Spur Ranch Road Dues Collection Notice

Dear Neighbors,

I’m afraid it’s time for your road association to collect the 2012 annual dues for maintenance and improvements of our road. As you know, the Spur Ranch Road Association is a voluntary organization, but I hope you will all do your neighborly duty and contribute to the road upkeep. It’s the only fair thing to do.

Please recall that at our annual meeting, the community approved a dues schedule for the year, as follows:

Tierra Colinas homes and other homes east of the RR tracks: $200

Homes west of the RR tracks: $275

All lots: $100 (each lot)

Residents of Tierra Colinas and Rancho San Lucas have already contributed a portion of their road dues through their annual HOA assessment. If you own property in either subdivision and are current in your HOA assessment, then the additional amount owed now to the Spur Ranch Road Association is:

Tierra Colinas homeowners: $70

Tierra Colinas lot owners: $35

Rancho San Lucas homeowners:$150

Rancho San Lucas lot owners: $75

Payment can be either by check, or PayPal (or cash, if you insist). Please make checks payable to Spur Ranch Road Association, and mail them to our SRRA treasurer:

Bob Holzer

4 Camino San Lucas

Lamy, NM 87540

For PayPal, send payment to bob@bobholzer.com

Road Update: As soon as possible, we will schedule work on the portion of the road west of the RR tracks. We plan to grade, water, and compact the road, in hopes of reducing the buildup of washboard ripples. In the past, that portion of the road has only been graded, but experience shows that the improvement lasts only a few weeks at best. We also plan to install a culvert across the road just west of Calle Junipero, to facilitate water drainage and to keep the road from washing out when the monsoons arrive.

There are a few areas east of the RR tracks where the RoadPacker crew did not adequately clear out the drainage runouts and restore adequately some residents’ impacted property. We’ve been in touch with distributor Bob Sherwin, who has agreed to effect these repairs. On balance, however, the new road surface appears to be holding up very well. Of course, the crucial test will come when the rains arrive.

Let me remind you that SRRA maintains a blog site, where you can post comments, make suggestions, read the latest announcements, learn interesting information (e.g., about the proposed Tierra Bello development), and so forth. You can access this blog site at http://spurranchroad.blogspot.com/ If you forget this address, then search for the association on Google and it’ll take you to the appropriate link.

Many thanks,

Jim Garland, SRRA President

102 Spur Ranch Road

505-466-8833

SRRA Board Meeting 31-May-2012

Very quick meeting to discuss the dues collection process and make a decision on grading west end of road.

Jim to send neighborhood announcement reminding about dues. Al Webster to remind Silver Saddle. Kerry Armour to remind RSL. Jim to also remind TCHOA as Ron Billingsley was not in attendance at meeting.

Due to a lack of rain Jim proposed and Al seconded that we vote to do a complete grading, wetting and rolling of the road west of the tracks. Expected expenditure ~$3800. Unanimously carried. Kerry to contact local contractor recommended by Mary Anne Stickler.

Update on bank balance: $11,858.30 31-May-2012 presented by Bob Holzer

TIERRA BELLO PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTER 31, 6-4-2012

SRRA is reposting, by permission,  the newsletter managed by Michael Montgomery to track the events of Joe Miller's Tierra Bello project.

1: What is the current status of this application? 

 2: When could we view the public file? 

 3: What steps has the County taken to date regarding the depredation of certain archaeological features destroyed or threatened by Joe Miller's latest "development " activities, in any of his properties?  This demands examination. 

I include a specific geographic description, in two formats.  In both formats, at the very least, Joe Miller's land holdings identified as "Cow Springs Land & Cattle Company LLC and Cimarron New Mexico Limited," are noted in pink.  There may be more holdings to be identified later.  I remind ALL that Santa Fe County has remaining substantial legal exposure regarding this issue, despite mediation.  This deserves escalation. 

Additionally, the Eldorado Area Water and Sanitation District (EAWSD) is implicated in the transfer of water rights, as well as the re-classification of certain areas as "state-optional" water delivery to "state-required" water delivery status.  This demands escalation. 

Michael F. Montgomery           

SRRA Board Meeting 9-May-2012

Met to discuss upcoming TV filming, annual dues and collection road condition.

