Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Must dogs be on a leash in Lake Forest's Warner Family Park?
A: Yes. Section 14 of the Lake Forest Deed Restrictions and Protective Covenants provides that "pets shall be on a leash or otherwise confined to the owner's property." Dogs must be on a leash in all parks and other common areas of Lake Forest.
Q: How much are the annual dues?
A: The annual dues to our lot owners association are $300/year. Section 6 (Maintenance and Community Fund) of our Deed Restrictions and Protective Covenants sets a ceiling on dues to $200/year based on Consumer Price Index 1993 dollars. (A calculator at the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that $200 in CPI-adjusted dollars from 1993 would be a bit over $325 in 2016.) The dues can only be increased beyond the ceiling if 85% of the lot owners give their consent, or if is "required by the Associations's obligations."
Q: Is Lake Forest's Warner Family Park open to the public?
A: No. Warner Family Park is a private park. Suspicious persons, activities, or vehicles in the park or subdivision at any time should be reported to Pittsfield Township Police Department at 734-822-4911.
Q: Is Lake Forest's Warner Park closed at night?
A: Yes. The park opens at 6:00 a.m. and closes every night at 10:00 p.m. Residents should report any disturbance in the park after 10:00 p.m. directly to Pittsfield Township Police Department at 734-822-4911.
Q: Is it okay to walk on the grass all the way around Warner Lake?
A: No. The property of homeowners on the east, west, and south sides of the lake extends all the way to the water. Only the park area at the north end of the lake is common (association-owned) property. The green areas of the neighborhood map indicate the park areas, which are for everyone to enjoy.
Q: What is the fishing policy for Warner Lake?
A: Catch-and-release.
Q: I believe there is a speeding problem in the subdivision. Whom should I contact?
A: Speed limit enforcement is outside the scope of the lot owners association's authority. Residents should contact the Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety.
Q: When I walk or cycle in the neighborhood I’ve noticed that some of the street tree branches are kind of low. Isn’t there an enforced minimum height?
A: No. The Lake Forest Protective Covenants and Deed Restrictions do not set a minimum height requirement for street tree branches. Pittsfield Township recommends a minimum height of 9 feet for branches, but will not take enforcement action unless there is a complaint involving a lack of sight lines for a motor vehicle. Washtenaw County sets no minimum height, but does recommend trimming STREETSIDE tree branches so that they will not damage - and be damaged by - snow plows during the winter.
That said, if you would like to report a “low branch situation” for a given home in Lake Forest, please contact the board so that our property manager can inform the homeowner of the complaint and request that the homeowner take action for the benefit of the community.
Q: The sidewalk in front of 1234 Lake Forest Dr is damaged. Who is responsible for repairing it?
A: The owner of 1234 Lake Forest Dr is responsible. Sidewalk maintenance (snow removal, leveling, patching, replacement, etc) is the responsibility of the lot owner. In general this will be a resident, but the LFLOA does have responsibility for those sidewalk segments that pass through a park entrance (for example, there is a 95’ segment between 4164 and 4194 Lake Forest Dr East). The longest segments of sidewalk managed by the LFLOA are along Ellsworth Road.
That said, if you would like to report a “sidewalk in disrepair” for a given home in Lake Forest, please contact the board so that our property manager can inform the homeowner of the complaint and request that the homeowner take action for the benefit of the community.
Q: How can I get my mailbox, post, or newspaper tube replaced or repaired?
A: Please see our page on mailboxes and posts.
Q: Is there a way to stop door-to-door solicitations?
A: The best way is to post a sign near your doorbell. Chapter 18 of Pittsfield Charter Township Code covers "transient merchants." Section 18-8 provides that "no transient merchant shall call without an appointment at any dwelling or residence where a sign is displayed stating 'no peddlers,' 'no solicitors,' 'no salesmen,' 'no trespassing' or words of similar meaning or import. "
Pittsfield Charter Township Code provides that all door-to-door solicitors or peddlers of goods or services must have a permit issued by the Township clerk and must present it upon request. If a permit is not presented, ask the solicitor/peddler to leave and report the incident to Pittsfield Township Police immediately. Township authorities enforce the provisions of Pittsfield Charter Township Code that cover transient merchants, solicitors, and peddlers. Please see Chapter 18 of Pittsfield Charter Township Code for more details.
Q: What is being done to control the goose population around the lake?
