Pea Gravel/Mulch

Can I cut to the main issue: ??

Are you saying that your neighbor is going to ask for an exemption, because she wants a 3 ft. barrier all around her house and garage?

And the docs. say 2 ft.?

Hi Tamara,

Here is some info re mulch – organic such as bark vs. gravel. There is info on the web – such as from Dept. of Agriculture or local university extensions. Base your argument on the benefits of mulch vs. the negatives of gravel. This would be for the Midwestern climate/geography. Please see below.

As for kids getting into gravel/getting it into grass/etc. issue – rather than use this as part of your case, provide a case based in terms of a heavy rain washing it into the grass or snow removal operation getting it into grass. Gravel can damage mowers, and can be a hazard if picked up and thrown by mower.

You could also bring copies of one or more fact sheets. I did this with our Board who didn’t want to spend $$ on mulch. Mulching is now planned for in our budget and done on a regular basis.

From (a portion of their fact sheet):

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/FEATURE/backyard/mulching.html

Mulching
Mulching enriches and protects soil, helping provide a better growing environment.
In Your Backyard

Mulching is one of the simplest and most beneficial practices you can use in the garden. Mulch is simply a protective layer of a material that is spread on top of the soil. Mulches can either be organic -- such as grass clippings, straw, bark chips, and similar materials -- or inorganic -- such as stones, brick chips, and plastic. Both organic and inorganic mulches have numerous benefits.
________________________________________
Mulch
• Protects the soil from erosion
• Reduces compaction from the impact of heavy rains
• Conserves moisture, reducing the need for frequent waterings
• Maintains a more even soil temperature
• Prevents weed growth
• Keeps fruits and vegetables clean
• Keeps feet clean, allowing access to garden even when damp
• Provides a "finished" look to the garden

Organic mulches also improve the condition of the soil. As these mulches slowly decompose, they provide organic matter which helps keep the soil loose. This improves root growth, increases the infiltration of water, and also improves the water-holding capacity of the soil. Organic matter is a source of plant nutrients and provides an ideal environment for earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms.

While inorganic mulches have their place in certain landscapes, they lack the soil improving properties of organic mulches. Inorganic mulches, because of their permanence, may be difficult to remove if you decide to change your garden plans at a later date. Therefore, this tip sheet is limited to the use of organic mulches.

Also see: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=LawnGarden/mulch.html

Brick or Stone offers a neat appearance but may not blend with every landscape design. They offer some weed control. Brick and stone (especially lighter shades) will reflect heat back up towards plants, which may be harmful. This mulch is certainly long lasting. Be careful — if pieces are strewn into the lawn, they can become potential hazards when mowing.

Good luck!
Bonnie

Thanks ALL! Susan, yes and yes. Of course you give come people an inch and they want to take a mile. In defense of what she wants it is fair for me to include, our homes, mine and hers, have about a foot of cement overhang from when they poured our slabs. In this area is is hard to grow anything, even grass. However, that can be broken off or the area can be built up to promote growth of bushes etc......without having to ask for an additional foot of what we allow.

So will cats. . .

I did ask her if she had any alternatives if the pea gravel was shot down, she said no. Because of a designer flaw our siding on our homes can sit just inches off the ground making a way for damage to our siding with the weedwackers used by the lawn company. This is why we allow mulching around the homes, to help with our bids and help the homeowners not have to go through the stress of getting their siding replaced continually. People have really done some nice things as well with this allowance.

George and Tamara,
As I posted earlier, environment studies encouraging natural products for our home use. Below is just one of many written articles on the use of rubber mulch. If you don't want to use real mulch, the stones are at least not harmful to us and the environment

"In some states rubber tires are a "Hazardous Waste" and in other states they are a "Special Waste". Whichever the case - one has to get a permit to dispose of rubber tires and there is a cost associated with that disposal.

It is these very same rubber tires that are being cut up and sold to people as "mulch".

