Action Required on Trees Damaged by Hurricane Irma

Attention Homeowners and Residents,

We are aware there are several downed and leaning trees throughout the neighborhood due to Hurricane Irma. This message is to remind you that the HOA is not responsible for any of the trees on your property.

It is your responsibility to clean up and repair your property, including right-of-way trees (between the street and the sidewalk). We will allow homeowners extra time to repair or replace trees without incurring violations, but all tree repairs/replacements need to be completed within 60 days — by Sunday, Nov 12, 2017. After this date, violations will be issued. If you are a renter with a downed or leaning tree, please contact the owner of your property with this information.

Tree Repair or Replacement

Please make arrangements with Orange County or with a private contractor to repair or replace any damaged trees in the right-of-way (between the street and the sidewalk). Right-of-way tree replacements must be Live Oak species. Please try to replace with a  tree of similar size, if possible.

If you plan to make changes to trees that are not located in the right-of-way or any other landscaping changes, you must submit an Architecture Review Board Application, which can be found on our website at https://www.mabelbridgehoa.com/community-documents/  

Disposing of Debris

It is also each homeowner’s responsibility to prepare debris in order for it to be hauled away by Orange County. Alternatively, you may drop off debris at the citizen drop off locations. Information on debris collection and drop off is listed below.

Debris Collection:

On Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017 Orange County’s Debris Removal contractors will begin pick up of vegetative debris only. Residents may bring vegetative (trees/limbs etc.) to the curb for pick up. Vegetative debris must be separated from construction materials, household hazardous waste (e.g., paint) or large electrical goods (e.g., refrigerators) when placed on the curb.

Debris Drop Off:

If you prefer to drop off debris,  residents of Orange County may only bring vegetative (trees/yard waste) debris to one of these 10 locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents will need to provide proof of Orange County address to gain access. Debris drop-off sites are:

  • Barnett Park – 4801 W Colonial Dr.
  • Conway Water Treatment Plant – 3590 Manatee St.
  • Cypress Grove Park – 290 Holden Ave.
  • Fort Christmas Park -1300 Fort Christmas Rd.
  • Harrell Road – 8503 Trevarthon Rd.
  • Meadowoods Park – 1751 Rhode Island Woods Cir
  • NW Water Treatment Plant – 701 W McCormick Rd.
  • Rose Place Park – 8200 Old Winter Garden Rd.
  • Across from Renaissance Senior Center – 3800 S. Econlockhatchee Trl.
  • West Beach Park Addition – 9227 Winter Garden Vineland Rd.

Thank you for your prompt attention to restoring our community. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our professional Community Association Manager (CAM) at Leland Management.

Thank you,

Mabel Bridge HOA Board

First Alert / BRK Hardwired Smoke Alarms

A Mabel Bridge resident has recently brought to our attention a problem with the hardwired smoke alarms installed in his home. We are simply sharing this information in the event that it may be relevant or helpful to other residents.
The resident reported that the hardwired smoke detectors originally installed in his home started beeping in a manner indicating that they needed to be replaced, even though the products were well within the 10 year warranty period. Other residents in Mabel Bridge shared similar experiences on NextDoor, too.

If you believe your builder-installed smoke alarms are failing within the warranty period, you can obtain warranty service by calling First Alert Consumer Affairs 1-800-323-9005, 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday. The resident mentioned above was sent free replacements for his affected units. Please note, they will ask for your model number and date of purchase available when calling.

Please follow all manufacturer instructions pertaining to maintenance or operation of your smoke alarm units. If you have problems, questions or concerns, contact the manufacturer for assistance.

Orange County Sheriff’s Office to Attend HOA Meeting – July 27, 2017

Do you have concerns about speeding, break-ins, illegal parking or other police matters in Mabel Bridge?

Mark your calendar to attend the next Board Meeting on July 27th at 7PM at Windermere Prep. Two representatives from Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Florida will be in attendance to discuss these issues with us. The Lieutenant and Detective in attendance will provide a report on crime statistics in our area as well as listen to our concerns.

This meeting will be held in the Videoconference Room at Windermere Prep. Meeting details, including a map and directions, can be found on the Meetings tab on this website.

UPDATE: The meeting will be held in building C1. Here’s an updated map: https://www.mabelbridgehoa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/attachment-1.pdf

Please make an effort to attend this meeting not only to stay informed, but to show OCSO that we care about our safety and security.

IMPORTANT: Fireworks on July 4th

If residents would like to observe Disney’s Magic Kingdom fireworks on July 4th, they may do so from the soccer field on Chateaubriand Ave. The July 4th fireworks are 9 pm.

Please do not bring any fireworks or alcohol to HOA-owned property. Fireworks and alcohol are prohibited at the field and the community pool. Also, the Mabel Bridge pool closes promptly at dusk on July 4th and every day. No one is permitted in the pool area after dark.

We would also like to remind you that FIREWORKS (other than sparklers) are ILLEGAL IN FLORIDA. In Florida, possession or use of illegal fireworks is classified as a misdemeanor. If you violate this law, you can be arrested. If found guilty, you can be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to up to a year in prison. For more details about the use of fireworks, click here: https://www.tripsavvy.com/fireworks-laws-in-florida-2346885)

Furthermore, use of fireworks in our community is a violation of our community’s governing documents. 

If residents observe illegal fireworks being set off anywhere in our community, please call Orange Country Sheriff’s Office immediately as you would for any other illegal activity.

We wish everyone a HAPPY and SAFE Independence Day. We hope you enjoy the Mabel Bridge’s spectacular view of one of the best fireworks shows in Florida!

Reminder: May 11th HOA Meeting at 7 PM

The HOA Board meeting will be held May 11 at 7 PM at Windermere Prep School in the Video Conference room.  For a map showing the room location, visit the MEETINGS page on this web site.

