection will also have a traffic signal added as part of this construction.

Staff does not plan to allow for a complete Bethany Drive or Malone Road closure as part of this construction project. However, residents should anticipate the temporary traffic interruptions that are a normal part of such construction. The Bethany Drive widening project is expected to be about a six month construction period, subject to weather delays and is about a $1.2 million construction project.

Development Plan for SE Corner Malone & Shelley

Posted by rbutler on Monday, June 6 @ 11:04am

At tomorrow night's City Planning and Zoning meeting, the committee will be considering a General Development Plan for Parkside Village Addition, being 28.012± acres located at the southeast corner of Malone Road and Shelley Drive. A drawing of the proposed development is also available.

This proposal represents property previously owned by the Allen Independent School District that was zoned for CF Community Facilities. In January 2005 it was determined that a school is not required at this location and the tract was rezoned for residential uses. This proposal includes 113 residential lots and 4 open space lots at a density of 4.03 units per acre.

Bethany Road Expansion

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, May 25 @ 9:07am

The City opened bids on May 24th for our City project to widen Bethany Drive to four lanes divided (two lanes each direction divided by a median) from Malone Road to FM 2551. We anticipate that City Council will award this construction project to a contractor at the June 14th City Council meeting. This means that Bethany Drive should be under construction starting mid-July.

Residents will notice that no curb is being placed by SJ Louis Construction on the east side of Malone Road near Bethany Drive. This is because the Bethany Road project will widen the road to provide for a new traffic lane at that location. The new lane will be for northbound right turn and northbound through traffic. There will also be a dedicated left turn lane on Malone Road to serve northbound traffic that is turning left on Bethany Drive. The northbound right turn and through traffic lane is identified for the initial phases of construction so you may expect to see the City's contractor start work in this area shortly after July 15th. The Malone Road and Bethany Drive intersection will also have a traffic signal added as part of this construction.

City staff does not plan to allow for a complete Bethany Drive or Malone Road closure as part of this construction project. However, residents should anticipate the temporary traffic interruptions that are a normal part of such construction. The Bethany Drive widening project is expected to be about a six month construction period, subject to weather delays. The Bethany Road widening project is about a $1.2 million construction project.

Sewer Line Construction

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, May 25 @ 9:05am

Last Friday, the City met with the NTMWD and their sewer line contractor, SJ Louis Construction, to discuss the NTMWD sewer line project that is progressing along Malone Road south of Bethany Drive. The new 60-inch sewer line in this area is now in the ground and ends inside the fenced NTMWD Junction Structure enclosure. Because the contract stipulated a maximum closure of two (2) months, the contractor indicated that the roadway replacement work will continue until June 18, 2005. This is a few weeks longer than we had previously indicated that the project would run.

The City is pleased that construction did not impact Bethany Ridge Estates homeowners' property as severely as originally thought. However, many residential and homeowners' association (HOA) landscape sprinkler systems were damaged and are to be repaired by the contractor. If your or your HOA's irrigation system was damaged, please test your sprinkler system as soon as it is repaired or the road is reopened, whichever is first. We understand that SJ Louis will make every attempt to repair known irrigation breaks and landscape damage, but overlooked problems attributed to the construction project may well happen. Anyone with a problem may call Chris Flanigan from the City's Engineering Staff to report the problems. Chris is available at 214-509-4578. He will interface with the NTMWD and the construction firm to have any problems corrected. You do not have to directly confront the construction contractor if you have an issue.

Parental Advisory

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, May 19 @ 10:24pm

The City of Allen has issued a parental advisory regarding a web address that is similar to the web address maintained by the Allen Public library. The Allen Public Library's official and only web address is www.allenlibrary.org.

The alternate web address is the same, but with a .com suffix. The .com site contains material and content that is inappropriate for minors.

Though the City has pursued efforts to negotiate the purchase of the alternate domain name to eliminate this conflict, the domain is registered to a foreign company and these efforts have been unsuccessful to date.

Honda Dealer In Allen?

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, May 17 @ 12:24pm

One of the topics being discussed at tonight's City Planning and Zoning commitee meeting is the consideration of a General Development Plan for Honda of Allen, being 5.38± acres located west of US 75 between Venture Drive and McDermott Drive.

City of Allen Initiates Blue Star Program

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, May 17 @ 11:36am

The City of Allen initiated a new tradition with the presentation of Blue Star Flags to local families with deployed service members.

To be eligible to receive a Blue Star Flag, the serviceman or servicewoman must be currently deployed and their parent(s) and/or spouse must currently reside in Allen. An application to receive a Blue Star Flag must be completed through the City Secretary's Office on the third floor of Allen City Hall, 305 Century Parkway. An online application form will be available soon.

Blue Star Flags will be awarded to families at the first City Council meeting of each month (second Thursday). Meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers located at Allen City Hall, 305 Century Parkway, Allen, Texas. Information about the program is available by calling 214-509-4105.

Board Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, May 11 @ 4:15pm

Meeting minutes from the last two HOA Board meetings on May 4th and May 10th are now available online.

Escadrille March for the Roses Golf Tournament

Posted by rbutler on Monday, May 9 @ 10:42am

Excitement is building as the June 4th date for the inaugural Allen Escadrille March for the Roses Golf Tournament draws near.

This community wide Golf Tournament will be held at the Woodbridge Golf Club in Wylie, Texas. Its four person format beginning with shotgun start at 1:30 promises to be a fun afternoon for the proficient as well as novice golfer. All golfers will be treated to an afternoon which includes a full 18 holes, half cart, unlimited range balls, unlimited use of practice facilities, Hole-In-One contest on all par 3's, personalized cart labels and rule sheets, custom score cards and professional scoring and posting of results. As if that's not enough, the day also includes a hamburger buffet and beverages. Early bird special will run until March 31 at a cost of $90.00. After March 31st regular registration will still be a great value at $100.00. A maximum of five Mulligan's (do-overs) may be purchased for $5.00 each.

All proceeds will go to help the Allen Eagle Escadrille march its way to California to perform in the 2006 Tournament of Roses Parade.