Why is this a serious problem?

The rubber mulch has an excess amount of zinc - and the excess zinc stunts the growth of plants. See North Carolina's Department of Agricultural's study on
rubber mulch -http://www.ncagr.com/agronomi/pdffiles/rubber.pdf
There is the potential for ground water contamination from the chemicals in the ground up rubber tire mulch. For people on residential wells, this is particularly worrisome.
If the rubber mulch is used on vegetable gardens there is the possibility that the plants will uptake the chemicals found in the used tire mulch.
Chemicals found in rubber tires are:

Benzene Carcinogen, Developmental Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant
Phtalates Suspected Developmental Toxicant, Endocrine Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant
PAHs Suspected Cardiovascular or Blood Toxicant, Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant ,Respiratory Toxicant,
Maganese Gastrointestinal or liver toxicants
Carbon Black Carcinogen
Latex Causes allergic reactions in some people
Benzothiazole: Skin and eye irritation, harmful if swallowed. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
Butylated hydroxyanisole: Recognized carcinogen, suspected endocrine toxicant, gastrointestinal toxicant, immunotoxicant (adverse effects on the immune system), neurotoxicant (adverse effects on the nervous system), skin and sense-organ toxicant. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
n-hexadecane: Severe irritant based on human and animal studies. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
4-(t-octyl) phenol: Corrosive and destructive to mucous membranes. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
Zinc: There is a very large amount of zinc that is added in the manufacturing of tires and therefore there is a great deal of zinc.
The companies producing and selling this product do not explain where the rubber mulch comes from or the dangers

Tamara,
Good healthy practice. It was mainly for georges information because he stated that he was all in favor of using rubber mulch.

George,
You can argue until the sun sets on this and I will never agree. I did my research papers on Xeriscaping and Environmental Imact. The companies who make the stuff have not ever given any information to the consumer about the negativities of its use. And they never will. "It won't break down for 25+ years? How about 125 years. It gives off a noxious gas when it gets hot.

Hmmmm....I wonder if that is how "stuff stores" get decorative rubber vegetables. Just plant a garden in rubber mulch! Well, I laughed.............

Having a child with asthma/allergies we try to stay as natural as we can and this helps me make sure the play area on common grounds and such area's is kid friendly and as natural as can be.

Tamara,

The kids are a problem that we on this site, cannot help you with. It is a problem that goes on everywhere that you have kids and parents that don't supervise.

Back to the mulch. Put in some stinky stuff that will discourage them from going near it. If stones are the preferred covering of choice, go with larger, not smooth rocks. Hey, they will throw that too so I don't have an answer other than an electric fence.

Then bushes it shall be. I guess that she does not weed and there is where the problem started. If bushes are done right, you won't even see the weeds.

As a footnote, I just installed an invisable fence for my two dogs. Problem is that you cannot require all of the neighborhood kids to wear a collar. :0

It is not a weed thing, it is just a personal visual appealing opinion. She likes that more than mulch.

THE KIDS - that was just me venting and being silly. I know it is weird.............

DONNA - you crack me up!

As we speak some unsupervised kids just tore up a 12x12 inch area of her sod so they could make a house for their cars.......................No joke!

Hi Tamara – based on your most recent post, it sounds like while you do your homework prior to voting on a HO request, other Board members may not. Do you discuss HO requests before the Board votes?

We discuss HO requests prior to a vote. This helps because there will be someone who has some experience or familiarity, or who has done some research. This info is shared; the pros and cons get discussed – and hopefully a more informed vote is made. I do not mean that the intent is to get everyone to the same frame of mind – it’s just a sharing of info with discussion/debate.

I agree that it is the Board member responsibility to be as informed as possible on an issue or request prior to making a decision.

Do your governing docs allow for special meetings to be called to discuss things prior to a formal motion to vote at a Board meeting? Or, at the Board meeting, is time provided to discuss these things prior to the vote?

