Home Welcome to our website. On this site you will find useful information about Cobblestone as well as news and current events. We have also included downloadable monthly board meeting minutes, ARB forms for those wanting to perform construction or plantings to their units, as well as our covenants and by-laws in the forms & documents section. There are useful links to websites that you find to be helpful and informative including weather, area information and local news in the links section. Click on the Raintree Lake link to view the current isssue of "Shorelines", the monthly publication of Raintree. Inside 'Shorelines" you will find our own "Cobblestone Crier" which provides news and information specific to us at Cobblestone. You may also contact the Cobblestone board directly in the contact us section should you have any questions or comments. Enjoy our website! from the President- Bob Christian-President Town Home Living I would like to start this piece by introducing myself. My name is Bob Christian. My wife Judy & I have enjoyed living in Cobblestone at Raintree Lake for close to 19 years. I have been an active member of our association, both as a concerned neighbor and a member and an officer of the Cobblestone Homeowners Association. I currently serve as your President. I have also served on the Raintree Lake Property Owners Association and currently on their Finance Committee and Clubhouse Renovation Committee. Some people including real estate agents and perhaps some homeowners have confused the town homes we live in with condominiums. There is a big difference! As a town home owner, you not only own the property under your roof, but the land in front of your unit all the way to the street and in the back all the way to the property line. We all probably chose the townhouse lifestyle for different reasons. High on my list was the desire to never mow a lawn again. We have also probably had one or two surprises or misconceptions. My biggest was to learn that the original developers, Jeri and Bill Brady would not be completing Cobblestone as they had originally envisioned (the entire property now known as Harbor Cove and Mill Harbor would have been Cobblestone). That fact presented Cobblestone’s Board of Directors, and all future boards with the challenge of providing services that the developer committed to when he established the Covenants and By Laws we are bound by. Since we all own our property we have the privilege of fixing it up if we desire (within the guidelines of the city as well as the covenants of Raintree and Cobblestone). We also have the responsibility of maintaining our own property. The Cobblestone Home Owners Association provides basic services like mowing, watering, painting, etc., however the upkeep of plantings, mulching, and leaf/debris removal on the sides and rear of your property are your responsibility. Below are a few important points that I believe we all need to remember and practice in order to have a successful and harmonious neighborhood: • We ALL have a shared responsibility to participate in the governing process that is required by law to maintain a town home association. (This doesn’t necessarily mean we HAVE to be board members. It does mean we have a responsibility to our family and neighbors to read and understand the covenants and by laws and, if we don’t agree, participate in the process that is legally available to us to facilitate necessary change) • We ALL have a shared responsibility for being a good neighbor and, when disagreements arise, act in an adult fashion to resolve issues. I find the “Golden Rule” is still a good rule to try to live by. • The value of all of our property here at Cobblestone is very much dependent on how “we” maintain the entire property and the quality of life we have to offer current and future prospective buyers. Some members of the Raintree Lake Property Owners have described Cobblestone as a “Jewel within Raintree”. We have been used as an example of what is desired in maintenance provided multiple family homes here at Raintree. A few other items that we may need to remind ourselves of from time to time are as follows: 1. Trash is collected on Monday, unless because of holidays that is identified differently. Raintree as well as Cobblestone have asked that your trash NOT be placed at the curb until the morning of trash collection. After pick up, receptacles are to be kept out of public view. 2. Cobblestone as well as the Lee’s Summit police department have requested that garage doors be kept closed at all times unless the homeowner is present. This is a very serious security concern and since our units adjoin one another we should show concern for neighbors as well. 3. Automobiles are to be kept in the garage and no more than two automobiles are to be parked directly in front of each homeowner’s garage. If more parking is temporarily required, limited parking is available on the Cobblestone side of the street. 4. Guest or homeowners parked on the street MUST stay on the curb or street. If tires damage our underground sprinkler system the homeowner will be charged. 5. The Association is responsible for contracting for lawn mowing maintenance for the entire property unless you have a fenced in area that is not accessible. 6. The Association is responsible for tree and shrub trimming and replacement in the FRONT of our property. To this day, the board does its best to keep the front areas looking sharp. This does not prohibit you from helping out. Feel free to plant flowers and police up the area in front of your unit. 7. It is the homeowner’s responsibility for tree and shrub maintenance in the REAR and SIDES of their own property. 8. The trash contractor we use will take yard waste, providing it is bagged in the proper brown waste bags that can be purchased at local hardware and home improvement outlets OR in the case of tree branches, they are cut in lengths of 4 feet, tied and bundled. 9. If improvements, additions and changes to property or structures are desired by homeowners, Cobblestone Architectural Review Board (ARB) has the task of reviewing your request and making recommendations to the Board. Forms are available upon request. 10. Our homes adjoining walls are not sound proof so please be considerate when having guests visit. 11. Lee’s Summit has a pet leash law and along with that goes the responsibility to pick up after our pets. The contractor who does our lawn would also appreciate this effort. 12. Some motorists and children have been known to throw litter. It would help us all if we policed our own yards. The Cobblestone boards of directors have graciously volunteered their time to ensure our neighborhood remains the “Jewel of Raintree”. If you see something that needs attention by the Association contact one of the board members. Their names and phone numbers are posted on the Cobblestone web site as well as in the Crier. Thank you for helping us promote a good neighbor atmosphere. Bob Christian