In previous articles we talked about national project “Housing and communal services and urban environment”. This is the Ministry of Construction’s plan to improve the quality of housing and communal services and create a comfortable urban environment. The authors of the project promise that by 2020 cities will become cozier, more beautiful and more convenient.

Residents will be the “engine” of transformation, but they cannot do it without the help of utility specialists. And first of all, they will turn to the management organization. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read today’s article. In it we told how to include a house in improvement program for 2017.

What will they do

• rules of improvement and maintenance;
• efficient cleaning, lighting and landscaping systems.

The public areas that are most often visited by city residents will be equipped in 2017. And by 2020 they plan to put all urban areas in order.

Two-thirds of federal funding will be spent on landscaping yards. Therefore, citizens have a good opportunity to obtain financing for arrangement of the yard area.

Whether the yard will be transformed depends on the residents. It is important to convey to them that the territory will be included in the program only if they show interest and initiative. The Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation explained in step-by-step instructions how to create the yard of your dreams.

Step 1. Find out the terms of the program

Local governments must develop and publish by April 1, 2017 draft municipal program for improvement of local areas. It specifies the conditions for participation in the program, the minimum list of works and examples of landscaping elements, and the cost of these elements.

If you want to do more in your yard than the minimum list suggests, you can do additional work.

To do this, interested parties must be found among those living in houses nearby, tenants and owners of premises, and public organizations. Stakeholders participate in carrying out additional work.

The minimum share and method of participation are determined by the municipality. Participation in additional work can be labor or financial. In the first case, residents hold clean-up days, plant plants, make flower beds, and install street furniture on their own. With financial participation, they partially pay for the work.

You can raise funds for additional work in the following ways:

• use savings for current repairs of common property or reserve funds,
• receive from the use of common property,
• collect a one-time target fee by decision of the general meeting through the management organization or HOA or according to the statement in cash,
• attract sponsors.

Step 2. Make a plan

An initiative group is assembled from interested parties. It is important to consider whose property the yard is. It may belong to:

• owners of one apartment building (included in common property);
• owners of several apartment buildings (on land plots of two or more apartment buildings);
• municipality;
• owners of several apartment buildings and the municipality (a municipal plot is located between the land plots of apartment buildings).

To find out, you need to find out land boundaries, if they are defined. Information about the boundaries of a land plot can be found in the cadastral passport of the building or on the Rosreestr website.

No matter who owns the yard, it can be arranged according to the program.

If the yard is common to several houses, then the initiative group should include representatives of each house. The initiative group solves the following tasks:

• create a yard plan,
• determine the list of works and the scope of participation of residents,
• conduct OSS,
• control the implementation of ideas at all stages.

Works to help residents in every municipality public commission. It brings together experts in landscaping, construction, and local history. Specialists will help you draw the yard and take into account:

• wishes of the owners,
• municipal program
• natural and other features of the territory.

Step 3. Conduct OSS

With the finished drawing, the initiative group goes to the general meeting of owners. If the initiative group includes representatives of several MKDs, the OSS is held in each house with the same agenda.

• elect the chairman and secretary of the OSS, the counting commission;
• contact the compulsory health insurance with a proposal to include the yard area in municipal program for creating a comfortable urban environment for 2017 (in this paragraph you should indicate the planned list of works, which corresponds to the established minimum and additional lists);
• determine the form and share of participation of the owners (the amount of financial participation is indicated as a percentage of the cost, labor participation - in the number of people involved in the work);
• determine the procedure and source of financing for the work;
• select the person responsible for the approval of the design project, control and acceptance of work;
• include the installed objects into the general property of the apartment building for their subsequent maintenance.

Residents will have 1-2 months from the date of publication of the municipal program to prepare and hold a general meeting. And you need to prepare well for such a meeting. After all, if in at least one of several houses decision on OSS will not be accepted, the yard will not be included in the program.

The Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation recommends choosing an in-person form and holding the in-person part of the meeting in all courtyards at the same time. This way, residents will be able to discuss issues together and come to an agreement. All issues on the agenda must be resolved at the meeting.

Step 4. Submit an application

To include a yard in the program, local authorities are sent OSS protocol(one or several depending on the number of apartment buildings to which the courtyard area belongs) with the decisions made. A landscaping plan can be attached to the protocol.

A public commission will consider the application. It includes representatives of compulsory health insurance, political parties, public organizations, and so on. The review procedure must be published on the municipality’s website before April 1, 2017.

