I have asked Debbie Sainz, the second manager in the Westchase Property Management Office, to write an article for the World of Westchase this month. Before you read her article, I wanted to take a moment to say goodbye to one of our valued staff members. Kathy Schuster, who worked for over two and a half years at the Westchase property management office, recently moved to Wisconsin with her husband. She will be missed. We wish Kathy all the luck in her new home.

We would also like to welcome Dina Lezcano, the new administrative assistant in the Westchase office. Welcome, Dina!

Debbie Sainz provides some valuable information below that we hope you take the time to read.

Garage Sale

Happy spring to everyone in Westchase! The weather is certainly changing for the better. Along with spring comes our bi-annual spring garage sale on May 3. Don’t forget to mark your calendars and be up bright and early to start selling your goodies. Any residents who have submitted items to be placed on the Big Ticket Item List will find that list posted on www.WestchaseWOW.com or www.Westchase.net. You will also be able to pick up a copy at the Westchase Swim and Tennis Center starting Thursday, May 1. Anything you have left over after the sale may be donated to Goodwill, which will have trucks located at St. Joseph’s Health Clinic on Linebaugh Avenue and at Primrose School on Countryway Boulevard. We know from the past the traffic will definitely be hectic around Westchase. The sale only lasts until 1 p.m. so let’s all try to be a little patient with those driving around looking for a great bargain.

Modifications

Now that the weather is warming up, we can’t help but notice homeowners sprucing up their yards. As a friendly reminder to all, before beginning any project affecting the exterior of your home or yards, please submit your modification applications to the property manager’s office in order for the Modifications Committee to review your requests. If you have any questions regarding what needs to be submitted, feel free to call the property manager’s office at 926-6404 and we will be more than happy to assist you in completing the form.

Tennis Court Update

The new surfaces are completed on the tennis courts at the Westchase Swim and Tennis Center and they look wonderful. In addition, the landscaping is done and new fencing has been installed. It looks as if we have a brand new tennis facility! The next scheduled project will be the Village Swim and Tennis Club’s courts. Due to issues pertaining to the courts, the project is taking a little longer than expected. We hope we can get things settled and begin repairs soon.

Guidelines Changes

As everyone knows, Westchase is a deed-restricted community which is governed by two sets of documents known as the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CCRs) and the Residential Guidelines. For the last few months members of the community have been working very hard, assisting in guideline revisions and preparing a new draft of the Residential Guidelines for presentation to the voting members. These volunteers have been meeting every other Monday for a few hours to gather input and information from fellow homeowners and management. Over the last several months we have strongly encouraged homeowners to submit their input to management. We have received wonderful responses and recommendations. If you’d like to know the status of the guidelines draft, please attend the voting member meetings and get firsthand knowledge of the proposed changes.

The voting members may be reviewing the first draft of the proposed guidelines at their May 13 meeting. Once the first draft has been finalized, a copy will be posted on the Web sites for the owners to review.

Calling for Volunteers

Westchase is in need of volunteers for a number of committees. We have positions open on the Modifications Committee, which reviews all modification requests in accordance with the governing documents; the Variance Committee, which reviews variance requests for modifications that have been denied due to non-compliance with our documents; and our Stork Committee, which helps distribute baby storks announcing a baby’s arrival to those happy families welcoming new members. If you’d like to lend a hand and volunteer for a few hours each month, please contact the property management office at 926-6404.

Neighborhood Watch Program
Many neighborhoods in Westchase have initiated a Neighborhood Watch Program. This has been a great deterrence to crime and we strongly encourage those residents who are not yet participating to contact your voting member for more information.

Pet Safety

Over the last few weeks our office has been contacted regarding missing and found pets. As soon as we are contacted, we notify WOW, which posts the information on its Westchase Pets: Lost and Found Web page at www.westchasewow.com/lostpets. Please keep your pets on a leash at all times when outdoors. This is not only for their safety but also for compliance with the Westchase CCRs. We’ve seen many homeowners walking their pets unleashed with their leashes in their hands. As a fellow dog owner of two mini dachshunds, I’m well aware of how easily they get distracted. Fortunately each of the missing pets we were notified of has been reunited with their owners.

As always, please feel free to either stop by our office or contact us at 926-6404. We are here to serve the residents of Westchase. You can always e-mail our office at either manager@wcamanager.com or patty.stewart@wcamanager.com.