Prepared by:
Catrin Dubois
Landscape Superintendent
Sun City Texas Community Association
L3 Mow Update:
The contractor in charge of mowing the fuel breaks behind the
property lines is scheduled to start on Monday, June 17th. The
mowers will be directed to start in NH 40 and then move to native areas that are
heavily shaded ( yes we actually have these in Sun City) and have hardly any
wild flowers. Most of our flowers are seeding but some have just started
blooming. Cardinal flower and Liatris are a little late this year thanks to the
cooler temps in April and spring rain fall.
We anticipate completing all native areas within 40 working
days, weather permitting.
Frequently asked questions:
The mowers are mowing high and are not picking up the
clippings
The mowing does not look manicured
The crew did not trim dead branches form trees
The scope of work: Mowing height is set at 4” to 6” to
protect all native vegetation which are the wild flowers and native grasses.
Consistent short mowing of the natives would result in erosion.
A 10’ to 30’ strip behind the homes is mowed to reduce the
fuel load in case of a grass fire. Even though so vegetation may look like a
fire hazard we evaluate the fuel content. The left behind clippings do not pose
a fire hazard to the homes in Sun City.
The contract does not include tree trimming or dead wood
removal. The Level 3 common areas are for the most part drainage easements
which means they are designed to move run off during rain events. Even though
the native areas are referred to as green belts the landscape department
considers them fuel breaks and drainage easements.
Large flat areas are mowed with a tractor and shredder
attachment and riding mowers are used in the smaller common areas. Sometimes
clippings may fall along property lines.
Ornamental items: As per the Sun City CC&Rs no one
except the developer or the CA should alter any common areas which includes
placing items in the native areas. The mow crews are not liable for any damages
to such items as bird baths, plantings, compost bins, gazing balls, benches,
bird feeders, bird houses etc that may get damaged during the cutting of the
fuel breaks. Please look behind your lot and remove any such items that may
have appeared
Wild Life: Fawns are being placed by their mothers in the
tall grasses and will stay put until mom returns. The mowing crew is
instructed to watch out for baby deer and to skip the area where a deer has been
left behind. During heavy drought years we noticed that the native Cotton rats
moved closer to residential lots to access available water sources. Expect to
see some rodent activity during the mowing efforts. The animals are moving out
of the way of the blades and find their way back to the native common areas.
Another reason to keep the mowing height at 4” – 6” is the preservation of
habitat for reptiles, rodents and ground nesting birds. Snake sightings may
also increase during the mowing. Living in Texas one should always be on the
lookout for snakes and should be able to recognize the most common non- venomous
Texas Rat Snake which can be quite intimidating because of its size but very
harmless. Rattlesnake sightings have been reported this Spring and are part of
our landscapes. Copperheads have never been sighted in Sun City same as the
Cottonmouth. With grandkids visiting please be sure to keep them from exploring
the native common areas and remind them to pay special attention while walking
the nature trails and to admire snakes from a distance.
Expect weekly email updates from the landscape department in
regards to the mow schedule. If you have questions please send an email to catrin.dubois@scteaxs.org
and copy your neighborhood rep or the alternate. This way we can speed up
communications to the whole neighborhood with the answers.
