Reminders for OFL Residents

Click on a topic below to see reminders related to that topic.

Making Changes to Your Property
The OFL Covenants require that if you are making any changes to your property that you submit a plan before doing so. The plan should be delivered to the Architecture Review Committee for review and approval. The Board has established several architecture policies to promote harmony and enjoyment for all OFL residents.

Policies exist for swimming pools, fences on lake lots, and satellite dishes:

Policy for Above Ground Swimming Pools
The OFLPOA Covenants (Article IX – Recreational Facilities) clearly state that there shall be no above ground swimming pools under any circumstances. Small, kid’s inflatable ‘wading pools’ have been around for years and are allowed to be up during the summer. Wading pools are usually small (under two feet in height and no more than eight to ten feet across) and obviously a temporary recreational facility.

The Board has defined what will be considered an ‘above ground pool’ in regards to the Covenant restriction. The City of Bloomington considers any structure intended for swimming or recreational bathing that is designed to hold water over 24 inches deep to be a swimming pool. The Board feels that this is a good criterion and will use the same definition for an above ground pool. Any above ground pool that can contain water over 24 inches deep is not in compliance with the OFLPOA Covenants. It does not matter how much water is actually in the pool. It is what the pool by design is capable of holding that is used as the criteria.

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Policy for Fencing on Lake Lots
In order to preserve the open view of and access to the lakes, a policy has been strictly and consistently enforced for many years that prohibit fences on any lot that backs up to either of the lakes. The main concern is with boundary fences. On several occasions, unapproved boundary fences on lake lots have been taken down at the Board’s request. Sales of homes on the lakes, contingent upon the right of the buyer to erect fences, have been blocked. A few ‘privacy walls’ that extend a short distance out from houses have been approved on a case-by-case basis; these are screened very closely.

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Policy for Satellite Dishes
One-meter in diameter satellite dishes are the maximum size that can be erected. They are to be mounted on the roof in the rear of the house. No freestanding satellite dishes or poles are allowed regardless of size. In the past, a six-foot diameter satellite dish was removed at the Board’s request.

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Trucks
The OFLPOA Covenants (Article IX – Parking) address parking in the OFL subdivision and state ”No trailers, trucks, recreational vehicles, boats or other motor vehicles except passenger cars shall be parked on the streets of this development overnight for more than one night. No trailers, trucks, recreational vehicles, snowmobiles or other motor vehicles except passenger cars shall be parked on any lot in this development for more than 24 hours unless said vehicle is parked in a garage.”. What is specifically meant by ‘truck’ is not spelled out in the Covenants.

Since the Covenants were written in 1987, what people use as passenger vehicles has gone through many changes – now pickup trucks and vans are regularly used as passenger vehicles. The Board feels vehicles larger than a full size pickup truck or full size van are vehicles association members would not like to see regularly parked on a lot or in the street in the OFL subdivision. Therefore, for the purpose of enforcing Article IX, concerning parking, the Board of Directors has defined a ‘truck’ to be any vehicle larger than a full size pickup truck or full size van.

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Storm Drains
Keep storm drains clear, don’t rake or sweep leaves, grass, or soil into the street. Help keep our lakes clean. Litter and yard waste clog drains, may cause street flooding, and fill the lakes with garbage. Please clear the litter and lawn waste from the street in front of your property.

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Bulk Waste Collection
City of Bloomington Public Works crews will collect up to one loader bucket of bulk refuse at the curb or two pickup truck loads at the drop off facility per week at no charge to the resident or owner. If there is additional bulk refuse to collect, the resident or owner will be charged $25 for each loader bucket of material or pickup truckload (after the first one). The additional fee will be included on the resident/owner’s next water bill.

Please put bulk waste and brush at the back of the curb no earlier than the day before your collection day. To determine which day brush and bulk waste are picked up, please call Public Works at 434-2225.

Bulk Waste Items Not Accepted – The following types of waste will not be collected by City crews: grass clippings or thatch, rock, sod, dirt, concrete, bagged leaves/clippings/thatch, shingles, appliances, batteries, tires, oil, liquids, chemicals, hazardous materials, or paint in liquid form.  Additionally, many electronic products (such as TVs, computers, monitors, printers) are prohibited from being disposed of with your garbage by state law.  The Ecology Action Center has information  on how to dispose of electronic items.