All meetings for 2017 have been scheduled and posted on this website since the beginning of the year. You can always find meeting information on the MEETINGS page.

If you have any questions about the agenda or the meetings, please contact our property manager, Chris Browne from Leland Management. Chris’ contact information is found on the CONTACT page.

Commissioner VanderLey to attend May 11 BOD Meeting

Commissioner to Attend Board Meeting to Discuss Traffic Concerns

The next Board of Directors’ meeting on May 11th will include a special discussion with Commissioner Betsy VanderLey regarding traffic issues in Mabel Bridge. As many of you know, and some of you have reported to Orange County, we experience difficulties with cars speeding in parts of the Mabel Bridge. Chateaubriand Ave experiences what is likely the highest amount of travelers and there have been reports of speeding is several of it’s segments.

Orange County has offered a potential solution of reversing the direction of the STOP signs at the corner for Chateaubriand and Acosta (near the pool). Comm. VanderLey is coming to discuss this change and hear viewpoints and concerns from our Mabel Bridge residents.

If you have concerns about traffic or speeding in Mabel Bridge, this is a wonderful opportunity to discuss them with a public servant who has the ability to influence change. The Board is grateful Comm. VanderLey is willing to attend our meeting and we are looking forward to a thorough and thoughtful discussion with her. We would love for many homeowners to attend and be part of the discussion, too.

Betsy VanderLey was elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 2016 for our district, District 1.

The Board meeting is at 7pm on May 11th at Windermere Preparatory School in the Videoconference room. As always, the meeting details and a map are posted on this website.

New Community Manager Appointed – Christopher Browne

Effective January 24, 2017:

The Mabel Bridge HOA employs a management company to advise on our operations and to handle the day-to-day management of the community. That management company is Leland Management and our dedicated, professionally licensed Community Association Manager (CAM) is now Mr. Christopher Browne.

Chris can be reached via CBrowne@lelandmanagement.com and 407-409-8594. If you have any questions or concerns about Mabel Bridge HOA, or if you need to report a violation, Chris is the current point of contact.

As always, the community manager information can be found out https://www.mabelbridgehoa.com/contact/

January HOA Meetings

BOARD MEETING

The January Board of Directors Meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan 26, 2017.

Location: Windermere Preparatory School (6189 Winter Garden Vineland Rd, Windermere, FL 34786) in the Videoconference Room.

Time: at 7:00 pm

All homeowners are invited to attend. See Meetings tab for map and details.

ARB MEETING

Mabel Bridge Architecture Review Board (ARB) is meeting at 6:30 PM on Jan 16, 2017 at the Mabel Bridge Community Pool.

Why is this meeting necessary?

The purpose of this meeting is for the members of the ARB to review architecture change requests and approve (or disapprove) them according to our community architecture standards and guidelines.

Mabel Bridge HOA uses design standards and guidelines to maintain consistency with the overall design concept for the community. Among other things, these guidelines help to maintain an orderly appearance and enhance the visual and aesthetic appeal of the community, which preserves and protects property values. As such, all homeowners must obtain written approval from the Architecture Review Board (ARB) before changes are made to home exteriors such as painting, major landscaping, installing fences or pools, etc.

This meeting is open to all Mabel Bridge homeowners to observe.

For more information, please review  Mabel Bridge Design Guidelines Oct-13-2016  (Please Note: This document was updated Oct 13, 2016)

To submit an architecture change request to the Architecture Review Board (ARB), use this form: 408 ARB Application.pdf.

Please note:  Our HOA by-laws allow the ARB 45 days from receipt of completed applications to review and approve (or disapprove) them. As a courtesy to our homeowners, applications are reviewed once per month. ARB meeting notices can be found on https://www.mabelbridgehoa.com/news.

Entranceway Sign Grant Project Complete

Mabel Bridge’s Entranceway Reader Board Sign Grant Project Complete

Thanks to a group of volunteers, Mabel Bridge now has two new entranceway reader boards! We received them with very little cost to the community by applying for a grant from Orange County. Orange County offers funding through Neighborhood Pride Grants, which are used to beautify neighborhoods across our area.

Our Grant Committee consisted of six volunteers who met to discuss the project, identified acceptable locations to install the signs, worked with multiple vendors on estimates and detailed all of this in a grant application that was submitted to the County.

Next, a Grant Selection Committee comprised of County staff members reviewed and scored all the incoming applications including ours. Then, the Neighborhood Grants Advisory Board (NGAB), a seven-member citizen panel, selected grant winners. Mabel Bridge was awarded a grant of up to $5000 to achieve our goals, which included increased communication and engagement with residents in Mabel Bridge through the use of entrance area reader boards.

The Grant Committee volunteers ensured they used these taxpayer funds responsibly and effectively. For example, a conscious decision was made to utilize existing ground lighting to illuminate the signs at night instead of paying for additional wiring, electronic components, and ongoing electricity costs. These choices also help to limit Mabel Bridge’s cost of operations and maintenance for the reader boards.

Another area that received careful thought was the location of the reader boards. The Committee considered traffic flow, safety, grant guidelines as well as overall appearance before settling on the current locations of the signs. Board members, the Landscape Committee representative and others were included in the discussion to ensure consensus on the location, especially on the traffic safety aspects.

The Board of Directors would like to extend our thanks to each of the Grant Committee volunteers for their effort to make this project a reality. The group saved our community approximately $3000 and they had the opportunity to meet, know and work with one another. It was a great success all around!

Congratulations on a job well done and thank you!

Grant Committee: (Left to right) Heather Fischer, Leah Emmanouilidis and Kate Demke. Additional members Ilene Jones, Dayna Gaut and Doug Bauer not pictured.