HWY 71

The ONE LANE scheme in either direction seems temporarily on hold or delay. We have to get through that inconvenience to attain a safer roadway.

You can see the men out there trenching, which I assume to be for utilities.

How will they span the creek?

Will they have to trench the east entrance? I suspect so, and the markings on the street there would seem to indicate same. It wouldn't surprise me to find us cut down to one exit for a term.

Then the East Gate Guard can, um....

2009 ANNUAL MEETING... MID MAY 2010!!!

May 12th to be exact. That's just silly. These guys couldn't possibly report to the owners at the end of the year?

And since then, apparently, there's a financial crisis affecting the developer/s. Hey guys, you know that risk/reward equation? Man-up.

PLUS property owners appear to be having a 'dues revolt' according to a letter from the HOA rep. He adds: "The future of the development and the Club is not certain at this time." < OH REALLY? > "However, we must understand that the HOA is not a function of the Club, is not a function of the Developer" "and is a function of we who own property in Spanish Oaks. To that end we all must continue to abide by the principles we agreed to when we made the decision to live in this neighborhood."

I suppose you could argue that in pursuit of more sales, the 'principles' (earth tones, turf areas, natural looks) were altered to move more property. We certainly never agreed to them.

More: "The HOA is not a part of the Developer, is not a part of the Club, and is for the benefit of the owners of property in Spanish Oaks." But but, the HOA is completely managed by the developer. We have zero say in what they do. And they appear to do little.

We can't get a clean mail area without repeated complaints. (As if the HOA rep and manager don't notice.) A concrete curb on SO blvd has been broken for at least a year. A very large rock was moved out of place on the SO Blvd circle and the gouge resulting has been ignored for at least a very long time.

I could go on but if you live here you know inattention to detail just may be sparking some of the 'dues revolt' which is now over 6 figures of debt.

A NEIGHBOR WRITES

I am a resident over by the east gate. I went to get my mail this morning after being on a business trip for the past several days. The mail area trash was overflowing to the point where it was making a mess of the whole area.

Also, I have been noticing for almost two months now a burnt out lightbulb in the east mail room. I know that is a little thing, but little things often tell us about big things. I view the trash as a big thing. Prospective owners will never buy in here with these issues. Not one home owner in this development would treat their own property this way.

It is such a disappointing situation and it also seems unnecessary. We need to do something about this and somehow empower the owners. We all take pride in our neighborhood.

(Comment) ... we hear that Pam will remove the trash can. We wonder why it takes so long for her to notice and act. For that matter, why does our on-site home owner HOA rep also not cause action to be taken?

LETTER FROM THE BOARD

Arrived today (April 1) but no April Fool's Day gag, sorry to say.

Basically, they are holding off on the annual (this would be a wrap up of 2009!) meeting until they have better news or a more complete scenario regarding the club, finances, and bank negotiations. By the time they present this year's budget, the first quarter has passed.

Remember, the HOA is run by the developer until a certain high percent of sellout is reached (if ever.) Know that you have little meaningful input.

Issues raised include...

Maintenance. Apparently abated through the winter, it is due to start up in days. (Why let the weeds take over common areas at a time when sales are struggling? Wouldn't that make SO compare less favorably to its competition?) Are the developers so cash-strapped that they could allow the landscaping to deteriorate to such an extent? Reserves are less than $6000.

Monthly fees and foreclosures: some aren't paying, certain foreclosure properties exacerbate budget shortfalls. Now there will be legal fees chasing lost or held money.
Why haven't money saving measures already been put into place wisely? Do we need guards on BOTH gates over night (as an example?)

The letter seems to paint a picture of responsible actions being taken. Time will tell, although new financing could present interesting terms. I get the impression that a new investor could bring a fresh infusion of operating funds which could kickstart the sales cycle again. But how would that change the vision of what SO is and will be?

FINALLY?

Spring Clean up starts Saturday and continues Monday and Tuesday. This includes chemical weed treatment.