Welcome to Sandycove Acres Home Owners’ Association

Welcome to the Sandycove Acres Home Owners’ Association web site. Sandycove Acres is an Adult lifestyle community located in Innisfil Ontario which is about one hour north of Toronto and just on the outskirts of south Barrie. We are a community of about 1233 homes and about 1,800 residents, who come from all walks of life and range in age from youngsters (55+) to seniors.

We have numerous activities here at Sandycove Acres with 3 large halls for gatherings of all sizes, dances, shows, etc. in addition to having 2 outdoor swimming pools.

There are in excess of 90 different groups, organizations and activities that are ongoing throughout the year. All Sandycove social groups and clubs are run by resident volunteers. 

That’s only part of it. Check out our current activities schedules for each of the 3 halls and the face book pages.
The Hub, The Spoke and The Wheel.

The Sandycove Acres Home Owners’ Association is a not-for-profit corporation and has been serving the residents of Sandycove Acres for over 51 years. The association is dedicated to improving the quality of life beyond the many social activities.

Sandycove Acres opened in 1971 and the Home Owners’ Association was formed in 1973. The Association has an Annual General Meeting (AGM) each June, 10 directors are elected that manage the activities of the Association during the year.

These are resident volunteers. The current directors are shown in the following. Minutes of the AGM are posted on this web site and on the bulletin boards in the Recreation Halls, prior to and following the AGM.

How Home Owners’ Association Advocates For You, Its Members

Complaints: Assist members of the Association in respect to major problems or complaints which may arise and cannot be resolved through direct communication between the member and Sandycove Acres. For the Complaints Procedure please click here.

General Interests: Through direct communication and liaison with Sandycove Acres Management, promote a relationship between members and the Company which is professional, constructive and satisfying and which results in members receiving maximum benefit from living In Sandycove Acres.

Emergency and Medical Services: Promote and support the Emergency Plan for SCA. The Home Owners’ Association was instrumental in the installation of a generator in The Wheel for medical and power emergencies.

Taxes: To assist any member to understand tax increases. In the past, the Association has acted to keep rent increases to the legal limit.

Elections: Hosts candidate meetings for Federal, Provincial and Municipal elections

Rent: The Home Owners’ Association reviews and fights Above Guideline Increases (AGI) as to whether they fall within the guidelines of the Residential Tenancies Act and keep residents informed of how they will affect them. The HOA has been extremely successful in the past keeping these increases within guidelines.

Municipality: Sponsor Town Hall meetings with the Mayor of Innisfil.

Television: A package of 20 channels is provided free as part of monthly payment. Anything over, is at cost.

Home Fair: Hosts an annual exhibition of local contractors and home improvement suppliers in the spring of each year.

Health and Wellness Fair: Hosts an annual exhibition of local contractors and professionals in health in November of each year.

Member Seminars: Held Sept through May as added-value to our membership with outside professionals to educate what is available to them in the industry. 

SANDYCOVE ACRES HOME OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Updated January 2019

The following is a summary of projects and key activities over the years that YOUR Association has been responsible for implementing.

CONSUMERS GAS: The HOA was instrumental in getting Consumers Gas service into Sandycove in 1996. The HOA arranged for various gas contractors to come to the Wheel to present different types of furnaces available along with associated costs for residents purchase on an individual basis.

HIGHWAY SAFETY: The lights at Lockhart/Highway 11 were the result of the Sandycove Home Owners Association (2003) going through the entire park to obtain signatures on a petition to be handed to the Innisfil Mayor and presented to Council. This was accomplished in 2003.

