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4 <br /> <br />• Lack of systemic watering is resulting in the death of some valuable larger 1 <br />species 2 <br />• Labels are falling off plants 3 <br />• Though there has been some mowing of larger areas between plants, no 4 <br />mulching not basic plant care has occurred… 5 <br />• Rare species have been removed to make way for commercial activities, e.g.: a 6 <br />turnaround in the driveway, the veranda 7 <br />• The King-Garrett house has become an Airbnb 8 <br /> 9 <br />It appears that available resources have been diverted from the arboretum to these 10 <br />commercial activities. The arboretum has been badly neglected and it shows. It is no 11 <br />longer a place where I would be proud to have my horticultural colleagues visit. 12 <br /> 13 <br />Elise Alexander read the following comments: 14 <br /> 15 <br />Hello, 16 <br />My name is Elise Alexander, and I am an adjoining landowner to the Keith Arboretum. I 17 <br />am also the HOA representative for the Brights Way Residential community that also 18 <br />adjoins the arboretum. 19 <br /> 20 <br />Thank you for all of your diligent work. 21 <br /> 22 <br />I would like to make three points. 23 <br /> 24 <br />FIRST: 25 <br />Residential communities surround the Keith Arboretum. I would like to make it clear that 26 <br />it was only with the realization that open fires were permitted on any location on the 220 27 <br />acres of the Keith Arboretum and the Pickfords Forest that the Brights Way HOA 28 <br />representatives requested to meet with the property owners. I quote from the emails 29 <br />from February 5, 2017: 30 <br /> 31 <br />Request: 32 <br />“What would be a good time to meet this week. The Brights Way HOA has some 33 <br />questions/concerns regarding ROMR camping/camp fires. We would be happy to meet 34 <br />you on site. Please me via email options. Thanks.” 35 <br /> 36 <br />Reply: 37 <br />“Please put your concerns in writing. The 220 acres I own is a farm. People burn wood. 38 <br />And they will camp on the land. That will not change. I do not ask my neighbors when 39 <br />and how they burn wood or allow campers on their land, and the fact that you would 40 <br />question camping and burning wood on my land is baffling to me.” 41 <br /> 42 <br />These comments and multiple negative interactions over the years have created 43 <br />community mistrust. We are not skeptical of policies going forward. 44 <br /> 45 <br />SECOND: 46 <br />The Keith Arboretum incorporates 2 lots of the Brights Way residential community. The 47 <br />Brights Way Covenants, Article V, Section 2, states that, “ No lot shall be used except for 48 <br />residential purposes.” Section 13 of Article V further provides that, “No noxious or 49 <br />offensive activity shall be carried on upon any lot, nor shall anything be done thereon 50