Most of ourf


communities are full of childrenf


of allf


ages.


Children are spirited,noisy, active, inquisitive and innocent. Children will always be a part of ourf


includes our Active Adult communities that have lots of visiting children. The worst thing for children is boredom. We should embrace and support their activity. If wef


have


play areas, keep them safe and in working order. Consider adding a new piece of equipmentf


possible, designate a new play area or a field to play ball in, you can treat an open patch of grassf


from time to time. If as an amenity. If


society; this


extremely familiar with the area around their homes. This combination provides the feeling that they can safely travel at a higher rate of speed than may be advisable in your neighborhood. If youf


live in an area where the streets are


public, then our best option is working with the local police. When your parking lot or streets are owned and maintained by the association, we must do our best keep people safe.


The first line of control is typically signage that sets a low speed limit that few will follow. One minute on a local highway will tell you how effective signage is alone. Deep down, even your worst speeder doesn’t want to hurt anyone. You may wish to consider signage that says why they should slow down: “Children at Play”, “Blind Corner Ahead”, “Beware of Oncomingf message such as “No Wake Zone”.


Traffic” or even a humorous


Aftersignage, speed bumps are the next level of nof wake management. They come in all sizes and shapes and they can be temporary or permanent. They can be high,wide, narrow or even two or three very close to each other. Every conversation about speed bumps includes cost, noise, damage, drainageand snow removal issues.


we embrace the children in our community, you may find that some parents will be happy to work withk


you in a


committee structure, to help create community activities. Who wouldn’t want to play or watch a “my association vs. your association” season-ending game of badminton, Frisbee golf or


f k


keep children busy is by embracing your local parks and park district;


our kids active and busy. Let the kids play and they will help you toimprove your sense of community.


We can’t talk aboutk


bag toss? Another excellent approach to we can help promote their activities to keep f


kids and traffic areas without also


talking about bicycles. Adults and children both, love to ride bicycles. As board members and managers, we are tough on this healthy and green activity. We want bikes and cars in garages, patios of justf


traditional patio furnishings


and clear walkways without bikes stored on the walks or even worse in the shrubs & lawns. A minimal investment in a bike rack withk


common parking structure, you likely have lots available ceiling space for storage use. Of course,f


some shrubbery as screening, can solve lots


of bicycle issues. There are lots of bicycle storageoptions, you may even consider creating a bicycle shelter toadd an architectural interest and new amenity. If youf


have a all storage options


are “store at your own risk” and they will need to be cleared out from time to time. However, with a small amount of money and effort, everyone can enjoy the relaxing health benefits of bicyclingf community.


and create new value for your


Now that we have discussed many ways to get even more people outside with walking paths, benches, play areas and bicycles; let’s dive into our more usual no wake problem. As we know, keeping vehicle traffic at a no wake speed can be very challenging. People are in a hurry and they are


24 | COMMON INTEREST®


Installation of asphalt speed bumps can range from $1,500 for a traditional 1-2-foot-wide speed bump, to around $3,500 for 4-5-foot-wide speed humps (prices will range based on individual circumstances). The best installation practice on an existing asphalt surface, is to grind down an inch and a half tof


set the new speed bump into the existing


asphalt and to paint it yellow. Installing one directly on top of af surface may be cheaper but it will not last very long. The larger speed humps are the most effective for slowing people down and the maintenance intensive temporary speed bumps are the least effective. In the early planning stages, speak tok


your local municipal building department about their requirements.


Snowremoval is the other primary factor in considering speed bumps. It is common knowledge that our snow removal contractors discourage the installation of speedf


bumps, but why? Properly


installed large speed humps are the most plow friendly option but they will still take a beating over time. For any speed bump, the plow drivers must slow down and raise their plow to protect the speed bump and their equipment. This leaves more snow around the speed bump and adds more time to the plowing of the area. Adding one or two speed bumps to a property should not affect your plowing costs, but lots of them will add to your cost. The other concern is that some low cost services use a bucket to remove snow or they put too much pressure on the skid-steer blade (look fork


two tires in


the air), in these cases is almost certain that that they will damage your speed bumps and pavement.


• Summer 2020 • A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter


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