February 27, 2025

 

Dear Waterford Neighbors,

 

We are providing an update for you, as a homeowner of the Waterford Homes Association, Inc. (the “Waterford HOA”). This update concerns Waterford HOA’s program to maintain a row of the street trees that were planted over 30 years ago, within 3 1/2 feet of the street curbs, on homeowners’ property (the “Waterford Street Tree Program”).

 

• Tree Injections. The Waterford HOA will be doing biennial tree injections to protect the ash street trees from Emerald ash borer larvae. Any homeowner who does not want the Waterford HOA to inject the ash street trees on the homeowner’s property may opt out of the injections by sending an email to LLarson@sentrymgt.com.

• Tree Removal. The Waterford HOA will be consulting with an arborist to confirm which street trees are dead or dying. The Waterford HOA will then contact homeowners identified by the arborist that have dead or dying street trees in writing and offer to remove the dead or dying street trees from the homeowner’s property, free of charge, subject to the Waterford HOA receiving the homeowner’s prior written consent prior to a deadline set by the Waterford HOA.

• No Tree Replanting (For Most Street Trees). The replanting of most of the street trees in Waterford is currently prohibited by Section 13-404 of the Leawood City ordinances, because a large portion of the street trees, which were planted in the 1980s and 1990s, are either too close to the curb, too close to street corners, or in too narrow tree beds. Section 13-404 currently prohibits the planting of street trees in the following locations:
   

  o   Planting a tree in a tree bed (between the curb and sidewalk) with less than 7 feet width.
  o   Planting a tree within 5 feet of the curb on a property without a sidewalk.
  o   Planting a tree within 35 feet of any street corner.
  o   Planting a tree within 10 feet of any fire hydrant.

However, if a homeowner has one or more street trees that are in locations that conform to the replanting restrictions of Section 13-404, the homeowner may email a street tree replanting request to the Waterford HOA to LLarson@sentrymgt.com. After confirming that each tree qualifies for replanting under the Waterford Street Tree Program and Leawood city ordinances, the Waterford HOA will replant the street tree in the same conforming location on the homeowner’s property, free of charge, subject to the Waterford HOA receiving the homeowner’s prior written consent prior to a deadline set by the Waterford HOA.

• Limitation on Funding. The total street tree expenditures under the Waterford Street Tree Program during 2025 will not exceed the amounts held in the program’s segregated bank account.

Attached to this notice is a PDF of a FAQ that provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Waterford Street Tree Program. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to send us an email to LLarson@sentrymgt.com.

 

Sincerely,

Board of Directors

Waterford Homes Association, Inc.