Page 12 - New England Condominium March 2020

12 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -MARCH 2020 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM Building EnvelopeYour Restoration Specialists Since 1981, Alpha Weatherproofing Corp. has served building owners and property managers throughout New England with comprehensive weatherproofing and building envelope restoration services. AFTER BEFORE • Concrete Restoration • Façade Inspection & Repair Specialty Coatings • Masonry Restoration • Sealant Removal & Replacement • Parking Garage Repair & Traffic Coatings • Historic Restoration • • Waterproofing Systems • Roofing & Roof Maintenance • Structural Repairs • Emergency Repairs 617-628-8888 www.weatherproofing.net • Request a free consultation • View projects • Sign up for our e-newsletter www.RiskStrategies.com Specializing in Insurance and Risk Management Services for: For more information Contact Thomas Shields | Producer E: TShields@risk-strategies.com P: 781-961-0314 A: 15 Pacella Park Drive, Suite 240, Randolph, MA 02368 Bernie Gitlin | Executive VP E: Bgitlin@risk-strategies.com P: 781-961-0330 C ondominiums C ommunity A ssoCiAtions HoA C ommunities C ooperAtives www.RiskStrategies.com Specializing in Insurance and Risk Management Services for: For more information Contact Thomas Shields | Producer E: TShields@risk-strategies.com P: 781-961-0314 A: 15 Pacella Park Drive, Suite 240, Randolph, MA 02368 Bernie Gitlin | Executive VP E: Bgitlin@risk-strategies.com P: 781-961-0330 C ondominiums C ommunity A ssoCiAtions HoA C ommunities C ooperAtives www.RiskStrategies.com Specializing in Insurance and Risk Management Services for: For more information Contact Thomas Shields | Producer E: TShields@risk-strategies.com P: 781-961-0314 A: 15 Pacella Park Drive, Suite 240, Randolph, MA 02368 Bernie Gitlin | Executive VP E: Bgitlin@risk-strategies.com P: 781-961-0330 C ondominiums C ommunity A ssoCiAtions HoA C ommunities C ooperAtives of opportunity is certainly limited, as that is a weather-sensitive project,” says Dalley. “You want to schedule that repair as soon as you can, as people are going to want to play as soon as the weather turns. You need to act as soon as the constant temperature allows you to put down a new surface, so as not to impede play. If you can do it late in the fall, so much the better—but if you have to do it in the spring, you want to make sure that you’re on the vendor’s calendar so they can do it right away and you maximize the value to your homeowners.” As with pools, landscaping needs sur- rounding a tennis court must be realized as well. “A lot of people arrive at the idea to do something which has a shorter sea- son than they acknowledge,” says Hofell- er, “like planting trees, for example, when the window to do so is already closing. If you don’t put the plants and shrubbery in the ground until, say, the first week of April, and you wait to make that call until your contract with a vendor has already started, you’re not going to be able to get those plants in the ground until after the optimal time.” Weather the Storm One of the most frustrating variables when planning for spring, as was briefly touched upon above, is the weather; it has always been quite hard to predict, and it seems to only be getting more difficult as climate change continues to impact tem- peratures and weather patterns. “These days, property managers have to be amateur meteorologists,” laments Hofeller. “But although various weath- er forecasting services may not always agree, a lot of them are reliably consistent when it comes to long-term trends, and you can fairly safely plan around those predictions. Property managers today have to integrate that ability into their other skill sets, so that they can make adjustments to launch dates when the weather demands it.” Dalley points to the fact that last spring, the Northeast was still seeing significant snowfall in mid-March. “If you’re snow-covered at the beginning of March, it may well slow down any work you can do on the grounds, since they must be clear of ice and snow before a landscaper can come in and prepare for the coming season,” he says. “The first thing they’re going to do is sweep the grounds, pick up dead branches, edge the beds, and as soon as the soil temperature reaches a certain level, they put down a pre-emergent which retards weeds. A lot of this is weather dependent, but we hit the ground running, certainly, by the end of March, in anticipation of the coming season.” SPRING CLEANING continued from page 6 The mantra of spring prep—or really, any seasonal planning for your build- ing or community—is, of course, Plan Ahead. The more lead time you allow yourself and your contractors and ven- dors, the more likely you’ll be to get a great result at a price that doesn’t raise your blood pressure. n Cooper Smith is a staff writer and report- er for New England Condominium. earned her Certified Property Manager (CPM) credential. Earning the ARM credential, the com- pany noted in a press release, demon- strates excellence and a commitment to continuing education toward becoming more successful in the field. Candidates for the credential must meet specific in- dustry and educational requirements and pass a certification exam. Candidates for the CPM credential PULSE continued from page 5 dent should be required to come down to the lobby of the building. Boards may have to permit access by a delivery person if a resident is sick or self-quarantined. Q. Should we close our gym, pool, play- room, or other amenity? A. Many localities have banned or cur- tailed use of indoor facilities such as gyms, baths, pools, and recreation centers. While private amenities in condos, HOAs or co- ops might not be subject to these restric- tions, boards may wish to close all indoor amenity spaces at this time. Q. What about open houses and brokers who want to show apartments or units? A. We recommend open houses be paused during this time as they can bring large groups of people into the building and place an unnecessary burden on already busy staff. Boards may permit individual showings, but should require that those vis- its be scheduled with the resident manager or management in advance. This advisory is offered as a service to cli- ents and friends of Armstrong Teasdale LLP and The New England Condominium, and is intended as an informal summary of certain recent legislation, cases, rulings, and other developments. This advisory does not con- stitute legal advice or a legal opinion and is not an adequate substitute for the advice of counsel. n COVID Q&A... continued from page 4