A limited number of Multi-level corporate as well as personal sponsorships are still being accepted. To show your support for the Allen Escadrille March for the Roses, or to register for the Golf Tournament please go to: www.allenescadrille.com or call Pam Toups at (972) 727-3078.

Pictures from the Spring 2005 Blockparty

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, May 3 @ 1:28pm

Pictures from the neighborhood Block Party last Saturday have now been posted online. We want to thank all of our volunteers for their assistance, including Kevin and Michelle Welch, Andrea Westmoreland and Matt Golub, Zubir and Jeremy, Yesika and Adrian Fletcher, Bill Butt, and Stephanie and Robert Butler.

Lighting at Neighborhood Entrances

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, April 28 @ 2:14pm

As most people have seen by now, the HOA has recently finished having lighting installed at the neighborhood entrance signs. Now that this work has been completed, we are requesting bids for enhanced landscaping around the signs and the north median along Maxwell Creek Dr. This work will involve (at a minimum) removing and/or rearranging several large bushes obscuring the sign and the installation of new seasonal flowers. Additionally, the bed around the south entrance sign on Shelley will need to be raised several inches.

A Few Bugs...

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, April 27 @ 8:42pm

There have been a few bugs found and squashed with the new message boards, hopefully they're now working as expected for everyone. If you still see problems, please let us know!

Message Boards Active!

Posted by rbutler on Monday, April 25 @ 10:02pm

After way too much testing and rewriting and retesting (the message boards were originally working almost a year ago), we've gone ahead and opened up the server to allow people to create user accounts and post messages. There are bound to be some problems and errors with something, but we're just not sure what at this point. If you run into any problems, please send a message to webmaster@maxwellcreek.org and let us know.

Once we shake out all of the bugs, we'll gradually start enabling new features.

Board Meeting Minutes (April 20th, 2005)

Posted by rbutler on Friday, April 22 @ 11:37am

Meeting minutes from the HOA Board meeting this past Wednesday are now available online.

Spring Block Party

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, April 21 @ 4:00pm

The HOA will be holding the 4th Annual Family Block Party on Saturday, April 30th in the Woodstream cul-de-sac from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

The HOA will be providing BBQ Brisket, Beans, Rolls, and Cotton Candy, as well as water and soft drinks. We encourage everyone to bring a side dish or dessert to share with their neighbors.

You may want to bring lawn chairs or blanket if desired.

Neighborhood Garage Sale

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, April 21 @ 3:57pm

The HOA will be holding the Neighborhood Garage Sale this Saturday, April 23rd, from 7:30am until 12:00pm. Individual homeowners may, of course, start as soon and end whenever you wish.

The Homeowners' Association has placed advertising in the Dallas Morning News, Allen American, Plano Star Courior, and McKinney Messenger newspapers. Additionally, we will be putting out signs at the neighborhood entrance and medians on Bethany.

Due to the construction on Malone shutting down that avenue into the neighborhood, which may affect overall traffic during the garage sale, the HOA is also planning on holding an additional neighborhood garage sale in the fall (October timeframe).

Annual Meeting Restults

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, April 21 @ 3:52pm

At the backup Annual Meeting on April 15th, unfortunately only five homeowners attended the meeting in person; however we were able to reach a quorum thanks to the additional proxies that were received. The three candidates for the HOA Board, Robert Butler, Bill Butt, and Howard Fisher, were all elected to serve for the next year.

Annual Meeting

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, April 6 @ 12:48pm

There will be another calling of the HOA Annual Meeting Saturday, April 16th, because we were unable to reach a quorum at last night's (April 5th) meeting. Out of the 250 homeowners eligible to vote, we needed 100 representatives in order to reach a quorum. We only had 10 homeowners present at the meeting, and another 48 proxies.

A new meeting announcement and proxy form will be mailed to all homeowners later this week.

Yard of the Month Program

Posted by rbutler on Monday, March 28 @ 3:28pm

The HOA is going to kick off the Yard of the Month (YOTM) program beginning this May, and the winner each month will be announced at the next Open Forum meeting, on the HOA website, and in the next HOA newsletter. Additionally, the winner each month will receive a $25 Home Depot gift card.

As part of this program, we will be inspecting all properties in the neighborhood. So, everyone has a month to clean up and fix up. We will post the progress of the inspections, as well as give everyone an opportunity to vote for the winner on the home page of our website.

We can complete the process faster with your help, give us a call at (972) 739-5221 to volunteer your time, which should be no more than an hour each month.

All candidates for YOTM should have:

• Well manicured, weed-free yards,
• Trimmed bushes and shrubs,
• Aesthetically appealing flowers or other elements.

For more information on the exact details, please check out the Community Beautification Standards.

New HOA Newsletter Ready

Posted by rbutler on Friday, March 25 @ 5:27pm

We're cutting it close, but the first quarter HOA newsletter is ready, and should be dropped off at your home sometime in the next few days, along with several other items we've printed, but haven't distributed yet, including copies of :

• Results from last falls's homeowner survey,
• The Frequently Asked Questions list,
• A notice about speeding in the neighborhood,
• And a notice about recent crimes in the area.

Board Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, March 22 @ 12:40pm

The meeting minutes from Monday night's HOA board meeting are now available online.

Annual Meeting Notification

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, March 22 @ 9:56am

The Annual Meeting of all Members of the HOA is fast approaching on Tuesday, April 5th. You should receive your meeting notice in the mail by the end of the week. The primary goal of the meeting is to elect new board members for the upcoming fiscal year (the HOA fiscal year runs from April 1st - March 31st).

Even if you do not expect to attend the meeting, please sign, date, and mail the enclosed proxy promptly. A quorum must be present at the meeting, either in person or by proxy, in order to conduct any Association business. It is imperitive that we establish a quorum, to avoid further meeting notices and additional Association expenses.

Web Site Reorganization

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, March 22 @ 9:50am

We're in the process of reorganizing a few sections of the web site to make it easier to find information; basically, we're trying to become more task-oriented, rather than information-oriented.

There may be a few problems here and there that we've missed, but hopefully everything is working. Depending on how much time is available, everything should settle down in the next few weeks.

