Middlebelt Road Closure

The Maple Road closure at Middlebelt has been in place for some time now.  The next phase of construction just started and closed down Middlebelt Road north of 14 Mile too.  Now both of these detours will utilize 14 Mile.  This increase in traffic on 14 Mile might cause traffic backups.  As a result, we might also see an increase in cut-through traffic.

We worked with the city earlier in the year to get a baseline traffic count in our neighborhood.   We can ask them to come back and take another count if the cut-through traffic increases a lot.

The city is willing to work with us to help monitor speeders in the neighborhood too.  If you see cut through traffic speeding through the subdivision please call the city dispatch at 248-871-2610

 

Landscape Oversight Team Volunteers

As you probably know we have been working to improve the curb appeal of our subdivision entrances and other common areas in Franklin Knolls.   We have been working with our landscape company, United Lawnscape, to make that happen.   We have some additional improvements coming this fall too.

We are doing a little at a time to keep costs down.   We also want to keep the improvements looking good and that is where we can help each other.  We are looking for neighborhood volunteers to help keep these areas looking nice.  Simple things like making sure new plants are watered for the first few weeks after planting can make a world of difference in how the plant looks or even if it lives.

As a team we can decide if we want to go a step farther and do a neighborhood planting day.  This could be fun getting more of the community involved in improving our curb appeal and save some money along the way too.  Want to help?   Let us know by sending an email to FranklinKnollsHOA@gmail.com or talk to a board member.   We would love to have you be part of the team.

Fall is a great time to plant and we have a few sources that we might even be able to get some free plants for this.

 

Orchard Lake Boulevard Streetscape Project

You may have noticed landscape work going on at the 14 Mile Rd/Orchard Lake Rd/Northwestern Hwy intersection area.   This is all part of an over one million dollar project that West Bloomfield is doing.   A few of the images from the township website are shown above.

This will be a nice beautification to the area.

More information on the project can be found on the West Bloomfield Township Website 

Become an FKHA Board Member

As we all know things change over time and we have had some changes to the Franklin Knolls Homeowners Association board this year.   We have vacancies on the board and we are looking for volunteers to become members at large.   If you are interested please contact a board member for more information.

The board now meets less often than in past years with much more communication via electronic methods, mostly email.  We all have busy schedules and today we can easily communicate with each other without having a formal meeting.

Being on the board can be fun, you get to spend a little time with your neighbors and help make our neighborhood an even better place to live.  The Contact Us page has the many ways to contact a current board member if you have any questions or are interested in helping out.

You can also find more information and the Willingness to Serve Form on our website too.  Just look in the “Tools” drop down menu on our website.    Here is a direct link

We hope to hear from you!

Water System Flushing Saturday, July 20th (9am – 1pm)

Water System Flushing Saturday,  July 20th

  

Periodically, the FKHA Board will flush the mineral deposits from the fire hydrant lines.  This work is typically done by board member volunteers on a Saturday morning starting at 9:00 a.m. and continues for 3-4 hrs.

• Signage will be posted near the entrances of the sub approximately 1 week in advance.
• During this time frame you should shut off the water to your house (valve in the basement near your sump pump), and frame.  You should not use your water during this time
• After the flushing is complete, you should run the hoses outside your house to clear any residual deposits.
• **NEW – A limited number of participants will receive a credit to their HOA account for helping with the flushing.   This will be available on a first come first served basis.   Let us know if you are willing to help.

Any questions pertaining to our drinking water, our water system, or the above recommendations please see our Contact Us page.

More info on what to do to care for your lines to your home can be found on our website on the “Services” menu.   Here is a direct link

2018 Water Quality Report

The 2018 Water Quality Report describing the source and quality of your drinking water is now available on our website. A paper copy of this report is available upon request. Please contact a board member or send us an email with your name and the address if you would like a paper copy of report sent to you. You can email us and/or find our contact information here.

An email will be sent to all homeowners on file with this information. The fall newsletter will also have a summary article about this water report. A paper copy of this newsletter will be sent to all homeowners of Franklin Knolls.

The Water Quality Report is required by the State of Michigan and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) It is based on testing our water system by AquaTest Laboratories, Inc. Water samples are taken monthly and tested to check the quality of our water on a regular basis. We also have a mechanical inspection done regularly to help keep our water system operational and the backup systems ready when needed.