HIGHWAY SAFETY: An Home Owners petition was undertaken for a road division at Lockhart & Highway 11 for a turnoff to the extension of Lockhart Rd as a necessary safety issue for residents having to turn onto Lockhart from busy Yonge Street. This was accomplished

RESIDENT SAFETY: The Association worked with Sandycove to have backup generators installed in all three recreation facilities to compliment emergency preparedness planning in the event of disasters. There is a 3 day period where, according to federal guidelines, residents must ensure they have adequate supplies and accommodation. For more info please visit the Emergency preparedness pages,

CROSSWALK: The crosswalk connecting south and north park was instituted in 2002 as a result of Sandycove HOA efforts on behalf of concerned residents regarding safety crossing between north and south parks. Initially, Sandycove Acres Ltd said it was too expensive. They were pressured when the HOA offered to pay part of the costs. As a result, Sandycove Acres Ltd. came to the table and costs were shared by the HOA and Sandycove Acres Ltd. A grant of $5,000 was obtained from Geranium for the community project. Now it not only serves as a pedestrian crosswalk, but as a crossing for golf carts and scooters.

PHASE 7 DEVELOPMENT: When the new Phase 7 development was proposed (Enclaves – now Trellis Lane), the HOA objected to Council on behalf of residents. HOA negotiated with Sandycove Acres Ltd. to withdraw its objections in exchange for concessions; i.e., that Sandycove Acres Ltd. would install air conditioning in the Wheel, later in the Spoke and an extension to be built on the Wheel. Unfortunately, the Hub at the time, had restrictions so air conditioning could not be added to the Hub.

911 NUMBERING: With the initiation of 911 numbering coming into Sandycove, all roads/homes had to be named/numbered. At the time, they were identified by plaques with lot numbers. The HOA arranged a number plate exchange at the wheel which was extremely successful and cost-effective.

RENT CONTROL: the Association went to the Ontario Rent Control Board when Sandycove Acres was requesting an unreasonable rent (1985) increase before new Provincial laws were put in place.

BLUE BOXES: HOA investigated site locations and numbers of blue boxes to hold the community newsletters and negotiated with Parkbridge for their purchase.

SNOW & GROUNDS CREW PERFORMANCE: HOA monitors snow and grounds crews to report areas that are not being maintained to a satisfactory level and reports to Parkbridge these areas of concern.

EMERGENCIES IN SANDYCOVE: In emergency situations, HOA board members and its Emergency Preparedness Team assists in investigating the damage to the community by driving through and assessing situations and, when necessary, coordinating with Parkbridge and emergency agencies.

DEFIBRILLATORS IN SANDYCOVE: The HOA and its Emergency Preparedness Team (EPT) obtained the first 3 Defibrillators in Sandycove and pushed for the addition of the final 2 in the Wheel and North Wheel in 2013. The EPT has coordinated a yearly Citizen’ Police Academy and hosted an Emergency Preparedness Day yearly since 2012. Another accomplishment is the establishment of the “Confidential Medical/Mobility Questionnaire” program which is maintained by EPT (confidentially and in a location known to emergency responders) for use by First Responders in the event of a serious emergency or evacuation. EPT provides information on 72-hour Kits, emergency situations as well as Files of Life. The Sandycove Homeowners’ Association EPT has trained residents at our ‘sister’ Parkbridge communities on how to set up their own Emergency Preparedness plans. Many have adopted the “Questionnaire” program.

COMMUNITY EVENTS: The HOA has a roster of events that are held during the year for the benefit of residents. It holds community events such as Health and Wellness Fair, Open House, Home Fair and Annual General Meeting. The Health & Wellness Fair and Home Fair bring in outside agencies, health care agencies, businesses, contractors, housing experts, etc., to show what services are available to residents.

MEMBER EVENTS-SEMINARS: The HOA hold Member Seminars from September to May, (no seminar December or April). Seminars have been presented here in Sandycove since 2009. Our seminars are information sessions specially geared and focused on current concerns and interests of seniors living in Sandycove. They can range from safety issues, identify exposure to estate planning issues, financial, health & wellness, safe driving, gardening around Sandycove, pet safety, hearing etc., only to name a few. They impart knowledge and information for the purposes of educating and informing residents of what services and support groups are available.

BROCHURE: The HOA developed brochures to provide information on Selling Your Home, The New 2006 Residential Tenancies Act and General Information Brochure covering Sandycove Home Owners’ Association.

