Seeking Input on Retention Pond Maintenance

To discern what landscaping should replace the invasive and nuisance plants around the KPVillas retention pond, the KPVA Board announced a committee of homeowners will convene to propose options to the Board. All homeowners are invited to attend an inaugural meeting on Monday, February 13, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.

The group will meet at the home of Chuck Bueter at Lot 14, to the left of the empty lot. Weather permitting, we will walk around the KPVillas retention pond before the sun sets at 6:15 p.m., then continue the dialogue indoors. If you plan to participate or have any questions, please contact Chuck Bueter. You may also contact a Board member directly with your thoughts.

The KPVA President reminds homeowners that they are "welcome to participate even if not available on February 13th." Contact Chuck Bueter if you seek to be involved but cannot attend in person that day.

No specific expertise is required. The group's task is to identify which plants will be removed, by whom, and at what cost. They will weigh the input from homeowners, landscape specialists, and local resources to identify native replacement plants that support the functioning of the KPVillas retention pond. And they will propose a plan and budget for the Board's consideration.

The parcel that contains the retention pond is one of seven parcels on which KPVillas pays St. Joseph County property taxes. At its January 12 meeting, Board members stated the dominant invasive honeysuckle and nuisance poison ivy should be replaced with native landscaping. and then maintained.

The group will also consider what steps the Association should take in maintaining the KPVillas retention pond's interface with the adjoining St. Joseph County retention pond. The County is awaiting an engineering study due before June 30, 2023, to determine how the County will respond to drainage issues. At risk for the Association is the pond's degraded spillover, which could be repaired in concert with a County initiative.