Category: Member Responsibilities

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Spring Yard Cleanup and Fixup for 2021

With spring around the corner, it’s a great time to start working on your home’s landscaping. Spring weeds are starting to poke through and our plants are starting to grow again. This cleanup activity will make your home, yard and neighborhood look more attractive. Our HOA provides some guidelines provided below for your reference. Thank you for your hard work, and we look forward to seeing great looking landscapes again this spring! 

Reference:   Spring Lawn and Landscape Compliance Tips (March 2018)

Some tips from our HOA landscaper: Yellowstone Spring Yard Tips

An Owner’s Lot must be kept neat and tidy in appearance. Lawns must be kept mowed, edged and free of weeds and trash. Planters and beds must be kept free of weeds, leaves and other debris. Some latitude is permitted for seasonal leaf shedding. Shrubs and trees must be kept trimmed and attractive. Any dead foliage or limbs must be removed promptly. Nothing on an Owner’s Lot must be allowed to become overgrown or unmaintained.

All visible areas including lawns, flower beds, driveways, sidewalks, curb strips, planters, retaining walls, etc. must be kept free of weeds, grasses or other plants, including within expansion joints, seams, etc. Sidewalks must be kept clear of shrubbery overgrowth and overhanging limbs so as not to obstruct the walkway.

All construction of new beds, relocation of beds, or significant modification of existing beds requires an application to and review by the Architectural Review Committee.

ARC Application form in PDF or download a copy that you may edit in MS Word.

For additional guidelines and frequently-asked-questions on many topics, see our HOA website:  FAQ Index or Governing Documents.

Page Revision History

  • 2021-02-06 (jmw): Page moved to WordPress platform.

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Recycle Your Holiday Trees Curbside in Canyon Creek

Starting December 26, the City of Austin curbside customers can recycle their Hanukkah bushes, Christmas, and holiday trees by leaving them at the curb on their regular collection day. Do not dispose of trees in greenbelt areas. All other residents can drop trees off at Zilker Park. The tree drop-off option is provided as an annual partnership between Austin Resource Recovery and Austin Parks and Recreation Department and is offered two weekends in a row at Zilker Park in an effort to keep thousands of trees out of the landfill and give them a second life as mulch. The mulch is then offered for free, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Web page: austintexas.gov/treerecycling

Holiday Tree Recycling will be hosted at Zilker Park Jan. 2-3 and

Jan. 9-10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mulch will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis beginning January 14 at 9 a.m. (date and time subject to change due to weather).

Austin Resource Recovery

Page Revision History

  • 2020-12-25 (dm): Initial posting.
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Board Statement on Homeless in Trailhead Park

By Brett Funderburg

In July 2019, the Austin City Council voted to lift the ban on homeless camping in public spaces. Although camping without a permit remains expressly prohibited in public parks, since that time, the CCHOA board and many of our HOA Members have been nervously watching and waiting to see if and when Canyon Creek might be impacted by the growing population of homeless in the city . It has, unfortunately, recently come to the board’s attention that a homeless individual has begun loitering and sleeping overnight at the pavilion at Trailhead Park. Since Trailhead Park is operated by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, there is no obvious direct action that the HOA can undertake except to inform Members that this is a police matter.

We are aware that several Canyon Creek residents have been moved to supply this individual with food and other personal items. The same qualities in our residents that make Canyon Creek a community of good neighbors are on display here and we can certainly be proud of our willingness to help those in need. The board does recognize and appreciate that these efforts are coming from a place of caring and generosity by kind hearted individuals. However, we strongly discourage such acts as we believe this both dissuades those in need from seeking help from more appropriate resources and attracts others seeking to take advantage of the generosity and kindness of Canyon Creek residents.

Unless otherwise posted, park hours generally run from 5am to 10pm each day and overnight camping in public parks remains prohibited under the Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s current rules. If you observe violations of either of the above, we advise you to call 911 to report the activity. Additionally, threatening behavior, safety and security concerns and destruction of park property and facilities should be reported to 911 without delay.

Members observing homeless camping or similar activity such as campfires on HOA owned common areas such as the Community Center property or within the HOA greenbelt are requested to contact the board (board@canyoncreek.net) and Spectrum management (contact@spectrumam.com) as soon as possible. Camping without permission on private property is still prohibited under the current ordinances and any unauthorized individuals found on HOA private property will be removed for trespassing.


Finally, Members are encouraged to write our Mayor, Steve Adler (steve.adler@austintexas.gov) and District 6 Council Member, Jimmy Flannigan (jimmy.flannigan@austintexas.gov) and share their thoughts on how to handle the growing problem of homelessness in Austin and request that the council take decisive action on the matter.

