Dear neighbors of New Mark Commons,

Winter is around the corner, bringing ice and freezing temperatures—perhaps as early as next week—to our newly paved asphalt and concrete surfaces in the townhome areas!

This means we must be careful about how we treat icy surfaces there in order to protect our near-million-dollar investment!

In fact, both the concrete pavements AND the asphalt surfaces need a full year to cure, according to Mike Veirs of A.B. Veirs & Sons. If we use IceMelt, salt or ANY OTHER CHEMICALS on the new surfaces, they will suffer damage and erosion.

The only acceptable alternative is SAND! Our Landscape Committee Chairwoman Ellen Stein has checked with our new landscaping company, Alan Walcoff, owner of AW Landscapes, who also said Veirs are strict in their instructions about using only sand.

The AW crews will be using sand over the coming year. Alan Walcoff notes that spreading the sand will take longer than spreading the chemicals, which will “seriously slow down” the process. This will require patience on the part of residents. It may be a good idea to stock up on a couple of bags of sand in our homes before cold weather hits.