March 14th Social Committee Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, March 22 @ 9:46am

The meeting minutes from the March 14th Social Committee meeting are now available online. The main topic being discussed was preparation for the Spring Block Party — however, if we do not receive more volunteers, the event will be canceled this year. Please contact social@maxwellcreek.org if you wish to volunteer.

Board Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Monday, March 21 @ 2:22pm

The meeting minutes from the February 26th HOA Board Meeting are now available online. There is another meeting tonight (March 21st), it should not take as long this time for those minutes to be available.

Easter EGGStravaganza Finds New Home

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, March 15 @ 2:04pm

Spring is in full bloom, and what better way to celebrate the new season than with the City's annual Easter EGGStravaganza. Held on Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m., the hunt has moved to Celebration Park and will feature more than 25,000 plastic eggs filled with candy and toys.

This year's event also includes a giant hunt area for children ages three and up with an additional hunt area designated for children ages two and under. Special "Prize Eggs" will be scattered throughout the park and can be redeemed for exciting gifts. Parents are encouraged to bring a camera to capture a picture of their children with the Easter Bunny. For more information about Easter EGGStravaganza, call the Special Events Hotline at 214-509-4811.

Sewer Line Construction / Bethany Expansion Update

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, February 9 @ 10:58am

Originally slated to begin on February 1st, the sewer line construction project has been delayed again slightly. We received this update from the City on February 9th:

The North Texas Municipal Water District had a preconstruction meeting with their contractor (SJ Louis) last Friday (Feb 4) that will be performing the work. Their estimated schedule is to start as soon as possible and be complete with the installation along Bethany by March 31.

The installation of the pipeline along Malone Road, which will require the closure of Malone, is yet to be determined. The City of Allen is urging NTMWD and SJ Louis to consider doing this work immediately following the installation along Bethany.

If they are able to meet our request, it will permit us to immediately follow their work with paving improvements to both Bethany and Malone, which the City of Allen already has designed and is ready to implement.

Elementary School Platting

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, January 18 @ 1:04pm

At tonight's (Tuesday) Planning and Zoning meeting, the commision will consider a combination Preliminary/Final Plat for Carlena Chandler Elementary School, being 12.984± acres of land located at the southwest corner of Water Oak Dr. and Bur Oak Dr.

HOA Board Meeting Minutes Posted

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, January 13 @ 12:25pm

The meeting minutes from yesterday's Board meeting have now been posted.

Zoning Change Hearing

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, January 12 @ 1:23pm

The Allen City Council will hold a public hearing on January 25, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in the Allen City Hall Council Chambers to consider a recommendation for approval from the Planning & Zoning Commission on the zoning case as described below:

28.012± acres of land situated in theD. B. Hearne Survey, Abstract No. 427, City of Allen, Collin County, Texas; located at the southeast corner of Malone Road and Shelley Drive. CURRENT ZONING: Planned Development No. 65, Tract 2, for CF Community Facilities. REQUESTED ZONING: The request is to change the zoning on Tract 2 from CF Community Facilities to R6 Residential

This is the tract of land originaly purchased by the Allen ISD for construction of a new middle school. After purchasing, the AISD decided that the additional school was not needed, and began the process of selling the property. More information is available on the City's web site.

Sewer Line Construction / Bethany Expansion Update

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, January 12 @ 1:04pm

The City has recently updated the timeline information for the installation of the sewer line along Bethany and Malone, as well as the expansion of Bethany in front of the neighborhood:

Malone Road will be closed for approximately two months, while the pipeline is installed along Malone Road, south of Bethany. Anticipated start of construction is February 1, 2005 and is expected to start along Bethany Drive first. The segment of the project between FM2551 and the junction structure along Malone is expected to be complete by March 31, 2005. Once NTMWD finishes the installation of the pipeline along Bethany Drive, the City of Allen plans to begin the widening of Bethany from Malone to FM 2551. The widening of the roadway will be phased such that one-lane each direction will be provided throughout all phases of construction - so that East Bethany will not have to be entirely closed.

The project should be completed by Spring, 2006.

Post Office Expansion Proposal

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, January 12 @ 12:54pm

During last nights City Council meeting, there was a presentation by representatives of the United States Postal Service announcing plans for expanding operations of in Allen. The plan calls for either expanding the existing facility on Boyd, or building a new facility elsewhere.

The actual presentation can be viewed during replays of the council meeting on COATV-15, or online through the video on demand trial.

Volunteer Coordinator Needed!

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, January 4 @ 4:12pm

As a result of the survey sent out with the annual dues invoice, we've received a number of responses from people willing to volunteer their time. Unfortunately, we haven't had a chance to contact everyone yet, and we could really use a volunteer coordinator!

If you think you can help us with this job, please contact us!

H₂Ome Improvement Rebate Program

Posted by rbutler on Monday, January 3 @ 12:57pm

As part of the water conservation rules passed last year, the City of Allen has announced a new rebate program is designed to offset the initial investment residents may have with water conservation efforts. Rebates are available for the purchase of qualifying rain and freeze sensors, rain barrels, low-flow toilets and washing machines, and pressure reducing valves. More information is available on the City's Community Services page.

Slow News

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, December 14 @ 11:13am

News and activity on the HOA web site will continue to be slow for the next few weeks over the Christmas holiday while everyone takes a well-deserved vacation. We're working on finishing up the homeowner survey results and other news items, and hope to have them out to everyone in mid-January.

If you have any urgent questions, please continue to call or email us, and we'll do our best to get back to you as soon as we can.

School #13 Named

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, December 14 @ 11:07am

The Allen ISD Board of Trustees has voted to name elementary school #13 in honor of Carlena Chandler, a former Allen High School educator and graduate.

The new Carlena Chandler Elementary School will open in August 2006 at the intersection of Bur Oak Drive and Water Oak Drive in the Arbor Lakes Subdivision in southeast Allen.

Several Recent Area Crimes

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, December 1 @ 4:27pm

This is a notice to everyone that there have been several recent crimes (burglary and theft) throughout the neighborhood, on Woodstream, Briarhollow, and Elm Spring. In two of the cases, vehicles parked on the street were broken into. We strongly encourage everyone to park their cars in their garages, and to immediately report any suspicious activity to the police.

