THE DORCHESTERVOICE
Transcription
THE DORCHESTERVOICE
THE DORCHESTER VOICE MAY / J UNE 2 0 1 3 TABLE OF CON T E N T S 2013 Election Results...................... 1 President’s Message........................ 2 2013 ANNUAL ELECTIONS Spring Has Sprung! (And Other Springtime Reminders).................... 3 Around the square calendar............ 3 2013 Ball on The Square................. 4 Dorchester Swim Club 2013 Season.................................... 5 Flowers for Children’s Charity.......... 5 The 2013 Pool Season is Here!....... 5 Philadelphia Real Estate Tax Alert... 6 Garage Elevator Repairs................. 6 Welcome, Our Littlest Residents!.... 6 Front Door Decorations.................... 9 Grocery Deliveries........................... 9 Free Money from PECO!!.............. 10 The Dorchester Owners Association The 2013 election to fill four open Council Seats closed April 23rd at 5:00pm. 34.10 percent of the eligible votes were cast either in person or by proxy resulting in the election of four Council members. The results are as follows: My HVAC Unit and Me................... 10 2013 election results What are the hours?...................... 10 *Total Votes % of Votes M ANAGEMENT 1. Frank Devine 21,396,170 24.42 Patricia Yonekawa, General Manager 2. Mary Lou Savarese 20,522,627 23.42 3. Ed Kurland 19,416,536 19.43 4. Allen Dubroff 16,699,209 19.06 5. Donald Gudhus 9,587,557 10.94 [email protected] Don Hadfield Jr., Building Engineer [email protected] Julie Zusin, Bookkeeper [email protected] Kyle Maloney, Resident Services The 4 candidates with the highest total votes will fill the 4 open seats. Thank you to all the Owners who participated in this important process. [email protected] Jackie Ransom, Head Housekeeper [email protected] Management Office *As set forth in the Dorchester Code of Regulations the aggregate number of votes for all Unit Owners shall be one million (1,000,000) and shall be divided among the respective Unit Owners in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests in the Common Elements. (215) 546-1111 Vi s i t our w eb s i t e a t w w w. t h e d o rc h e s t e r. n e t 1 President’s Message Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the Annual Open Meeting held at the Ethical Society on Wednesday, April 3rd. The Meeting commenced with an introduction of the five candidates running for four open seats on Council. Each of the candidates (other than me) gave a short presentation to the audience of approximately fifty attendees. Dennis Connolly, CPA of Connolly, Grady & Cha presented the 2012 Audit of The Dorchester’s finances and we are pleased to report that at the end of 2012, The Dorchester’s total liabilities and fund balances were $3,433,971 (2011’s total balance was $1,672,370). We were given the highest rating an auditor can give, with positive comments on Council and Management’s handling of funds. The third item on the Agenda was a presentation by Gary Krimstock, Esq. on the Actual Value Initiative (AVI) and the status of property taxes in Philadelphia. Most of us have received our new “actual value”, which in some instances has raised the estimated value of our homes as much as three times the old rate originally set by the BRT. While this may be a shock to some, in most cases, the values stated are below the actual present selling prices for our homes. The 2014 property tax rate is the part most of us are waiting for with baited breath. At this time, estimates of the new rate vary from 1% to 3% and while no one knows what the actual rate will be, many are hoping for 1% to 1.25% because this would mean little or no increase in our taxes. At this time it’s a wait and see period, although the Mayor has indicated that he is trying to keep any potential increases “revenue neutral”. As more information comes in, Gary will sort through it and let us know what, if anything, is happening. We will pass along this information in our next newsletter, on the home channel, or by email. Gary left informational handouts and Management has put together notes on the meeting. If you would like this information, contact the Management Office and they will be pleased to forward same to you. One issue that has been ongoing in Rittenhouse Square since before The Dorchester was “born” is the problem of pigeons. This “lovely” British import is one that is quite difficult to get rid of or control on the South and West side balconies of our Building...so we’re now trying to trap them. We’ve worked with several different bird control experts who have used spikes, hot feet, ribbons, plastic owls, birth control (yes, birth control, don’t try to picture it) and more, to little avail. This year we’re going to try the old fashioned bait and trap method. Hopefully this will