November 1998 Newsletter

PHA  HOMEOWNER

PUBLISHED BY THE PINERY HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATION

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!
 Vote on Tuesday

Very important races and issues will be decided at the polls on November 3rd.  Choices you make will have considerable impact on you personally. This is your chance to decide who will represent you in Congress, govern at the state level and make final decisions on growth issues - schools, roads and traffic, and use of your taxes.   

There have been opportunities to hear from the candidates. One of those was the September 9th PHA Candidate Forum.  About forty residents listened to Candidates Ken Alford (U.S. Congressional Dist. 5), Jerri Hill and Joe Nunez, (Colorado House of Representatives), Barbara O’Grady (Colorado Senate), and Jerry Frunzi (Douglas County Commissioner) state their positions and answer questions.   U.S. Congressman Joel Hefley sent regrets because Congress was in session.  John Evans (Colorado Senate) and Mike Maxwell (Douglas County Commissioner) chose to attend fundraisers elsewhere on that evening.  Active audience participation added to an interesting and informative event.  Please cast your ballot on Tuesday.  The polls are open from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M.  If you aren’t sure where you are supposed to vote, the County Election Office, 303-660-7444, will help you. 

                                   Mark it on your calendar as a priority! 

PHA GETS AWARD FOR
TRAFFIC WATCH PROGRAM

     The Pinery Homeowners’ Association has been notified that they will receive the 1998 "Human Concern Award" for the recent Traffic Watch Program staffed by residents of The Pinery. The award is sponsored by the Western Insurance Information Services Group, which represents the Casualty Insurance Industry. The award will be presented at the noon luncheon of the Colorado Property Casualty Underwriters’ "All Industry Day", which will be held at the Holiday Inn Southeast on Thursday, November 5th.

The award is presented to a person or group that goes beyond their normal activities in the pursuit of safety for others. In this specific case, the award is in recognition of the efforts of The PHA and its members that make the streets of The Pinery safer for its residents and their families through the use of traffic monitors using radar equipment. The Pinery program was facilitated by the joint efforts of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Traffic Engineering Division and Drive Smart program. The development of the program parameters was a work product of several agencies of Douglas County in conjunction with The Pinery Homeowners’ Association.

The Douglas County Neighborhood Speed watch Program was designed to allow neighborhood residents who are concerned about traffic issues to take an active role in reducing speeding in their neighborhoods. Volunteers in The Pinery were trained to use radar equipment by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office personnel. Volunteers then manned various locations throughout The Pinery to monitor vehicles exceeding posted traffic speed limits in excess of 10 miles per hour. The program was a substantial success as violators soon responded with appropriate speeds for the conditions and posted speed limits. The PHA effectively reduced speeds without the need for traffic citations or insurance premium increases. Those motorists who continued to exceed the speed limits were surprised to see traffic officers in The Pinery soon after the voluntary program ceased.

The Pinery Homeowners’ Association is proud to accept this award in recognition of the many volunteers who dedicated their time and efforts toward the goal of safety within our community!

 

THE PINERY TRAFFIC WATCH STATISTICS

The Pinery Traffic Watch Program started on August 31, 1998. Five teams with three people to a team were formed and then trained by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. A significant amount of time was focused on school zones and approaches to school zones. The following are a few statistics that verified a need for more constant traffic enforcement and the fact that traffic speeds on our streets are much higher than people ever envisioned.

Highest speeds observed to date:

Average speeds recorded for violators exceeding speed limits by 10 MPH are:

For the entire period observed, the average violator’s speed was 40.7 MPH.

Total violations of 10 MPH over posted speed limits are 331 to date. (9/28/98). If normal fines were imposed for these violations the cost to the drivers would be approximately $18,536.00. This does not count the violation costs added by the Court or the points applied to the drivers’ licenses. Naturally, insurance costs would in all likelihood increase for the drivers of these cars.

The highest number of violations in one 1-hour shift was 56. The number of violations has decreased every week to a low of 7 violations in the latest 1-hour survey.

The use of this volunteer program has made our streets safer and has educated our residents without punishment. This program should be considered as a permanent addition to any and all traffic enforcement models. Involving the enforcement resources and can lead to better responsiveness by residents. The current traffic observers are congratulated for their community interest and for the many hours they have volunteered to make our streets safer for our residents. This program, sponsored by the Douglas County Sheriff's’Office, will again be initiated when its need is warranted.

