Vinings Neighborhood

I have not seen the Home Depot mailboxes in person but did look a them on the web. I have some concerns even though I am one of the main supporters of replacing the mailboxes.

I have researched this issue quite a bit and the most desirable mailbox for maintenance and longevity is a 100% cast aluminum post and mailbox that advertises that they never need painting (from rust or sun fade). Plus you want a pleasing shape.

The design of the old towne mailboxes may meet those requirements. Since the cost is not posted it is difficult to compare with other mailboxes. However, I think these look like cheap knockoffs and are not as attractive as the more expensive models.

However, there is a company in Marietta that specializes in high quality mailboxes and installed the double mailboxes across the street in the Weiland town houses that had a much more attractive product in my opinion.
The last time I investigated this issue on behalf of PGCA, they would remove the old mailboxes, provide and install in cement the new mailboxes in a community for about $300. I provided the material at least twice to Suzanne but am willing to go and get flyers a third time if the board does not have the paperwork.

From the pictures, I am certain that these are higher quality mailboxes and more esthetically appealing plus the labor of installing and getting rid of the old posts and mailboxes is part of the deal. You can see the double version across the street at the townhouses.

Even if the Home Depot boxes are cheaper (and should they be selected), there is still the cost of having the new ones put in place and the old ones carted off. Whatever the association does, I suggest that you include the cost of securing a contractor to do the installation for each homeowner to get a fair cost comparison.

I could never take the old one out or install the new one myself ... I suspect for a small job like that I would be charged at least $75-$100 by a handyman , if I cold find one willing to do such a small and bothersome job. Perhaps the neightborhhod could get a better price for 100+ homes.

Even though I wuld normally be the first to sign up for a new box, if I cnnot buy it and arrange for installation all at the same time, I probably will not replace my mailbox.

I suggest at the least that if you feel the HD boxes are a potential solution that we purchase one and have it installed at the pool and see how it fairs in the weather and whether folks like the style better than the one Wieland used across the street.

Thanks for listening and at least for considering getting these white wooden crosses out of our front yards.



By Tricia Yandle

Ideas to control costs

Tricia,

First, thank you for continuing to press forward with this issue. I know we have had this come-up many times in the past, but hopefully persistence pays off here.


Second, it seems to me that the labor work of doing the replacement is not all that difficult. Perhaps we could pull together a number of the men and women from the neighborhood to form a labor group and volunteer our time into performing the replacement ourselves? This would eliminate the contractor labor charge and reduce the overall project cost per homeowner.

I would envision that we could stage the mailboxes and related hardware down at the pool parking lot, and job out the work from there in phases. I'm sure there would be many volunteers to provide food for lunch or after-work respite at the pool after work is completed for the day / weekend.

Third, we might talk to one of the local builders that is currently in-process with a project adjacent to our neighborhood to see if they would be interested in helping us source the materials from the builders supply leveraging their discounted rates. This provides them an opportunity to establish a win-win relationship with us while we tolerate their mess. We may be able to save another 15-25% with this maneuver.

Finally, we also need to estimate the cost to the HOA for updating the street signs with new posts that match the new mailboxes. Although this may likely to go into next years budget, we would want to source the materials at the same time as to leverage any bulk or discounted rates.

Let me know how I can help.

Thanks Again,

Chris Beal
4504 Weldon