work and our balconies will once again be usable. (If it were legal to purchase a few Peregrine Falcons to let roost on the roof of the Building, our pigeon problem could rapidly be resolved, as is exemplified at the front of the building and in the Square itself, thanks to several neighborly Falcons roosting in the 18th & Locust Streets corner of the Square. In case you’re unaware of it, Falcons enjoy dining on the juicy pigeons.) Moving right along, as you read this article, we’ve already completed one of our 2013 Capital projects; the heating riser in the 17 Units. This phase was more difficult than in past years because the temperature has been cooler than in 2011 and 2012. The need for riser replacements was demonstrated when we started this year’s project. As work began, one of the corroded connections caused minor flooding in several Units. Later, as we filled the new line, 2 convection units experienced cracked coils. Fortunately, we were working on the riser just as they cracked, so we experienced only minor leaking. Although this project can be time consuming and slightly invasive, it is far better than having a riser or convection unit break or leak at an inopportune time. By the way, as people renovate their Units, maintenance would like to access the Unit to check the condition of any pipes that are visible. Maintenance requests that if you’re planning such a project, kindly keep this in mind and let the office or Don Hadfield know. Your exposed pipes can then be checked and replaced, if necessary, to minimize the possibility of a future leak. Another preventive maintenance project we have ongoing this summer are the repairs to the facade, where required. We’re working on the loading dock area now, the last area to be addressed. We started facade work 10 years ago and during that period, the City decided to make facade inspection and repair mandatory. Inasmuch as we had already addressed three quarters of our facade, we were well ahead of the game and had no trouble getting certified by the City. With this last loading dock phase, The Dorchester will be certified until 2017. While we on Council do our best to perform our fiduciary responsibility to the owners and residents, we also need your input to help us do our best. Please drop us and/ or management a line or stop by the office, if you have suggestions, ideas or thoughts that may assist us in this task. Thank you. Ed Kurland Spring Has Sprung! (And Other Springtime Reminders) As the warmer weather rolls in and we all enjoy the increase in temperature (before it gets too warm and we wish for winter once more), take note of a few of these springtime reminders: • For those of you with balconies, you know what a wonderful place they can be to relax, read a book, listen to music or just enjoy the weather. While you’re out there, remember that you’re only a few feet away from your neighbors on all sides. Be considerate of noise levels so they can enjoy themselves too. Unfortunately, grilling is strictly prohibited (by the City of Philadelphia and the Dorchester) on all balconies. If a grill is seen on a balcony, it will be removed immediately by Dorchester staff and disposed of at the occupant’s expense. • The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming as they fall off your balconies…wait, what? Flowers are a quintessential part of springtime; however, those smaller planters can be very dangerous if left on the ledges or railings of your balconies. To prevent injury, make sure everything (and this includes chairs, tables, etc) is either secured or heavy enough to withstand those winds. The last thing we want is for your beautiful perennials ending up in the middle of Rittenhouse Square, on the loading dock driveway or on a passing pedestrian’s head. •S pringtime is synonymous (for some) with cleaning. As you start to clear out all of that stuff you accumulated over the winter, just remember a few things: oL arger boxes tend to get stuck in the trash chute, which has the potential to set off the fire alarm. Call Jackie Ransom for help disposing of these larger boxes. oM ake sure you’ve tied that bag securely before dropping it down the trash chute. If it breaks open, there is the possibility of setting off the fire alarm that way as well. • I f you need to retrieve anything from the storage room that has been stowed away since last year, see the Front Desk and they’ll find someone to escort you to your locker. AROUND THE SQUARE CALENDAR Here are some events and holidays to look forward to: • Wednesday and Thursday, May 8-9: Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities • Wednesday, May 22: CCRA Annual Meeting featuring Sharon Pinkenson at the Academy of Vocal Art. 1920 Spruce Street, 7:00pm-9:00pm • Friday and Saturday, May 10-11: Filter Square Spring Fair, 23rd and Pine Streets. Friday 10:00am-6:00pm and Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm • Sunday, May 12: Mother’s Day • Saturday, May 18: Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival, Walnut Street between Broad and 19th Streets. 