TLC FOR PEOPLE AND PETS

We have been asked by several residents who have had injury to themselves or who have experienced significant property damage to remind all dog owners of Douglas County’s mandatory leash law. The ordinance requires dog owners to provide "control over dogs with restraint of the dog by means of a leash or similar tether no more than 30 feet in length". Naturally the intent of the law is prevent situations where people might be bitten or property destroyed, and to prevent the aggravation of having to clean up after other peoples’ pets.

Another resident has just lost a cat to some sort of wild animal, possibly a coyote or fox, and wanted us to remind owners that pets let out at night could be exposed to a similar fate.

ADDRESS NUMBERS ON YOUR HOME
IMPORTANT IN EMERGENCIES!

We see them every day and know they are there… but do we really look at them the way emergency personnel do? The address numbers we have on our home, or should have on our homes, can mean the difference between life and death and minor or major damage during emergencies. If we don’t take the time to install our addresses in a way that allows it to be clearly seen by Fire, Police and Medical Emergency personnel, then extra time it may take to find your home may take its toll. Minutes mean so much to injured or sick people and when the fire is clearly an inside issue, the address given to firefighters has to be visible. A recent article in the Parker Chronicle outlined this hazard.

 We want everyone in The Pinery to make sure that your address number is clearly visible from the street so, if the worst should happen, emergency crews won’t have to spend precious time looking for it.

Please take a few minutes and look at how your address numbers are installed. Put yourself in the shoes of the emergency crew. Can you clearly see the address? If it were night, would a spotlight find the numbers easily? For the sake of your family and your home, make sure your home’s address is CLEARLY VISIBLE FROM THE STREET!

NEW REBATES CAN CUT THE COST OF SOLAR

As a public service to our residents, at the request of the State of Colorado Office of Energy Conservation, we have been asked to inform you of an opportunity you now have to take advantage of Colorado’s most abundant resource, the sun. The Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSIEA) and the Governor’s Office of Energy Conservation have teamed up to offer a new rebate program that can cut the cost of investing in solar energy by as much as 25 percent. These rebates are designed to help homeowners and business cut the cost of two kinds of solar energy systems—solar hot water and grid-tied solar electric systems.

Solar hot water heating systems circulate fluid through panels to collect the sun’s heat. These systems cost about $4,000 to install and are usually designed to provide about 80 percent of your hot water needs. Rebates are based on expected system performance to reward good design and are capped at $1,000 for hot water systems.

Grid-tied solar electric systems use photovoltaic, or PV, panels (like the solar cells on many calculators) to convert sunlight into electricity. These systems work in tandem with your existing electric system and are connected to the regional power grid. Some Colorado electric utilities will allow you to connect your PV system so that it spins your electric meter backward when your system’s output exceeds your household usage. Rebates for solar electric systems are capped at $2,500.

Today’s new solar systems are extremely reliable and can be installed with little impact on the appearance of a house. Almost all systems are designed to lie flat on the roof and are compatible with homeowner association covenants or restrictions. As with any external modification to your home, installation of a solar system would need Pinery Architectural Control Committee approval. For more information about the solar rebates, please contact COSEIA at 303-750-9764 or 800-633-9764.

PINERY LOGO BASEBALL CAPS

PHA has attractive denim green and natural colored baseball caps available in the PHA Office. These caps are top quality, have an embroidered Pinery name and logo, adjustable leather straps and cost just $9.50. To see or purchase caps, please drop by the office in the lower level of the Pinery Fire Station between 9 A.M. and 3 P.M. any weekday.

COVENANT CORNER

Exterior Television Antennas (Dishes also)

One of the reasons the Pinery looks so neat and uncluttered is because exterior or rooftop television antennas are curtailed by our covenants.  The new, smaller dish antennas, however, are allowed.  The location of the installation needs to be approved by the Pinery Architectural Control Committee.

If you plan to install a dish at your home, please give the ACC notice of your wishes and tell us where on your home or property you want to install it.  The ACC has no intentions of restricting the installation of a dish unless its location will tend to detract from the appearance of your home or neighborhood.  With this new technology, there are several places a dish can be installed on houses without detracting from our residential settings.

The community’s cooperation in this matter will be appreciated and the ACC will endeavor to respond to your requests as quickly as possible.  When submitting your request for installation approval, please submit a plot plan and or photos of your house on your lot with two or three suitable locations for its installation.  The ACC will respond with its approval as quickly as possible.

NEW TRASH COLLECTION SYSTEM ?
Your Comments Are Needed!