4th Quarter Newsletter Finished!

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, November 16 @ 1:10pm

The 4th quarter HOA newsletter has just been finished, and we're in the process of printing them all out. We'll try to get them distributed to everyone later this week. Additionally, we're also going to mail a copy to all of the homeowners that don't live in the neighborhood; previously, we've only dropped them off at each residence. There are currently 17 homeowners (5%) that don't live in the neighborhood.

Among the large number of topics covered, the highlights in this issue are:

2005 HOA Dues Set

Dues have been set for next year at $180, and invoices will be mailed to all homeowners during the first week of December. We also give an update on the collection of late dues.

Board Membership Changes

Two previous board members, Jana Boss and Pamela Pela resigned in July, and homeowner Bill Butt joined the board in September.

Bimonthly Open Forum Meetings

A review of topics discussed at the October 4th meeting, including property values, neighborhood appearance, and the lack of area amenities.

Homeowner Surveys

We've received 78 surveys back so far, and are still tabulating the results. The full report should be available later this year.

Committee Updates

Due do a lack of volunteers, the Social Committee may need to cancel or at the very least scale back the number of events held next year. If you have just an hour each month, we can use your help!

Board Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Monday, November 15 @ 3:00pm

The meeting minutes from last Wednesday's board meeting are now available.

Comcast Cable Rate Increase

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, November 9 @ 3:04pm

During tonight's City Council meeting, the Council will vote on whether to authorize Comcast to increase their basic cable rate by $0.35 per month. This is likely the last opportunity that the City will have to affect cable rates. As it stands, the City is planning to approve the request, so this will be the only opportunity for citizens to voice their opinion.

Comcast recently filed for Effective Competition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the 42 cities they provide service to within the metroplex. Effective competition means that if there is more than 15% penetration from a competitor, including satellite customers, then they can file to be removed from all rate regulations. The reported penetration rate is 59% in Allen. If Comcast is granted this request from the FCC, this would mean the City would no longer have regulatory responsibility for basic rates. The timing of the decision is not likely to take effect until 2005.

On October 29, 2004, Comcast indicated they plan to implement an operator selected rate of $13.12 to charge customers for basic cable starting December 1, 2004. This indicates a $0.35 increase in their actual rates charged to customers. The City does not regulate Comcast's operator selected rates, but rather reviews the reasonableness of Comcast’s maximum permitted rate.

We apologize for the late notice, but this was just brought to our attention today.

Internet Video-On-Demand Trial Services Begin Soon

Posted by rbutler on Friday, November 5 @ 3:36pm

The City of Allen will be offering video-on-demand for a six month trial basis beginning mid-November. The service will provide the public with the opportunity to view City Council meetings or specific agenda items, Planning and Zoning Commission meetings, Access Allen segments, and Allen City News just by clicking a web link. The video-on-demand links will be accessible from the city's home page at www.cityofallen.org or through www.allentv.org, the web page for Allen City Television, ACTV-15 government cable channel. Use of the service will be monitored during the six month trial period in order to determine the availability of the service on a long-term basis.

Next HOA Newsletter Coming Soon

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, November 3 @ 3:02pm

We're coming close to finishing up the next neighborhood newsletter, and hope to have it ready in the next week or two. If you want to place a listing in the classifieds section, please send us the information as soon as possible! If there are any topics you'd like addressed, please let us know! You can send everything to newsletter@maxwellcreek.org.

Halloween Kickoff Party Pictures

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, November 2 @ 4:15pm

Pictures from Saturday's Halloween Kickoff Party are now online!

Elementary School Boundary Changes

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, November 2 @ 3:37pm

The Allen ISD Attendance Boundary Committee has proposed new boundaries for Boon Elementary School and Elementary School #13. Public meetings for citizens to comment on the proposed boundary changes are scheduled for 7 p.m. on November 4 at Kerr Elementary School and November 9 at Bolin Elementary School.

Dr. E.T. Boon Elementary School will open on Comanche Drive in the Twin Creeks Subdivision in August 2005. Elementary School #13 will open on Shelley Drive in the Arbor Lakes Subdivision in August 2006. The staff will present its findings at public meetings in November. Plans will be presented to the Board of Trustees in December with a vote expected to be taken in January 2005.

HOA Board Meeting Minutes Posted

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, October 28 @ 3:43pm

The meeting minutes from yesterday's Board meeting have now been posted.

AISD Board Authorizes Sale of Bonds

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, October 27 @ 10:33am

At the October 25, 2004 Allen ISD Board of Trustees Meeting the Board authorized the sale of $27 million in bonds to be sold in January 2005. The bonds will be used for construction of elementary school #13 (the new school in Arbor Lakes at Bur Oak and Woodstream), furniture for Boon Elementary School, the expansion of Allen High School cafeteria, construction of AHS House #7, technology, buses and HVAC systems for Ford Middle School. The bonds were approved by voters in September 2002 and September 2003.

Voting Locations

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, October 27 @ 10:25am

Early voting is still possible at the Allen Public Library on McDermott, and election day voting for our area will be held at Story Elementary just up the road on Malone. Polls will be open from 7:00am until 7:00pm every day.

You can verify that you are registered to vote online, and also see a sample ballot for this election.

Please don't forget to go out and vote!

Elementary School Construction Schedule

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, October 20 @ 1:05pm

According to a recent article in the Allen American newspaper, the AISD is planning to begin construction of the new elementary school in Arbor Lakes (near the corner of Bur Oak and Woodstream) in March 2005.

Flags in Alley & Digging Along Street / Update on Construction Along Malone

Posted by rbutler on Monday, October 18 @ 2:52pm

We've received a few questions about the flags placed in the alleys and the construction begun along Oak Brook Ln. We checked into it and received this response from Janet Moeri with the City:

Verizon is in the process of installing an underground fiber optic distribution line in that area. The flags are marking existing underground utilities so that the contractor knows their locations prior to excavation. The City's line locator, Jim Gates, will be keeping an eye on the contractor to protect the City's infrastructure and to insure that proper restoration is done. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to call me directly at 214.509.4583 or email me at jmoeri@cityofallen.org

Additionally, we contacted the City for an update on the sewer line construction along Malone and Bethany. In brief, the commencement date has been delayed by a month until February 2005, and the construction will now begin on Bethany and work back towards Malone, rather than beginning at the lift station on Malone as was planned originally. The complete response with specific details about the project has been posted in the FAQ.