12:00pm-5:00pm • Monday, May 27: Memorial Day • Fri-Sun, May 31-June 9: Philadelphia Beer Week. A celebration of the Best BeerDrinking City in America. • Fri, Sat and Sun June 7-9: Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show. 82nd Annual Spring Show. Fri and Sat 11:00am-7:00pm and Sun 11:00am-5:00pm. • Sunday, June 16: Father’s Day • Wednesday, June 19: Little Friends Festival • Thursday, June 20: Rittenhouse Annual Ball on the Square • Friday, June 21: First day of Summer 3 2013 Ball on The Square Save The Date Thursday, the 20th of June Seven O’Clock in the Evening Rittenhouse Square Little Friends Festival Wednesday, The 19th of June Five Thirty to Seven Thirty In The Evening Centennial Pre-Ball Champagne Reception Thursday, the 20th of June Hosted by The Rittenhouse Hotel Formal Invitation to Follow Questions? Contact Kate Kosarek at 267-586-5675 or [email protected] Each year we are proud to raffle off one pair of tickets to the Ball on the Square to Dorchester Owners. This year the Ball will be held on Thursday, June 20th. For the first time, we are excited to announce we will also raffle off one pair of tickets to the Little Friends Festival, held Wednesday, June 19th! These two drawings are for Dorchester Unit owners only. Please fill out the entry form below and return it to the Management Office by 5pm on Monday, May 17th. 2013 Ball on the Square and Little Friends Festival Entry Form Owner’s Name: ______________________________ Unit Number:_________ Contact Number (day): ________________ (evening):_____________________ 4 E-mail Address:_________________________________________ (only one entry per unit) Dorchester Swim Club 2013 Season Owner/Resident Memberships: Owner/Resident Pool Usage (Mon – Thurs).................... Free Owner/Resident Membership (Mon – Sun) Single Owner/Resident Membership.......................... $225.00 Second Owner/Resident Membership......................... $150.00 Additional Owner/Resident Membership/ Children 5-16 years....................................................... $75.00 Children (4 years and under)......................................... FREE Guest Pass (15 years and up, per guest, per day)............ $15.00 (No Unit Owner or Resident of The Dorchester may be a Guest) Guest Memberships: Single Guest Membership......................................... $1000.00 Additional Guest Membership.................................... $500.00 Children 5-16 years of age.......................................... $150.00 Children 0-4 years of age.............................................. $75.00 Guest Pass (per guest, per day)..................................... $20.00 The 2013 Pool Season is Here! The Pool is now open for your sunbathing pleasure! The official season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but opens earlier and closes later, weather permitting. Check in with the Front Desk for the early opening date if not already posted. In order to maintain the security of the building and to comply with State regulations, pool memberships will be restricted to residents of The Dorchester and the previous years’ guest members. Resident memberships are free from Monday to Thursday while weekend memberships, running Friday to Sunday, are priced at $225 for the first resident and $150 for the second. Guest Memberships are priced at $1,000. Applications must be filled out for each tier of membership. Once completed and approved, you will receive your pool ID and you fob will allow you to access the pool deck. If you have any questions regarding the Dorchester Swim Club memberships or would like to make a suggestion regarding our pool, feel free to email Kyle Maloney at [email protected] or stop by the Management Office. We hope you have a superb summer! Flowers for Children’s Charity The Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children’s Charities will be held Wednesday and Thursday, May 8th and 9th in Rittenhouse Square. Orchids and other plants will be available for sale, just in time for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12th. A flower for that special lady would mean so much more to her if she knew the proceeds went to helping a child in need. 5 Philadelphia Real Estate Tax Alert Garage Elevator Repairs On Wednesday, April 3rd at the Dorchester Owner’s Association’s Open Meeting, Gary Krimstock spoke about the current and upcoming changes to the Philadelphia Real Estate tax. In a nutshell, the City