Accepted Bulk Waste Items – The following types of brush and bulk waste are collected by City crews from the parkways of residential properties: bulk waste, including… household and patio furniture; general household remodeling debris, generated by the homeowner/occupant; trash resulting from cleaning out basements/garages; exterior house and yard renovation/replacement debris from work on fences, porches, and windows, if work is done by the owner/occupant; brush, landscape waste, or garden trimmings, including… tree removal, tree limb/branch trimmings, leaves, firewood, bush removal, bush trimmings, and ornamental flowers.

Appliances – Appliances are classified as stoves, refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, microwaves, dehumidifiers, air conditioners and water heaters. Appliances are collected by a private company. To have an appliance collected, place it on the parkway and call the Public Works office at 434-2225 to have the address and type of appliance put on the collection list. Refrigerators/freezers must have doors removed. No food or any type of bulk waste may be inside an appliance that is placed out for collection. Appliances must be separate from all other debris.

City Drop Off Facility – The City operates a drop off facility for Bloomington residents to bring their brush, bulk waste, leaves, grass/thatch clippings, appliances and empty propane tanks (valves must be removed) for disposal. Residents are responsible for the unloading of their own materials into the appropriate locations as directed by the City employee on-site.  This facility is located at 402 S. East St. (corner of East and Jackson).

More information is available in the Bulk Waste Collection section of the City’s Solid Waste web page.

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Recycle Collection
City of Bloomington Public Works crews collect recycle materials every other week on Tuesdays (see the schedule, also available on Recycle Coach app). A City provided recycle cart must be used.  The cart should be placed in the parkway facing forward and away from obstructions (at least 3 feet from any tree, pole, mailbox, fire hydrant, or parked vehicle).  If you place anything against the container, it cannot be lifted for dumping. The cart handle and wheels of the cart face in, away from the street.  The cart must be stored in the backyard, garage, or a location not visible from the street.  Additionally, write your address on the cart so it can be easily identified if it blown around by the wind.

Accepted Recycle Materials – City of Bloomington accepts paper and cardboard, plastic #1 – 5, & 7, and glass & metal,  For a complete list of recycle items, please click here.

Materials Not Eligible for Recycle – Do not include drinking glasses, ceramics, mirrors, window glass, scrap metal, light bulbs, plastic bags, Styrofoam. All #6 plastic products are still not acceptable.

Additional information is available on the Garbage and Recycle page City of Bloomington Public Works.

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Garbage Collection
City of Bloomington Public Works crews make weekly visits to Old Farm Lakes on Tuesdays. A City provided garbage cart must be used. Garbage carts may be placed out for collection at the curb, but not in the street, no earlier than 2:00 p.m. on the day prior to scheduled collection, and no later than 6:00 a.m. on the day of the collection.

The cart should be placed in the parkway facing forward and away from obstructions (at least 3 feet from any tree, pole, mailbox, fire hydrant, or parked vehicle).  If you place anything against the container, it cannot be lifted for dumping. The cart handle and wheels of the cart face in, away from the street.. Empty carts must be removed from the curb no later than 9:00 a.m. on the day following collection. The cart must be stored in the backyard, garage, or a location not visible from the street. Write your address on your garbage cart so it can be easily identified if it blown around by the wind.

Garbage will be accepted only in (1) the City-issued carts and (2) sealed garbage bags weighing no more than 35 pounds placed in addition to (not instead of) a garbage cart. Bags of garbage placed on the curb for collection must be tagged with a City-issued sticker in order to be collected. The stickers cost $3.

More information is available on the Garbage Collection section of the City of Bloomington Public Works solid waste page.

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Bookmobile
The Bloomington Public Library Bookmobile makes stops in Old Farm Lakes once every three weeks, on Mondays from 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the intersection of Old Farm Road and Windmill Road. Check out the Bookmobile Schedule on the Bloomington Public Library website for more information. The loan period for all items checked out from the Bookmobile is three weeks.