Halloween Kickoff Party

Posted by rbutler on Monday, October 11 @ 12:48pm

The HOA will be holding a Halloween Kickoff Party on Saturday, October 30th from 4:00-6:00pm in the cul-de-sac on Woodstream Ln. The event will be Halloween-themed, and both children and adults are invited to wear costumes. We will be holding several costume contests (for ages birth - 1 years, 1-3, 4-7, 8-12, 13 and older), and providing fresh popcorn, trick-or-treat candy, and we will set up a haystack for family photos!

Please note the date, this is the afternoon before Halloween!

New City Phone Directory Available

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, October 5 @ 1:09pm

The City has posted the new phone directory for all departments and contacts, which will be effective on October 17th. See this news article for more information.

HOA Board Meeting Minutes Posted

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, October 5 @ 12:48pm

The meeting minutes from last Wednesday's Board meeting have now been posted.

Reminder: Open Forum Meeting Tonight

Posted by rbutler on Monday, October 4 @ 10:23am

Just a reminder, the next open forum HOA meeting is tonight at 7:00pm at the Allen Public Library on McDermott.

AISD Calendar Committee Hearing Set For October 21

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, September 30 @ 2:24pm

The Allen ISD Calendar Committee is seeking input from patrons on the 2005-2006 school year calendar.

A public hearing will be held October 21 at Ereckson Middle School at 6:30 p.m. to receive public input before a final calendar is proposed to the Allen ISD District Improvement Committee.

A calendar recommendation will be presented to the Board of Trustees in November. If a waiver is requested, a final decision from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is not expected until February 2005.

Elementary Attendance Zone Changes For 2005-2006

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, September 30 @ 2:22pm

Elementary attendance zones will shift again next year as the school district prepares to open two new campuses. Dr. E.T. Boon Elementary School will open on Comanche Drive in the Twin Creeks subdivision in August 2005. Elementary School #13 will open on Shelley Drive in the Arbor Lakes subdivision in August 2006.

The Attendance Zone committee will meet through the month of October and will then present its findings at public meetings in November. Plans will be presented to the Board of Trustees in December with a vote expected to be taken in January 2005.

Public meetings for the Attendance Zone Committee are scheduled for 7 p.m. on November 4 at Kerr Elementary School and November 9 at Bolin Elementary School.

The current elementary boundaries are available online.

State Releases School Accountability Ratings

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, September 30 @ 2:20pm

Allen ISD students met thirty-five of thirty-six indicators toward a Recognized rating in the State's new accountability rating system but fell short in science to earn a rating of Academically Acceptable. The new accountability ratings were released by the Texas Education Agency on September 30.

Under the new system, three Allen ISD campuses were rated as Exemplary, eleven earned a Recognized rating and one was rated as Academically Acceptable.

The ratings are determined by the Spring 2004 TAKS results. A statewide drop in scores and ratings had been anticipated with the more rigorous test, new subjects being tested and higher standards being applied.

Exemplary campuses included Green Elementary, Norton Elementary, and Vaughan Elementary Schools.

Recognized campuses included Allen High School, Lowery Freshman Center, Ford Middle School, Curtis Middle School, Anderson Elementary, Bolin Elementary, Kerr Elementary, Marion Elementary, Reed Elementary, Rountree Elementary, and Story Elementary Schools.

Boyd Elementary received an Acceptable rating and the Allen Independent School District received an Acceptable rating. The new Ereckson Middle School was not rated.

The complete Accountability Ratings are available online.

Social Committee Meeting Minutes (September 27th, 2004)

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, September 29 @ 6:52pm

The meeting minutes from the latest social committee meeting are now online.

Trash Collection Schedule Changes October 4

Posted by rbutler on Monday, September 27 @ 11:22am

Beginning October 4th, the trash and bulk collection schedule will change to provide better service given the residential growth in Allen the last few years. The new collection schedule and routes were planned by the City of Allen and Community Waste Disposal to better meet current needs and anticipate growth over the next three years.

For our neighborhood, trash pickup will change from Wednesday to Thursday. Bulk trash pickup will remain the third Monday of each month.

This Week's Puzzle Has Been Posted!

Posted by rbutler on Monday, September 20 @ 11:54am

This week's puzzle has been posted in the Kid's Corner. If you missed any of the previous puzzles, they're still online in the archive.

Next Open Forum Meeting Monday 10/4 7:00pm

Posted by rbutler on Monday, September 20 @ 11:53am

The next open forum meeting will be held Monday, October 4th at the Allen Public Library on McDermott from 7-8pm. If you have any questions for the HOA, we encourage you to attend!

City of Allen TV Channel Change

Posted by rbutler on Friday, September 17 @ 3:45pm

The City's government cable channel COA-TV on Comcast cable channel 6 has changed to ACTV on channel 15. If you haven't checked out the City's television programs before, we encourage you to do so! COA-TV has won numerous awards, and produces outstanding programs about current events in and around Allen. Additionally, all City Council, Planning and Zoning, and AISD school board meetings are broadcast.

City Phone Numbers Changing Soon

Posted by rbutler on Friday, September 17 @ 3:34pm

The City of Allen will be changing all phone numbers effective Sunday, October 17. The phone number changes will align all city numbers with the same area code and prefix so that city-related numbers will be more easily recognized by the public. As the city and its facilities have grown over the past several years, phone numbers have been purchased and assigned based on availability through the phone company. With the current plan, the city is able to purchase a block of phone numbers for current and future use that will provide more continuity at the various facilities. A list of important new numbers will be released soon and included online and in the newsletter.

New Board Member

Posted by rbutler on Friday, September 17 @ 3:01pm

A new HOA board member was appointed earlier this week, Bill Butt, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2001. Those of you who have attended the open forum meetings and other HOA events will recognize Bill as a frequent attendee. Bill will also be taking on the officer position of vice-president.

We still need a third volunteer to step forward for the position of secretary. If you are interested, please see the candidate information form.