of Philadelphia is (and has been for a few years now) reworking the way it handles real estate tax. The old system, which was non-uniform and broken, has been replaced with one that better reflects actual market value of the properties. The City is aiming for a revenue neutral switchover from the old to the new system, but since there are so many factors still up in the air, it is much too early to have a good idea of what your tax will actually be come 2014. Gary Krimstock has recommended we wait it out until new information is available. Things are bound to change between now and October 7th, which is the last day to make an appeal to the Board of Revision of Taxes (so if you missed that March 31st deadline, not to worry! You still have plenty of time). For now, sit tight. Check in with the Management Office for more information, and we’ll be sure to pass along anything we come across as well. You thought we were done, didn’t you? We’ve done a lot of work on the garage in the past two years, and fortunately, for now, we’ve completed the necessary repairs (on Level I). However, starting Monday, May 20th we will begin to do some preventative maintenance on the garage elevator. In order to avoid a possible environmental disaster, we will be shutting down the garage elevator for 4-6 weeks to replace the hydraulic jack system that allows the elevator to function. This will minimize the possibility of hydraulic fluid seeping into the ground and allow us to avoid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cleanup cost. While this work is being performed, residents may enter the building by way of the package room doors with use of their fob (even after regular package room hours and on Sundays). Guests will have to use the front entrance unless accompanied by a Dorchester resident. Welcome, Our Littlest Residents! We’d like to extend our sincerest congratulations to a few families here at the Dorchester on the newest additions to their family: Jon & Leslie Bari on their new baby boy, Jackson “Jax” Bjorn Bari. Jax was born on March 21, and weighted 8lbs 8oz. Jon, Leslie and their 8 year old daughter Lexi are thrilled to welcome Jax to the Bari Family. Jon has lived here at the Dorchester since 1990, and Leslie since 1999. Doctors Sommer Pio and Anthony Prousi welcomed Delfine Sophia Prousi (Dela) on January 12th. She weighed 7lbs 7oz and was 18.5in long. Sommer moved into the Dorchester in August of 2000, and Anthony joined her in 2011. They were married April 21st, 2012. Pictured with Sommer and Dela are Maria Halpern and her daughter, Rafaela Marie Halpern. Maria and her husband, Dr. Casey Halpern, welcomed Rafi to their family on October 22nd, 2012. 6 Moussa Kone and his wife, Maimouna Kone, on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Makamba Kone, named after her grandmother. Makamba was born on March 18th and weighed 6lbs 7oz. Moussa has been a part of our garage staff since 2006, and became the garage manager in 2009. SHOPPING. DINING. FRESH FOODS TO GO. Citizens Bank Di Bruno Bros. Godiva Chocolatier Accents by Govberg Jake & Max’s Deli LaScala’s L’UOMO Mexican Post Mike’s Steaks Omega Optical Panda Express Percy Street BBQ Sony/Comcast Labs Sook Hee Produce www.themarketatcomcastcenter.com Table 31 Termini Brothers Bakery Tokyo Sushi Under the “C” Seafood NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE CORNER ONE BEDROOM WITH PRIVATE BALCONY! SUN SOAKED TWO BEDROOM WITH CITY VIEWS! Spacious one bedroom residence features a private balcony and north and east city views. The home has a large living/entertaining space as well as a separate dining area. The kitchen provides ample cabinet and counter space. The condominium has two walls of windows and a large bedroom. 848 square feet Offered for $359,900 Two bedroom, two bathroom home with private balcony and south city views from all rooms. The condominium has a large kitchen and generously sized living room with separate, yet open, dining room. The master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet. There is lots of natural light throughout. 1281 square feet Offered for $550,000 Front Door Decorations Grocery Deliveries Just as a reminder: decorations are not allowed on any Unit’s front door. If you do have any decorations, including but not limited to, name plates, wreaths or banners, take them down immediately. If seen by Dorchester personnel, theses decorations will be removed. Exceptions made only for various religious mezuzahs/ paraphernalia. We have noticed many grocery deliveries through the lobby lately. Remember that all deliveries, from couches and televisions to dry cleaning and groceries, must be delivered to the package room during regular package room hours. Deliveries of any kind, with the exception of flowers and take-out food, may not be made to the Front Desk. Breakfast. Lunch.Dinner. 