Bonnie

P.S. I still support use of the organic mulches.

We NEED to (and are allowed to in our governing docs.) have open discussions between meetings on things such as this, if we did not (keeping in mind we are a Board of alllllllll women) our meeting would take a whole day. Seriously it would.

That was pretty sneaky and underhanded.

How can they justify bringing it for another vote after it had already failed?

Since you're president I would call an emergency meeting to hash this all out. Besides the concerns you voiced about the pea gravel; I'm more concerned with the appearance of impropriate approval being given to a member of the Board. It sets a very bad precedent. Not only did the BOD approve an un-approved material but they gave her an extra foot to do it in.

If the BOD decides to go ahead and approve it, I would insist that your objections be noted in the minutes. Some things the BOD might want to consider, if she moves or dies who is going to be responsible for it? What if the next owner doesn't want it? Who is going to return the common element to its pre-gravel state?

We had a homeowner take common element next to her patio approx 8'X10' (supposedly with permission of the BOD although a search of the records revealed no approval) put in edging; fill the area with gravel & pavers. She planted roses and shrubs and had a wrought iron bench. All in all it looked very nice until she died with no next of kin. The Association spent a small fortune getting rid of all of her "improvements".

Well, this is getting technical. We rule our meetings by Roberts Rule of Order. Our governing documents state that a quorum of the majority must represent a vote. We are required to have a Board of 6. We currently only have 5. I was absent, leaving 4 at the meeting. Homeowners cannot vote on their own exterior application improvements due to conflict of interest when they are on the Board. That would leave 3 yes votes. That would not establish majority of community through the BOD's. Majority would be 4 votes, even if one is absent.

According to this we would need 4 favorable votes to establish majority. Correct?

OK, here is what I was told. There was not even a motion or a vote taken to approve this at the meeting. SO it is a moot point now? Another BOD has called me to call a special meeting on this. Do I even need too? If I do, do I invite the BOD who is wanting this approved?

When the BOD decide on an Architectural Improvement Form, the homeowner is notified if they are approved/unapproved then if they do not like it they can request a hearing. She is holding her hearing now.

Mary,
I have the same opinion. Voting on a matter that involves ones self would be a conflict of interest and definitely not allowed.

Well, this should put the issue to rest. I sent this to the Board. I am recovering from a small surgery at this time with another one coming and do not have the time to call a special meeting. This is from the lawncare company who provides lawn service to us.

Tamara,

You recently contacted me regarding my thoughts on installing pea gravel in the landscape beds, even if it is only used as a border. I have seen it used many times in various locations, and the end result is never a good one. My professional opinion is as follows:

1. Pea gravel is easily disbursed throughout the entire landscape. Mowing and weed eating anywhere near where the gravel is located will throw the gravel in all directions.

2. If the property experiences a heavy rain, it is easily washed into the grass. Once it is in the turf areas, it is impossible to remove.

3. It also seems to be a magnet for children. We all know that kids will be kids when it comes to throwing rocks.

4. As a contractor, it is a virtual nightmare. Mowing, weed eating and blowing will toss the gravel into siding, windows, cars, etc. at a very high rate of speed, causing severe damage. Most landscape/mowing contractors will want to place a phrase in the contract releasing them from any liability for damages (i.e. siding, broken windows, etc.) caused by thrown/flying pea gravel.

5. Allowing residents to install pea gravel in their landscape will cause additional issues for your Board when they are trying to determine damage liabilities. Especially when your contractor may state in their contract that they are to be held harmless from damages resulting from pea gravel, and the residents feel they should be made whole for any damages to their homes and/or vehicles.

I apologize for my biased opinion, however, I have been in this business over 20 years, and have yet to have a good experience when pea gravel is installed as part of the landscape in areas adjacent to turf grass.

Regards,

Tamara,

It was a learning experience for all of us. Now we also have the cons of pea gravel from a professional. Thanks and good job.