This needs to be done SOON.
Picking rocks, Its a very Idaho experience and needs to be done before the grass begins to grow. Last year I had a brand new lawn mower and hit an imovable object hidden in the grass. It was a small stump that had become hidden in the grass and was just a smidgen taller than I remembered. Yes, I knew it was somewhere around there and I was being careful, or so I thought. My BRAND NEW lawn mower suffered a cracked engine block and was a total loss. Rocks represent a simular hazzard and there are several that can be seen at this time. They need to be picked (removed, probably to Ransey Road landfill) before they get lost in the growing grass. Posted 3/14/22 Update... rocks have been removed. Still need brush stump removals down by 41 & Diagonal (see flagging).
Our "natural" park gets a little extra natural over the winter (thruout the year too). In the spring, BEFORE the brush leafs out, is the best time to haul out cut up and dispose of all the fallen stuff. I usually end up with a big burn pile in the center open space. If you help with this task PLEASE DO NOT pile the debris on the black burn pile area. The pile gets VERY large and can become dangerous to touch off all at once. Instead pile it nearby so it can be fed into a small fire little by little. Thats a muich more safe and sane way to do the burn. Or if you have a pickup or trailer take it to the transfer station where they will grind it up into compost they sell. Update 3/28/22... four truck loads of tree and brush debris got burned up today. BIG improvement in park 1. Still about 2-4 truck loads to be picked up from around the park and disposed of but work is under way.
Deerfield is a corporation, this debris will probably be charged at commercal dump rates. Ive seen it charged both ways. free or payseems to depend on the person or day or something unknown. Just know it couild happen and be prepared to bear the out of pocket cost yourself.
You will need...
Two people, a tape measure, a notebook, linited construction knoledge. Most of the park 2 fence is so failed you are really just counting and recording the peices without much need of judgement of what needs replacing and what does not. There is so little left to save that full replacement is really what it needs. The park one fence project will require a complete rebuild of the sections removed (near MAPA). However much of the long piece fronting Hwy 41 still has long reusable sections so construction estimating experience will be more helpful there.
Deerfield owns, and is responsible for maintaining and painting, at least every other year, (See our Declarations CC&Rs) about 1230 ft of cedar perimiter fence as part of park 1 property. The association allowed and assisted with the destruction and removal of about 315 ft of that fence when our neighbor, NAPA auto parts, errected their own wall (city required) seperating their commercially zoned area from our residentially zoned area. I assume the HOA will restore that section of cedar fence with new cedar fencing. Even the association itsself MUST comply with the Declarations (CC&Rs) documents. (see part E paragraph 4)
Deerfield also owns, and is responsible for maintaining and painting, at least every other year, (See ourDeclarations CC&Rs) about 1135 ft of cedar perimiter fence as part of park 2 property.
I attempted to assess the repairs neded to the park 1 & 2 fences in February but the ground was frozen solid (it was difficult to distinguish between good solid posts and posts rotted out, but frozen in place) there was still considerable snow on the ground so it was impossible to make judgement calls about the condition of many of the fallen pannels. This requires a person with at least some construction knoledge to walk the fences and figure a list of repair materials we will need for each fence project.
As soon as the ground thawed somewhat, I did some shoreing up of the fallen and otherwise loose and failing sections of the park 1 fence all along Hwy 41. My repairs succeded in standing up a fence between Deerfield and the Hwy but these repairs are very temporary, and not professional in nature. The HOA has failed in its charge to keep any of these fences maintained in the "every other year" fasion as required. A full & professional repair program should be carried out over the 2022 spring, summer, fall construction season.
THIS WORK IS ALWAYS ONGOING... its litter folks, some gets tossed out every day and some blows in with the wind and some arrives from overflowing garbage cans placed out for pickup. It just happens and I would appreciate finding somebody who would help combat this problem. You will need to provide your own disposal mechanism.
I ve already conducted one comprehensive litter pickup on 3/10/22 . By comprehensive I mean it covered. 1) outside Deerfield along Hwy 41 from the NAPA store to Diagonal road. 2) Diagonal Road & 41 to the old Meyer Road (tunnel of terror area). 3) All the internal streets and swales - Legacy, Darby, Eden, Reindeer, Kamloops & Basswood. 4) All three parks and their access pathways.
This initial pickup completely filled a 35 gallon garbage can (donated trash can space, used while a member family was on vacation). Posted 3/14/22
follow up pickup done 3/18/22 - 2, 5 gallon buckets full. This could be done weekly if anyone wants to.
update 3/25/22... Another 10 gallons of litter removed today. So far in 2022 we have picked up and disposed of 55 gallons of litter in and around Deerfield.
There has been, and still is some work being done periodically at the intersection of Legacy Drive and The shopping center access road (also NAPA). This results in items (junk) being left in this swale. Today I noticed a pile of rocks had appeared. Last week it was a large accumlication of litter strewn all over the swale (I got that). There are also several marking flags that look adondoned, not sure just now and I'm giving it some more time to see if that is correct. Posted 3/14/22 rock picking done 3/16/22 still considering marker flags.
The worst spot is Legacy Drive between Eden Ct and Reindeer. the need is to sweep both gutters, in both directions (so all 4 gutters). This area gets really bad because of the large trees that grow in the lot behind the green slatted chain link fence. Dont be fooled I sweep this area about 3 times per year and it is deceptive in how much tree litter is present. Now that I own a pickup it goes easier. I guarentee you there will be more than a wheelbarrow full or a garbage can full (I have tried both and needed 2-4 trips) YOU WILL NEED - A push broom, a shovel, a container (at least a wheel barrow or large garbage can see above) and a place to dump out the sweepings. If you do a litter pickup first you might be able to use it as clean fill dirt, but if you dont, it will create a real garbage mess where ever you put it (my experience).
If you have the inclination there are other spots along our streets that can use an early sweeping. The section named above is just always the worst.
The City of Rathdrum will eventually be along (later in first part of May) and sweep all of Deerfield with their machine. That only happens once per year, and if the amount of debris buildup is too much in any one place (as in years past, before I did this addional sweeping) they dont get a clean job done. So the street is still dirty even after they sweep.
Another thing along this line is to coordinate thru Mary Davy (Rathdrum public works down stairs city hall). If we find out when the sweeper is coming we can prepare by losening the spots where debris accumulates, like between the curb sections. and rake out the debris from the drain pans into the sweeping path. This extra effort makes the citys sweeping MUCH more effictive. I did this last year and the result was a much cleaner gutter with no lumps of skiped materials or stuff left behind in the drain pans.
Posted 3/14/22. Reindeer to Eden section swept 3/16/22.