Municipal program project submitted for public discussion. There the fate of each application will be decided. Residents can take part in the discussion. How to do this is determined by the municipality.

Step 5. Agree on the design project

If the yard is included in the territory development plan, based on the plan (drawing) a design project. It may look different, depending on the amount of work planned. If necessary, it may contain design and estimate documentation or only images of the yard with a description of the proposed work and activities.

The design project must not violate the rights of third parties or interfere with the passage of utility lines. It will be approved by the responsible person selected at the OSS.

By July 1, 2017, municipal authorities must approve the design project for the yard. This will happen if:

• authorized on behalf of the OSS, agreed on the project;
• the owners have fully contributed their share of financial participation to a special account and/or submitted a letter of guarantee that specific named residents will participate in the execution of the work.

Once the design project is approved, the competitive selection of contractors will begin. The territory will begin to be developed approximately 1.5 months after the announcement of the competition.

Step 6. Controlling the work

An authorized representative of the owners supervises the improvement work. If he sees that contractors are doing work of poor quality or not in accordance with the project, he writes an appeal to the compulsory medical insurance.

When arranging the territory, workers must comply with accessibility requirements for people with limited mobility.

The plan for the yard must be completed by the end of 2017. The work is accepted by a commission, which includes the person in charge selected at the OSS. Experts can be hired to evaluate the work performed. If the activities are carried out efficiently and according to the project, an acceptance certificate is signed.

Step 7. Maintain the yard area

And now in front of your house there is a new, modern site, into the creation of which you have invested your labor and finances. Think about how long it will remain in this form: like in the picture of the design project? After all, any property needs to be monitored, maintained and repaired. Here the owners need services management organization.

To make a decision on the maintenance of the courtyard area, the initiative group collects proposals from the management authority, HOA, service organizations and submits them to the general meeting of owners.

The OSS decides which organization will maintain the yard and how this work will be paid for.

Several organizations can simultaneously maintain a yard common to several apartment buildings.

Remember that when maintaining a yard area, its characteristics must be taken into account.

Photo: Press services of the Mayor and the Moscow Government. Denis Grishkin

The work is financed mainly by funds from the sale of patents to individual entrepreneurs, income from paid city parking and taxes on personal income from renting out apartments.

In recent years, more than 22 thousand courtyards have been reconstructed in the capital, the Presidium of the Moscow Government reported at a meeting.

“We have reconstructed, repaired and restored more than 22 thousand Moscow courtyards. We are talking about creating sports and children's playgrounds, landscaping, creating parking space and a number of other activities. It is important that this work does not stop and continues at the systemic level,” noted the Moscow Mayor.

According to him, it is necessary to ensure control over what has already been done: promptly replacing broken small architectural forms, maintaining sports and children's playgrounds in good condition. Also, improvement must be provided with permanent sources of funding. There are three main ones.

“The first is the parking fee, the second is the fee for patents that are collected in a particular area, and the third is the taxes that come from the rental of housing (apartments). And part of the centralized sources that come directly from the budget of the city of Moscow. These are quite significant sources. Funding for them increases from year to year. Next year the volume of such funds will be considerable - it will amount to about 10 billion rubles. Moreover, they are distributed according to an understandable, clear formula between prefectures and regions,” Sergei Sobyanin clarified.

The mayor of Moscow emphasized that it is now necessary to outline clear plans for the implementation of these programs and the use of these funds in such a way that all projects are created taking into account the opinions of citizens and involve the constant renovation of the capital's courtyards so that they are always in good condition.

The Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Communal Services and Landscaping reported on the implementation of the program for the improvement of courtyard areas.

“Since 2011, the city has had a program for comprehensive improvement of courtyard areas. The allocated amount of funding over the past years has made it possible to repair and carry out comprehensive landscaping of Moscow courtyards. Moreover, since 2016, the main source of funding has been funds to stimulate district governments,” the deputy mayor said.

He noted that some of the courtyards were renovated as part of the “My Street” program. These are courtyards located next to landscaping areas.

“There are more than 24 thousand households in the capital, including 22.5 thousand households within the old city boundaries. To date, 22.5 thousand yards have been put in order, overhauled within the framework of the standard of comprehensive improvement and safe operation,” said Pyotr Biryukov.

