Frequently Asked Questions

Why not make Artemina a gated community?

There are a few reasons not to make Artemina a gated community. We as residents would have to raise the funds to pay for the gate and its installation and maintenance. Once our community is gated, we take on a whole new set of responsibilities for maintaining our roads, sidewalks, streetlights, etc. All of these costs would fall on us as homeowners. These repairs can get quite costly and would require a substantial raise in our quarterly assessments.

Our community developers, original management company, and our current management company were all told by the Town of Gilbert traffic and planning departments respectively that Artemina is not allowed to become a gated community for two reasons. Cambridge is considered a thoroughfare and an alternate access to the Islands and Artemina for police and fire department vehicles. In addition, our entryway lacks the square footage needed to install the gate and provide a proper turn around for vehicles. That being said, our requests for a zoning change will perpetually be denied by the town.

Is there a time frame in which my refuse container may be left at the curb?

Yes! Our CC&R states that refuse containers must be removed from sight within a reasonable time before and after pick up. This is defined as 24 hours before and after the scheduled pick up time. If a homeowner leaves their container out for longer than that time, a courtesy letter will be sent reminding them of the regulation. If a second or third letter is sent, a monetary penalty may be assessed. It is the hope of the board that all homeowners will keep their containers out of sight except when necessary. This will keep our community looking neat and tidy.

How can we cut down on water consumption in Artemina? Can we stop watering/over seeding the grass?

This subject has been visited by board members and homeowners alike many times in the past. In 2005, the board sent out a survey asking the homeowners what their feeling was about over seeding. Should we or shouldn’t we? The answer we received was a resounding yes! All of our residents that responded felt very strongly that the common areas should remain over seeded. Most homeowners stated that our lush greenbelts are one of the things that attracted them to Artemina in the first place. It was also asked if we should cut back on the watering schedule and let the grass brown in the summer months. That was also met with a negative response. The board contacted the Town about alternatives to using potable water for our community, but the Town's reclaimed water system does not feed into the Artemina community. It is the opinion of the board that we should keep the status quo by over seeding and watering our common areas. We would like to represent the bulk of the neighborhood’s opinion to keep it green.

Why are there so many cars parked on our street? Can they do that?

Our streets in Artemina are public streets. Any car can park on them as long as it keeps within community guidelines. Our CC&R states that motor vehicles owned by an owner, guests of an owner, lessee or other resident may be parked in the driveway on a lot or on the public street for a time not to exceed 72 hours within any seven day period.
If a vehicle is left in the same spot for over 72 hours, the HOA can send them a removal letter asking the owner to remove the vehicle from sight. Unfortunately, there is little else we can do legally since the Town of Gilbert owns our streets. If you are concerned about a large volume of vehicles or vehicles continually stationary, it is wise to contact the Gilbert Police Department. They may be able to help you further with enforcing any laws that apply. In addition, the Town prohibits the parking of any boats and/or recreational vehicles on our streets. If you see any RV’s or boats parked for long periods of time on your street, please call the Gilbert PD for removal.

According to new state legislation, utility vehicles may be parked in our neighborhood when not in use by utility employees. These include SRP, APS, and Southwest Gas, municipal utility trucks such as Town of Gilbert, Qwest, and Cox Communications. All other commercial vehicles are required to be parked in a garage and not on the driveway or street.

Why don’t we have shade structures to cover the play equipment at our community parks?

This question is brought to the board continually. There are a couple of reasons we have never done this. To start, those structures are quite pricey. Artemina’s budget has never had the available funds to even entertain the idea. This would be a project we would have to budget 1 or 2 years for or do a one time special assessment to obtain.

We have also found that many of the shade structures on the market are large and bulky looking. In the research the board has done, there has never been a style that keeps with the architectural integrity of the neighborhood. It would be unfortunate to have a big bulky structure in the park that blocks out the views in our neighborhood rather than enhancing its beauty. We are not averse to doing more research on the topic and perhaps finding a suitable structure that would make all residents pleased.

There are so many cars speeding through the neighborhood. How can we address this problem?

The Board has expressed our concern to the Gilbert police about the high rate of speed that vehicles travel down Cambridge Avenue. The speed limit for residential areas is 25 MPH and even with the round-abouts (the palm tree landscaped circle at intersections within Artemina) vehicles do not slow down. This is particularly a safety issue for our children because all of our parks and school bus stops are along Cambridge Avenue. The police conducted a traffic study in 2004 and provided us with their analysis. Their conclusion was that vehicles were not speeding and the situation did not warrant any special attention.
We felt the study was conducted at non-representative times and the traffic study device was so obvious that people slowed only because they knew they were being monitored. Since it has been 4 years, the Town may grant us another study to reevaluate the situation. This is something the Board will be looking into in the future. As for our side streets, the speeding is primarily done by homeowners. Please watch your own speed within Artemina, keep a lookout for other speeding vehicles, follow the safe driving procedures through the round-abouts, and continue to exercise caution in our common areas along Cambridge Avenue.