Hi Ridgemont neighbors,
Before we get to the common ground, a quick bit of good news on parking. We’ve heard your concerns regarding overflow parking, and we’re making real headway. On the yearly wiffle ball parking, we met with this group to find a solution, specific parking areas that don’t impede traffic. Their response was awesome, and best of all, not a single complaint this year. We are now working with the Ridgeview Condo association’s management group and board to address their overflow parking, which is also heading in the right direction. We’ll send a fuller parking update, shaped by the input from many of you, in the coming months.
With that, the rest of this month’s newsletter turns to the nearly 35 acres of common ground that all 245 households share. This land has a lot going on at once right now: an aging tree canopy, invasive species crowding out our woods, dumping and debris in spots, and features that have gradually extended onto shared land. The Board is considering how best to care for all of it, and we want to keep you in the loop about what’s happening and what could be next.
Before you dive in, just a heads-up: this update is a bit long, but we want to share all the details, not just the highlights. Also, most of what follows is still under discussion. We’re talking with experts and with each other, and your feedback will help guide our decisions. If you have thoughts, you can always reach us at [email protected].
The Short Version
Short on time? Here are the highlights:
- Common Ground Stewardship: We’re taking stock of what’s out there on our shared land, from abandoned structures and dumping to features neighbors have lovingly maintained over the years. Sound like your backyard? Let’s chat.
- Invasive Species: Bush honeysuckle and aggressive vines are slowly taking over our woods, crowding out the trees we love (and increasing our tick population). We’re working with MDC, MOBOT, and others to address this through a multi-year plan so we can turn things around before it becomes more expensive. Your input is especially important here.
- Tree Removal Budget: Storms and invasive plants have pushed our tree spending about 65% over budget this year. The good news is that we’ve managed to cover it with existing funds, but it’s something we’re watching closely.
- Our Entrances: Both entrances are ready for a full update. We hope to start in the fall if the budget allows, and we’d love some help from residents with summer prep.
- New Tree Removal Policy: We’ve updated our 2011 policy to be clearer, consistent, and grounded in current best practices for woodland care.
Interested in more details? Keep reading!
Common Ground Stewardship
At our May 19 board meeting, we spent a lot of time discussing how to care for our common ground. We see everything from abandoned structures and dumped trash to permanent installations and thoughtful improvements that make the area better. Each situation is different, and we want to handle them fairly. Here are some guiding principles:
- Common ground belongs to all of us, and the HOA is responsible for its care. As a baseline, no portion of it should become exclusive personal property, and a single resident shouldn’t make a decision that affects us all.
- Abandoned or deteriorating structures, and any areas where dumping has occurred, such as yard and landscaping waste, cleanup debris, trash, or other non-natural materials, should be removed by the HOA. These pose real safety, liability, and aesthetic concerns.
- Many features on the common ground, such as landscaping, were created in good faith by neighbors trying to care for the space, with some dating back many years. We want to handle those fairly, collaboratively, and under a single, consistent standard rather than on a case-by-case basis.
On that note, here’s what we want you to know: we’ll be working with an attorney to find a way to document and preserve responsible, low-impact features rather than just removing them from the common ground. The idea is simple: the HOA reiterates its ownership of the land, a simple written agreement outlines what’s allowed, and the resident maintains the feature and removes it if they sell or are no longer able to maintain the changes.
Next steps: we’re making a list of abandoned structures, dump sites, expanded landscaping, or other encroachments on the common ground. If you take care of something on nearby common ground, or know about an abandoned structure or dump site, please let us know. For features that have been used for a long time, like expanded landscaping, we want to talk about how to manage them together. Email us at [email protected]. The more we know now, the better we can work this out as a community.
Invasive Species: An Inflection Point
Our nearly 35 wooded acres are increasingly dominated by invasive species, primarily bush honeysuckle and various vines, all of which harm the woods and, over time, our finances. Two recent dead tree removals and a were easily traced back to invasives in the arborist’s judgment: one tree was choked at the base by honeysuckle, and the other had its canopy strangled by a vine that used the honeysuckle to climb high enough to reach the upper branches.
We are at an inflection point. Without intervention, the trajectory worsens on its own. Here’s what we know:
- Our native woodland understory is disappearing. Honeysuckle has already choked out much of it, including the dogwoods and redbuds that once defined our woods. It leafs out earlier and holds its leaves later than native species, shading the forest floor and preventing native seedlings from establishing.
- Mature trees are being killed by vines. Aggressive vines such as wintercreeper, Oriental bittersweet, and Japanese honeysuckle girdle and kill mature trees, as we’ve already documented on the common ground.
