(6/15/04) Trustees agreed to pay Rick $500 for design of garden bringing design options to Trustees for review, discussion and approval. Rick to begin work asap.
(7/20/04)… MA to get estimates for pruning of trees away from building (10’ +/-) and removal of all dead wood, bid should understand desire for privacy of units in building….
(10/19/04) MA to get hourly estimates from tree pruning company (to quantify their $250/hr estimate. Tree company to call city to get permission to prune our trees…
(12/21/04) Rick attended Dec. meeting to address the following issues: design (Trustees reiterated their preferences previously emailed to Rick), neutral ground (Trustees will discuss options of cobblestone, brick and grass and email Rick with decision), Linden tree on Jersey St. in front of 111 (Rick believes it to be diseased and therefore needs treatment and trimming if it is to remain). Trustees reiterated their desire for a 5 year masterplan for QCT to take on (including soils amendments if necessary, planting design, rearrangement of shrubs and recommended snow removal changes).
(1/18/05) MA to direct Rick to proceed with design. DS to discuss tree pruning with Inspection Dept. (2/15/05) Rick to provide draft design by late February, MA to coordinate. MA pursing with City Arborist us trimming Jersey St. tree.
(4/25/05) Rick provided conceptual design for Jersey St. side only. MA to convey Trustees questions to him (re: plantings) and request Queenberry St. garden proposal also.
(7/11/05) MA to coordinate QCT hiring arborist (City approved), MA to follow up with Rick on spring meeting comments and outstanding QCT questions about his design.
(9/19/05) City of Boston approved the pruning, but faxed the approval directly to its preferred Boston Tree. MA to obtain price.
(10/18/05) Boston Tree will be in the area on 10/19 to provide a price.
(11/15/05) Will Malkasian do a fall clean up? Included in our contract, so probably waiting for end of leaves. Tree pruning to be done on 11/16. YC to coordinate with Boston Tree.
(01/2006) Revisit the design after structural assessment is complete.
(04/18/06) Proceed with landscape design, since Noblin stated that it will not do any more boring. MA will send notes/questions that came up in previous meetings between trustees and the landscaper (Malkasian). Trustees will determine some requirements for the landscape design. Then MA will arrange a meeting between the landscaper and the trustees.
(06/20/06) Same.
(08/15/06) Landscaping is being postponed indefinitely pending the completion of the building’s masonry repairs suggested in the report.
(04/17/07) The proposal from Malkasian Gardens to maintain landscape ($1320). Requires approval.
(06/25/07) The proposal has been approved. The work involves maintenance only. Item complete.
(03/17/2009) The board is again reviewing the landscape design.
(05/19/2009) Doug and Corinne met with Rick Malkasian. The association plans to use $1500-$2000 this year (in addition to what is normally allocated for landscape maintenance) to plant and fix landscaping starting from the Queensberry Street alley to Jersey St. The trustees are now waiting for a specific proposal. MA to ask the landscaper about the timeframe.NOTE: The tree in front of 111 Jersey needs to be pruned--it is too low to the ground. It also needs to be treated. MA to speak to an arborist about treatment.
(06/16/2009) Still waiting on proposal.
(08/18/2009) The landscaper is still working on the proposal.
(09/15/2009) The proposal has been submitted to MA for the board to review. Currently, one Emerald Arborvitae plant in front of the 107 laundry vent is not healthy, probably due to vent, so replacing it, as the proposal suggests, will not resolve the issue. MA to ask the landscaper how that problem can be resolved.
The cost of the materials and labor proposed is $2000. Due to lack of finances to do this work right now, MA to ask the landscaper if the work can be postponed till next spring.
(2010, March update since 09/2009) Moving the vent would be tied in with fixing up the 107 Laundry room. At that point, it would be investigated if vent can be moved or positioned such that it still vents properly but avoids blowing on the Emerald Arborvitae.
(03/16/2010) Malkasian provided a bid for mulching ($800) and for maintance ($1320), which is in our budget. Beyond maintenance, no landscape improvements can be made right now because the association has no money. The board will meet with the landscaper in April to decide what new plantings to make so that the landscaping work can start once the funds become available.
(04/20/2010) The board met with Rick Malkasian (of Rick Malkasian Gardens—the company that has been doing our landscaping so far) to discuss improving the plantings around the building. The board decided to ask Malkasian to work with $1000 (total, labor inclusive) to add plantings and improve the landscaping with the following specific requests: 1) no arbovitaes, 2) add approximately $100 worth of annuals in locations Malkasian sees fit. The board would like this landscaping work to begin right away.
The board also discussed the linden tree (city tree) near 111 Jersey entrance with MA and Malkasian. (Some of the tree branches are growing into the fire escape of 111, and thus may be a fire hazard.) MA will find out the price for cutting down the branch closest to the building. MA will also find out the price for spraying the Jersey side linden tree and another linden tree (also a city tree) on Queensberry side of the building. MA will also find out if we need city permission to cut down branch and/or spray these city trees.
(05/18/2010) Modica will cut down loose branch of the linden tree in front of 111 swinging in the garden, not the actual limb but the branch. Board will wait on hiring Arborway Tree to cut the limb for $330 to see if City will actually cut as Modica has been calling Parks Dept. to report a safety issue and City might be coming out to actually cut limb due to pressure Modica has been placing on City. Board voted to wait on city to cut the limb before paying Arborway to do it, pending whatever the cut-off date for treating for Aphids is. Modica to confirm with arborist what cut-off date is to treat for Aphids. Arborway’s price to cut limb is $330 and treat for Aphids is $210.
(06/15/2010) The plants for $1000 have been planted. Modica cut the branch on 111 Jersey Linden Tree. Stil waiting for updates on the Aphid treatment.
Later edit: After the meeting the board walked around the buildings and looked at the landscaping in front of the buildings. The board did not see any annuals planted. From April 20, 2010, meeting notes: "The board decided to ask Malkasian to work with $1000 (total, labor inclusive) to add plantings and improve the landscaping with the following specific requests: 1) no arbovitaes, 2) add approximately $100 worth of annuals in locations Malkasian sees fit."
(07/20/2010)Modica had the tree branch cut. Doug thinks that the branch was not cut cleaning. MA to request to recut it cleanly.
David Modica spoke to Rick Malkasian regarding the overage on the landscaping budget. (The bill came for $1150, after the board asked Malkasian to work with $1000). He has agreed to honor the $1000 budget amount and will write off the overage. The board members will consider getting together and planting some annuals using their own resources.
(08/17/2010) Tree was cleaned up where the branch was cut. The faucet (by the 107 entrance) is leaking. A rhododendron bush has died (on the Jersey Street side of the building). MA to inform Malkasian about the dead rhododentron bush.
[Later edit: The dead bush has been removed.]
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