Spring is in full swing, and we’re pleased to bring you important updates and timely reminders to ensure our community remains a wonderful place to live.

Street Lighting Update

The city has installed new LED streetlights in our area. These modern lights enhance night-time safety and reflect our ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility.

Annual HOA Dues Reminder

Please remember that the annual HOA dues of $200 are due by May 31, 2024. These funds are vital for maintaining our common area.

Annual General Meeting Announcement

Please join us for our Annual General Meeting on May 19, 2024, at 2 PM at the neighborhood library located on the Southwest corner of the lake on State Street, just north of Kletke’s house. We value your input and look forward to discussing important matters that impact us all.

Reaffirming the Good Neighbor Mindset

Attached to this newsletter and available on our website is the “Good Neighbor Mindset” document. This guide reinforces the core values of our community. If you notice someone may not be aware of these community values, sharing this document can be a friendly and polite way to remind each other of our shared commitments to being good neighbors.

Update on Animal Shelter

Members of our HOC board recently participated in a city meeting about the proposed new location for the animal shelter near our neighborhood. We expressed concerns regarding potential noise, effects on home values, and other nuisances. The city is actively gathering feedback and appears committed to ensuring that all concerns are addressed to achieve a solution that benefits everyone involved.

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and dedication to our community. Your active participation makes all the difference in maintaining the high standard of living we enjoy.

On March 12th, we were informed by the city about the upcoming Stillwater Animal Welfare facility. We’re seeking input from our community to ensure we’re fully prepared for the upcoming meeting. Please share your thoughts with us by clicking the Let’s Talk button button on our website, emailing us at universityestateswoodcrest@gmail.com, or posting a comment directly on this site.

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Good morning,

The current Stillwater Animal Welfare facility is insufficient and overall does not meet the needs of our growing community. Our staff and community action committee are in the process of identifying a new location and identifying needs for a new facility.

The property identified to best meet the needs of a future Animal Welfare facility is located at Hargis/Airport Road and near Sanborn Lake, north side of the Waste Management facility. This location is more than 1,000 feet from a neighborhood.

We have an upcoming meeting at the Stillwater Community Center on Tuesday, March 26, 5:30 p.m. A virtual/online meeting will be Thursday, March 28, 5:30 p.m. Past presentations and information are available online at: stillwaterok.gov/animalwelfare.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

Dawn

Dawn R. Dodson

Director of Communications

Office of Communications

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On the delightful evening of October 20, our neighborhood came together for a magical experience under the stars – a neighborhood movie night by the lake! It was heartwarming to see so many of our fellow residents gather by the water’s edge, creating a charming outdoor cinema right in our own community.

The flickering glow of the screen was complemented by the warm camaraderie that filled the air. Families, friends, and neighbors alike gathered with blankets and snacks, creating a cozy atmosphere that truly embodied the spirit of togetherness.

The laughter, shared popcorn, and the collective enjoyment of the film created memories that will linger in our hearts. It was a testament to the strong sense of community we have here, where we not only share space but also the joy of simple pleasures.

As we reflect on that wonderful night, we can’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for the bonds that tie us together. The success of our neighborhood movie night has left us eager for more such gatherings in the future. Imagine the possibilities – themed movie nights, potlucks, or even live music by the lake. The potential for building an even stronger sense of community is limitless.

So, let’s keep the momentum going! If you have ideas for future events or if you’d like to volunteer to help organize them, we welcome your input and involvement. Our neighborhood is not just a collection of houses; it’s a vibrant community made stronger by each of you.

Here’s to more shared moments, more laughter, and more community events that make our neighborhood the wonderful place it is. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming gatherings, and let’s continue to make our community a place we’re proud to call home.

Based on the tabulation of results from the special meeting held on October 15, 2023 and the ballots received by mail, the members of the HOC voted in favor of the proposed amendements. The newly amended document is available on our Governing Documents Page. Thank you for your particiation in this important matter.

Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 2:00 PM

Southwest corner of the lake on State street just north of the Kletke’s house

Purpose of the Meeting: The special meeting is called to vote on the amendment to the Declaration of Protective Covenants of University Estates–Woodcrest. If the amendment is passed by majority (majority from the sum of valid votes cast at the meeting and the valid votes cast by mail-in-ballot) it will prohibit short-term rentals in areas of the HOC zoned RSS (Residential Small Lot Single-Family). If the amendment fails, the covenants remain as currently written. No discussion or debate about the amendment will be held since such discussions were held during the May 21, 2023 annual meeting.

