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1Cimarron Foothills Homeowners Association
Cimarron Ambiance
Vo
lum
e 37 Issue 2
Summ
er 2009
On behalf of your Association Board, I wish you a pleasant summer 2009, and thank you for your continuing efforts to make Cimmaron a pleasant neighborhood — of strong and improving home values. Many actions by your Board are directed toward both enjoyment and value in Cimarron.
Here are a few noteworthy items. As always, I urge to peruse the following reports from each of your directors.
1. Your Association is pressing legal action against one Cimarron property homeowner for operating a business in Cimarron - specifically recurring short term renting to multiple vacationers for as little as a few days or weeks.
2. Repainting? Remember, in Cimarron, a change of exterior paint color (including trim only) must have prior Association approval, which confirms “desert colors” and includes attempts to notify nearby residents. Failure to get prior approval results in fines and may require subsequent repainting to a different color...at homeowner expense.
3. This month, PCDOT began work to improve the sight line and safety at the Ventoso/Wilmot intersection. Traffic, particularly speeders on southbound Wilmot, create a risk for northbound traffic turning west onto Ventoso. Cyclists and pedestrians are also at risk.
PCDOT will further cut and or remove vegetation and portions of the median. Additional (lighted) signage will be added. A speed table on Wilmot remains a consideration. The Sheriff will continue increased “directed patrols”, and ticketing of speeders.
4. PCDOT has also been trimming vegetation in their medians in Cimmaron. Please alert them, or us, of hazards
such as dangerous erosion or potholes, or if vegetation inhibits motorists vision.
5. While the addition of turning lanes at Grant and Craycroft concludes, work is beginning on the 14-18 month project to widen Sunrise beginning at Kolb and proceeding west to Craycroft. First steps will include drainage at Kolb and Wilmot, and the waterlines under Sunrise which carry potable water to resorts such as Ventana. Tucson Electric power will then install 22 taller steel poles to carry (only) the existing three 138KVa lines. The current 42 wooden poles and their supporting poles will be eliminated and all local wires will be buried. Cellphone towers are being relocated. The green cactus is one of the replacements.
Topographically, the crest in the Sunrise roadway near Otono will be lowered- only 10 inches....but enough to improve Sunrise traffic line of sight. Then the entire Zarzosa Intersection will move 12 feet north, to provide a level stop for residents entering Sunrise from the subdivision south of Cimarron. “Deceleration” lanes will be built on westbound Sunrise for right turns into Wilmot and Zarzosa.
When completed there will be six foot bike lanes both east and westbound along Sunrise, and a sidewalk the entire length on the north side of Sunrise. Some sidewalk will be added on the south side of Sunrise near Kolb. Landscaping will be similar to that of the Craycroft widening of 2007-8.
Despite citizens advisory committee recommendations for a smaller project, and particularly fewer turning lanes at the Kolb intersection, this project was approved earlier this year. It will provide jobs for otherwise idled construction workers, and it will be partially funded from the ARRA Stimulus Package.
Larry Kraus, [email protected]
www.cimarronfoothillshoa.org
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Dumpster The Board wishes to thank Terry Barr and Mary Stamm for allowing us to place a dumpster on their property. They are doing a great service for the neighborhood. Many Cimarron residents appreciate being able to dispose of clippings and extra items that don’t fit in the trash can.
Currently we plan to place another dumpster on their property in October. Please read the next newsletter for the actual date. The plans are for two dumpsters a year—probably April and October.
LandscapingMistletoe seems to be taking over the trees in our yards. The phainopepla (black Cardinal looking bird) and some other birds delight in eating the berries. Eventually the mistletoe will spread and kill the tree. Recently we had to remove a whole tree full of mistletoe in our yard.
Please remove this parasitic plant from your trees so it does not spread and destroy the appearance of our neighborhood. Here are tips on how to remove mistletoe: 1. If the plant is hard to reach or covers a large portion of the tree, hire a professional.