Breaking Bad TV show will be filming along the tracks and is offering $3000 to road association. Same boilerplate agreement was offered to all other parties. 
Al Webster moved and Kerry Armour seconded to. accept offer. unanimously carried.
Aditional agreement to consider the $3k a windfall and not have it reduce the overall dues.

Board members will be reminding residents to pay agreed upon 2012 dues. Silver Saddle to be asked by AL Webster. RSL by Kerry Armour. Jim Garlans will contact TCHOA and send out a general announcement.

If Monsoon appears to damage road and replicate slippery winter conditions, the board has unanimously voted to adopt escalation steps written by Al Webster as follows:

Immediately contact a reputable and certified road building contractor to get an estimate for gravel and grading
Following our next rain (and there will be one):

·         Telephone Bob Sherwin of Road Packer SW immediately when the problem is noted.

        ·         If there is no positive and immediate response to our dilemma:

·         Have a grader/grader operator in readiness to take the slop off the road following the next precipitation event followed immediately by:

·         Notifying both Michael McDermott and the chap in Australia (separately and individually so they don’t know we’re talking to both) of the problem.

        ·         If no positive and immediate response,  notify our attorney that:

·         Bob has failed to fulfill his contract and we demand both cost and damages (including the cost of the core and the analysis, the cost for man hours expended to assist him in his failed effort to make the road right, etc.) to the tune of whatever the estimate is to fix the road as per the earlier estimate and the damages

·         Advise the attorney to convey to Bob that SRRA intends to notify the appropriate departments     within the State of New Mexico,  Santa Fe County and the City of Silver City. 

·         If no positive and immediate response then proceed to court with the sample as evidence.
Additional Road Work:

Area west of track with existing basecourse, should be graded and re-barditched. Jim moves to authorize this expenditure, Kerry seconded. All were in favor. Expected expenditure ~$1000

Analysis of water movement indicates that installing a culvert near Calle Junipero does make sense, so should we go ahead. Jim moved that we do the work, Ron seconded, all were in favor. Expected expenditure ~$1500 Hope to do work some time in June/July rain dependent.

 

Update on Joe Miller's Tierra Bello development...

TCHA is resubmitting all their complaints from the previous TB submission. Secret arbitration was had with Miller and County to avoid a suit over this development and new documentation must be submitted on Miller's new proposal. Bill Davis submitted a concern that Miller's previous road construction exacerbated SRR flooding.  Keeping Miller's development off SRR is a preeminent concern. Documentation to be forthcoming from TCHA and Jim.

"Breaking Bad" Notification Letter

Tomorrow, Justin Williams, Key Assistant Location Manager, will be in the area distributing a notification letter from the “Breaking Bad” TV Production Company to all residents, to make certain everybody is notified of the filming dates, times and activities.

SRRA Board Meeting Announcement

Wednesday 09-May. 7PM At SRRA President Jim Garland's home at the corner of SRR and Camino de la Paz. Agenda will primarily be to discuss the upcoming filming of the TV show Breaking Bad at the railroad crossing and Joe Miller's new proposal for the Tierra Bello development.

Spur Ranch Road Update-Thurs_04_19_2012

Dear Neighbor,

The brief rain this afternoon dumped 0.17 inches of water on our road. Immediately after the rain stopped, SRRA director Al Webster and I made “skid tests” along the length of the road (jamming on brakes suddenly to see if the surface was slippery) and generally to check out the impact of the water on traction and drivability. This was the first precipitation we’ve had since the new gravel was distributed across the road and compressed down into the surface, a couple of weeks ago.

Basically, the road seemed to hold up well, except for a few slightly slippery spots at the crest of the hill where the surface looked somewhat bare, with minimal surface gravel. Even those spots were drivable, however, and we observed traffic moving normally.

We could easily see tire tread marks where we drove, but we saw the same thing on the new basecourse road on Silver Saddle, which we checked out for comparison. We also repeated the skid tests on the basecourse part of SRR west of the RR tracks and it seemed about the same as the Roadpacker part

We won't really know for certain how the road holds up until we get a sustained rain.  I'd say things look promising at this point, but no definite conclusions yet. I think it's desirable for residents to drive on the road when it's wet, because that pushes the gravel down into the surface. Just be careful near areas which have very little gravel.

Regards,

Jim