From the May/June 2005 edition of the GCCA Newsletter

By Phillip Johnson, The Crest Representative

As a resident of Glen Cove since March, l989, and a member of the Glen Cove Community Association’s Board of Directors since July, l997, I’ve seen our neighborhood go through many changes over the years—mostly good changes, but some not so good.

But, through it all, we have been lucky to have the Glen Cove Community Association working on our behalf.

Although the main goal of the G.C.C.A. is to maintain property values, its members act as the eyes, ears, and voice of the community through the G.C.C.A. Newsletters, the G.C.C.A. Website (www.glencovevallejo.com) and the quarterly meetings held for all Glen Cove residents. In addition, G.C.C.A. Board Members have met with Vallejo Mayors and City Council Members, past and present, to address problems concerning our community.

Our G.C.C.A. Board of Directors consists of volunteers from the various developments throughout the community and meets monthly. Through strong leadership over the years, we have assisted in winning some important battles. The most recent ones include the defeat of the proposed Glen Cove Marina Apartment project (adjacent to the Glen Cove Marina) in 2003 and the defeat of the planned Vista Cove development (near Glen Cove Hills) in 2000. In addition, we played a major role in the 2003 defeat of the L.N.G. Mare Island project.

Beginning in 2004, we have cut the G.C.C.A. Newsletter publishing costs by more than $5,000 per year by services provided by the formation of our Newsletter Committee, headed by our G.C.C.A. Chair Ruth O. Fisher, who serves as Editor and is ably assisted by volunteer members in the effort to keep us informed about what’s going on within our neighborhood.

One of the main reasons I decided to become an active member of the G.C.C.A. in 1997 was because I had noticed a decrease in the quality and quantity of work being performed on landscaping in our community. As you know, we homeowners all pay money through our property taxes for landscaping, Glen Cove being one of many Landscape Maintenance Districts within Vallejo. One of the problems was that the City of Vallejo had been using funds intended for L.M.D. landscaping to perform work done outside of L.M.D. areas.

Around that time, we formed our own G.C.C.A. Landscape Maintenance Committee. This L.M.D. Committee is designed to meet and confer regularly with the City of Vallejo’s L.M.D. Inspectors, to assist in planning the work to be performed throughout Glen Cove, to monitor the L.M.D. budget, and to review the quality of work being performed by the contractors. Dennis Albright is doing an excellent job as the head of our L.M.D. Committee.

The big issue that we now face is the long-awaited development of the Glen Cove Waterfront Park. As I understand it, the land set aside for the park was planned and paid for by the developers as the community was formed—no doubt the cost was passed on to the new home buyers. Note, I said “paid for.” Now, as stated in previous G.C.C.A. Newsletters, the Vallejo Inter-Tribal Council is petitioning the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (G.V.R.D.) to close this land to the public. Janet Laine, the G.C.C.A. Vice-Chair, oversees our Glen Cove Waterfront Park Committee and is doing an excellent job presenting our case to G.V.R.D. and keeping us up to date on this important issue.

Although our main goal is to improve and maintain property values in our immediate neighborhood, our G.C.C.A. has been and remains active in City-wide issues, especially those issues affecting us directly. Therefore, I encourage you to get involved by joining our association ($20 annual fee) and volunteer to be a Development Representative or a Development Alternate. Please join your neighbors in keeping our community safe, sane, and clean.