Sept/Oct
2005 GCCA Newsletter
CHAIR’S
CHIT-CHAT By Ruth O.
Fisher, G.C.C.A. Chair A-h-h
. . . the fall season approaches . . . to be greeted by cooler weather conditions
and abundant political signs! This year eleven residents are vying for three slots
on the Vallejo City Council. Thus far, seven candidates have accepted the invitation
to attend the year’s last G.C.C.A. General Meeting, set for October 20th,
7-9 p.m. In addition to a political forum, the Thursday night session will include
election of the 2006 G.C.C.A. Board. Glen Cove residents are reminded that everyone
votes for the officers, but representatives/alternates are specifically selected
only by their development neighbors. The
Glen Cove neighborhood may not be quite as young or vigorous, but a vibrant spirit
exists on many of our streets. Fortunately, as highlighted in this issue’s
cover story, many of our homeowners are favorably maintaining their properties.
Unfortunately, despite the well-intentioned efforts of our residents, some aggravating
circumstances have befallen our section of Vallejo. It
is most displeasing to report that Glen Cove Waterfront Park is the site of tree
vandalism. Eight, stately eucalyptus trees have been deliberately damaged in an
apparent attempt to kill them. Concerned residents have notified appropriate City
personnel, Greater Vallejo Recreation District staff, and Vallejo Police Department
members. While we are in a wait-and-see mode as to survivability, suspects continue
to undergo investigation. As
parents were busily preparing children for the new school year, the restroom structure
at Glen Cove Park was marked by “gang tagging,” as described by V.P.D.
Sgt. Rick Florendo. G.V.R.D. Parks Landscape Supervisor Steve Pressley oversaw
the clean-up job to eliminate the graffiti before the elementary students started
classes. Shortly after, the building was painted a second time with profane language—quickly
eliminated by Pressley’s work mates—with much thanks. Just
a reminder, the City Council Candidates’ Night at Glen Cove Elementary School
is arranged solely for the convenience of residents. Each political contender
will be afforded opportunity to focus on local issues at the October 20th event.
Hopefully, attendees will approach the November 8th ballot as better-informed
citizens. Hope to see
you at the polls!!
Take
Pride in Glen Cove! Utilize
Development C.C. & R. Packets By
Andrew Clancy, The Shores Alternate Special
Neighborhood There
seems to be a consensus among residents that Glen Cove is a wonderful place to
live. Our waterfront community is situated among rolling hills and is, in my opinion,
both physically and instinctively separated from downtown Vallejo and the neighborhoods
immediately surrounding the downtown area. Of course, we are a part of Vallejo;
but in my opinion, Glen Cove’s uniqueness sets is apart from the look and
feel of Vallejo—with its population of over 120,000 and deep roots in heavy
industry. Instead, Glen
Cove feels more like a quiet, upscale, rural community. At least, that was the
developers’ intent. During the planning phase, each lot was parceled out
in a manner that took advantage of the water view whenever possible. Sites for
streets (like South Regatta) were chosen for their vista-like view of the developments
as well as the Carquinez Strait. In short, our community was designed around the
natural beauty that is Glen Cove. Perhaps
the strongest and most concrete example of the vision the developers had for Glen
Cove exists in the developments’ C.C.&R.’s. For those of you who
don’t know, C.C.&R.’s are a legally enforceable set of rules that
each resident of Glen Cove must live by. Our
C.C. & R. packets were designed to protect the economic value, desirability
of ownership, and architectural uniformity of the properties within Glen Cove.
A separate (but similar) set of rules exist for each of the more than twenty developments
within Glen Cove. These rules limit what a homeowner can do with the exterior
of their property. Improvement
Effort The Shores G.C.C.A.
Development Representative and Alternate (myself) conducted a mid-August neighborhood
walkthrough on Paddlewheel Drive, Foulkstone Way, Drake Court, Sand Dollar Drive,
and Humphrey Lane. As residents of The Shores Development, Bobbi Kahn and I had
noticed a gradual increase in the number of homes that do not comply with our
specific C.C.&R.’s. It was apparent that we needed a more solid C.C.&R.
enforcement strategy, and our recent walkthrough was the first phase. I’m
pleased to say that the response to our walkthrough was overwhelmingly positive.
