All posts in Mullan Road Neighborhood
Getting my own front porch ready for the summer!
Even though it’s raining almost daily and we’ve still got way above average snow pack in the mountains I’m still positive that sometime soon it’ll warm up and dry up in Western Montana. With warmer weather I find that much like many other people in my neighborhood I want to get outside and enjoy the beauty of Montana in the summer.
My yearly project comes in the form of organizing, cleaning off, and “decorating” my front porch, a place where I spend a lot of evenings in the summer months. My neighborhood (Pleasant View) is very much a front porch neighborhood, most all of the homes feature some sort of good sized front porch or deck designed to bring people out of their homes and into a more social environment which is my neighborhood.
Most evenings if you walk down the streets in Pleasant Views or Hellgate Meadows you’re likely to say hi to at least 10 to 15 people who are usually sitting on their front decks or playing with their families or pets in their front yards. My neighborhood is wonderfully designed for easy walks and even easier social interaction, it’s one of the biggest reasons why I love living in this area.
My deck itself faces to the West, so it heats up considerably on those hot summer days in July and August, however it’s great for tomatoes! This year I doubled the amount of tomatoes I planted thanks in part to a client who grows what seems like hundreds of them each year! I’m thinking come this August my front deck might look more like a tomato hedgerow!
Previous Notes Regarding the Snow Shoveling in Pleasant Views
It appears that winter is moving beyond us but this information regarding the Pleasant Views snow shoveling is good to know!
The meeting itself shared a lot of interesting information, there was a crowd of roughly 30 on hand there expressing concern over the dues ahead and the lack of consistant communications regarding the snow removal and services the HOA provides. Here’s the bullet points of what Pleasant Views homeowners should know:
- The HOA board is fairly new, they’ve revised the budgeting process, and the new members are fully aware of prior issues this board has caused. Basically the “old board” did not build a yearly budget and would make critical decisions on a whim. The new board will not do that.
- This year the board will finish in “the red” but the newly built budget will correct that, build a small reserve, and still keep all current services.
- Snow will be removed in the common areas AND in the entire neighborhood everytime there is more than 2″ of snow on the ground. Alleys will not be plowed though, that is the responsibility of the city.
- Fertilization and watering is going to be scaled back a bit, in July/Aug we may see some more slighly stressed grass in the parks/greenways, but it won’t be that horrible.
- HOA-paid utilities (electric for lights, water for parks) are going up 12% – that is planned for in the budget
- Roughly 70% of all HOA money goes towards the services of lawn mowing, snow removal, and utilities for them (electric and water).
OH SPRING … WHERE ARE YOU?
Spring is just around the corner and I know it won’t be long until we see signs of green grass, robins, and other signals of the end of winter. I know it’s been a long winter but the spring will be worth the wait. As you see signs of spring, post a message on FaceBook, if you see anything that is of interest, please just let me know.
Hellgate Elementary School Board meeting is Tuesday, February 22nd @ 7:00 pm. Please stop by and find out what is going on in the district. Typically the meetings are the second Monday of each month, but this month brought Valentines Day and President’s Day so they moved it.
Happy New Year!
We made it through another year and we find ourselves shoveling more snow than the past three years together. As we move through the new year I will be posting information and would love any comments or feedback from you.
Happy Holidays!
The holidays are just around the corner and I wanted to ask each of you to let me know if you spot homes in our neighborhood that have great decorations! We can post addresses to share with our neighbors. I know a big family tradition is driving around looking at lights.
What a great time to spend with family and friends. There is so much to do this time of year with all of the parties, craft shows, and shopping! I would like to thank the Missoula County for keeping our roads clear and doing a great job keeping up with the snow load.
Welcome to the Mullan Road Neighborhood Blog!
There has been a lot going on our our way this summer. Missoula City/County just finished the very cool bike trail from Cote Lane to Flynn Lane. I see people out there every single day using the trail! Thanks to JTL for doing a great job on it and getting it done quickly!