A resident notified me this afternoon that Avenida des Compadres is virtually impassible. It doesn't seem too bad when coming from the North end (from Avenida El Dorado), but degenerates as one travels south. He believes it is not passable, even with four wheel drive. If you normally come that way, it is best now to access Spur Ranch Road directly from Rte 285.
Regards,
Jim Garland
Spur Ranch Road Associations
Dear Neighbor,
The SRRA annual meeting was held at the Garland home (102 Spur Ranch Road) on 17 November. No official count of attendance was taken, but roughly 25 community members attended the event. The meeting was called to order by President Jim Garland, and the following agenda items were discussed:
1. Review of Finances: Treasurer Bob Holzer reviewed the expenditures and revenues for the prior year. As of 11/16/2013, expenditures totaled $9,278.84 and revenues received were $10,630, leaving a balance for the remainder of the year of $1,351.16. There was considerable discussion of SRRA dues participation by individuals and Homeowners Associations. The Tierra Colinas HOA is underpaying the dues for its members by about 33%, and it was respectfully requested that the TCHOA yearly contribution to road maintenance be increased by $3000 to make up the difference.. The Rosa Linda HOA has not yet paid its contribution, but they have assured us that payment will be forthcoming. Homeowners who are not members of HOAs and who have not yet paid will be sent followup dues reminders.
2. 2014 Budget: The estimated budget for 2014 of $12,300 was presented to the membership, and approved unanimously.
3. SRRA director Al Webster reviewed the condition of the road for the membership.
The road segment between the RR tracks and Calle Junipero is in particularly bad condition, with no remaining base course. Washboarding along this segment of the road is very bad, and recurs only a week or two after grading.
The road segment west of Calle Junipero, to Avenida des Compadres, is in much better condition, with drainage greatly improved by the addition of a culvert during the year. Grading two or three times a year should be adequate for this segment.
The status of the unimproved dirt road west of the Avenida des Compadres (to the far end of the road) is currently unclear. It was noted that a large "Private Road" sign has been erected on that segment, and it is not clear whether residents there want to participate in SRR maintenance. We will try to clarify the status of this segment in the near future.
The condition of the east segment of the road between Rte 285 and the RR tracks was also discussed in detail (see next section). It was observed that a culvert needs to be added at the dip in the road near Rte 285 to improve drainage, and that this should be installed before the road surface is completed.
4. Presentation by Mr. Bob Sherwin, RoadPacker/Bionic Soil Solutions. Mr Sherwin spent about 45 minutes with the group, answering questions and explaining the reasons for the delays in finishing work on our road. He apologized for the repeated delays, but reaffirmed his commitment to finishing our road. The primary reason for the delays is that he has reorganized his company and changed its scope from a third-party distributor to a manufacturer. He has also reformulated his product to be suitable for the alkaline property of southwest soils. Following 18 months of tests, his company has developed a product that shows exceptional water resistance and is extremely strong. He showed treated samples of Spur Ranch Road soil that had remained under water for several months without degradation. To date, he has successfully installed his product on three roads, and reports that customers are very pleased with the results. He confidently expects to complete our road after the spring thaw. In the interim, the Association will maintain the road as necessary, with grading and/or addition of gravel.
5. Election of Board Members: Mary Anne Stickler and Ann Bitter were elected to fill the vacant slots on the Board. The membership expressed thanks to outgoing directors Ron Billingsley and Susie Schoenfeld.
A motion to adjourn was unanimously approved, after which the directors convened to elect board officers for the coming year. The officers are as follows:
President: Jim Garland
Vice President: Al Webster
Treasurer: Bob Holzer
Secretary: Ann Bitter
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Garland
Dear Neighbor,
Please come to our SRR annual meeting this Sunday, 3 pm, at my home - 102 Spur Ranch Road. At the meeting, members will be asked to vote on two open SRR director positions, as well as the 2014 proposed budget. Bob Sherwin (RoadPacker/Bionic Soil Solutions) also plans to attend the meeting to update the community on our road situation and to answer questions.
One change from my earlier notice. We've decided to cancel the potluck, and instead just to provide munchies and beverages to attendees. We don't expect a long meeting, and it seemed too early to have a full-blown dinner.
Again, let me ask for nominees and volunteers for the SRR board, and to urge those of you who haven't paid your dues to do so before or during the meeting.
Thanks,
Jim Garland
102 Spur Ranch Road
466-8833
Dear Neighbor,
1. Annual Meeting: The SRRA annual membership meeting and potluck get-together for all residents will be Sunday, November 17, at 3:00 p.m. at Jim and Carole Garland's home at 102 Spur Ranch Road. Please mark this on your calendar. The annual meeting is the time when residents can vote on the proposed budget, bring up other issues pertaining to the road and the community, and vote to elect directors. There will be two openings for directors this year, so volunteers and nominations are most welcome. Please send me names of potential candidates, and feel free to call me if you want more information about director responsibilities (my phone: 466-8833).