The program for repairs and improvement of courtyard areas for this year has been completed. “The priority task for 2017 and subsequent years is to maintain all courtyard areas in technically sound condition in accordance with regulatory requirements, as well as ensure the safety of various elements and small architectural forms in landscaped areas. The condition of Moscow courtyards today allows us to switch to a rhythmic interval between repairs, depending on the technical condition of one or another courtyard,” the deputy mayor noted.

In 2017, it is planned to improve about three thousand courtyards, repair or rebuild 820 playgrounds, 41 children's playgrounds, 468 sports grounds, 188 quiet recreation areas, 403 areas for walking pets, 16 utility areas. Work is also planned to repair asphalt and fences, create additional parking spaces, landscaping, and tidying up container sites and other facilities.

The city program for the comprehensive improvement of courtyard areas has been implemented in Moscow since 2011. In 2011-2014, as part of this program, centralized repairs and comprehensive landscaping of courtyard areas were carried out. As a result, Moscow courtyards were brought into line with the new standard of comfort.

It includes:

— reasonable and safe organization of yard space;

— separation of space for cars (parking lots, roadways) from space for people (sidewalks, children's, sports and other playgrounds);

— landscaping (trees, shrubs, flower beds, lawns);

— high-quality infrastructure for recreation and sports for all categories of residents (modern playgrounds, inter-block playgrounds, sports grounds, outdoor exercise equipment, areas for quiet recreation);

— at the request of residents, restriction of entry into courtyards of outside vehicles (barriers).

In 2015, improvement work was carried out in 4,047 courtyards, including comprehensive overhauls in 1,578 courtyards. In 2016 - in 3050 courtyards, including comprehensive overhauls affecting 2078 courtyards.

In total, from 2011 to 2016, 22,288 playgrounds for various purposes were overhauled or rebuilt in Moscow courtyards. Among them are 16,832 playgrounds, 1,664 children's inter-block playgrounds, 1,194 sports grounds, 2,598 playgrounds for other purposes. More than 3.5 thousand sets of outdoor exercise equipment were installed in courtyards, and 29.6 million square meters of asphalt pavement were replaced.

The financing mechanisms used in Moscow provide:

— maintaining the yard infrastructure (children’s slides, exercise machines and other equipment) in good condition;

— regular (on average once every seven years) repairs of courtyard areas;

— implementation of projects for additional improvement of courtyard areas based on the wishes of residents.

At the same time as the improvement of courtyards in Moscow, the entrances of apartment buildings are being repaired and put in order. On average, about 20 thousand of them are repaired annually, which makes it possible to maintain all 105.9 thousand Moscow entrances in good condition.

Thus, in 2016, 22,335 entrances were repaired, the plan for 2017 is 20,661 entrances. The work is financed by management companies.

Experts from the Center for Monitoring Urban Environment Improvement checked how the federal project is being implemented in seven regions: the Chuvash Republic, Voronezh Region, Primorsky Territory, Tula, Novgorod and Tomsk Regions, as well as in the Republic of Udmurtia. As it turned out, a common problem for all regions is that residents are poorly informed about the project and the opportunities to participate in the improvement. The activists sent a complete list of all the detected shortcomings to the Russian Ministry of Construction.

According to experts, in the Chuvash Republic, only the draft state program for the formation of the urban environment for 2018–2022 is posted on the official website of the Ministry of Construction. At the same time, meetings of interdepartmental commissions are held less than once every three months, and the head of the region does not personally supervise most of the events. As of October 31, 2017, out of nine municipalities, only two have completed all improvement work.

An on-site inspection showed that the municipal improvement program for the city of Cheboksary included courtyard areas that had already been put in order in 2013–2016. In addition, in many cases, when creating a list of objects and preliminary designs, citizens were given samples of only one manufacturer, and during the design, the standards for creating a barrier-free environment for people with limited mobility were not followed or taken into account.

“In the Voronezh region, as it turned out, when submitting applications for improvement, residents did not receive the number of the submitted application. Due to the accelerated deadlines for generating applications in 2017, plans for the improvement of courtyard areas were developed without taking into account the opinions of citizens, and in fact were imposed by district administrations. Residents had to approve all this, because otherwise the courtyards could simply not be included in the project,” noted Svetlana Kalinina, coordinator of the Center for Monitoring the Improvement of the Urban Environment, member of the ONF Central Headquarters.

