Darien Club will be having a garage sale on:

• Thursday, June 24th from 9:00 to 2:00
• Friday, June 25th from 9:00 to 2:00
• Saturday, June 26th from 9:00 to 2:00

If you have any further questions contact Ellen at Oak & Dale.

Another successful meeting is in the books with various topics being covered. Some of topics covered included:

• The islands on Darien Club Drive will have their trees cut down by the city in the summer. They will then have new trees planted in the fall. By working with the city we will be able to save money and the city will maintain the trees going forward.
• We are continuing to work on finding a solution for the mausoleums that are visible on Darien Club Drive. We are looking into the total cost of building a wall which could be installed in segments and other landscaping options.
• We have contacted the city about the park. They say that it is slated to be updated in 2025 even though it was built in 1999. We need homeowners to continue to use their voice to get this done sooner. The Park District is having their April meeting on the 12th at 7:00. The meeting will be held at the Community Center on Fairview. If you cannot make it, try and call Bake Ertmanis at 630-968-6400 ext. 122 to voice your support.
• Mail box inspections will begin soon. Please look under documents above for any mailbox services.
• We continue to work to try and have Oak Trace improve the light pollution and screening for residents on Sweetbriar. The city of Downers Grove agrees that there is too much light. We hope to see some improvements soon and will look at other options should we not see progress.

We are starting a new commission focused on community events. If you are interested in joining other homeowners on planning the events please email Ellen.

Our next meeting will be held via Zoom on April 6th. We will be discussing various topics and projects that are being worked on. Should you have any questions please feel free to email Ellen so she can add them to the agenda. Check back here for a meeting summary the next day.

Darien Club HOA is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Darien Club HOA’s Zoom Meeting
Time: Apr 6, 2021 07:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82192986882?pwd=c3dKVUpuVVY2akNPanR3RXhaak02Zz09

Meeting ID: 821 9298 6882
Passcode: 949006

Management has received several complaints about the way people are cleaning their driveways and sidewalks.

No snow should be pushed into the street as this is a hazard and a violation of the city’s ordinance (below). Please respect your neighbors. We have had 37.4″ over the last 22 days and zero days of temperatures over freezing. 

From the City’s website:

City of Darien Snow Ordinance

City Code Ordinance 9-3-1G prohibits parking on public streets or rights-of-way within the City during a snow emergency. A “snow emergency” shall be declared when the snowfall exceeds one inch (1″) during a twenty four (24) hour period. Such emergency shall continue to exist until the snow plowing operation has been completed and the snowfall has ceased.

During plowing operations, the City’s priority is getting snow off the streets to allow movement of traffic. Unfortunately, during the plowing process, snow will be pushed onto curbs and driveways. As a result, snow banks become higher and driveways can become filled with snow, an unavoidable process. Please do not push snow out onto the roadway or approach a snow plow to prevent snow from being pushed into the driveway. Both of these actions are dangerous. If possible, residents are encouraged to shovel several times throughout a heavy snow period to prevent snow filled driveways. Your patience and cooperation are appreciated.

Darien Club HOA is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Darien Club HOA’s Zoom Meeting
Time: Feb 2, 2021 07:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82715489260?pwd=Z0FocEVBRWFyQ0YzSlFJcVN2dEg3QT09

Meeting ID: 827 1548 9260
Passcode: 911062
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,82715489260#,,,,*911062# US (Chicago)
+13017158592,,82715489260#,,,,*911062# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

Driftwood Park was built in 1999 on land donated from the Darien Club subdivision to the Darien Park District. Since then it hasn’t seen a makeover and it’s nautical theme is old and outdated, so old in fact it is older than the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. While Driftwood may be the newest addition to the Darien Park District, with more and more young families moving into the area, the time is now for a new playground. 

With more families having more time to spend around the house and around the neighborhood, our parks are even more important today than they were last year. Driftwood Park can be a meeting place for those in the Darien Club subdivision with newer residents meeting older residents and creating a stronger community.

Please voice your support so we can show those with the power to build a new park how important it is to all of us.

Sign the Petition by Clicking Here

Happy New Year to everyone! As we begin 2021 we wanted to share a couple updates with the community:

• Our next meeting will be held via Zoom on February 2 at 7:30. Check back here on the day of the meeting for the link.
• Over the next few weeks you will see crab apple trees being pulled from the islands and common areas on Darien Club Drive and Sweetbriar. Most of the trees have either died or are diseased.
• As the weather warms up, we will be planting new trees. We are in the process of identifying the appropriate type of tree.
• If possible please try to shovel your sidewalk. The community has been very active with many people walking on the street. For their safety and for drivers it would be best to stay on the sidewalk.
• Thinking of completing a large house project in 2021? Please check the design manual and reach out to Ellen should the you need approval from the Design Review Committee. In most cases a security deposit is required to ensure the job is done properly and with no damage to your neighbors.
• Interested in helping out? The board is always looking for help and input on how best to serve the community. Please let Ellen know if you are interested.

The annual homeowners meeting had a great turnout with homeowners providing feedback, voting, and offering up time to help improve the community. The board messaged all the projects that were completed and others that are on the docket for 2021. Some of the takeaways from the meeting included:

• Targeting Q1 2021 for replacing the trees that are dying on the islands of Darien Club Drive
• Start to work on community building events
• Continue to look at modifications for signage
• Further enhance the seasonal decorations at the entrances
• Look at adding cameras to all entrances to help with any crimes that occur within the subdivision

The new board is back up to five members. Below are the current board members and their position:

• Linda Pecora – President
• Dr. George Battaglia – Vice President
• John Becker – Treasurer
• Anthony Pecora – Secretary
• Alan McNea – Director

For those who ran for positions or have an interest in getting involved in the community, please reach out to Ellen at Oak & Dale and let her know. The board is always looking for help and feedback to improve the community for everyone.

At the most recent meeting, a homeowner offered mailbox parts to any homeowner on a first come basis. Please reach out to Ellen at Oak & Dale for more information.

With summer coming to an end, we wanted to provide an update on what is being worked on.

Given all the positive feedback the board has received in regards to the monuments, we are continuing to look for ways to enhance the entrances. The latest improvement will be spot lights on the middle island.

Over the years we have received communication from concerned homeowners in regards to the algae and water flow problems. We are now treating the water and removed tree trunks from the water. We are gathering information from vendors on how best to improve the water flow and flooding issues.

With the entrances being updated last year, we are shifting our efforts to improve the other common areas. We are looking to stop the soil runoff that is going into the ponds, enhance the look of cul-de-sacs and continue to cutdown and replace trees within the common areas. We are talking to multiple vendors to get ideas and best pricing. Given the size of the project, it will be a well thought out and vented plan that will be implemented over the next few years.