We also recently performed our spring flush out of the water system and have another flushing planned very soon. Home lines need to be flushed out as well. Without flushing home water lines can become restricted or plugged up which can lead to a costly repair for the homeowner. Information on this and other tips are available here on our website.

We hope you find the report beneficial and reassuring that the water provided to your home meets or exceeds government standards. Let us know if you have any questions. There are also government agency phone numbers in the report.

Thx

Afternoon Neighborhood Ice Cream Social Event

Ice Cream Social –  Saturday, June 22, 2019

3pm – 4pm – at the Pump House

In an effort to try some new ideas for a neighborhood get together, we thought we would try a quick afternoon event to have ice cream.

This is also a chance to say goodbye to some neighbors that we know are moving soon.  Are you new to the neighborhood?  Come on by.   We would love to meet you too.

We are bringing in an ice cream truck and would like to invite all our neighborhood residents to come by and have a FREE ice cream.   Ice cream is available for purchase too so feel free to bring your guests.

We will do this for about an hour.   A quick way to stop by and say hi to your neighbors and have a refreshing treat too.   Hope to see you there!

 

Community Wide Garage Sale – Get Ready

It’s On!   Our Subdivision Wide Garage Sale is on the weekend of June 1, 2019.   We had a great turn out last year and we are doing it again.   We have a bunch of residents stating that they will participate.   The official day for the sub garage sale is on Saturday but some homes will be doing the whole weekend and not just Saturday.

Let us know if you will be participating too.  Still time to add your home to the list.    The subdivision will be:

• Advertising the sub wide garage sale.  We will be advertising on many online sites.  **Give us pictures of your high demand items and we will try to include them in the advertising.** 
• Setting up our sandwich board signs at the entrances about a week before the event.

Doing your own ad is also welcomed.   You can get into more specifics about what you are selling and the days/time of your sale etc.  You can not have too much advertising.

 

 

 

City of Farmington Hills Email Subscription – New Fireworks Rules

The city of Farmington Hills has a lot of offer.  The list of programs and services goes on and on.  

**Here is information on the changes to the fireworks ordnance.**  

Just an example of the information that you can get sent to you via email if you subscribe to the eNews list.  Click on the link below to check out the lists you can subscribe to.    

eNews / List Serv

The city offers many email lists.  Sign up for any of these and the information is sent right to your email box when something new comes out.   Easy to sign up and easy to cancel if you change your mind.

We also have the direct link on our website under Other Contacts/Links.  Click here for a direct link.

City of Farmington Hills Fireworks Ordinance Changed

The Farmington Hills Police Department would like to inform residents of a change to the City’s fireworks ordinance. The Michigan Legislature has recently amended the law related to fireworks. This change limits the number of days per year on which fireworks may be discharged. The Farmington Hills City Council has adopted an amendment to the current City ordinance to include some of the changes made to Michigan Law. (Sec. 18-288. Fireworks) Under the new ordinance, fireworks may only be discharged during the following times: New Year’s Eve to New Year’s Day (11:00 a.m. on December 31 to 1:00 a.m. on January 1) The weekend before Memorial Day (Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.) June 29 through July 4 (11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. each day) July 5, but only if that date is a Friday or Saturday (11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.) The weekend before Labor Day (Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.) It remains unlawful to discharge fireworks on public property (including public streets), school property, church property or the private property of another without express written permission. It is also unlawful to discharge fireworks of any type while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. An individual who violates this ordinance may be issued a municipal civil infraction, which is punishable by a civil fine of $1,000 for each violation. Additionally, it is unlawful to discharge fireworks if a fireworks ban has been implemented by the Fire Chief due to dry conditions. The Police Departments asks residents who wish to celebrate these designated holidays with fireworks to do so in a legal and safe manner that is respectful of others.

Water System Flushing Saturday, May 11th (9am – 1pm)

Water System Flushing Saturday,  May 11th

  

Periodically, the FKHA Board will flush the mineral deposits from the fire hydrant lines.  This work is typically done by board member volunteers on a Saturday morning starting at 9:00 a.m. and continues for 3-4 hrs.

• Signage will be posted near the entrances of the sub approximately 1 week in advance.
• During this time frame you should shut off the water to your house (valve in the basement near your sump pump), and frame.  You should not use your water during this time
• After the flushing is complete, you should run the hoses outside your house to clear any residual deposits.

Any questions pertaining to our drinking water, our water system, or the above recommendations please see our Contact Us page.

More info on what to do to care for your lines to your home can be found on our website on the “Services” menu.   Here is a direct link