In a recreational community....We are what we are....
Our outdated covenants need to be brought into the 21st century. Our covenants need to reflect the desires and needs of all the members and not just the "views" of a few. Change is always difficult because of the fear of the unknown. With status quo, you now what you have and a change may not be what you like. Below is my brief overview of a situation that needs correction. I welcome corrections and comments.
History:
Over 50 years ago, a group of investors saw an opportunity in a business venture to develop Surfside. The original concept was a gated community that would appeal to higher end users. Amenities included a golf course, club house, swimming pool and other features. The success of that venture depended on sales of property. State land was developed. Today, this kind of development would not be allowed here because of it being a wet land.
The developers had difficulty selling lots from the start. Most sales were on the East side because of the wind and storm protection, especially for the popularity of camping sites. The East side became popular as a place for small trailer homes on small lots. The West side was bare with blowing sand being a problem. Also, in order to make the area more attractive to buyers, seeding of pine trees was done by air. To maintain property values and sell ability, the West side restricted "trailer houses".
The Issue:
The "trailer houses" of the past, have become the manufactured homes of today. Yet, the restrictions of the past remain in place. It is like comparing apples to oranges. Manufactured homes of today provide affordable attractive well built living units. Surfside covenants require much more square footage than the County. This restricts the placement of small cabins on any size lot, East or West side.
Solutions:
The most obvious is to allow manufactured homes in all of Surfside. The present practice is discriminatory.
Smaller Square footage would allow for small cabins on lots that are not large enough to have both a home and septic system. This is a particular problem on water front lots that require a set back from the waters edge.
Note:
We are a recreational community, not a gated community. It is time that our covenants served what we are today, and not what we wanted to be 50 years ago. Again, change is difficult, especially for us older members, but change does happen and it usually turns out for the better.
Just my views, what are yours?
60 comments:
off the rails as more and more homes and residents and retirees settle in Surfside. it is the RV/camping members who are diminishing in numbers. while in residence for short periods of the year, the RV/camping minority remain mostly clueless about what it is like to live here year around.
Judging from Blog comments, some fulltime residents are bothered by campfires and smoke from RV visitors. RV generators tend to be noisy and should be used only in moderation. There tends to be a bit of entitlement on both party's part in terms of rights.
While it is true that every property owner has rights, it really boils down to the need to establish a respectful relationship among neighbors, and open communications. Easier said that done, but necessary. I see a very useful role for a compliance officer in such situations, someone who can help owners negotiate some of these "nuisance" situations.
Personally, I think a more active role in warmer months and busy weekends, would be a good use of a compliance officer. Occasional visitors to Surfside may sometimes feel particularly entitled to freedom from restrictions, which is not accurate. But at the same time, such folks deserve an opportunity to have family events or parties, and only patience and communication can moderate the situation.
Keeping the peace in times of gatherings is a good use of a Compliance Officer, much as a Park Ranger cautions and tries to help folks compromise their activities. I think this role is a very good use of such a community officer, not focusing on issuing violation notices in particular, but helping everyone work together when it gets busy in Surfside.
Where smaller cabins are concerned, there is no real way to prevent owners from renting out for daily or weekly use, though the covenants forbid it. A concern with allowing year-around RVs and smaller structures has to be this kind of inappropriate use that cannot be monitored or prevented.
I get along fine with my RV neighbors. It's the "entitled", bitter lifers I have a problem with. On the other hand, driving down I Street the other day, I noticed how neat it looks with all the new houses. It is a better neighborhood for people living and working on the Peninsula than the dogpatch in Ocean Park. It just looks like a better quality of life for working people. This shift in the demographics, along with retirees, does put the RV interests as sort of second class.
3:47. With this new compliance officer/security guard. Why pay for a full time deputy that isn't here very often?
Tiny houses are the wave of the future for both retirees and young people. I agree that the square footage needs to be revised.
RV's should be left as written in the covenants.
I also agree that manufactured homes and prefab homes are not what they used to be and should be revised in our covenants.
I don't see these changes happening though. Fear is driving our HOA.
I think we currently have only Laura acting as a compliance officer part-time. She has been the Surfside compliance officer along with being manager in the business office. She retired from the business office, supposedly moving out of State, but has not left Surfside. Anyone hired in a security role does not have legal authority that the County Deputies have.