2. Prune infected smaller branches and remove larger limbs one foot below the point where the mistletoe is attached.
3. Cut off the mistletoe flush with the trunk on large branches that cannot be removed without damaging the tree. Cover that spot with wrap around cloth to keep the sun from helping it to come back. I did this successfully on the trunk of a large Palo Verde tree.
4. Place all mistletoe and branches in plastic bags.
Also, we are still working on taking out the buffle grass and fountain grass that create a fire hazard and smother good native plants. A few neighbors have even hired a gardener to work on removing bad plants from the medians—since Pima County doesn’t have any money.
Ann Smiley, 577-1214 Environmental and Community Relations Chair
Community Relations
“Let me show you how today’s real estate market conditions can work in your favor!”
Call (520) 529-7557
Cornelia NestlerRealtor ®
2890 E. Skyline Dr.Tucson, AZ 85718
(520) 529-7557
www.cimarronfoothillshoa.org
The latest news will always be on the website — There are maps of Cimarron, documents like CR&Rs, copies of current and past newsletters, plus a vendor’s directory. If you know of anyone who would like to have their business card on the directory or advertise in the newsletter, please email: [email protected]
Francis Morgan, [email protected]
3Su
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er 2009Security Vacation Security Checks
Summer is here and many of you are traveling. Reminders may not be needed, but please take advantage of the security checks of your property while you are away. The guards carry the vacation forms and will bring one by your home when you phone Central Alarm: 884-8147 or 622-8824 (after 4pm or weekends). A good idea is to fill one out with all details except your travel times and then duplicate it for future use. You will save yourself refilling the form in its entirety every time you travel; just phone a guard to pick it up when you are ready to leave. There is also a form at the end of this newsletter.
Break-In As usual, things have been reasonably quiet in Cimarron insofar as overall security is concerned. The April report from Central Alarm (see the table), the last report received, is a fair sample of where we stand. There are several things to note however. The first is that there was a break-in, which has not been common in Cimarron, as you know. A neighbor’s back entrance was pried open and an inner door triggered an alarm system. With that, the burglar left the scene. The resident’s alarm company responded and the resident phoned Central Alarm as well. The Sheriff (911) was then contacted at the security guard’s suggestion. Please remember, the best procedure is to contact 911 first in any emergency. The Sheriff is in a much better position to deal with burglars and most other situations than anyone else, and the sooner the better.
Solicitations In April, there were no reported solicitations, which is actually also a little unusual because there have been many such events this year. In one instance, reported
in March, a guard tried to stop a solicitor in an SUV who was throwing advertisements into driveways. But the individual drove off quickly when he saw the guard’s truck. Again, it is really helpful if you let us know about every such instance of soliciting, as we try to track the company down whenever possible.
Other items in the table include 1 “suspicious” person report—this turned out to be a pre-census check by an individual working for the government whom you may also have seen. Vacation checks (34 homes X 3 checks per day) are on the way back up in frequency, reflecting summer vacationers. And, happily, a neighbor’s pet was found, which is a nice outcome to the usual lost pet category.
During the summer months, our President, Larry Kraus serves as a backup for me. If you need to phone or email, you might save a little time by contacting Larry first. Otherwise, if I am not around, I will forward your information as needed. Otherwise, I will be in and out.
Refrigerator Magnets Your Cimarron Homeowners’ Estates Board has put together refrigerator magnets on which are all Cimarron Estates emergency phone numbers, including Central Alarm, plus numbers for trash pickup, and utilities. See the picture below. The Board is still trying to determine the best way to distribute
Central Alarm Incidents 2009 APRIL
Alarm Responses 3
Disturbances 0
Vacation checks (3/day) 34
Lost/found animals 1
Vandalism 0
Reported Break-ins 1
Solicitations 0
Suspicious people/vehicles 1
Other 0
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these. Meanwhile, if you want a magnet right away, send me (or any other member of the Board) a stamped, self-addressed envelope: John ( Jac) Carlson, 5514 N. Via Girasol, Tucson, AZ, 85750, or give me a call and stop by: 529-0336. All of the Board members will have a supply, so if one is your neighbor, that should be quicker.