Suggestions Sought For School Name

Posted by rbutler on Monday, September 13 @ 2:11pm

The AISD Board of Trustees is seeking suggestions for the naming of Elementary School #13, which will be opening August 2006 in Arbor Lakes (the neighborhood "next-door" to ours). Patrons may send emails to publicinfo@allenisd.org or a letter to the Public Information Office, P.O. Box 13, Allen, TX 75013. The deadline for submissions is Friday, September 17 at 4 p.m. Letters should offer specific reasons why the nominee should be honored by the Board with a school naming.

HOA Board Meeting Minutes Posted

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, August 31 @ 9:06pm

The meeting minutes from tonight's Board meeting have now been posted.

City Plans Homecoming for Carly Patterson

Posted by rbutler on Monday, August 23 @ 3:24pm

Homecoming plans by the City of Allen to recognize Olympic Gold Medalist Carly Patterson are taking shape. Plans will include a welcoming procession beginning at 10 a.m. on Sept. 4. The procession will begin at Allen Station Park, 1120 N. Cedar Drive, along Cedar Drive toward Rivercrest Blvd. and ending at the Allen High School gymnasium, 301 Rivercrest Blvd. Once at the Allen High School gymnasium, the public will be able to attend a celebration rally and formal recognition ceremony. Preliminary plans for the welcoming procession include a motorcade and participation by the Allen High School Escadrille. The city is also working in cooperation with the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, Allen Independent School District, and the Allen Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to the city-wide celebration on September 4, city dignitaries will officially greet Patterson upon her arrival at the airport. Patterson and family will be transported in a stretch Hummer with motorcade escort by the Allen Police Department to Allen City Hall, 305 Century Parkway. Arrangements for celebratory signage around Allen are also underway.

This Week's Puzzle Has Been Posted!

Posted by rbutler on Monday, August 23 @ 3:22pm

This week's puzzle has been posted in the Kid's Corner. If you missed any of the previous puzzles, they're still online in the archive.

Allen Site Selected for Regional Arts Center

Posted by rbutler on Friday, August 13 @ 12:38pm

The Arts of Collin County Commission selected an Allen site for the future performing arts center at a meeting conducted Thursday, Aug. 12. The Allen site is located at the SE corner of SH121 and Custer. Based on this decision, the commission approved a resolution authorizing city staff to finalize negotiations with the property owner, Briar Ridge Investments. Briar Ridge Investments is donating the land valued at $12M.

Charles Nies of Briar Ridge Investments stated, "Our donation of the land for the Arts of Collin County regional performing arts hall will be the largest donation thus far in Collin County and we hope it inspires others to join in our effort to build a quality arts environment."

More information about the Arts of Collin County is available at www.artsofcollincounty.org or by calling David Sterling, Public Outreach Committee Chair, at 214-473-8818.

New Social Committee Chairperson

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, August 12 @ 12:10pm

Stephanie Butler has accepted the position of chairperson for the Social Committee, replacing Mandy Diercks who is stepping down after two years. Mandy will be remaining on the committee, but is expecting her third child very soon and no longer has the time available.

D Magazine Rates the Suburbs

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, July 29 @ 9:20pm

D Magazine has their biennial rating of metroplex suburbs in the July issue (subscription required), and Allen comes in #16 out of 53, beating out several local communities including McKinney, Sachse, Richardson, and Wylie. Nearby communities of Parker and Murphy came in at #4 and #6 respectively.

Paint in Street Along Malone?

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, July 29 @ 5:23pm

In case you're curious about the paint and markings in the street along Malone, it's part of the survey for the additional sewer line construction that is due to start early next year. For more information, please see the FAQ.

HOA Board Meeting Minutes Posted

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, July 21 @ 10:24pm

The meeting minutes from tonight's Board meeting have now been posted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, July 20 @ 3:54pm

We have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions that have been discussed at several meetings and in the various newsletters, and placed them all in one article. If there is a question you have that isn't addressed, please let us know.

This Week's Puzzle Has Been Posted!

Posted by rbutler on Monday, July 19 @ 2:12pm

This week's puzzle has been posted in the Kid's Corner. If you missed any of the previous puzzles, they're still online in the archive.

Newsletter Distributed

Posted by rbutler on Sunday, July 18 @ 7:36am

Everyone should now have received their copy of the latest HOA newsletter on their door. If you didn't receive one, please let us know.

We want to thank Andrea Westmoreland, Matt Golub, Chris and Karen Ewing, and Jerry Phillips for all their help passing out the newsletter!

Board Member Resignation

Posted by rbutler on Friday, July 16 @ 1:49pm

New Board member and Secretary of the Association, Pamela Pela, has resigned due to other time commitments.

We are desperately in need of volunteers to help with the Association! If anyone is interested in joining the Board, please contact us ASAP.

Next Open Forum Meeting Monday 7/19 7:00pm

Posted by rbutler on Friday, July 16 @ 1:47pm

The next open forum meeting of the Association will be held this coming Monday the 19th at 7:00pm at the Allen Public Library on McDermott. As in the past, there is not specific agenda, however the following topics are likely to be covered:

• Board Member Resignations / Volunteer Needs
• HOA Dues
• Upcoming Construction along Malone and Shelley

Board Member Resignation

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, July 13 @ 11:13am

New Board member and vice-president of the Association, Jana Boss, has resigned due to ongoing health issues.

If anyone is interested in joining the Board, please contact us ASAP.

HOA Board Meeting Minutes Posted

Posted by rbutler on Monday, July 12 @ 2:51pm

The meeting minutes from the June 16th Board meeting have been posted.

Latest Newsletter Published!

Posted by rbutler on Monday, July 12 @ 2:29pm

The latest HOA newsletter has just been published, and everyone should receive their copy in the next day or two. In additional to the usual topics, highlights of this edition include:

• Dues Collection Update
• Retail Construction Along Shelley
• Replacement of the Bylaws & Covenants

This Week's Puzzle Has Been Posted!

Posted by rbutler on Monday, July 12 @ 2:08pm

This week's puzzle has been posted in the Kid's Corner. If you missed any of the previous puzzles, they're still online in the archive.