MEMBERS FORUM: The HOA instituted Members’ Forum Meetings initially starting in Feb. 2018 on a quarterly basis to provide an opportunity for members to meet with the Board and get updates on Association activities and to raise and discuss matters of residents’ concerns.

HOA REPRESENTED RESIDENTS AT LANDLORD TENANT BOARD HEARING FOR AN ABOVE GUIDELINE INCREASE SUBMITTED BY PARKBRIDGE HOA REPRESENTED RESIDENTS AT LANDLORD TENANT BOARD HEARING FOR AN ABOVE GUIDELINE INCREASE SUBMITTED BY PARKBRIDGE

EMERGENCY SIMULATION EXERCISES: HOA Emergency Preparedness Team was invited by the County of Simcoe to participate in the last 2 “Emergency Simulation Exercises” put on by the County & Town – proving that both Sandycove Acres and the HOA’s EPT are well recognized.

2018 HOA YEAR IN REVIEW:

HOA REPRESENTED RESIDENTS AT LANDLORD TENANT BOARD HEARING IN 2018 FOR AN ABOVE GUIDELINE INCREASE SUBMITTED BY PARKBRIDGE and managed to get a reduction (from 0.8% to 0.5%) on behalf of residents resulting in a reduction of 37.5%. Legal & HOA calculations showed this effectively removed ALL of the questionable items leaving only eligible items under the Act. The HOA legal representative also raised the question with respect to newer residents who signed leases after some of the application work had been completed with the outcome that Parkbridge confirmed that, in accordance with the Act, the increase for these residents will be adjusted according to which work had been completed on the various signing dates. This was read into the official record, with notices detailing amounts to be sent to Parkbridge.

HOA REPRESENTED RESIDENTS REGARDING PARKBRIDGE WATER & SEWAGE CHARGES: Backdated invoices were issued without warning to SCA residents: HOA was instrumental in getting these invoices withdrawn after many negotiations and, with HOA’s stated intention of making application to the Landlord & Tenant Board representing the members involved, resulted in Parkbridge ending billing for members involved until Sandycove is connected to town water, which may never happen. It is important to note this decision applies only to those members who have the lease version with Clause (#10) that permitted the HOA to challenge. Basically these are leases signed in 2017. Newer resident leases have a revised Clause (#7) which does NOT contain this legal issue.

LEASE ASSIGNMENTS: HOA was instrumental in advising residents of the availability to assign their lease with a firm offer of purchase to the new purchaser with certain provisions. These provisions were outlined in the September 2018 Newsletter in the HOA Section. If you cannot get a copy of this Newsletter, contact the HOA Director responsible for the HOA Section of the Newsletter and one can be provided.

GENERAL TOPICS

• HOA continues to fight, Parkbridge moves to change the rules for homeowners for water, sewage, lease renewals, property taxes, post lights and trees.
• Works with other Parkbridge communities to prepare presentations to the provincial government on hydro rates and rent control.
• Established the principle with the landlord that consultation with the HOA on matters such as maintenance is beneficial to everyone; meets regularly with the winter contractor’s officials in addition to meeting quarterly with management.
• Presented two fairs, two all-candidates’ meetings, an Open House, an Annual General Meeting, seven seminars on topics of everyday interest and importance to Sandycove residents as well as the third Police Academy.
• Initialed quarterly Member Forums to keep members informed on developments and the association’s activities.
• Hosted a presentation by Innpower to update residents on rates and other developments in their fields.
• Once again, sponsored and ran the Christmas Lights Contest and invited the Rotary Club to bring its Candy Cane Express back in support of the Innisfil Food Bank Christmas Food Drive.
• Encouraged the formation of a temporary bereavement group and a permanent cancer support group.
• Transferred the membership list, which FINALLY includes more than half the park households, to “OneDrive” to keep it safe from computer breakdowns.
• Sadly watched the Parkbridge demise of the Sandycove Phone Book & took up the task of initiating a new on-line electronic phone book.