8:33 their is a difference between a compliance officer and a deputy. A compliance officer looks at your personal property making sure it is in compliance and a deputy makes sure you are obeying the laws.
I was hoping Laura would have moved on to her new life by now.
ditto. she needs to move on. she never was good fit for surfside.
3:47 referenced compliance officer as "keeping the peace". The very little time deputy is in shoa, why pay for both. Deputy does nothing to prevent crime. We had a obvious drug dealer in our neighborhood and sheriffs office said for us not to confront them or speak to them at all. That was their only advice. Deputy was aware, but because of limited hours and responsibilities elsewhere, could do nothing. What are we paying for?
I have heard this refrain about the Deputy Sheriff several times on the blog. Does he need some kind of "body count" to be helpful? Or is there some data to suggest this is a waste. I like to think I could call. It is also a deterrent to the bad actors. How many situations "did not" happen because of the nearby presence of a Deputy in this remote rural area.
Presence and nearby are the key words. The data is his very short report.
I like having a Deputy in the area. I don't mind paying for him with my dues,
There are building concerns about the long term effect of so many septic systems and the continued growth on the Peninsula. The shallow water table makes contamination of potable water more likely. Keeping the current limits on building square footage may be wise, in light of the growing problem created by growth dependent on Septic Systems.
We have an armload of challenging issues to resolve in Surfside, many relating to the Water Dept. which will require large amounts of member funds to address. We would be incapable of affording a community sewage system in the short term, if it were even possible to site one.
SHOA already has a waste water treatment plant...very few houses hooked to it tho...
I'm suspicious of the hiring of Laura as the Compliance person. Why wasn't this posted and was this all prearranged by our honest and upstanding BOD? So, we are still employing Barney Fife( all he's good for is driving around and making observations)and now a compliance person. Wish I had as much indisposable funds as this SHOA has. The SWAMP just keeps getting deeper and dirtier!
two statements here seem to be inventions - please support your assertion that "there is growing concern around so many septic systems in an area with a high water table". Who is concerned and where can I find that report? The other seeming invention is that there is a wastewater treatment plant in Surfside. Where is that? I want to see that. Where is the County Permit and Approval for that?
here is some interesting info about a septic system that might work in the smaller lots along the canal. It is high tech and about $20,000 as I have heard for two bedrooms. It is above ground and treats wastewater to drinking standards.,
Alternative 5: Busse MBR to Gravel Gallery a. Description An MBR (Membrane Bioreactor) is a treatment product that combines the function of a membrane and biological wastewater treatment to treat the water to high degree. For this system the product we are looking at is the Busse GT treatment units that can be utilized to treat wastewater to reclaimed water standards. The high level treatment of these units can be utilized to address the phosphorous concerns of the community as discussed in section 1.C.....
talked to the owner of BioMicrobics named Curtis from Arlington. He worked with DOE and installed his units in the Gorge area where the music festivals take place. They are also in waterfront property in the Puget Sound area, including the San Juan Islands, which apparently is rocky.
Fact Check:
There is NO wastewater or sewage treatment plant operated by Surfside. The (golf course and Surfside Inn) does have a treatment plant and it also serves the homes on the J Place North loop for about 2 blocks. About 317th to 319TH. Those homes do pay a service charge, but not to Surfside.
Where is the waste water treatment plant George?
It is just over the ridge to the North of the greens. It is where Surfside has rented ground for gravel storage.
The Chinook Observer did an article recently regarding concerns over ever growing numbers of Septic Systems on the Peninsula. My comment wasn't intended to freak members out, so why so skeptical ? The State has required that Surfside do much more frequent sampling/testing due to increased impurities being present in our drinking water of late.
Much of the problem can probably be traced to the fact that the Carbon is long overdue for replacement, there is no flushing pond, and generally, maintenance has been compromised from procedures intended by the manufacturer.
The point being made is that planning in Surfside needs to take into account a number of factors, and tiny homes generate the same amounts of waste materials per person as larger homes. The County/State surely have some restrictions on where below ground Septic Systems can be put in, and there may be wisdom in limiting their proliferation on small lots.
And my large trailer with guests produces the same amount of sewage if not as much as a tiny home would, and if I was allowed a tiny home in sure it would help with property values a lot more.
Tiny homes are an excellent example why the covenants for this association need to be examined and revised. It should happen a regular intervals, not at the whim of a special interest board.
Fact check:
This is probably new to many on here...
