July August September 2019 ♦ Volume 24 Issue 3 ♦
LAKE-WIDE EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!
3rd Wednesday of every-other Month at 7:00 PM At Cecil’s BBQ on Orange Ave
2019 Board Mtgs.—in January, March, May, July, September, & November
Membership BBQ
Date: Saturday, October 26, 1:00 – 4:00 PM – Hosted by Brenda Worden
RSVP by Oct. 23rd
Bring your own lawn chair & adult beverage.
*Guests are welcome, but there will be a $5.00 donation requested for each non-member resident and/or guest.
Notes from the Prez… A Lot Is Going On…
by Tasha Golis
We are at the height of hurricane season. Over the Labor Day weekend and the first week of this month, we prepped and watched the news and weather channels for information about Hurricane Dorian. The Orange County Streets & Drains team removed boards from both our well systems in anticipation of heavy rains. Dorian was expected to make landfall and move up the state. Central Florida was mostly unaffected as Hurricane Dorian stalled over the Bahamas and then moved west further up the Atlantic Coast. Parts of the Bahamas are devastated and the coastal Carolinas were battered. I am grateful that we were not hit. And I am proud of our community for supporting the relief efforts.
In June, after two major rain events, photos of the 39th St FDOT owned retention pond began to circulate on both the Lake Holden Property Owners Association (LHPOA) and the Lake Holden Yacht Club Facebook pages. The pond was overflowing some pretty nasty looking stuff into the canal. Water and trash from OBT drain into that pond. It was in dire need of repair and proper maintenance. FDOT responded and sent out a team to address the situation. Charles M. Heffinger, Orlando Operations Engineer with FDOT, attended the Water Advisory Board (WAB) meeting to discuss the issue. County Commissioner Uribe and a representative from Senator Stewart’s office were also in attendance. Mr. Heffinger assured the Board that FDOT would get the pond in working order and correctly maintain the retention pond moving forward.
In July, Lake Holden homeowners noticed that the street drains that lead to our lake were not protected from runoff from the I4 Ultimate construction site on Westmoreland. The site suffered a collapse during a rain event. The EPD was notified, they contacted the contractors and were assured Best Management Practices (BMP) would be installed.
Soon after that, a homeowner on the canal next to the 39th St FDOT owned pond began to document turbid milky water flowing from the pond into the canal. The LHPOA and WAB reached out to Mr. Heffinger, our contact at the EPD, and their contacts at I4 Ultimate. Representatives from each party came out to inspect the retention pond and discovered that water from the I4 Ultimate construction site at OBT was somehow being pumped to that pond, resulting in the turbid water.
In August, a turbidity barrier/flocculent log system were established in the pond by the I4 Ultimate Project. In an email I received from the COS General Engineer, ‘SWPPP inspections are ongoing, with crews focusing on proper BMP installation and maintenance. This includes monitoring the use of pumps and where the associated discharge is going.
There are a lot of moving pieces and many parties involved in getting these issues addressed. Thank you to the LHPOA and WAB and concerned homeowners. A special thank to the City, County, State and Federal officials who responded so quickly to our requests for help.
Join us for the Lake Holden Property Owners Association Annual Membership Barbecue Saturday October 26 from 1p to 4p at the home of Brenda Worden. Come and enjoy food catered by Cecil’s Texas Style Bar-B-Q. Bring your lawn chairs and listen to live music from local favorite Michael Brandon Powell. Behaved and leashed pets are invited to participate in our 3rd Howl-o-ween Pet Costume Contest. Everyone is invited! Your paid LHPOA annual dues get you into the event. Guests are $5. Please RSVP at lakeholden.org
Start planning now for our Annual Holiday Boat Parade. Mark your calendar now: Saturday December 14. Both the Best Decorated Boat and Best Backyard Light Display will be awarded a prize. The competition can be fierce! It is a wonderful Lake Holden tradition.
Watch the Lake Holden Property Owners Association Facebook page more details. Check out Lake Holden Yacht Club on Instagram. Visit lakeholden.org to RSVP and take a moment to look around. It’s full of history, interesting info, government links, and other contacts.
See y’all on the water!
Tasha Golis
President Lake Holden Property Owners Association