7 Days aWeek. Eat in.Take home.Delivery. 1521 Locust Street, Philadelphia schlesingersdeli.com (215) 735-7305 God.Country.Corned Beef. 9 Free Money from PECO!! My HVAC Unit and Me In prior newsletters we told you about PECO’s rebate program and several residents with new appliances applied for and received their rebate checks. The program ends May 31st so you still have time to take advantage of it. The thermometer outside reads 85 degrees, you’re sweating and your HVAC unit isn’t working! Before you place a work order to have maintenance come check it out, answer these two questions: Did you check the thermostat on the wall? Did you turn the HVAC unit’s fan on? Oftentimes, tenants forget that they haven’t adjusted their Unit’s thermostat and it is still set too high for the AC to kick in. Go and check out what your thermostat is set at before contacting maintenance. If the setting is where it should be and your HVAC unit still isn’t working, open up that access panel next to the blower to ensure the fan is turned on. PECO customers are eligible for rebates on Energy Star qualified appliances. If you purchased eligible appliances through a retail store or contractor, just fill out a rebate form and attach a paid receipt. PECO will also pick up, recycle and provide rebates for an old refrigerator. If you recently purchased or are planning on purchasing a new appliance, go to www.peco.com/ SmartIdeas, check to see if the appliance qualifies for a PECO rebate and print out the form. Not only is it easy, it is also free! By double checking these two simple points, you can save yourself from not only the heat, but also the $12.50 charge for maintenance to come show you how to turn on your unit’s fan. Center City Residents’ Association WHAT ARE THE CCRA is a non-profit, volunteerled organization devoted to making Center City a better place to live, work and play. Our members volunteer thousands of man-hours each year to a wide range of projects that help preserve and improve the quality of life in Center City for the benefit of residents, local merchants and visitors. HOURS? pm e 9:00 am to 5:00 Management offic Maintenance Porters Package Room Exercise Room 8:30 am to 6:00 pm 6:00 am to 5:30 pm 8:00 am to 6:30 pm nts only 24 hours for reside Monday - Thursday Pool 7:30 am to 10:00 pm Friday and Sunday pm 10:00 am to 10:00 Storage Room Garage Notary 10 th By appointment wi r Head Housekeepe ts only 24 hours for residen th By appointment wi e fic management of Organized originally as an ad hoc citizen group in 1947 to resist city plans to dig up Rittenhouse Square for an underground garage, over the years CCRA has helped to protect the unique historical and residential character of our community while encouraging responsible development. We work on projects, large and small, that contribute to parks, schools, tree planting, clean streets, neighborhood safety, recycling, and community events, among other things. We also provide opportunities to socialize with other civic-minded members of the community during events like our annual house tour and Chili Challenge. CCRA activities are supported mostly by member fees and we do not receive funding from the City. CCRA offers memberships at different price levels for residents, seniors, students and local businesses. We hope you will join us in improving the quality of life in Center City. Just Listed Unit #905 Extremely well maintained, well proportioned three bedroom home features a renovated kitchen, washer/dryer, wood floors throughout, custom track lighting, and seven generously sized California like closets. Best of all, you look out onto the Center City skyline, tree top views and a terrace overlooking Rittenhouse Square Park! Offering Price $829,000 PRUDENTIAL Fox & Roach Realtors 1818 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215.893.9800 11 SELLING THE DORCHESTER FOR OVER 30 YEARS Some of our most recent sales at The Dorchester 205 | 308 | 403 | 413 | 416 | 503 | 511 | 610 | 615A | 809 | 811 | 812 | 905 | 1018 | 1102 | 1118 | 1417 | 1613 | 1707 | 1716 | 1803 | 1806 | 1914 | 1918 | 2002 | 2010 | 2416 | 2417 | 2508 | 2509 | 2605 | 2616 | 2808 | 2913 | 2914 | 3001 | 3004 | 3009| 3016 | 3115 | 3118 Thinking about buying or selling a Dorchester condo? Call us. We get the job done. Allan Domb Real Estate PHILADELPHIA’S LARGEST LUXURY CONDOMINIUM REALTOR® We cooperate with all REALTORS®. Phone: 215-545-1500 | Web: allandomb.com 1845 Walnut Street, Suite 2200, Philadelphia, PA 19103 The Dorchester Condominiums 226 W. Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia, PA 19103 THE DORCHESTER VOICE
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