At the same time, on the websites of some municipalities in the Voronezh region there is no information on the implementation of the “Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment” project, despite the fact that all programs should be posted on the websites of municipalities. There have also been several cases of changes in plans for improvement of courtyard areas approved by citizens, as funding for the project has decreased. One of the problems that experts have encountered in the region is the lack of properly formalized rights of citizens to land plots under apartment buildings (MKD). Because of this, problems arise regarding the further maintenance of the courtyard area and the property located on it.

Thus, in the Primorsky Territory, demarcated courtyards owned by residents of apartment buildings were not included in the program for the formation of a modern urban environment. In addition, it turned out that the majority of residents of the region do not know about the implementation of the project and, accordingly, do not participate in decision-making. At the same time, a meeting of the regional interdepartmental commission is held less than once every three months.

Based on the results of the inspection in the Tomsk region, the Center’s experts concluded that government officials responsible for the implementation of the priority project need to be trained in the rules for holding meetings, the basics of information transparency and quality control of work. It turned out that the improvement program for 2018–2022. do not include applications from residents who were not included in the program in 2017, but require people to re-collect documents and reapply.

“It is obvious that in the region there are problems with an integrated approach to the implementation of a priority project,” explained Rodion Gazizov, coordinator of the ONF Center for monitoring the improvement of the urban environment in the Tomsk region. – For example, when landscaping a courtyard area, attention must be paid not only to asphalt paving work, but also to the arrangement of storm drainage, the appearance of the house facade, and the presence of sidewalks. It is also important that residents do not have questions about the adequacy of the ratio of the volume of work actually carried out and its cost, so you need to talk to people, consult, take their opinion into account, explain what, how and why will be done.”

In the Tula region, experts encountered poor quality of landscaping work. For example, in the regional center at 4 Leiteizena Street, the work has already been completed, however, according to the residents of the building, many shortcomings remain: for example, there is no lawn on the territory, there is dirt around the slides and horizontal bars. People are also dissatisfied with the fact that they have lost benches near their entrances. ONF activists in the Tula region drew attention to these shortcomings and will ensure that they are eliminated.

In the Novgorod region, according to experts, the authorities approached the implementation of the project formally. In practice, it turned out that when creating a modern urban environment, officials limited themselves to paving courtyards. In addition, the developed design projects were not approved by residents in certain districts of the Novgorod region, and during meetings in public commissions the opinion of public activists was not taken into account.

In Udmurtia, there were also comments regarding the quality of improvement work. In almost all of the inspected yards, the asphalt roads were also only repaired, and not always to a high quality. In addition, there are complaints about elements of the accessible environment, as well as about the inconsistency of design and estimate documentation with residents.

“Every time we remind you that the priority project “Formation of a comfortable urban environment” is aimed at involving the residents themselves in the improvement processes, making courtyards and public spaces more convenient for them. However, many citizens simply do not know about the existence of the project, and this must be fought,” explained Svetlana Kalinina.

The improvement of courtyard areas in Russia is the responsibility of regional and local authorities. However, with the exception of Moscow, partly the Moscow region and St. Petersburg, the relevant authorities allocate almost no funds for these purposes. At best, improvement is limited to the central part of regional “capitals”. As a rule, this is justified by a lack of funds in local budgets.

In 2017, under the auspices of the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation, the project program “Comfortable Urban Environment” was adopted. It is designed for the period until 2022. The total amount of funding for this program is more than 42 billion rubles, of which approximately 25 billion rubles are planned to be allocated from the federal budget for the improvement of courtyard areas. Subjects of the Russian Federation must also take part in this program, allocating about 17 billion rubles for its implementation. The distribution of federal funds depends on the activity of regional authorities and the local population.

Any locality with more than 1,000 residents can receive funding for the improvement of courtyard areas in 2019-2022. To be included in the program, the corresponding territory must be transferred to the shared ownership of residents of adjacent houses. After completion of the work at “public expense”, all further costs for the repair and maintenance of courtyard areas are completely transferred to the owners, i.e. residents. They can participate in this both in cash and in kind (“subbotniks”, etc.).

The following work is being carried out under the federal project:

• installation of garbage cans and containers;
• installation of benches;
• organization of car parking;
• installation of lighting equipment;
• repair of courtyard driveways;
• equipment for children's and sports grounds;
• landscaping.