One vessel of the carbon has been replaced. There is flushing of the carbon. A new pipe was installed from the Carbon Treatment Plant, back to the flushing pond used for the other filter plant. The newly dug pond is not being used. I questioned why the other pond had not been used in the first place. As more information comes to light, it appears that an ex trustee with a take charge know it all attitude, caused many of the water issues.
So says an ex Trustee who didn't monitor this issue nor did much while on the board.
So 11:04, it should be apparent that this issue is not simply an arbitrary decision, but there are specific factors to be considered. For the time being, resolving the many issues that the Water Dept. faces is most critical to moving forward in discussions of further development in Surfside.
We know that Mr. Clancy had somehow become the key individual who interceded in the permitting matter, and failed miserably. The dismissive attitude shown the community by the County and State is not surprising considering the entitled attitude of The Surfside HOA Board. I believe that the individuals who handled the permitting failure, knew that they were trying to pull a fast one on the County.
I was given a tour of the new warehouse and CTP site, and when I asked Thomas Rogers and Bill Neal about the permitting they just chuckled. A year and a half later, that chuckle seems to have been premature and a sign of entitlement. That audaciousness doesn't go over well with regulatory agencies who yield the ultimate power.
In the past our water quality had to do with byproducts of Chlorinization. Not effluent contamination. The yellow color was from tanins in the wells from plant breakdown, (harmless).
I believe 3:01 is correct. Let's not get off into the weeds with inaccurate statements.
So says a shill of the current Trustee's, who lie to us when they communicate at all, engage in legal stupidity just 'cause they can, and inbreed by appointing only their own to the Board.
George does more for us that all those combined, including yourself. Go troll other waters.
Water quality has also been affected by chemical overuse. I recall 2 notices in the mail, mandated by the State, alerting us to this issue.
Water has already cost me over $900, for a full house filtration system, my vote of confidence in Surfside water. The workers have been very pleasant and have tried, but any business fails in the face of shoddy management.
I'm no authority on water quality or treatment, but the report from the Water Dept. a couple of months ago mentioned coliform presence being a factor in the increased scrutiny and frequent testing. Chlorine is used to treat bacteria, and increased chlorine use apparently results in excessive amounts of another element which I can't recall the name of, but has been mentioned in Mr. Neal's reports as an issue/pollutant.
Surfside is the goose that laid the golden egg for big contracts and contractors looking for them. Disrespectful know-it-all comments are the trademarks of a hustle , so please be careful with inaccurate statements around septic systems or other potential targets.
Steve, that has been an issue for several years, which in earlier time mandated written notices.
Over the last couple of years, water quality at my home deteriorated noticeably. I certainly did not want to pay for a house filtration system, but after repeated attempts to resolve the problem, Surfside was unsuccessful, and running out of options. I was not willing to bet my health on a Board that has already failed us so miserably.
So the response to a comment starting "I'm no authority on Water quality or treatment" is called a "disrespectful know-it-all comment" ? We read the information available and try to decipher what's going on from our standpoint. How will we be effected, we ask. That is not disrespectful, just thinking out loud. Got a fear of facts ?
Appreciate your comment 9:22. We have been considering an in-home solution as well.
No, Steve. The comment was not meant to "call anybody out". What is the problem with just being accurate? It would be helpful to be more specific about general statements. I say that because you and others may have good information, but you may know that it is good information, but I do not.
Sorry, but that's on you. Check your filters.
Along with the filtration I also had to install a pump to get my pressure up to usable, something that affects a few so of course it is ignored by the many. With out it I couldn't get my sprinkler to barely half way on a small lot. Meanwhile I'll pass lots south of me and the water is coming out of the sprinklers like a fire hose.
Of course I was told that when the pipes are replaced and the cross over upgrade done it will get better. That was years ago........
The 8:24 comment was posted in response to a comment at 3:58. So I am confused as to how Cox would take offense.
FYI:
Coliform Bacteria: www.epa.gov/OGWDW/hfacts.html
How to disinfect your water and your well: www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/welldisinf.htm www.ncwelldriller.org/documents/ DisinfectaWaterWell_rev2007-6.pdf
3:27:
I guess you haven't been on here too long, it's not that confusing. Get use to it.
I've noticed that the water pressure on G st is extremely low these days, or was there a water break this weekend somewhere?
