For those of you that are unable to attend our annual meeting, next Wednesday June 27th, please use this form to let someone else your vote on your behalf. The proxy form allows a fellow homeowner to vote for you on HOA matters, so choose who you give it to carefully, you are after all, giving them your vote! The form can be downloaded from our ‘Docs Library‘ page! Let us know if you have any questions.
A quick reminder to all who have yet to pay your 2012-2013 HOA Dues, they are due July 1st. Starting July 5th, all unpaid dues will incur a late fee of $50. All dues payments received on July 5th, or after, will be returned to you unless accompanied by the fee, without exception. Unless you wish to pay the late fee, please make sure to get them in on time!
Dues Payment Schedule:
July 1st- $200 payment due in full
July 5th- Late fee of $50 added, interest starts at 4%/month or 1%/week
July 14th- Reminder notice sent
July 21st- Final notice sent via registered mail
August 1st- Uncollected accounts sent to the HOA’s attorney for collection
A quick reminder as we come into the exterior painting season: All exterior paint colors must be approved by the HOA prior to painting. Failing to do so will result in a repainting, also at your expense, in an approved color. Unfortunately, we have had to ask folks to repaint in the past, so please get your colors approved. Contacting us is easy via the “Contact Us” at the top of this page.
Colors need to be submitted to Jason or Gregg at least 7 days prior to your painting date to allow sufficient time for them to be viewed and for us to respond. Please keep in mind we, like you, have jobs and other obligations, so same-day or next-day approvals are unlikely. Be assured that we try to review your samples and get back to you in less than the 7 days, whenever possible.
What colors are acceptable? Please avoid dark, bright and saturated colors. In other words, colors at the extreme ends of the color palette. We respect your desire to make a statement and be creative, but extreme colors generate complaints from neighbors and tend to not keep with the general character of our neighborhood. Yes, this is a somewhat subjective process, but the alternative is requiring colors be chosen from a selection of predetermined ones from a particular paint brand. We believe this takes away your choices much more than the current process does.
If you have any questions please contact us via the Contact Us page.
A quick reminder to all that we will be having our June HOA Meeting Wednesday, June 27th at 7:00PM on the lawn area on 23rd Avenue.
Please plan on attending as we have a number of important agenda items with long-term consequences to our community. The dues increase is one such item we think you might want to hear more about and to provide your feedback on. After the last increase, a number of community members complained that there was insufficient feedback from the community on this particular topic. This meeting will be your opportunity to provide the board with your comments, suggestions and concerns about an increase.
We are hoping for warm, dry weather on the 27th, but if not, please dress accordingly as we will be outside under tents for the entire meeting, rain or shine.
See you there!
Due to recent neighborhood crime and homeowner concerns of pedestrian traffic through the greenbelt areas between 208th and 21oth and above 25th Drive, in addition to an increasing number of dangerous trees in these areas, the Board would like to remind homeowners that the greenbelt areas remain closed to everyone— homeowners, their family members, guests and non-residents.
It has been brought to our attention recently that these greenbelt areas, especially that area above 25th Drive, are used by residents, and folks in the development above our neighborhood, as a shortcut to the top or bottom of the hill. Although we were under the impression that these areas have been closed for a number of years, we need to remind everyone they must remain closed for a number of reasons:
1.) Dead trees, dying trees, loose branches and even partially fallen greenbelt trees are not cut when they are beyond striking distance of homes or other property. So, within the greenbelt a danger always exists of limbs, branches, sections of trees or even entire trees falling on someone. Because the HOA is aware of the fact that there are dangerous trees, and we have not cut them for cost saving reasons, also means that there is a legal liabilty for the HOA if we were to let folks access these areas.
2.) There have also been confirmed sightings of bears, cougars, coyotes and other large wildlife within the greenbelts, so there is the danger, especially to small pets and children of encounters with this wildlife. Although the animals are usually as afraid of people, as we are of them, there still remains the chance that an encounter could result in an attack.
3.) Digging, building, earthmoving and other unsanctioned activities in the greenbelt has resulted in erosion of tree roots and other damage that has had unfavorable results downhill in the neighborhood such as diverted water and erosion of hillsides. One location on the hillside above 25th Drive, has resulted in a portion of it collapsing onto the road from people taking shortcuts down the side of the hill, off the established path.
4.) Allowing foot traffic through the greenbelts also establishes a path for individuals to enter the neighborhood unobserved. Once we allow anyone to enter or leave the neighborhood through established paths through the greenbelts, criminals can do the same. With recent break-ins and other incidents, neighborhood residents have asked that the Board to again actively enforce the closure of the greenbelts to all activities, as a security measure.
We have tried to close these greenbelt areas by simply asking folks to not access them. Unfortunately, we had a homeowner that was overly aggressive and confrontational about his child being allowed in these areas in spite of the closure. He refused to keep his child from going into this area even after being told of the danger and the HOA’s policy of denying access. He told us that without no trespassing signs he would allow his child to go into the greenbelt. So, in order to enforce the closure, we have been forced to post no trespassing signs and erect temporary fencing. Furthermore, we are asking residents next to the greenbelts to report any unauthorized folks entering or leaving the area to the Bothell Police. We understand that these are strong measures to take, but we feel obligated to take them in order to discourage unauthortized access to these areas and ensure the safety of the community and financial security of the HOA.
If, as a community, we wish to use the greenbelts for walking, hiking and other non-invasive recreational activities, we certainly can. But, in order to do so we need to maintain the trees, paths and access areas in a manner that is safe for users and will not damage the greenbelts. We also need to find some way to fund this effort, because currently the HOA’s budget is too small to cover greenbelt maintenance or the creation of safe pedestrian paths. In the end it is up to you, the community, to tell us if you support spending the money to do this.
As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jason, John and Gregg