New Searching Ability

Posted by rbutler on Friday, June 25 @ 1:23pm

A new page has been added to the site search that shows a complete list of all documents available on the site.

Inclement Weather Notice Announced for Allen USA Celebration

Posted by rbutler on Friday, June 25 @ 10:46am

Allen Parks and Recreation recently announced an inclement weather policy related to the Allen USA Celebration set for Saturday, June 26, starting at 4 p.m. at Celebration Park. In case of inclement weather, information about delays or event cancellation will be available by calling the Special Events and Allen Arts Alliance hotlines at 972-727-7553 or 972-727-7500. Current information will be posted online at www.cityofallen.org and www.allenparks.org.

If inclement weather causes cancellation of this event, the City of Allen will proceed with a firework display at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 27, at Celebration Park (weather permitting).

Back To School Information

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, June 24 @ 11:45am

The Texas Education Agency has approved a waiver for Allen ISD to start school one week earlier this year, so the first day of school for all grades will be Monday, August 9th. Elementary school hours for 2004-2005 will be 7:55 a.m. - 2:55 p.m. Middle school hours will be 8:25 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. New hours for most students at the Lowery Freshman Center and Allen High School will be 7:50 a.m. - 2:12 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. - 3:27 p.m. depending upon the student's schedule.

Bus transportation for eligible students will be provided on the first day. Students should be at their bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled time. Bus schedules and routes will be posted online by August 2 and at each campus.

Also available is the complete 2004 - 2005 School Year Calendar.

Proposal to Replace HOA Bylaws and Covenants

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, June 22 @ 3:12pm

After having worked with (and through) the existing Bylaws and Covenants for the last few years, the Board is proposing a vote to replace the existing Bylaws of the Association, Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions, and to amend the Articles of Incorporation (the "Documents"). A proxy form is available that can be mailed to the Association with your vote.

The existing Documents were created by the developer of the neighborhood (Sowell Property Partners, named as "Declarant" in the Documents), with large sections concerned with satisfying the needs of the developer and were not intended to serve the Association after the initial development, construction, and marketing of the property. For example, there are sections that provide specifications for how the neighborhood entrance fences were to be built, allowing construction trailers on lots, and several areas giving the developer voting rights in excess of the homeowners.

In addition, many sections of the Documents are ambiguous and unclear (and written in legalese), leaving much open to individual interpretation.

By replacing the existing Documents, we would be able to, in effect, start over and provide clean, clear, consistent, and every-day-person readable documents. Additionally, we would be able to reflect the current state of the neighborhood, and exclude information no longer relevant.

Copies of both the existing Documents and the proposed replacements are available. The proposed versions of the Documents are still under heavy development, and will likely change significantly by the time of the final vote early next year.

New Kid's Corner Puzzle!

Posted by rbutler on Monday, June 21 @ 3:07pm

This week's puzzle has been posted in the Kid's Corner. If you missed any of the previous puzzles, they're still online in the archive.

Advertisments in Next Newsletter

Posted by rbutler on Monday, June 21 @ 2:56pm

We're preparing to finish up the next newsletter for publication, so anyone wanting to place an advertisment, or include an article or letter to be printed should do so in the next 2-3 days. Everything must be received no later than Thursday, June 24th at midnight in order to be included.

Meeting Minutes (June 9th, 2004)

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, June 9 @ 8:59pm

The minutes from tonight's Architecture Committee meeting have been posted.

Zoning Change Discussion at June 8th City Council

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, June 3 @ 1:55pm

The City Council will be discussing the proposed zoning change for the area south of our neighborhood along Shelley again at next Tuesday's meeting. The previous discussion at the May 25th meeting was tabled so that the developer could come up with answers to the Council's questions and concerns.

It appears at this point that the zoning change will go forward for the retail space, however there is some question about the use of the R5 land in the southern section for townhomes.

Family Fun Packs On Sale for Allen USA

Posted by rbutler on Friday, May 28 @ 9:52am

The Allen Parks Foundation is selling Family Fun Packs for the Allen USA Celebration on June 26 at Celebration Park. The packs can be purchased for $69 and include an on-site preferred parking pass, four event T-shirts, four glow products and $20 worth of tickets to be used for activities in the Kids Fun Zone and/or purchase of food and drinks.

The retail value of all items in the pack is $82. The packs are being sold at each Summer Sounds Concert every Monday night before June 26 or can be purchased through the Joe Farmer Recreation Center, 1201 E. Bethany Dr. For more information, call (972) 727-0152.

Honoring our Veterans

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, May 25 @ 2:20pm

As Memorial Day and Independence Day approach, we would like to honor all of the veterans living in our neighborhood, and list them in the next newsletter. We know there are some, but we're just not sure how many!

If you, your spouse, or a neighbor are a veteran, please send us their name so we can include it in the next newsletter. If desired, we would also like to include which branch of the military, years of service, rank, and other notable details that you would like included (such as major conflicts, purple heart, medals, etc.)

HOA Board Meeting Minutes Posted

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, May 25 @ 11:10am

The meeting minutes from the April May 19th Board meeting have been posted.

Allen ISD on TV

Posted by rbutler on Monday, May 24 @ 8:48pm

Allen ISD will be featured on a television program called The Education Station early tomorrow morning (Tuesday-May 25) on The Discovery Channel Network. The show, which will air at 6 a.m. on The Discovery Channel, (Channel 65 on Comcast Cable) is produced by Pat Summerall Productions of Dallas. The school district will be featured in a 5-minute segment of "The Education Station."

Also - wish our 870 Allen High School seniors well as they graduate this Thursday evening at 8 pm at the University of North Texas!

Article in Dallas Morning News about Upcoming Retail

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, May 19 @ 9:10am

There was an article (registration required) in yesterday's Dallas Morning News about the upcoming retail development along Shelley and FM-2551. See this news article for more information.

These changes will also be discussed at next Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Open Forum Meeting Tonight

Posted by rbutler on Monday, May 17 @ 2:31pm

The HOA is holding another open forum meeting tonight at the Allen Public Library on McDermott starting at 7:00pm. As with previous meetings, there is no specific agenda, simply come and ask a question or speak your mind! We expect to go over several topics including an update on late payments of homeowners dues, weeds on Malone, and the upcoming retail construction along Shelley.

