Our group, the Greystone LakeWatch Committee, was formed this past Spring to address a number of issues with the condition of Greystone Lake.  We feel it's now time for us to share our approach with a larger audience of homeowners, and we want to emphasize that all are welcome to join us in our work.

The issues we've chosen to address include the condition of the bridges, the path around the lake, silting and bank erosion, the overall appearance of the lake, and the cleanliness of the common areas.  We recognized that we are a community with diverse views of how the lake can best be maintained and that in order for us to preserve this beautiful, peaceful part of our lives and protect the enhanced value of our individual properties we must take action as a community.

Since our formation as a subcommittee of the Greystone Village Maintenance Committee, we've accomplished the following, recognizing that there is more to be done on a continuing basis:

 

  • Created a location-indexed map of the lake that includes the location of all pubic access points.

  • Identified, by map area, problems in need of attention.

  • Listed, described in detail -- including LakeWatch Committee suggestions for resolution -- and prioritized all identified problems in format that can be easily tracked and updated.

  • Organized a cleanup of the lakeshore by a group of volunteers, which significantly improved the overall appearance of the lake.  Additional cleanup parties will be organized as needed.

  • Halted the practice of mowing the grass and plants right down to the water, which was significantly contributing to the erosion of the banks and to the silting of the lake from wave action.  Allowing the natural grass and waterside plants to grow naturally at the water's edge has already produced noticeable improvement in the condition of the bank, and it appears that the natural wildlife -- frogs, dragonflies, etc. -- has benefited from this action and should help to manage the mosquito population.

  • Identified several areas in the path around the lake that can be quite muddy in spots after heavy rain, and we have recommended several action s for specific points, including placing flat stones in less extensive muddy areas to inexpensively reduce muddy feet.

  • Resolved to encourage lakefront homeowners to retain and promote the growth of trees and shrubs on the Lake side of property  We are asking all homeowners to carefully consider the overall impact on the community of removing any trees on the lake side of their homes.  One only needs to walk around the lake to note the contribution of a treed shoreline to its beauty.

  • Take actions to remove unsightly constructions built near or on the common areas.

 

We look forward to working as a community to address additional issues such as beautification of the lakefront, plantings along the common property, growth of shrubs and alders along the lake shore, the recurrent vandalism to bridges an the dam and halting significant bank erosion at the stream entrance on the north end of the lake.  We look forward to hearing your comments and we welcome your participation.

 

To join the Greystone LakeWatch Committee, or to simply be notified via e-mail of future meetings, contact Jay Shapiro at 847-0064 or Word-Weaver@mindspring.com.