According to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, in 2017-2018, more than 20 thousand courtyards were landscaped in different cities of Russia as part of this program. Among the leading regions in the implementation of this project:

• Kaluga region;
• Krasnoyarsk region;
• Chechen Republic;
• Kaliningrad region;
• Tomsk region.

Landscaping of courtyards in Moscow and the region

In the capital of Russia, the corresponding city program was adopted back in 2011. Since 2015, the city program “My Street” has been in effect, within the framework of which the repair and improvement of Moscow courtyards is also carried out. The ideologists of these projects were the influential Strelka Institute of Architecture and Design (chairman of the trustees A. Mamut), as well as the Danish architect Jan Gehl, invited to Moscow by the city authorities in 2010. Gale is known in Denmark and other countries around the world for his work in transforming and humanizing urban spaces. The validity period of Moscow improvement programs has been extended for the period 2019-2022.

Currently, about 25,000 courtyards have been “improved” in Moscow. Active development of adjacent areas is underway in the so-called. “New Moscow” (former districts of the Moscow region southwest of the capital). In addition to standard work similar to that carried out under the federal project, the capital’s programs include:

• widening and repairing sidewalks;
• establishment of bicycle paths and parking lots;
• laying tiles instead of asphalt pavement;
• installation of barriers at the entrance to courtyards (in agreement with local residents);
• designer landscaping.

In 2019-2022, the city government plans to focus on repairing and maintaining already landscaped courtyard areas.

Updated rules

The following rules will take effect once the federal program is fully implemented:

1. Residents are responsible for paying for repairs and other work in basements, hallways, roofs and courtyards. That is, the responsibility for maintaining order in this case is removed from state and local government bodies.
2. The decision on the amount of money spent and any work on the adjacent landscaping areas will be made directly by the residents of the house by decision of the general building meeting. This means that all responsibility will fall entirely on the community of residents, so the ability to make decisions together will be fundamental to maintaining a high quality of life.

Important! To simplify the procedure for further control, a responsible person can be elected at the meeting, who will subsequently determine the amount of necessary work and investments required for maintenance.

What work can be done

For areas that have not yet been landscaped, the following types of minimal and additional work can be selected at a general house meeting:

• installation of trash cans;
• equipment of playgrounds for children's leisure;
• installation of benches;
• equipment for sports facilities;
• repair of travel areas;
• organization of improved parking spaces;
• area lighting is required.

Also, if there is such a need, you can include additional work in the list. Their importance will need to be further justified in the project.

How it worked before

Before the municipal gentrification program was developed, the system worked unfavorably for the residents of the building. The situation was that they were not responsible for the local areas: responsibility for arrangement and repairs lay with management companies or housing and communal services employees. Money for improvement was allocated annually, however, the procedure for disposing of it was decided in fact by non-interested persons.

Thus, funds were spent on minimal, sometimes individual needs, while the courtyards remained in the same condition as before. The program allows you to completely eliminate this problem through financial support and transferring responsibility for maintaining the quality of life to people who are truly interested in this - the residents of the house.

Around each apartment building there is a local area, which belongs to all owners at the same time. Current legislation requires regular improvement work. The plan of these works, quality standards and other rules are described in detail in the article.

The standards for the size of the territory that belongs to the local area are regulated primarily by the Housing Code (Chapter 6). They also pay attention to town planning acts, which depend on a specific locality, construction documents and Rules for the maintenance of common property related to an apartment building.

There is no single, specific formula for all cases. However, for each house there is a plan (it can be seen in the Management Company or HOA), which clearly indicates the boundaries of the territory.

Thus, to determine the area of ​​responsibility for the care and improvement of the yard area first you need to clearly define its boundaries. Legally, it can be municipal or privately owned. In the latter case, the land is considered to belong simultaneously to all owners in shares proportional to the areas of their apartments.

Responsible for landscaping

If the land belongs to the municipality, then representatives of the local Administration are responsible for the improvement. If the local area is private property, the residents bear responsibility. However, in this case, the owners, as a rule, transfer (delegate) their powers to a certain legal entity:

• A management company that is responsible for maintaining common property, landscaping, yard cleaning, garbage removal and much more;
• House Committee (relevant responsible persons are appointed from among the owners).

Thus, regardless of the size of the local area and the form of ownership of it Responsibility for improvement lies with the owner(directly or indirectly – i.e. through an agreement with the Management Company). The management company provides relevant paid services, paid according to the accepted tariff.