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Theft
OFL residents should continuously be on the lookout for suspicious activity in the neighborhood. Always remember to lock vehicles and close garage doors, even when you are home. These can be easy targets of thefts of opportunity, especially during the night.

If you see something suspicious, or if a criminal act has occurred, report it immediately to the Police Department. For non-emergencies, call 820-8888, otherwise dial 911. Please also notify the OFL Board. There may be a recurring pattern or a wide-spread problem emerging. The Board sends out email alerts to all registered homeowners when theft or vandalism concerns are brought to our attention. To receive email alerts, you must be registered with the Board.

You can view reports of recent crimes in the surrounding area using the interactive crime map on the Bloomington Police Department website. For assistance using the tool, reference the Crime Mapping Brochure in the Publications section on the City of Bloomington’s website.

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Open Fires on Common Property
Open fires are not allowed on common property. Open Fires on common property are a liability to the Association and homeowners, therefore, the Board has voted to not to allow open-pit fires on common property. This includes all common property: the grassy area between the lakes and sidewalk, the open area between the lakes, the open lots by the spillway, the playground area, and the berm along Oakland Avenue.

All open fires should be reported to the Bloomington Fire Department.

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Annual Association Dues
Association dues for all property owners in Old Farm Lakes are $225 per year. Annual dues are low compared to many other homeowner associations in the Bloomington/Normal area. Ask around, you will find OFL dues are low – especially for all that the Association maintains and the benefits provided to members. Homeowners receive a notice to pay their annual OFLPOA dues in January each year. The due date each year is February 1. If you don’t receive your annual dues notice during the first week of January, please contact the OFL Treasurer.

When listing your property for sale, or at the closing of the sale, most banks, attorneys, and real estate agencies usually require a letter from the OFL Homeowners Association stating annual dues are paid. Contact the OFL Treasurer to request a letter confirming dues are paid for the current year for your property. To ensure that you have the letter when you need it, please allow at least a week’s notice.

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OFL Fishing Rules
The following rules are closely enforced to ensure quality fishing for years to come:

  • Fishing is for OFLPOA members and guests ONLY
  • Guests MUST be accompanied at all times by an OFLPOA member
    (Please do not tell family and friends that are not OFLPOA members that they can fish in our lakes)
  • OFLPOA lakes are Catch and Release only, this allows us to preserve the fish population
    • Returning fish to the water immediately increases the probability they will live and remain healthy
    • Fish kept on a stringer or in containers, that are later released, often die
    • It is unknown if it is safe to eat fish from the lakes, consuming fish caught in OFLPOA lakes is at your own risk and in violation of our catch and release policy
  • Fishing is allowed from 5:00 am to 10:00 p.m. only, absolutely no fishing outside these hours
  • Fishing is with fishing poles only, no other methods are allowed
  • Clean up all litter – never leave trash around the lakes
  • Excess noise is not allowed, please be respectful of your neighbors
  • Stay on association property, there is no reason to go on neighbors’ private property while fishing on our lakes

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Feeding Waterfowl Prohibited on Association Property
Feeding the waterfowl on our lakes may seem like a great thing to do, but it only creates problems. Therefore, feeding waterfowl on OFLPOA property (i.e. lakes, common ground, sidewalks, berms and playground) is prohibited.

The waterfowl can become dependent on this easy source of food. This may encourage them to stay year around instead of migrating and end up starving when the food source is not available in the winter.

The ducks and geese are grazing animals. They will eat the grass down to the roots especially during winter months causing damage to our lawns.

We all know that geese produce a lot of waste. When spring arrives, this excrement dries out and can easily become airborne and cause respiratory diseases especially in children who love to play in the grassy areas around our lakes. Feeding the geese and ducks adds to existing concerns of their waste making our sidewalks around the lakes difficult, and for some impossible, to use.

Do not feed the waterfowl on association property. Any and all association members have the right and the responsibility to inform any persons that are violating this OFLPOA rule.

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OFL School District Websites
All homes in the Old Farm Lakes subdivision are in the Bloomington District 87 School System. Listed below are the direct links to websites for each of the three schools serving OFL:

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