We will also supply our Central Alarm guards with the magnets. If you see any of them stop for a chat and pick one up. (They always have Cimarron bumper stickers on their truck too.)
Thanks to everyone for your contributions to our security here in Cimarron Estates. And a happy summer to you all!
Jac Carlson, Security [email protected]
Security continued
5Su
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er 2009ArchitectureHouse Painting
This month’s hot topic is painting. Over the last few months, I received many phone calls and e-mails on this topic. Although it has been discussed several times before, I would like to elaborate on our process and the CR&R guidelines. The CR&Rs, which govern our subdivision and are a binding part of your purchase contract when you bought your home, mandate that all exterior changes to your property are reviewed and approved by the board of the HOA.
The Architectural Review and Approval Process for repainting your residence is fast and easy. We require three pieces of documentation: (a) A short letter about your project and the anticipated timing. (b) Paint chips for your chosen colors. (c) A deposit check for $150 payable to the HOA Cimarron Foothills with your lot number in the memo line. The lot number is necessary as often the address on the checks does not match a Cimarron address and our bookkeeper, has to allocate the check to your lot to be able to refund it. The deposit is refundable upon final inspection of the project by the board of the HOA. All the documentation should be submitted to me at 6191 E. Paseo Ventoso. For painting projects, I try to achieve a turnaround of 72 hours between submission and approval.
The colors permitted in Cimarron Foothills are those permitted by Pima County for hillside developments. The Pima County Code states that colors should be earth tone with a maximum light reflective value of 60%. This prevents houses from being very light and makes them blend into the colors of the foothills. Recently, a house was repainted with very intense colors, dismayeding some neighbors. These intense colors (while they could be considered ‘earth tone’) made the house stand out from the natural surrounding and will not be permitted in the future. Please submit color schemes with colors that blend in with the natural environment. (You can still use stronger colors to accent some edges or trims at your residence.)
There are quite a few residences in Cimarron that have very light colors (almost white) that exceed the maximum LVR. These homes were painted before Pima County lowered the LVR limit from 80% to 60%. These bright houses as well as homes with very intense color will be considered non-compliant with our CR&Rs. While the board will not request immediate repainting of these homes, the color schemes for these residences will have to be brought into compliance when the houses are repainted.
In recent months, we observed an increasing number of homeowners repainting (or performing other exterior work on their properties) without getting prior approval.
I usually learn about these cases through neighboring homeowners. I try to follow-up as quickly as I can. These architectural projects without approval are violations of our CR&Rs. The consequences of these violation are delays in projects and penalties. These penalties can be monetary or the board may require restoration to the original condition. We believe that our CR&Rs are quite flexible as they should be for custom homes (in a discussion I had, one homeowner considered them strict, but I would encourage you to read the 270-page CR&Rs of other subdivisions in Tucson to appreciate our flexibility) Also our Architectural Review process is quick, easy, and in a collaborative spirit. Please keep in mind that you are all members of the HOA and that the board members are your elected representatives. I try to support your architectural ideas and endeavors and at the same time try to respect the interests of all Cimarron homeowners. You can help all board members in their tasks by communicating with your neighbors and the board often and early.
As the monsoon season is upon us, I hope that the rains will not do significant damage to our neighborhood and your properties. If you do landscaping on your property please keep the direction of the water run-off in mind. Small changes in the flow of water on your property can lead to significant problems on properties downhill from you. If you plan any measures that will divert the flow of water, please discuss it with your neighbors and feel free to contact me on this matter. You will find that discussions can be quite fruitful and may help you to come up with solutions that may be advantageous or more sustainable than your original plans. Please keep also in mind that all hardscaping needs architectural review and approval.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions and suggestions. Usually the best way to get in touch with me is by e-mail at: [email protected] or using the e-mail link on our website. You can also call me in the evenings (usually after 7 p.m.) or on the weekends under 529-0901. I am looking forward to discussing your projects and ideas with you.