If you do not identify who you are responding to, no one knows. I didn't take offense, but didn't get why the response ignored what had already been said. And 11:09, I didn't say anything about anyone "being called out". If you actually READ what I wrote, the tone is not angry, just a response to an erroneous comment.
I am also totally clear in what I stated. George published the Water Dept. report a few weeks ago, and you had the opportunity to read it just like I did. It is entirely clear in stating that increased testing was being required to monitor increased presence of coliform. The info about the undesireable side products created by chlorination has been mentioned several times over the last 3 years, and recently in the newsletter, explained by Mr. Neal.
If you want information more accurate, do your own research instead of complaining about the Blog info.
Info from NMr. Neal or the water department is not reliable - nor is your spin on it. Thus there is posted at 3:48 a couple of county postings on these issues. I hope that is helpful.
The point is, I'm not putting any "spin" on this. The Water Dept. is reporting what is going on, and we don't have an alternative source of information. I'll look at your suggested postings, but your dismissing the info I've recounted doesn't provide any evidence that it is not accurate.
3:48.... I visited 2 of the sites you offered, and have little interest in reviewing a huge body of information about water impurities. I am willing to bet that you do not know what in this info is pertinent to our circumstances. I do not pretend to be a chemist or Water Quality Tech, nor do I intend to become one.
I will read the Water Reports and information offered by Bill Neal or other Water Dept. staff, and that will suffice. There are enough questions and inconsistencies in BOT handling of this stuff to be a big concern, and these are the issues I have been addressing that make you uncomfortable.
There are plenty of reasons to question the decisions that HAVE been made and ARE being made that have involved Trustee meddling and micro-managing, that I don't have to be a chemist to recognize this Dept. continues to be poorly managed, and our water quality is shaky at best.
You r a turd. My property I have a right to my american dream
Yeah I have lived here my whole life .
Yeah u people should enjoy life and stop worrying about everyone else
If a deputy told me how to live I will tell to get bent
Guess this blogger doesn't know what "anonymous" means. Four stupid comments in a row ?
9:57 AM What does that mean?
Steve Cox is a friend of mine. Lay off personally attacking him.
Apparently your reading comprehension is the same as your "friend".
9:55 PM What does that mean?
I'll put my reading comprehension against yours anyday.
Do you want to read some of my seismic engineering structural analysis modeling and full-scale shake-table testing reports?
9:55 PM I'm a licensed Professional Engineer. I had to get a Bachelor's degree in engineering, in fact I have a Master's degree in engineering, and take an 8 hour exam to become a licensed Professional Engineer.
How do you substantiate your reading comprehension?
Well Mr. Smarty pants, I was able to comprehend that the comment @ 9:57 wasn't aimed at Steve Cox's comment. It was aimed at the 4 "unknown" comments below it. Your 5:26 comment was incorrect there Mikey. So my reading comprehension appears to be superior to yours, but thanks for sharing your resume. Thanks also for the offer to read your reports. If I ever have insomnia I'll get back to you for a copy.
Just in case I guess I should explain what I meant by that. I'm saying that it would put me to sleep.
5:26....I can use all the friends I can get. Thanks for standing up for me. Comments are often somewhat cryptic and cross-talk that doesn't identify an author gets confusing. Happens to everyone. My only objective is to find out what really goes on behind the closed doors of BOT transparency. Only details of owner's personal accounts are protected private information.
State RCWs and our Bylaws require that all HOA business be conducted openly and transparently, and when that doesn't happen there is reason for concern and suspicion. When the Blog exposes what is being covered-up, the guilty get defensive and strike out at the Blog and administrator. It should be very clear to all owners, that the Blog's objective is sharing the information that's being covered-up.
Conversations often become personal and stray far off topic -but there is useful information shared as well.
You've proven nothing 9:27 AM.
Steve, your information is useful. We have a couple of old Board Members or syncophants thereof that routinely try to sabotage any productive activity on this blog. Please ignore them and continue - this type of dialog is the only way we're going to fix this.
11:40 gets the last word (even if off topic) on this, and not just because I agree with it, but because when the comments revert to a back and forth over personal insults, I find it boring and think the other readers do so also. I think most come on here for information and discussion of the issues.
Maybe it is just a way the status quo use to shut down a topic. Thanks for the thoughtful comments and views on the topic subject. My next posting is about tiny houses. I have obtained some interesting information on the subject and have permission to share from a source that would surprise you.
Post a Comment