Another Updated Drawing

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, May 12 @ 3:37pm

There's another new (extremely large!) drawing available on the HOA Documents page showing more detail of the new retail, housing, and greenbelt areas that are going to be built along the south side of Shelley Dr. There's also a newer version of the aerial view drawing of the retail area.

See this news article for more information about these upcoming changes.

Allen is Money Magazine "Hot Town"

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, May 12 @ 10:54am

In the latest issue of Money Magazine, Allen was rated as a "Hot Town" in their Best Places to Live article. Allen was ranked #11 for cities with less than 100,000 people in the western region, beating out other Metroplex cities such as Coppell (#15).

For populations greater than 100,000 people, several other area cities made great showings with Plano getting the #1 position and Richardson coming in at #12.

New Kid's Corner

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, May 11 @ 4:21pm

We've added a new section to the site, Kid's Corner, where each week we will be adding new puzzles and information relevant to the children living in our neighborhood.

Board Meeting Minutes (April 27th, 2004)

Posted by rbutler on Saturday, May 8 @ 10:03am

The meeting minutes from the latest HOA Board meeting are now online.

Development along Shelley / May 15th Elections

Posted by rbutler on Friday, May 7 @ 3:46pm

The proposed retail, housing, greenbelt, and school developments along the south side of Shelley are getting closer to reality. We have a new aerial drawing, as well as a revised plat of the proposed changes on the HOA Documents page (see the bottom of the page). Additional information is available on the City's web site.

In a somewhat related vein, in addition to other elections taking place, voters will be asked to decide on the following propositions:

Proposition 1:

"The legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only."

(Allows for the sale of beer and wine in retail facilities such as grocery stores.)

Proposition 2:

"The legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food and beverage certificate holders only."

(Restaurants will no longer be required to maintain "private club" status to sell mixed drinks, so patrons will no longer be required to have a membership card.)

(NOTE: Neither proposition allows for liquor stores to locate in Allen.)

It is possible, regardless of whether either of these propositions pass, for a restraunt to open in the new retail space that will serve alcohol (as presently occurs along I-75). We strongly urge all residents to visit the polls by May 15th to vote.

Hosting Provider Image Problem

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, May 4 @ 11:25am

There's a problem with our web hosting service right now that's causing some of the the images not to be displayed. A problem ticket has been entered, and it should be resolved shortly.

This problem has been resolved.

Updated: Tuesday, May 4 @ 1:35pm

Latest Newsletter Published!

Posted by rbutler on Monday, May 3 @ 3:49pm

The latest newsletter has just been published, and everyone should receive their copy in the next day or two. In additional to the usual topics, highlights of this edition include:

• Sewer Line Construction & Bethany Expansion Projects
• The Texas Master Gardener Program
• A greatly expanded Kid's Corner
• Babysitter Safety Tips
• Letters From Homeowners

Pictures from the Spring 2004 Blockparty

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 27 @ 10:27pm

Pictures from Sunday's Spring Block Party are now available online.

Annual Meeting Minutes (April 25th, 2004)

Posted by rbutler on Monday, April 26 @ 11:05am

The meeting minutes from the Annual Meeting yesterday are now online.

Three new board members were elected, Jana Boss, Pamela Pela, and Robert Butler, replacing Tres Moss, Stephanie Butler, and Mandy Diercks. We would like to thank the outgoing Board Members for all of their efforts and time they spent over the last two years volunteering for the HOA.

Searching of the Web Site Now Available

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, April 22 @ 1:10pm

Searching of the web site is now available. At this time, it allows searching of the articles and news items on the site, but not the soon-to-be-available message boards. A few examples are below:

• Show all articles containing the word "newsletters".
• Show all articles containing the word "pictures".
• Show all articles containing the word "proxy", but don't include articles that also have the word "election".

There are bound to be a few gliches since it hasn't been extensively tested yet. Please let us know if you run into any problems.

Updated: Friday, April 23 @ 12:26pm

Spring Block Party

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 20 @ 10:56am

This is a reminder that the Spring Block Party will be held this coming Sunday the 25th, from 4-6pm in the cul-de-sac on Woodstream Ln. Everyone in the neighborhood is invited to attend.

If you like, bring a side dish or dessert to share. The HOA will be providing hot-dogs, chips, water, and soft drinks.

Annual Meeting Rescheduled

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, April 14 @ 6:26pm

Well, we had very poor turnout at the Annual Meeting this past Monday: we needed representatives from 99 households in order to reach a quorum, but only had 33: 17 homeowners and 16 proxies.

As a result, we will re-hold the annual meeting during the Spring Block Party on Sunday, April 25th. New meeting annoucements will be mailed tomorrow to all homeowners.

Social Committee Meeting Minutes (April 7th, 2004)

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, April 14 @ 6:03pm

The meeting minutes from last week's social committee meeting are now online.

Landscape Committee Meeting Minutes

Posted by rbutler on Wednesday, April 7 @ 10:03pm

The meeting minutes from tonight's Landscape Committee meeting are now online.

Sewer Line Construction Meeting

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 6 @ 10:28am

This is a reminder to everyone about the meeting the city is holding this Thursday the 8th concerning the construction of the sewer line extension along Malone and Bethany. See this news article for more information.

HOA Annual Meeting

Posted by rbutler on Tuesday, April 6 @ 10:17am

This is a reminder to all homeowners that the Association is holding it's Annual Meeting next Monday, April 12th at the Allen Library on McDermott. The meeting will begin at 7pm. We need to have at least 100 different homeowners attend the meeting in order to reach a quorum. If you will not be able to attend the meeting, please complete a voting proxy, and mail to the HOA as soon as possible! If we do not have enough attendees, the meeting will be postponed until the Block Party on April 25th.

NTWMD Water / Sewer Line Construction Updates

Posted by rbutler on Thursday, April 1 @ 4:01pm

Allen residents wanting email updates on NTWMD water and sewer line construction (see this news article for more information) can get information by subscribing to the E-Messenger mailing list on the City's website at www.cityofallen.org.