Based on interest shown by some Pinery residents, a new type of trash collection system is being discussed with Waste Management representatives. The system is called a "toter service" with which many residents who have lived elsewhere may be familiar. Simply stated, the toter system uses large trash containers (80- gallon size) that have wheels on them and can be rolled out to the street. These "toters" are then picked up by mechanical means rather than having employees lug the trash cans to the trucks. This mechanized system is not in use in this area yet, but some interest on our part may encourage the use of these in the future.

Before we go too far into this inquiry, we want to hear from residents whether they think this type of service would be desirable in The Pinery. This "tooter system" has its pluses and minuses. The service will most likely cost us a little more because of the costs involved for the trucks and toters. The truck costs about $300,000 and each "toter" is about $100. It’s been suggested that it may cost each subscriber about $1.00 per month to offset these initial costs. We also may have a limit on the materials or number of toters we can have picked up each week. All of the issues related to this new service would have to be worked out with Waste Management before any decision could be made.

One benefit would be that there wouldn’t be hundreds of trashcans rolling through neighborhoods on windy days. Another plus is the size of the container, which would make it easier to contain trash and get it to the street. Regardless of the pros and cons, anything that will reduce the current system’s noise, oil spills and runaway trashcans should be considered.

Please take a few moments and jot down your opinion and get it to the PHA Office. There is a mailbox next to our office door or you could mail it to us at: PHA, 8170 Hillcrest Way, Parker, Co 80134-6360.

We really want your input. We will keep everyone informed as we go ahead with our preliminary discussions.

SPRING LAWNMOWER BRIGADE
NEEDS MORE VOLUNTEERS!

Some of the "Stealth Lawnmower Gang" have suggested that we expand their activities to a "BRIGADE" sized activity. The "Stealth Lawnmower Gang" is currently mowing several sections of North Pinery Parkway and they have suggested that other Pinery residents may want to volunteer so the entire Parkway could be done. It would be a very energetic project, but the "Stealth Gang" says that once it’s been done the first time, it’s easy after that. Anyone interested in joining a very prestigious group should call the PHA Office, 303-841-8572. With 10-15 volunteers, the job would be easier and the whole community would benefit!

SECOND BAYOU GULCH REGIONAL PARK MEETING
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 7 P.M.

A follow-up to the July 16th meeting regarding the future Bayou Gulch Regional Park will be held at the Community Room in the Pinery Fire Station on Tuesday, November 17, at 7 p.m. There will also be an update on Middle School 5 and Fox Sparrow Road. Anyone interested in being placed on the mailing list or wanting minutes of the first meeting is asked to call Douglas County Parks and Open Space Director, Ron Benson, at 303-660-7490

BINGHAM LAKE NOTICE

When Bingham Lake was leased from the Pinery Water district by the PHA, one of the conditions was that the lake and the surrounding paths and park were to be closed at sundown. This is posted at every entrance to the lake area and can be enforced by the Sheriff.

In recent weeks unknown persons have damaged picnic tables, newly planted trees as well as the newly restored boat dock. It has been reported that people are using the lake area for drinking parties and other activities that have littered with bottles, cans and other waste materials. The PHA wants all residents to be able to use the lake for the enjoyment it provides, but after hours activities must be curtailed. We are asking all residents to please take notice of any activities at the lake at night and promptly report such activity to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The monetary costs for repairs to property at the lake as well as the possibility of injury to someone that could occur at night, prompts us to ask for public assistance on this topic. We hope that your help may curtail these types of activities. Thank you!

NEWS FROM THE WATER BOARD
David Eyre, Director Civil Engineer, P.E.

Summer is fast falling behind us and the cool nights of fall are here. If your residence has a lawn sprinkler system, it is time to look at ensuring that proper winterization of this system is needed. This generally requires the purging of all water from the pipes and the protection of the system backflow preventor to prevent freeze damage. This little bit of work will help ensure that the system is ready for use next Spring and that calls for water leaks to your water supply system are not needed. Please remember that water line breaks past the water meters are the responsibility of the homeowner, not the Water District.

You may have noticed a newsletter from the Water District earlier this year. That is another attempt of the Water District to ensure that all members of the District are kept informed of the latest and hopefully most pertinent information that you may not be aware of. Through this newsletter we will try and highlight items and areas of concern that may be of interest to most of the members of the District. We hope that you find the information contained within helpful and informative. If at any time you feel that you need more information than what is contained in the newsletter, please feel free to contact the District Manager for more information.

Speaking of the District Manager, the Water Board is please to have obtained the services of Mr. Charlie Krogh as the New District Manager. The previous Manager, Mr. Bob Emmons, has retired and is now making his primary home in the State of Washington. We wish Mr. Emmons the best in his retirement and thank him for his past service to the District.

