Spur Ranch Road grading

Road Grading of Spur Ranch Road

December 17, 2017

 

Owing to the condition of the road - some standing water and many wash boards - and owing to the positive response for 2017 funding by members of your Spur Ranch Road Association by both new and previous members, Spur Ranch Road will be graded as soon as is possible given the current weather conditions - rain turning to snow, high winds and colder temperatures– likely early next week.

Happy Holidays to all and, please, Drive both Safely and, especially, Slowly

 

Al Webster

Treasurer,

Spur Ranch Road Association

 

Spur Ranch Road Association Safety message

It is highly recommended that you have a reflective number sign on the road outside your residence so Emergency Responders can easily and quickly locate your residence.  These number signs can be made available to you through Santa Fe County Fire’s Rural Addressing division located at 102 Grant Avenue in Santa Fe.  Their contact number is 505.995.2732.  These number signs should be placed at the road end of your driveway – not close to your house – Emergency Responders need to be able to see the signs from the road.

 

If you have a locked gate on your property you should have a Knox System on your number pad that allows Emergency Responders to have easy access.  Information on Knox Systems is available to you by contacting Rural Addressing as above.  If your gate is secured by a padlock it is recommended that you have a Santa Fe County Fire specific keyed lock in the case that fire or other emergency access is needed if you are not home or if you have padlocked the gate behind you and need emergency response.

 

Be safe and, please, drive slowly.

 

Al Webster

Board of Directors,

Spur Ranch Road Association

 

 

 

Reminder - Spur Ranch Road Association Annual Meeting

Dear neighbors,

A reminder that the SRRA Annual Meeting is today (Sunday) at 3:00 pm at my house, 102 Spur Ranch Road. At the meeting, the community will be asked to vote on the 2017 road budget, on two board vacancies. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions, make suggestions, and hear a report on the road condition and maintenance plans. The meeting will last about an hour. Hope you can make it.

 

Jim Garland, president

Spur Ranch Road Association

102 Spur Ranch Road

466-8833

 

Spur Ranch Road will be graded

Spur Ranch Road (SRR) will be graded, watered and rolled on Monday or Tuesday, 7 or 8 November, 2016.  The grading will take place from US 285 west to the junction with the Santa Fe Southern railroad tracks.  The warm dry weather and the level of traffic driving both at and above the posted speed limits has taken its usual toll on the road’s surface, causing the surface to ‘wash board’.  This will likely be the last grade of SRR prior to the winter snow and freeze/thaw cycle usually starting in mid-to-late November.  We have arranged with our neighbor, Tim, to plow the road from Compadres to 285 whenever here is a 6-inch or more snowfall. 

 

Please give the grader, weighing in at some 13 tons, the roller and the water truck lots of room to operate and, please…….. drive slowly and courteously, we’re all neighbours.

 

Please remember the annual general meeting of the Spur Ranch Road Association coming up the end of November – you’ll receive a notice and an agenda from Jim Garland, your President of the Board.

 

Sincerely,

 

Al

 

Al Webster

Treasurer,

SRRA Board of Directors

Spur Ranch Road Association Annual Meeting Announcement

Dear Neighbors,

            The Spur Ranch Road Association (SRRA) annual meeting this year will be on Sunday, November 27, at 3:00 pm at my home (102 Spur Ranch Road). At the meeting, association members will be asked to approve both a 2017 budget and the annual SRRA dues request. There are two expiring director positions to fill this year. Please let me know if you wish to volunteer for one of the vacant slots, or to nominate someone for the position. Our annual meeting also provides an opportunity for members to learn more about the road's maintenance and improvement needs, and to ask questions.

            The meeting is open to all interested parties, although voting is restricted to members whose dues have been fully paid during 2016. If your dues are paid by your HOA, it is important that an HOA representative be present at the meeting to vote on your behalf. If you'd prefer to cast your own ballot, that can be arranged at the meeting.

            I'll send out a more detailed reminder notice as the date approaches. Beverages will be provided, and members are encouraged to bring a light appetizer or snack to share. Hope to see you then.

 

Regards,

Jim Garland, President

Spur Ranch Road Association

(505) 466-8833

Spur Ranch Road Update

Dear Neighbors,

 

Please be advised that this coming week we will be making repairs to Spur Ranch Road between Rte 285 and the railroad tracks. As you have surely noticed, the condition of the road worsened rapidly after the last grading, with washboards and potholes developing within a few weeks. The washboarding is caused primarily by vehicles driving too quickly (over 30 mph), with heavy vehicles (delivery vans, construction machinery, etc.) especially to blame. The potholes result mostly from inadequate crowning, which allows water to pool after a rain. We do not have the budget to make long-lasting repairs to the road. However, in the hope of making repairs that hold up longer than before we are taking the following steps.