Our lovely neighborhood is hosting a friendly Halloween home decorating contest. If you would like to participate please register by Oct. 20th using the QR code below. People will be able to vote anytime between October 23rd and October 30th and winners will be announced on Halloween!
Categories: Spookiest, Most Creative and Funniest. Come Join the fun!

Paula Barnes is a long time resident of our neighborhood. Please see the link for more information: https://www.yourbloodinstitute.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/643714

Hello everyone, here is a digital copy of the newletter this will be distributed to everyone this week. We have some important information here so please pay close attention to it.

Amendments to Covenants Addressing Short Term Rental

As you might be aware, during our May 2023 annual HOC meeting a motion was passed to allow for retaining a lawyer to draft  changes to our protective  covenants; specifically prohibiting short-term rentals in the areas of the HOC zoned RSS (Residential Small Lot Single-Family).’ The HOC board has engaged lawyers from Hartsfield & Egbert, PLLC and has finalized the language for the amendment to our protective  covenants to prohibit short-term rentals. The proposed amendment recommended by the HOC board is attached herewith along with a document that provides more details about the language and the procedure that allows members of the HOC  to vote on the amendment. 

As per our  existing protective  covenants: “these Covenants may be amended only by the affirmative vote or written consent, or any combination thereof, of Members representing a majority of the total votes.” To provide everyone ample opportunity to cast their votes either by written consent (via a ballot) or in person at a general body meeting. Hence, we are also calling a special meeting to be held on October 15, 2023.

For more information please visit this page.

Notice for Special Meeting

Date: October 15, 2023

Time: 2 PM

Place: By the neighborhood library at the Southwest corner of the lake on State street just north of the Kletke’s house – the usual annual meeting location.

Purpose: The special meeting is called to vote on the amendment to the Declaration of Protective Covenants of University Estates–Woodcrest to prohibit  short-term rentals (e.g. AirBnB, VRBO, etc.) in areas of the HOC zoned RSS (Residential Small Lot Single-Family).

Annual Garage Sale

The annual garage sale for this year has been scheduled for September 23, 2023 from 8 AM to noon.  Our neighborhood does a really good job of attracting a good crowd and we hope to put on a good showing this year as well. We will start advertising for the event in different venues as well as have the sign in front of the neighborhood well in advance to remind everyone about the event. We hope that you can participate this year and invite your friends from other neighborhoods to purchase from our good neighbors. This is also a great opportunity for us to meet our neighbors and get to know them a little more. We hope you can help us make this event a great success.

Neighborhood Safety

We have wonderful neighbors who care for our neighborhood and care about the safety of the neighbors. Some neighbors might not know that long term overnight parking is a safety hazard, especially because it creates restricted access to emergency vehicles. Valuable time might be lost if emergency vehicles cannot pass through the narrow road with parked vehicles; in the worst case the parked cars might completely block emergency vehicle access to our friendly neighbors. So please refrain from overnight parking on the street or across from your neighbor’s driveway. Please help us avoid these hazards and help us keep a safe neighborhood. For more information of good neighbor mindset please visit: https://university-estates.com/welcome-to-the-university-estates-woodcrest-neighborhood/  

Long-term parking of vehicles on public streets is addressed in (1) Article V, Section 9 of our Protective Covenants on our website and (2) in the City of Stillwater Code of Ordinances (Article IV Sec. 29-138) which are enforceable by the police resulting in a citation and fine.

Some of us have damage to the trees in our neighborhood. To aid with the disposal of the damage we reached out to the city for assistance in clearing the tree limbs. In response to our inquiry, the city’s Director of Waste Management provided the following information:

The City is not providing any type of storm debris clean up, but the Waste Management Department has a few options for residents. Residents can place yard waste at the curb to be collected with our normally scheduled collection program. The yard waste must meet the requirements for our yard waste collection program to be collected. I have attached a yard waste alert to this email with the requirements for our yard waste program. Additionally, residents may bring yard waste to our Collection Center located at 807 S. Perkins Road. Residents can bring in one truck load per day with a current utility bill. Trailers are not allowed at the Collection Center.

For those who are unable to clear the limbs and follow the city’s recommendations, please contact the HOC. We will make an effort to arrange volunteers who can assist you. The next collection for yard waste is scheduled for July 13th, and we may seek help from our friendly neighbors to support you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us or simply reply to this post with your comments.

Our annual HOC meeting was held on the 21 of May 2023 at 2 PM. We had some good dicussions about some very important items. Thank you for all those who attened. Find attached the unapproved meeting mniutes from the meeting that day. We would appreciate any comments on these minutes and if you find any corrections, please feel free to let us know.