On behalf of the CCHOA Board of Directors,

Brett Funderburg
President, CCHOA

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Clean Up After Your Pet

Many people in our neighborhood have pets that they love to take on walks in our community. This is good for both the pet and for the owner.  While getting fresh air outside, dogs love to defecate and urinate while on their walks. Owners should pick up after their animals to keep the surrounding areas clean and sanitary. Feces on the sidewalk or adjoining grass is unsightly and unpleasant to neighbors that walk or live nearby. Owners should carry “poop bags”, pick up their animal droppings, either place them in containers that the HOA has provided along Boulder Lane, or place this trash in their own trash containers, not in the neighbors’ down the street. The HOA board believes this is a simple thing to request of our homeowners and asks that all of us comply with this request. We appreciate your compliance and your neighbors appreciate it as well.

This applies to our nature trails too. And please do not leave a loaded poop bag for someone else to remove.

Page Revision History:

  • 2020-04-23 (jmw): Page moved to WordPress platform.

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Yard Cleanup and Fixup

With spring arriving and the weather warming up, it’s a great time to start working on your home’s landscaping. Spring weeds are poking through and our plants are starting to grow again. This cleanup activity will make your home, yard and neighborhood look more attractive. Our HOA provides some guidelines provided below for your reference. Thank you for your hard work, and we look forward to seeing great looking landscapes again this spring! 

Reference: Spring Lawn and Landscape Compliance Tips

An Owner’s Lot must be kept neat and tidy in appearance. Lawns must be kept mowed, edged and free of weeds and trash. Planters and beds must be kept free of weeds, leaves and other debris. Some latitude is permitted for seasonal leaf shedding. Shrubs and trees must be kept trimmed and attractive. Any dead foliage or limbs must be removed promptly. Nothing on an Owner’s Lot must be allowed to become overgrown or unmaintained.

All visible areas including lawns, flower beds, driveways, sidewalks, curb strips, planters, retaining walls, etc. must be kept free of weeds, grasses or other plants, including within expansion joints, seams, etc. Sidewalks must be kept clear of shrubbery overgrowth and overhanging limbs so as not to obstruct the walkway.

All construction of new beds, relocation of beds, or significant modification of existing beds requires an application to and review by the Architectural Review Committee.

The ARC form is available here.

For additional guidelines and frequently-asked-questions on many topics, see our HOA website  FAQ Index or Governing Documents

Canyon Creek Architecture Review Committee.

Page Revision History:

  • 2020-04-23 (jmw): Page moved to WordPress platform.

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Fall Is Here, Time to Give Your Landscaping Some Attention

Fall is finally here and the heat of summer is a thing of the past. Now is the time to address issues you may have had with your landscaping during the summer. Some of us have burned out spots in our lawns due the lack of rain and the intense sun of the summer. This could be due to sprinklers not being adjusted correctly or not working at all. Now is the time to correct these issues.

Watering restrictions also make watering a challenge, but it’s not impossible to keep your landscaping alive. Our Austin water restrictions (http://www.austintexas.gov/department/water-restrictions) do allow you to keep your lawn watered once per week. In fact, we recommend that you water twice in the same day – once, say at 2 a.m., and then again at 9 p.m., the same day of your watering day. This amount of watering will keep your lawn alive, though not thriving. See our lawn and landscaping compliance tips on our website blog Spring Lawn and Landscape Compliance Tips.

Remember that our DCCRs (Sections 3.19 and 3.20) require homeowners to keep their lots neat and tidy in appearance. Lawns must be kept mowed, edged, and free of weeds and trash. Planters and beds must be kept free of weeds, leaves, and other debris. Some latitude is permitted for seasonal leaf shedding. Shrubs and trees must be kept trimmed and attractive. Any dead foliage or limbs must be removed promptly. Nothing on an Owner’s Lot must be allowed to become overgrown or unmaintained. Owners with xeriscaping are reminded that “low-maintenance” does not mean “no-maintenance.” Xeriscaped beds must be equally maintained, edged, and kept free of weeds, leaves, and other debris. 

Sufficient water must be applied to the landscaping, in accordance with any mandatory watering schedule in effect, to maintain the sod and plantings on the Lot. Landscape irrigation systems must be kept in good working order. Sod must not be allowed to die due to lack of water. Bare spots are not allowed, although some latitude is permitted in heavily shaded yards where sod is difficult to grow. In this case, it may be more attractive to create a bed and to mulch or use shade tolerant plants. Be aware that construction of new beds requires an application to and review by the Architectural Review Committee.

Also, more information is available in our Frequently Asked Questions for Mowing and Landscaping section on our website.