Apartment owners have the right to demand fulfillment of obligations under the contract in full. You can read the text of the agreement at the company or get it from the person in charge (for example, the chairman of the HOA or the person in charge of the house).

Expert opinion

Salomatov Sergey

Real estate expert

When purchasing an apartment in a new building, the owners enter into a purchase and sale agreement with a construction company. An act of acceptance and transfer of property (both the house itself and the yard around it) is also signed. The developer's obligation to carry out landscaping of the yard must be specified in the contract. Otherwise, the owners will not be able to require him to carry out the appropriate work.

List of landscaping works

A specific list of works is approved at the local level - in decisions of regional governments. Typically, such programs are called “Formation of a comfortable urban environment.”

The final list of work can be determined individually for each apartment building. Residents at the general meeting of owners have the right to independently determine a specific list of responsibilities of the Management Company servicing the house (within the limits of their financial capabilities). The list of works usually includes the following types:

1. Cleaning of all areas intended for public use, including designated parking areas.
2. Installation of garbage cans and trash cans.
3. Construction of asphalt and sidewalks.
4. Installation of curbs and curbs.
5. Maintenance of street lighting lamps, periodic inspection and repair work, elimination of consequences of emergency situations.
6. Installation of lighting systems for additional purposes (for example, lighting on a sports ground, children's playground, etc.).
7. Creation, maintenance, expansion, modernization of a children's playground in the yard (and other active recreation areas, if available - for example, horizontal bars, exercise equipment, etc.).
8. Carrying out landscaping work, maintaining shrubs, trees, flower beds.
9. Painting of all stationary structures installed on the site, including fences, benches, trash cans, supports, etc.
10. Seasonal work related to ensuring the safety of residents and tenants - treating pedestrian paths with an anti-icing mixture, destroying icicles, ice, snow crust, etc.
11. Installation, maintenance and repair work on the fences of the site, its individual zones (for example, a flower garden, a children's playground).
12. Installation of ramps, railings, and other devices in the yard to create a comfortable environment for people with disabilities.
13. Covering the area - natural or artificial turf, asphalt.
14. Installation of architectural structures, sculptures, small fountains, etc.
15. Creation of areas for walking animals, fencing, maintenance of these areas.

The volume of each type of work has its own unit of measurement - in most cases it is a square meter, linear meter or pieces. For example, curbs are measured in linear meters, laying asphalt - in m2, and installing trash bins - in pcs.

Lists of works are compiled for each year, the content of types of services and prices for them are updated as new information becomes available. Usually the document is approved in advance, before the new year.

Standards for carrying out basic work

Specific standards are established both at the level of federal and regional legislation (regulatory acts, GOSTs, SNiPs and other documents). The main source of information is the relevant Decree of the State Construction Committee.

Asphalting

This is one of the most expensive items in the budget for landscaping yards. As a rule, before making a decision on repairs, at least half of the residents gather and make the appropriate decision by a majority vote. The work is carried out through additional financing by the owners (or through income from the rental of part of the local area).

The asphalting standards are as follows:

• the layer height may differ from the accepted one by at least 15 cm;
• the width of the coating directly around the house is at least 100 cm;
• covering on roads directly adjacent to entrances, as well as in parking lots, is mandatory.

Fencing rules

The construction of permanent fences is not prohibited by law, however, when carrying out work, several requirements must be taken into account:

1. The fence cannot block the passage, as well as vehicular access to the house.
2. The territory of the yard cannot be completely limited - so that residents of other courtyards cannot easily cross it.
3. At the same time, the playground or parking lot can be completely fenced.

Fences in the parking lot should not interfere with the passage of special vehicles (police, ambulance, fire trucks, etc.) to the house.

Landscaping rules

When landscaping a yard, attention is almost always paid to landscaping the area. It is carried out taking into account the following requirements:

1. Lawns, shrubs, and green hedges are mowed regularly (several times during the warm season).
2. Watering is timely and increased in dry summers.
3. Unauthorized planting of bushes and trees, as well as their uprooting, is inadmissible.
4. Maintaining clear boundaries of green areas and lawns. It is unacceptable to expand it at the expense of pedestrian paths and other areas.
5. It is not allowed to use trees as poles, supports, advertising structures, etc.
6. Timely removal of dead wood and last year's grass.
7. It is prohibited to place parking spaces directly in the green zone.
8. It is allowed to erect low fences, signal posts to visually highlight lawns, areas with trees and shrubs.

