Community Landscape (CL), with the support and encouragement of Community Management (CM), appears to be working diligently to transform Belmont Country Club’s carefully maintained landscapes into something far more natural: a forest ecosystem.
Special thanks to our beloved contractors for their ongoing efforts to create a true “forest vibe community,” where one day landscaping may become completely unnecessary. Through a successful front yard maintenance initiative, homeowners were assured that the program would enhance the beauty of the community. Little did residents know that a much grander vision was underway: the gradual evolution of Belmont into a self-sustaining natural habitat, free from weed control, pesticide applications, and the noise or emissions associated with lawn equipment.
Tactic #1: No Shrub Pruning and Landscape Maintenance (as of Aug 16, 2026)
A drive through the community quickly reveals the success of the forestation strategy. Shrubs and trees are increasingly left to grow naturally, creating an authentic woodland appearance.
Many lawns now feature expanding patches of bare soil, moss, and weeds that compete with existing turf grass. Residents have observed that lawn seeding appears to occur only after 4+ years, while weed management efforts from TrueChem lawn often ceremonial and performed while raining rendering them ineffective and unnecessary.
Some ornamental shrubs and mature landscape plants that thrived for decades now appear stressed or in decline. Examples can be found throughout the community, including near the Medalist Drive playground area. Likewise, dead or declining trees can be found in both common areas and residential front yards. Even the willow tree near the Tournament Parkway entrance lake has joined the transformation effort.
Tactic #2: Multi-Phase Service Delivery
Residents may have noticed an innovative service model where landscaping tasks are performed months apart rather than during a coordinated maintenance visit. For example: edging in March or April, mulching after a month, and pruning potentially in the fall or never. Occasionally skipping one or more steps altogether.
This staggered approach ensures that neither homes nor common areas ever appear overly maintained. It also provides contractors with more money in skipped services and delaying services till the cheapest labor becomes available.
Tactic #3: The Mystery Mowing Program
Traditional mowing schedules can be predictable and boring. CL has instead introduced a surprise-based lawn maintenance model. Because no consistent schedule appears evident, residents enjoy guessing when their lawn might next be serviced. Perhaps neighborhood betting on Kalsi could be established. Cutting grass shorter exposes earth surface, allowing moss to thrive and eventually takeover the turf. Shorter grass height also allows, CL to return later than normal.
An additional environmental benefit is the reduction of noise and air pollution that would otherwise result from routine mowing. HOA communications often reinforce appreciation for these flexible scheduling practices by providing explanations when services are delayed.
Tactic #4: Encouraging Natural Leaf Fertilization
Many residents fondly remember the Thanks Giving of 2023 through 2025, when leaves remained throughout the community, creating a memorable fall atmosphere. Leaving leaves in place supports natural forest processes by: returning organic matter to the soil, providing habitat for insects, gradually covering and suppressing grass growth. Nature, after all, rarely sends cleanup crews through a forest.
See a picture from December when we were enjoying fall vibe.
Tactics #5 – Grass Reduction Approach
CL is also making an important contribution to the BCC Forestation Initiative by mowing the grass so short that it can recover just enough to require another visit in approximately 9–10 days, compared with the traditional 7-day mowing cycle used by their predecessor.
This innovative approach offers numerous environmental benefits:
- Fewer mowing visits mean less noise pollution.
- Fewer trips mean less air pollution.
- Longer intervals between mowing give moss more time to spread naturally.
- Expanding moss coverage helps gradually transform ordinary yards into beautiful, low-maintenance natural landscapes.
- And, naturally, missed or incomplete services create additional opportunities for charitable dollars to continue flowing to CLS.
Tactic #6: Implementing Change Slowly
Every successful transformation requires patience. Rather than making dramatic changes all at once, service levels appear to be reduced gradually over time. Activities that were once completed during a single visit are now spaced out over months or omitted entirely for years. This thoughtful approach allows residents to slowly adjust to:
- Dying grass
- Bare ground
- Declining shrubs
- Overgrown plantings
- Reduced overall landscape quality
- Rundown community
A slower transition undoubtedly reduces the anxiety associated with sudden change.
Tactic #7: Rewarding Success with Premium Pricing
The community’s appreciation for these efforts is reflected in its willingness to provide significant financial support. CM and CL went extra mile, skipped HOA policies, deployed their own personnel who encouraged residents to participate in the front-yard maintenance program and, according to many homeowners, were told that the proposal would proceed regardless of residents’ approvals. The community had no choice but to agree on premium pricing which was double the price quoted by Toll Brothers earlier.
As a result, Belmont residents now have the privilege of paying premium rates while witnessing the gradual conversion of their neighborhood into a natural forest preserve. Clearly, professional landscape conversion to forest echo system is best left to the experts.
Tactics #8 – New Contracts For New Forestation Options
The community’s satisfaction appears so high that additional contracts continue to be awarded.
The signature entrance tree landscaping, once characterized by colorful flowers and carefully maintained plantings, now offers a more rugged and natural aesthetic. Areas that previously looked landscaped increasingly resemble undeveloped terrain, reinforcing the forestation theme.
Similarly, recently installed paving features at the Tournament exit have begun to show signs of wear, settling, or cracking in places. While older paving lasted for decades, these newer surfaces may soon contribute to an even more authentic forest-trail experience and give us opportunity to write another contract. Every new repair creates another opportunity for investment in the ongoing naturalization effort.
Donation to CM and CL and Future Vision
Belmont residents continue adapting to this exciting transformation. Monthly landscaping fees can now be viewed less as payments for maintenance services and more as contributions supporting a unique experiment in ecological community development.
For those who still prefer traditional landscaping, some have chosen to hire their own contractors. However, perhaps the next logical step is for the HOA to prohibit alternative landscaping services entirely, ensuring a consistent forest experience for all residents OR only go through CM and CL duo for any additional yard maintenance. As vegetation continues its natural expansion, residents may eventually benefit from training programs on how to navigate overgrown pathways and approach their front doors through dense shrubbery.
Most importantly, as contractor budgets continue to grow, residents can take pride in knowing that every additional dollar helps advance the long-term vision: transforming Belmont Country Club from a manicured suburban community into the natural forest landscape it was apparently always meant to become under new CM and CL management vision. Lets find new ways to increase monthly dues as the more money these contractors manage the more they get paid.
What if I want back Toll Brothers days glory and beauty?
If you want back BCC glory and beauty from pre CM and CL days, don’t want to donate your money to contractors, want accountability, want enforcing service level agreements, please take action before we forget how beautiful and glorious BCC used to be!