 

1.  Our maintenance contractor will rip the top few inches of the road surface to break up the potholes and washboards.

 

2. The road will be graded to a uniform width of 21 ft, clearing out the bar ditches and scraping gravel back onto the road surface.

 

3.  The road will be crowned to a four percent slope (about a five inch drop from the centerline to the edge).

 

This work will likely take several days, so be careful when driving near road machinery. Once the grading is completed, please stay in your lane and do not drive down the center of the road. Doing so quickly destroys the road crown and creates ruts which aggravate potholes. Also, be on the lookout for speeders. If you notice commercial vehicles speeding, please feel free to phone the company and complain.

 

Thanks,

Jim Garland

President, Spur Ranch Road Association

 

Russian thistle control on Spur Ranch Road

Russian thistle control on Spur Ranch Road, 2016

On Monday, 1 August, spraying to control Russian thistle will occur on Spur Ranch Road.  A couple of volunteers in a John Deere ‘Gator’ will start spraying east of the railroad tracks early in the morning and spray only while there is very light wind to ensure there is no wind drift. Spraying west of the tracks will occur later in the day or early in the morning on Tuesday, 2 August. Spraying will be done, as in the past, using ‘spot’ spraying - targeting only Russian thistle.  All spraying will be done with a coarse spray designed to control spread to native plants; there will be no generalized ‘fogging’ or ‘boom’ spraying.

Please drive slowly and carefully around this spray operation as the Gator will be traveling slowly and stopping often.

Thank you,

Al Webster

Board Member,

Spur Ranch Road Association

 

Spur Ranch road grading

Spur Ranch Road will be watered, graded and rolled starting Monday or Tuesday (9 or 10 May) from US 285 to the Railroad Tracks.  This process will remove most of the current ‘wash boarding’ for a period of time.  Without paving the road there is, however, no process that will remove the wash boarding permanently. Low humidity/dry weather increases the speed at which wash boarding returns. Please continue to drive the posted speed limit and encourage visitors and guests to do the same – heavy vehicles driving at excessive speeds on the road speed up the development of wash boarding.

 

Please drive slowly and carefully during this grading operation – the grader and roller operator can’t always see you and the grader itself weighs in at some 13 tons.

 

Al Webster

Spur Ranch Road Association

Board Member

 

 

Time to collect the winter debris

SPUR RANCH ROAD

EARTH DAY CLEAN UP!

Its time to clean up the fall and winter’s collection of debris and interesting artefacts from on and beside Spur Ranch Road.  This is to invite you to participate in the 5th Annual Cleanup of Spur Ranch Road on Earth Day; 22 April, 2016.  We’ll need Spur Ranch Road residents to collect from these sections:

Section 1: Far West (west of Ave de Compadres) to the end of the road.

Section 2:  Ave de Compadres to Calleja Junipero.

Section 3: Calleja Junipero to the Railroad Tracks

Section 4: Railroad Tracks to Silver Saddle.

Section 5: Silver Saddle to US 285 (Roberta and I will do this section)

Please collect debris from the road itself, from the ditches on either side of the road and up to 10 feet beyond the ditches on either side of the road but…..no trespassing please!  Please collect any nails, screws, etc.  that might puncture tires as well as cans, bottles, plastic bags, in, fact, everything that isn’t ‘natural’ or fencing, signage, etc.  Wear high visibility clothing if you have it.  Please recycle what you can.

Let me know which section you and any neighbours and/or friends might like to take on by responding to this email.  Please let me know when you have finished  collecting on your section.

 

Many thanks, neighbours!!

 

Al Webster,

Treasurer,

Spur Ranch Road Association

 

Spur Ranch Road on Earth Day

Earth Day 2016 on Spur Ranch Road

 MARK YOUR CALENDAR

On Friday, 22 April, 2016 (Earth Day), from 8.00 A.M. to 10.00 A.M. we will clean up Spur Ranch Road's debris deposited during winter 2015 and early spring 2016.  

 

We'll need to clean the road and verges up to about 10 feet on either side from far west (Ave. de Compadres) to far east (NM 285). 

 

 Last year we collected approximately 50 pounds of glass and plastic bottles and metal cans (all recyclable), nails and screws (also recyclable and potential tire puncturers) ,  plastic bags (recyclable) and various of old rope, wire, stakes  bungee cords, chunks of concrete and unidentifiable materials of uncertain historic archaeological importance – always interesting to see what you may find out there.

 

Please join in and let me know which section(s) of the road you'll be responsible for picking up.

 

If you can't help on Earth Day please wave to your neighbours on the road as you drive by – they'll appreciate it.

 

Thanks in advance and please drive carefully and slowly,

 

Al Webster,

Treasurer,

Spur Ranch Road Association