Sometimes the green area in the courtyards additionally contains an artificial pond. In this case, at a meeting of owners, it is necessary to develop a procedure for caring for water in order to avoid clogging of the pond, water blooms, etc.

Arrangement of a children's playground

Responsibility for the construction of a playground lies with:

• on the developer, if this clause was initially provided for in the contract (for new buildings);
• on apartment owners, if the adjacent territory has already been privatized;
• at the municipality (Administration), if privatization has not yet taken place.

The requirements for the creation and maintenance of playgrounds are the most stringent, since we are talking primarily about the safety of children.

In general, when carrying out installation or repair work, the following requirements are adhered to:

1. The area for placing the site is selected based on the fact that it should be furthest from the roadway and garbage cans (at least 20 meters).
2. The perimeter of the site is fenced with trees that will provide shade in the summer.
3. It is imperative to create a sand cushion to minimize injuries in the event of a fall. Sand replacement is carried out annually.
4. Maintaining cleanliness and compliance with sanitary standards.

Employees of the Management Company must monitor the condition of the territory. They remove garbage, carry out routine repairs, carry out regular inspections with the preparation of reports, etc.

GOST requirements for the improvement of children's playgrounds require the creation of several zones for different age groups. In practice, it is not possible to implement this idea in all cases. Therefore, they are limited to installing at least one horizontal bar (simulator, play structure) for each age.

Current and major repairs

Major repairs mean the following types of work:

• landscaping the yard with shrubs and trees, creating a hedge;
• installation of fences and buildings;
• asphalting of parking lots, internal roads and pedestrian paths.

Current repairs include:

• pothole repair of roads;
• work on the maintenance of fences and buildings on the site;
• repair work on children's and sports grounds.

How to take part in the improvement program

The maintenance of the house, including the surrounding area, is carried out mainly by the Management Company, to which the residents delegate these powers under an agreement. However, in practice, the scope of her responsibility is limited to garbage removal, mowing lawns, etc. To carry out a complete renovation of the playground, organize a recreation area and make other large-scale changes, residents have to contact the local Administration.

Step 1. Holding a general meeting

First of all, the owners must gather at a general meeting to decide on drawing up a plan for landscaping their yard. In practice, the same yard actually belongs to several apartment buildings at once. Therefore, it is advisable to organize a general meeting with the participation of the owners of all apartments belonging to the microsite.

An initiative group preliminarily gathers (for example, senior people in the house, at the entrances, chairmen of the HOA) and draw up an announcement about organizing the meeting. It contains information:

• on the composition of the initiative group;
• the date, time and place of the meeting;
• about the agenda (including landscaping of the yard).

The decision is made by a simple majority of votes. In this case, the quorum (the minimum required number) is 50% of all owners. and signed by the participants.

The results of the meeting are communicated to all owners via announcements within 10 calendar days after the decision is made. Requirements for drawing up a protocol should be specified in the relevant regulatory document (Order).

Step 2. Yard landscaping plan

At the meeting, among other issues, the list, plan and procedure for carrying out work on landscaping the yard are discussed. The plan is drawn up with or without the involvement of specialists. As a rule, owners provide a complete list of all works and indicate them on the diagram.

After this, the form of participation of all residents is determined (financial - that is, payment in money or labor - performing certain works). The candidacy of the chairman responsible for submitting the application for improvement is approved.

Step 3. Submit an application

The minutes of the meeting of the owners of one or several houses at once (or the minutes of meetings for each house) are transferred to the local Administration by the responsible chairman. Also, any resident of the house has the right to apply. The procedure and timing of consideration depend on local regulations, which need to be clarified locally. At the same time, you can also check whether the house is included in the improvement program. This is also done in the Administration (upon request) or on the official website (if available).

Step 4. Waiting for a decision

Based on the submitted data, the municipality independently draws up a design project that takes into account the wishes of the residents. This document is agreed upon between all representatives of the owners of the apartment building. After approval, the project is finally approved by the Administration (no later than July 1). Then a competitive selection of companies ready to carry out improvement work is announced, and after about 2 months the winner of the competition is determined. The terms and schedule of work are drawn up individually.

Additional sources of income for improvement

Financing is carried out not only at the expense of the owners (when paying receipts). It is also possible to raise additional funds through:

• leasing part of the local area for shops, organizing parking, etc.;