Good luck with your efforts to improve the looks of our neighborhood in the coming months.

Regards, Your HOA Board of Directors

Page Revision History:

  • 2021-03-02 (jmw): Corrected permalink to CoA watering restrictions.
  • 2020-04-23 (jmw): Page moved to WordPress platform.
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Please Don’t Dump Trash in Canyon Creek HOA and Canyon Creek Elementary Dumpsters.

Dear Associate Members:

Our HOA Community Center and Canyon Creek Elementary School are dealing with the consequences of Theft of Service. Dumpsters, trash, and recycling containers are being illegally filled by the refuse from other sources including individuals living within Canyon Creek. Not only is this behavior un-neighborly, but it also amounts to petty theft!

As with any well-run business or household, our HOA and CCE purchase rubbish removal services to fit the needs of their continuing operations. When their receptacles are filled with trash from other sources, our HOA and CCE must pay additional fees or store their garbage. None of us want garbage stored within our neighborhood for obvious health and aesthetic reasons.

Please only use your own receptacles for your trash. Dumping bags of your refuse in someone else’s dumpster, trash, or recycling bin is illegal dumping and you could be fined for that activity.

We are asking that you do not use our receptacles for your personal trash. There is a fine associated with illegal dumping and our school district is prepared to enforce these fines. The City of Austin offers many legal and neighborly solutions for excess trash at the following link:

http://www.austintexas.gov/department/residential-services-rates-fees

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Regards,

Board of Directors

Canyon Creek Homeowners’ Association

Page Updates

  • 2021-01-02 (jmw): Updated broken links to external websites. Minor grammatical clarification.

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Sidewalk Strip Repair or Replacement Options

Suggestions from your Architecture Review Team:

Many in our community would like to update their sidewalk strip for easy maintenance and to improve aesthetics in this area.  The sidewalk strip is the area between the sidewalk and street.  For those who would like to pursue this change, we’d like to encourage folks to use drought tolerant landscaping and plants.

Before you update your sidewalk strip, please be sure to fill out an Architectural Review Form for approval.

 Recommendations:

  • Dig down several inches so the feature is level to the curb rather than raised
  • Use a double layer of weed barrier
  • Do not use crushed granite (washes away too easily)
  • Do not use a raised edging.  It can be a trip hazard.
  • Keep plants small and low to the ground so it doesn’t impede walkers or sight lines for drivers
  • Maintain and freshen the area as needed.  Xeriscape does not mean “no maintenance”.  Debris gets in between the rocks and opportunistic weeds will grow.  Be sure to pull/treat those weeds.
  • When installing pavers, use polymeric sand to fill in the joints between the pavers. Filling in with concrete is not recommended as it does not provide for relief of the impervious cover requirement in your yard and it won’t look as nice.

 Some good ideas are shown below.

This is the preferred method as it is nice and clean looking and requires virtually no maintenance. 

  • Recommended Low Maintenance
  • Recommended Low Maintenance
  • Not Recommended, Needs Maintenance
  • Not Recommended, Needs Maintenance
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Assessment Payments and Resolving Issues

There have been several cases where members have been assessed administrative fees for late, missing or delinquent regular assessment payments.

If this has happened to you, please contact Spectrum Association Management at contact@spectrumAM.com to review your particular situation. In your email to Spectrum, please explain your unique situation, the method you used for payment (i.e. check, ACH,,,), dates mailed or posted and confirmation receipts or emails.  

The board has authorized Spectrum to waive or refund the $20 administrative fee for specific cases due to the transition of management companies, account setup at SpectrumAM, etc.   

If your regular assessment has not been paid, please contact Spectrum immediately so that you do not incur any additional charges. 

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Canyon Creek Sign Policy Clarification and Guidance

Guidance on Signage in Canyon Creek

The board would like to clarify our community’s policy on signage. While we may have changed management companies, there have been no changes to our sign compliance regime. If a notice has been received in error, please contact the management company or the board to express your concern.

  • In the interest of improving neighborhood security, the Site Inspector will not cite for unobtrusive signs announcing homes protected by an alarm company.
  • In the interest of school spirit, the Site Inspector will not cite for signs in support of students participating in school activities (band, sports, etc.)
  • Display of political signs is subject to Texas Property Code – Display of Political Signs, Section 202.009. The display time period is: “An applicable election period consists of the time period commencing 90 days before the date of the election to which a sign relates and continuing until the 10th day after such election date.”
  • Signs marketing property are permitted on the owners Lot under the DCCRs, section 3.3. (i.e. “For Sale” signs)
  • All other signs are prohibited under the DCCRS.