Many of you may have noticed some work going on in and around some of the facilities of the District. Some of this work is to minimize possible future vandalism to the facilities of the District and some on this is to ensure compliance with the same landscape standards that you must meet. One of these, at Pump Station #2 along the North Side of the Pinery Parkway just above Pinery Pointe, is being done in xeriscape. Come Spring of 1999 we will have all the plants labeled for easy identification and reference for the homeowners of the Pinery to view, before they go through the expense of doing the same to their property. We hope that you will find it beneficial when making that decision of converting some of your lawn area into a more natural Colorado setting.

We highly encourage all members of the District to attend our monthly regular meetings, held the second Tuesday of each month, at 7 p.m., at the District Offices of the Water District (located to the East of the North Pinery entrance). If you need directions or have other concerns, please contact us, or Water District Manager Charlie Krogh or Secretary Mary Applegate, at 841-2797.

NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE CENTER
GRANTS and WORKSHOP

The Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC) is a nonprofit organization that works with individuals, neighborhood and block groups to build safer and stronger communities. NRC is providing grants for up to $100 to boost projects that will improve neighborhoods. NRC wants to emphasize the importance of building long-lasting relationships between kids and adults living in the same community. Funding for these grants is courtesy of US West. A committee will review grant applications, and applicants need only to describe their neighborhood service project, how they will use the money and include kinds and adults in the planning and execution. Three signatures are required on the application, and at least one must be from a participant who is under 18 years old. Ideas for service projects include doing home repairs for neighbors who cannot, organizing a cook-a-thon with friends and neighbors—than delivering the goodies to a local shelter or innovative neighborhood beautification projects

NRC also announces a Free Workshop for Creating "Friendly Blocks & Strong Neighborhoods" this Saturday, October 31st at 2505 18th Street in Denver. Putnam Barber of the Evergreen State Society in Seattle will discuss how neighborhoods are strengthened with simple and neighborly tactics.. Grant applications and/or registrations are available by calling Karen or Tanisha at NRC, 303-561-3790.

STATE INVALIDATES 1997 BALLOT QUESTION FOR PARKER FIRE DISTRICT

The Division of Local Government, after receiving an opinion from the Attorney General’s Office, has invalidated portions of the ballot issue that voters approved in November 1997. The voters approved a request by Parker fire District to retain and spend revenues from all sources as well as freezing the mill levy at the 1992 level (13.987 mills). The average homeowner would have seen an increase in the annual tax bill of approximately twenty-two ($22) dollars.

The State is requiring Parker Fire to have a new ballot issue passed in November or refund approximately $500,000. These are the same funds that were going to be used to open the new fire station on Jordan Road.

Parker fire is not alone. There are thirteen other fire agencies with the same problem, even though most departments sought advice from the Division of Local Government prior to adopting the ballot question language in 1997.

This is the same tax rate approved by the voters in November 1997. The mill levy for Parker Fire Protection District that appeared on your 1997 tax bill will not be changed if voters approve this issue.

This problem has caused a delay in the training and hiring of additional firefighters needed to staff the newest station serving the Cottonwood, Stonegate, Clarke Farms, and Bradbury subdivisions. The station will be ready for occupancy near the end of the year, but will not be fully open until 2003, should this issue fail.

FIRE DISTRICT TO OFFER CPR CLASSES
 and CAR SEAT SAFETY CHECKS

Parker Fire Protection District will be hosting a free CPR class, for citizens interested in learning basic CPR skills for adults, children or infants, .at all of the neighborhood fire stations on Sunday, November 1st. This is not a certification class. Please call (303)841-2608 weekdays to register for this free opportunity to learn a life saving skill. Classes will be at the following time and locations:

CPR SUNDAY CLASS SCHEDULE, November 1, 1998

Parker Fire District will be hosting free car seat safety checkpoints on Saturday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the following neighborhood locations:

CAR SEAT SAFETY CHECKPOINT SATURDAYS

CPR and FIRST AID (American Red Cross)

BEYOND BLIND FAITH

This is a free seminar for Douglas County parents and their teenagers that deals with driver attitude, insurance issues, substance abuse while driving, and driving skills. Attendees will be given a driving skill instruction manual and training log, and a contract for families to design and identify important issues surrounding the driving privilege. The seminars will be offered at Thunderidge H.S. on Nov. 17; Chaparral H.S. on Nov. 24; Highlands Ranch H.S on Feb. 2; Ponderosa H.S. on Feb. 16 and Douglas County H.S. on Apr. 6.