Reducing the goose population around the lake is one of the priorities of the Drainage and Lake Committee. The most important step residents can take is to NOT feed the geese. In addition, residents whose property borders the lake should reduce the area of grass next to the lake. A fifteen to twenty-five foot buffer zone of tall, native, water-loving grasses, wildflowers, or shrubs will form a barrier between the lake and your lawn and provide a habitat for predators to hide, discouraging the geese. Other methods such as scaring or harassing the geese, or disturbing their nesting areas can also be used; flashy mylar tape, radio-controlled boats and airplanes may deter the geese. Actively dealing with nesting requires certification by MDEQ, but may be used in the future.
Q: Why aren't the streets in Lake Forest plowed sooner?
A: All streets in Lake Forest are county roads with all snow plowing entirely under the purview of Washtenaw County Road Commission. Lake Forest Lot Owners Association dues do not pay for any street snow plowing. Dues in Lake Forest were set originally with the understanding that all snow plowing would be performed by Washtenaw County Road Commission. Dues are several times higher in the nearby subdivision with private streets and private snow plowing.
Washtenaw County Road Commission has assigned 5 levels of priority for county roads: (1) state trunklines; (2) high-volume hard-surface roads; (3) medium-volume hard-surface roads; (4) subdivision streets; and (5) gravel roads. The road commission's policy is to always clear all the priority 1, 2, and 3 routes before plowing subdivision streets. Furthermore, if a new storm starts before all subdivision streets have been plowed the first time, crews will return to the higher-priority roads and then come back to subdivision streets after the major roads have been cleared again. Please note also that overtime will not be authorized to clear subdivision streets overnight or on weekends unless there is a 4-inch accumulation of snow, an ice storm, or blowing and drifting snow are interfering with vehicular traffic.
According to the road commission's "Plowing Subdivisions" brochure, "back-to-back winter storm events frequently require plow trucks to stay in higher priority routes. Under these circumstances, it could be four or more days before WCRC begins clearing subdivision roads."
For example, if it snows 3.5 inches on a Friday night, Lake Forest streets would not be plowed until Monday at the earliest. If there is more snow on Monday before all subdivision streets in Washtenaw County have been plowed after the snowfall on Friday, the crews will stop plowing the subdivisions and go back to the higher-priority roads. In this example, plows may not get to subdivision streets until Tuesday or later. It sometimes happens that streets are plowed in some subdivisions, but there is a new storm before all subdivisions in the county have been cleared the first time. In those cases, as a matter of road commission policy, the plows still return to the priority 1, 2, and 3 routes. This helps to explain why another subdivision may have nicely plowed roads a day or more before the plows reach Lake Forest.
Washtenaw County Road Commission's funding is principally derived from gasoline and diesel taxes and vehicle registration fees. Revenue from those sources is declining. The policy summarized above is unlikely to change unless the road commission's funding situation improves.
Residents may contact the road commission directly at this link:
Q: Why don't we just engage a private snow plowing service?
A: A few homeowners frustrated with county-provided snow plowing have asked whether dues can be increased to pay for private plowing in Lake Forest. In connection with ideas along these lines, it is important to be aware of two related pieces of information about our dues structure. First of all, Lake Forest's dues structure was set with the expectation that snow plowing was and would continue to be a county-provided service funded by fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees, not a contracted service funded by LFLOA dues. Second, increasing dues to fund a major service like snow plowing would be -- and was designed to be -- extremely difficult to accomplish: Section 6 of the Lake Forest Subdivision Deed Restrictions and Protective Covenants provides that "unless required by the Association's obligations, the per lot annual charges shall not exceed $200 per year (as adjusted for inflation based on the consumer price index of 1993), without the express written consent of 85% of the lot owners. " Residents who would like more discussion of this matter are encouraged to submit it as an agenda topic for the Lake Forest Lot Owners Association Annual Meeting. In addition, residents are always welcome at board meetings to ask questions or to discuss suggestions, proposals, and concerns. Attending these meetings is a way to learn more about our dues structure, deed restrictions and covenants, and association procedures.
Q: I don't see my question answered here. What should I do?
It's possible that the answer to your question might be on another page on this site. You can use the search box at the top of this page to search the entire site, not just the FAQ. If you still cannot find your answer, please use the Contact Us link in the left navigation bar to contact a board member or committee chair.