We were greeted on the street by a group of residents who had been frustrated
by some of their neighbors’ lack of lawn maintenance, neglect of trees and
shrubs, unpainted houses, and houses painted with unusual color schemes without
acquiring prior approval from the Architectural Review Committee. Several
residents posted “thank you” letters on the www.glencovevallejo.com
website; and best of all, many of our neighbors who had received notices about
their own yard problems went out the next day to remedy the situations . . . and
they continued actively working a couple weeks after our walkthrough. Personally,
I want to thank all who acted quickly to fix their trouble spots, and I also want
to thank those who are making plans to take care of yard, paint, and other issues
in the near future. Small
and seemingly insignificant things like leaving trash cans in the front yard,
parking cars on a side yard, or letting a lawn go brown (among other things) really
add up. When everyone takes the extra steps to ensure compliance with C.C.&R.’s,
our Glen Cove neighborhood becomes that much more beautiful. Our
plans for The Shores include another walkthrough in early December, and every
three months after that. I am curious to see how many residents have resolved
their issues by then. I suspect that many problems will have been taken care of.
However, there were some fairly serious trouble spots that I suspect may require
follow-up. We do plan on following-up on all non-compliance issues. Advance
Planning In the future,
I would like to see more Glen Cove residents consult their development’s
C.C.&R.’s before making any changes to the exterior of their homes or
to their yards. There are some things you can do—no questions asked—but
there are some projects that must involve the Architectural Review Committee before
they’re started. We do have legal recourse for all non-compliance issues,
and it is much easier to obtain approval on a project before it’s started
than to have to make changes after its completion. I can’t stress that enough.
If in doubt . . . ask first! If
you don’t have a copy of your development’s C.C.&R. packet, I would
recommend contacting the title company that handled the transfer of ownership
of your home when you purchased it. If that doesn’t work for you, consider
asking your real estate agent or a long-term neighbor before contacting your G.C.C.A.
Development Representative, as indicated on Page 11. And,
if you live in The Shores area, you can view a copy of your C.C.&R. items
online (coming soon)!
GLEN
COVE WATERFRONT PARK Public
Input on New Master Plan By
Janet Laine, Harbor Homes Representative A
public workshop with the Greater Vallejo Recreation District Facilities Committee
was hosted by LandPeople, the firm tasked with developing a new master plan for
the Glen Cove Waterfront Park. On the evening of August 16, 2005, several members
of the community attended the meeting which was held to review possible options
for restoration and improvement of the park site. Meeting
participants were given the opportunity to voice their opinions on planned improvements.
An overwhelming majority of those in attendance supported the demolition of the
Stremmel building. The majority also felt strongly that restrooms and parking
lots should not be constructed on the park site, due to resulting noise, trash,
maintenance issues, and possible vandalism. Options for placement of trails on
the property were discussed, as well as planned improvements to correct drainage
problems and eliminate invasive plant species. LandPeople
is currently creating a draft master plan and preparing necessary environmental
documents. The next public meeting is anticipated in November.
L.M.D.
CORNER Planting Improvements By
Dennis Albright, Headlands Representative It
appears that the transition to the new common area landscaping contractor, D&H
Landscaping, has occurred relatively seamlessly. I
recently conducted an in-depth walk through of the Glen Cove Parkway median and
side slopes from the Robles Drive intersection to the Saybrook/Bermuda intersection
with Jeanine Perasso-Kaczmarczyk, the City’s Senior Landscaping Inspector.
We agreed on the actions required to replace degraded and missing plants and enhance
some areas not previously addressed. It
is anticipated that the plantings required to bring this area up to our standards
will occur in October. The action taken by Jeanine to improve the Glen Cove Parkway
corner at the Quiet Harbor intersection is apparent as the new plantings have
matured into a pleasant palate there. The
next areas most demanding improvement relative to resident and traffic exposure
appear to the be the side slopes off of North Regatta and South Regatta Drives
at various locations and the Vallejo Fire Station on Fulton. We will be working
to refine a plan for these and other areas in the future. I
would like to thank the community members who contacted me to identify areas in
need of attention. All residents are encouraged to support our longtime motto
of “Keep Glen Cove clean, safe and beautiful.” |