Peter Nestler, Architectural [email protected]
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At the April Board meeting, we had an exchange of ideas with representatives from PCDOT and the Sheriff ’s Department regarding the safety issue with the N.Wilmot Road and E. Paseo Ventoso intersection. The actions committed to by the representatives at the meeting were for the Sheriff ’s Department to conduct intermittent patrolling and issue tickets for speed violations in the area (be forewarned) and PCDOT will install, for southbound Wilmot Road an improved “blinking lights” 25 mph cautionary sign, place markings on the pavement and remove another part (northern) of the Wilmot Road median immediately north of the intersection.
PCDOT Road maintenance has informed me they will have made a median maintenance pass through the major roadway medians in the HOA
Roads and Medians (Paseo Cimarron, Paseo Otono, North Wilmot Road and Paseo Otono) by the time you receive this newsletter. PCDOT stated the minor road medians will be maintained later this year, but are not able to commit a date at this time. As I stated in the last newsletter, you (the homeowners) have a one time “dispensation” from PCDOT to maintain the medians this year, only--removal of buffel grass, pampas grass, mistletoe from the trees and trimming back tree limbs interfering with vehicle traffic. The best time for this is before or after your vacation and immediately following a monsoon rain as the weeds will uproot more easily. As always, PCDOT will be available for emergency responses to roadway conditions regarding potholes and removal of debris, etc.and downed traffic signs.
Andy Gaudet, Roads and Medians [email protected]
[email protected] cell phone: 609-2080
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Here are some important highlights (Do’s and Don’ts) from our CR&Rs:
DO clean up after your pets and keep them leashed when not within your walls.
DO keep your mailboxes lit (and in good condition) between dusk and dawn to maintain safety.
DO keep all piles and debris from street view and neighboring lots.
DO keep your garbage cans out of view when not in place for pick-up day.
DO use approved signage when selling your home.
DO store RVs, boats, trailers in an enclosed area.
DON’T rent out your property for short-term rentals.
DON’T operate a small business out of your home that generates increased traffic.
DON’T make any improvements to your property without first consulting our architectural chair, Peter Nestler.
DON’T place advertisement signs on your property including construction, pool, etc.
I hope this is helpful. We are here to help. If you have any questions, as always, please contact me!
Karen Lincowski, CR& R’[email protected]
CR&Rs and Treasurer
Treasurer’s ReportWe are in a financially responsible position with a 5/31/2009 cash balance of $ 253,829.
Our 2009 revenues are anticipated to be under budget by $ 3,006. Our expenses for the rest of the year are projected to be $116,795 which will result in a net outflow of funds of $119,801 providing a projected YE 2009 cash balance of $ 134,028.
YTD Revenue Expenses Net Income
Actual $ 186,984 $ 82,881 $ 104,103Budget $ 189,990 $ 85,645 $ 104,345Variance $ ( 3,006) $ ( 2,764) $ (242)
Cash BalancesWells Fargo Checking $ 4,494Wells Fargo Money Mkt $ 158,258
G.M.A.C. CD $ 91,077
Total Cash @ 5/31/2009 $ 253,829
Vic Lattari, [email protected]
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Important Phone Numbers:
Fire. Sheriff. Ambulance ......................... 911
Pima County Sheriff ................................. (520) 741-4600
Rural Metro ................................................. (520) 624-9913
Central Alarm ............................................. (520) 882-8147
or 622-8824 (after 4 pm)
Saguaro Environmental Services ........ (520) 745-8820
Tucson Electric Power Co. ...................... (520) 623-7711
Southwest Gas Corp. ............................... (520) 889-1888
Tucson Water .............................................. (520) 791-3242
Pima County Hazardous waste ............ (520) 888-6947
Poison Control ........................................... (520) 222-1222
Pet Emergency Care ................................ 520) 888-3177
Sign-up Sign Services (real estate signs) (520) 319-8100
Up-to-date numbers to paste on page 2 of your Directory