The agenda for the meeting will be (1) Update report on road condition, (2) Financial report by SRRA treasurer, (3) Consideration of the proposed 2014 budget ($12,300), (4) Update on the Roadpacker/Bionic Soil Solutions Situation, (5) Election of Directors, and (6) General discussion and other issues raised by members.
2. Dues Reminder: If you've not yet paid your 2013 dues, please do so now or at the meeting. Checks, cash, PayPal, almost anything negotiable is welcome. Dues are payable to SRRA Treasurer Bob Holzer, 4 Camino San Lucas, Lamy 87540. You can contact Bob at Bob@bolbholzer.com. Please note that under the SRRA bylaws only members who have paid their 2013 dues in full are eligible to vote.
The dues schedule is as follows (Note that dues are unchanged from the 2012 dues):
1: Base Dues
Residences west of railroad tracks, except Tierra Colinas: $275
All other residences, including Tierra Colinas: $200
Lots without residences: $100 per lot
2. Tierra Colinas Residents: part of your dues is automatically paid through your homeowners association assessment. The remainder is your responsibility and should be paid separately to the SRRA. The additional yearly amount to be paid is:
Tierra Colinas Residents: $70
Tierra Colinas Lot Owners: $35
3. Rancho San Lucas residents: Your HOA assessment includes the full (100%) dues for homeowners. Lot owners, and builder-owned homes are not covered for their lot assessment.
3. Potluck: We'll send an email in a few days with potluck information. Parking for the meeting can be anywhere along our driveway, or in the street. Hope to see you at the meeting!
Regards,
Jim Garland, President
Spur Ranch Road Association
102 Spur Ranch Road
466-8833
Dear Neighbor,
As I'm sure you've noticed, the rains this week (more then two inches), although welcome, have taken a serious toll on our road. The rain is forcast to end this weekend and, weather permitting we will be regrading the road between Rt 285 and Calle Junipero on Monday afternoon and possibly Tuesday. This is a stopgap measure, until the road is completed by Bionic Soil Solutions (formerly RoadPacker SW). We have been in frequent contact with Mr. Bob Sherwin, most recently two days ago. In response to our query, he responded:
" I have been waiting on another community who wants to do 20 miles, so I would have the money and equipment available to do SRR. They all met for the HOA meeting and loved what they saw and seem very optimistic about getting it done, but didn't have a quorum to complete their vote. My understanding is that they have to do it through the mail now. The board members came and watched the installation in Carlsbad for the Bass Brothers and one of them is a road builder who was very impressed and is pushing it for us. I am at their mercy right now as I want to come and finish off SRR as soon as I am able. It will cost me about $75,000 so I have to do it in conjunction with another paying job and when equipment is deployed. I will keep you posted."
In addition to grading the road, we are also improving the gambion we installed a few weeks ago to improve runoff at the west end of the road. In case your civil engineering knowledge is a bit rusty, a gambion is a box-like cage filled with riprap (aka rocks), commonly used in road building to stabilize water runoff. It comes from Italian gabbia and Latin cavea, meaning "cage. If you haven't seen our gambion, take a drive toward the west end of the road. You can't miss it.
Regards,
Jim Garland, president
Spur Ranch Road Association
102 Spur Ranch Road
466-8833
09 September, 2013
Spur Ranch Road Association Members:
Owing to the recent rains Spur Ranch Road has softened along much of its length. Owing to increased traffic, including both large horse trailers and loaded and unloaded dump trucks weighing in at some 13+ tons each (depending on the size of the dump body and the amount/type of the load) traveling SRR at speeds in excess of the posted limit, the road has deteriorated, again, along much of its entire length. The Spur Ranch Road directors, while being aware of the road’s condition, and like you, using it as our primary residential access, have no control over the weight of vehicles using the road and only the S.F. Sheriff’s deputies on vehicular patrol have any significant control of the speed of any vehicles using the road.
For you members living on the west end of Spur Ranch Road and using Ave. de Compadres you’ll have noted that Ave. d. Compadres has also deteriorated significantly and may become impassable given the additional rains currently forecast. If Ave. d. Compadres becomes impassable that will leave Spur Ranch Road as your primary ingress/egress.
Please encourage any visitors, construction drivers, etc. using Spur Ranch Road to drive the posted speeds – especially those individuals pulling trailers and/or those hauling heavy loads.
The SRRA board will do everything we can given our current financial resources to ensure Spur Ranch Road remains passable and safe; we also live here.
Thanks,
Al Webster
Spur Ranch Road Association Board member
