Renaissance Ridge Report
The Renaissance Ridge Homeowner Association Newsletter
Welcome!
Feeling out of the loop as to what’s happening in Renaissance Ridge? Fear not! The Renaissance Ridge Homeowners Association (RRHOA) Board has vowed to keep homeowners more informed. That starts today, with the first addition of this newsletter, the Renaissance Ridge Report! This newsletter highlights the main points of interest for Renaissance Ridge homeowners in an effort to show what the Board has been working on recently.
Let us know what you think about the Report. To contact the RRHOA, you can write to:
Renaissance Ridge Homeowners
Association
c/o Century Small Business Solutions
229 South 4TH Place
Renton, WA 98055
or email:
renaissance_ridge@yahoo.com
or leave a voicemail on our new phone line (starting December 11th):
(425) 369-2110
Polygon left the new Board with twelve unresolved homeowner architecture applications and a set of unclear Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs). The Board has created a five-member Architecture Control Committee (ACC) to create and handle the process of reviewing architecture applications and to ensure that no public “eye sores” are constructed. The ACC has met often in the past month. Their first priority was to review the twelve applications deferred by Polygon. Those homeowners who filed applications will be contacted in December. The next priority was to establish an approval process to handle construction that has already occurred and to handle future construction within the neighborhood.
Please see the attached summary of guidelines that describes what requires ACC approval. In the case of construction that has already occurred and has not been approved, homeowners are required to send a detailed description of what has been built, along with a $5.00 check to the RRHOA, to the address given above. You will then be contacted within two weeks to confirm that all materials and paperwork has been received. The ACC may send comment forms to any neighbors that may be affected, and will consider these comments when deciding whether to approve or disapprove of the changes. If the changes violate the CC&Rs and the ACC rejects the application then changes must be made to remove what has been built. It may be a shock for some since Polygon did not strictly enforce the CC&Rs, but the ACC has the power to reject architectural changes made without consent.
Are you planning on making changes or additions to your house? In the case of construction that has not yet occurred, the process is the same. Send $5.00 and a detailed description and map of the change to the ACC, you will receive acknowledgement that everything has been received, and your neighbors may be contacted for comments. Once the comments are returned the ACC will review the completed application at its monthly meeting and notify the homeowner of approval or rejection.
Satellite dishes appear to be popping up more and more every month throughout the neighborhood. Some homeowners have contact the Board asking why this has been allowed when it is a violation of the CC&Rs. The ACC has investigated the issue and it appears that the CC&Rs conflict with the FCC guidelines governing the installation of satellite dishes. Before spending more time investigating what can be enforced, the ACC wants to find out the neighborhood’s general opinion about satellite dishes. You should find a satellite dish survey attached. Please mail or fax it back by December 21, 2001. The results will be shared at the next HOA board meeting.
The Board would like to extend a sincere thank you and welcome to homeowners that have volunteered to accept leadership appointments in the HOA. Two of the five Board members resigned in November due to an increase in work responsibilities. Don Corbett has accepted an appointment as the new Vice President. Brett Waldbaum has accepted an appointment as the new Secretary. Don and Brett join Martin Dunn, President, Kyle Downey, Treasurer, and Katherine Hall, At Large, as the remaining members of the Board of Directors.
Thank you also to Eva Gordon for accepting the position of ACC Chairperson, and to Susan Barth and Janice Mergden for taking the job of Social Committee Co-Chairpersons. The Social Committee still needs members, so if you’re interested please contact the HOA.
On November 15th there was a homeowner meeting where a police officer from the City of Sammamish described the Neighborhood Block Watch program. Katherine Hall, Chairperson of the RRHOA Safety Committee, is coordinating setting up block “captains” throughout the neighborhood. These captains have the name and phone numbers of their immediate neighbors and are registered with the City. The City reports nearby crimes to the captains, who in turn contact the neighbors on their block. If you are interested in being a block captain or learning more about the program please contact Katherine Hall via the address, email, or phone number given above.
The Board unanimously passed the motion in the meeting on November 29th to increase homeowner dues 10% for the year 2002. All 298 homes in the neighborhood will pay $220.00 in dues (homes in the Reserve will pay an additional $105.00 for the Reserve Monument Fund, down from $125.00 in 2001). In order to prevent another special assessment and to account for increase landscaping costs (the previous contract did not include all of the common areas), the Board decided to balance the budget by increasing revenue from dues. 2002 is the first year that the homeowners completely control the finances of the HOA and the Finance Committee plans to work hard to lower costs whenever possible. For example, a financial services company will replace our existing property management company resulting in a savings of almost $1000 a month.
v As of December 1st Polygon has 7 homes left to sell in the neighborhood
v The orange television cable tubes that are visible throughout Division II of the neighborhood will be covered by the end of the year, according to AT&T Broadband. If a pedestal has not covered the orange cable tubes next to your house by January 1st please contact AT&T Broadband.
v The City of Sammamish will install a traffic island in the “elbow” of SE 8TH PL in the Reserve. Polygon failed to get a waiver for it; the City maintains that it is required for safety with regard to turning vehicles.
v Know an attorney that specializes in real estate / homeowner association law that can give free or discounted counsel to the HOA Board? The Board may encounter more legal issues throughout the year and would love anyone who can help out.
v Please contact the Board if you know a licensed and bonded arborist or lumberjack that can give discounted services to the HOA.
v HOA meetings will be quarterly instead of monthly next year; the next meeting is Thursday, February 28th, at 6:30 pm, at Skyline High School, in room 628.