- The woods cannot regenerate. Without new seedlings, the woods can’t replace mature trees as they fall. The age structure breaks down, and the forest eventually stops renewing itself.
- Tick-borne disease risk rises significantly. A peer-reviewed study conducted here in the St. Louis area found deer densities roughly 5 times higher, and infected lone star tick nymphs roughly 10 times higher, in honeysuckle-invaded areas than in healthy woods.
- Erosion increases. Honeysuckle has a shallow root system and displaces the deep-rooted native groundcover that actually holds soil in place.
We are already 15 to 20 years into this trajectory. Left unchecked, honeysuckle can fully dominate a woodland, after which reversal becomes far more difficult and expensive.
Doing nothing comes with real costs. Every tree lost to invasives can cost thousands to remove, and trees near homes are even more urgent because they put property at risk. So the question isn’t if we spend, but what we spend on: we can invest in fixing the root problem, or keep paying to remove fallen trees. In the long run, we’ll either need to replant much of our 35 wooded acres or accept an overgrown honeysuckle thicket.
Here’s the encouraging part: we are not facing this alone. We’ve begun working with the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and others who offer technical guidance and, in some cases, cost-share, which could meaningfully reduce what we’d otherwise pay on our own. These conversations are early, but they are exactly the kind of partnership that lets a neighborhood of our size do this right without shouldering the full cost.
A long-term plan will affect our budget, but it could also save money over time if we do it right. We’ll share options as we consider them. Your feedback is especially important here.
Tree Removal Budget: Where We Stand
First, some reassurance: we’ve covered this year’s extra costs with existing funds by reallocating landscaping funds and using our Operating Contingency Reserve, which is intended for situations like this.
Our 2026 tree care budget was $15,148, but we’re on track to spend over $25,000 this year—about 65% over the plan, and that number could rise since storm season isn’t over. Every removal met the current policy and had Board approval. Most of the damage was from severe weather in April, but invasives also played a part, causing two of four tree losses, with two more being treated.
This will affect the 2027 dues discussion, which starts later this year. As expected, tree costs are rising, the canopy is aging, and invasive species make things more complicated. That’s why the cost-share partnerships mentioned above are so important. We’ll share updates and options as these talks continue.
Our Entrances
Both of our entrances, the signage areas, and the main thoroughfares are due for meaningful updates, and the Board has wanted to tackle this since we started. Community feedback shows this is also a top priority for residents.
We want to do this right the first time, with a long-term plan that uses hardy Missouri native plants. These plants can handle sun, road debris, and deer, fill in over a few seasons, and need little care or watering once they’re established. Our goal is a full update that lasts and saves money over time.
As mentioned earlier, storm damage in 2026 used up this year’s landscaping budget, so funds are tight. We hope to start in the fall, with some bed prep and clearing over the summer, but we can’t promise exact timing yet. We’d love help from residents with summer prep and getting things ready. If you’d like to help, please email us at [email protected].
New Tree Removal Policy
Our previous policy dates to 2011. It served us well for over a decade, but a few parts had drifted open to interpretation. The Board has reworked and approved the new policy. The most meaningful changes:
- Organized by tree location. The policy starts with where the tree sits, then walks through what happens next.
- Decisions about common ground remain with the Board, using a single standard based on best practices for woodland management. Common ground belongs to everyone, and its care should show that.
- Dead and downed wood is left to decompose on purpose. It provides wildlife habitat, returns nutrients to the soil, and supports natural regeneration. We know a fallen log can look like neglect, so to be clear: anything dangerous or blocking access is still cleared quickly, and loose limbs and brush are still tidied up or removed. Leaving deadwood where it’s safe is a recommended woodland practice.
- We remove at-risk trees only after receiving advice from a licensed arborist. This way, we rely on professional judgment instead of guessing each time.
You can review the policy here https://myridgemont.com/tree-removal-policy/, and we’re always open to feedback.
Your Input Matters
You’ll hear us say this often: decisions about common ground affect all of us, and we want to make them with the neighborhood, not on its behalf. As such, we always welcome your feedback. You can reply to this newsletter or email us at [email protected] with any thoughts. We’ll also send out surveys in the coming months to get more feedback, and all these topics will be discussed at the fall board meeting, if not before.
If you’ve read this far, thank you! Building on Jefferson’s quote, an informed neighborhood is foundational to a thriving one.
Thank you, as always, for the care you show this neighborhood.
Warm regards,
The Ridgemont Board of Trustees
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