Posted: July 14, 2009 |(0) Comments

If there's one word the homeowners of Parc du Chateau would use to describe Tony Pegg, it's "generous."

That's because on Saturday three employees of Pegg's landscaping company, Landscapegod, did $4,000 of work on a cul-de-sac in the subdivision for free.

Pegg, a longtime Brookfield resident, grew up across the street from the subdivision, located near North Avenue and Brookfield Road, and lives just down the street from it today.

"I remember I used to ride my bike through there when I was young," he said.

The landscaping that his company did would have normally been funded by the Parc du Chateau Homeowners Association, which has a long list of projects that need to be taken care of in the area.

"It was really not something the association could afford," Pegg said. "In the spirit of giving back to the community, I said, 'Well, let's work it out.' "

A park-like community

Construction of Parc du Chateau began in 1971. The developer designed it with areas of upscale landscaping to create the atmosphere of a park in the 172-home neighborhood, said association President Mike McGurk.

The only drawback to this decision: Homeowners are responsible for the upkeep of these areas. Each homeowner pays $100 annually to the association, which uses the money to fund the landscaping projects.

"We have enough funding to cover one major project each year," McGurk said.

But as the subdivision gets older, upkeep has gone from trimming trees and mowing grass to larger maintenance projects, he said.

One of the projects at the top of the list this year was restoring a retaining wall in one of the cul-de-sacs in the neighborhood. Some of the stones in the wall were beginning to shift and it wasn't draining properly.

"It wasn't just the appearance," McGurk said. "It was also a safety issue that needed to be addressed."

When the president of the subdivision's neighborhood committee, Tim Poser, spoke to Pegg about the work that needed to be done, the estimated cost was just too much. So, Pegg offered to do the work for free.

Firm has helped others, too

Landscapegod is no stranger to giving back to the community as the firm also has done volunteer work for Brookfield Elementary School and the Elmbrook Little League.

Early Saturday morning, three Landscapegod employees began working on the cul-de-sac. It soon became somewhat of a social event as several homeowners showed up to volunteer.

"The amount of help we had was great," Poser said. "Everybody really pitched in and put some effort into it."

Snacks and drinks were also provided for homeowners and landscapers alike, and the work was done by early afternoon.

"Overall, it was a great experience for everybody," Pegg said. "And that's why we did it."

Everyone in the neighborhood was appreciative.

"It was really pleasant that they were willing to do this," McGurk said. "The guys volunteered their time and they had a great attitude. It was one of those things that you don't really get to experience very often."