Capes News – February 2020

2020 Dues Revisited (again…and again…)

Here are the 2020 dues amounts one more time, for those of you who may have missed the November email…and the December newsletter…and the January newsletter…and the full-page ad we took out in the NY Times (ok, that last one may not have actually happened…but, you get the point):

• Undeveloped lots – $128 per month
• Cottages – $137 per month
• Single Family Homes – $137 per month
• Town Homes – $270 per month

If you have a question about dues, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the office. Payment books were mailed out in mid-December to those who signed up to receive one. If you have not received yours yet (and you are positive you filled out the form and ordered one), it’s a safe bet that it’s not coming. Let the office know, and we can get a reorder out to you.

Tract A Landscape Maintenance

The Landscape Committee has been working diligently to put into place some guidelines that will promote a more proactive management of common area landscape here at The Capes. One of the largest “common areas” in the community is what’s known as Tract A, which is the area that encompasses all 5 roads (Capes Drive, Capes Loop, Capes Point, Promontory Land and Fall Creek Drive) and the immediately adjacent “green” space.

Privately-owned lots do not begin at the curb. Property lines begin somewhere between 10-15′ back from the curb, depending on the platted width vs. the actual width of the road. For example, Capes Drive and Fall Creek Drive are platted as 60′ wide roads, but the actual asphalt portion of the roads are closer to 25-28′ wide…so that extra 32-35′ comes from the green space adjacent to either side of the road. [See Figure A below for an example of what Tract A looks like.] In order to find where Tract A ends and your private lot begins, find the nearest Tract A survey marker (these can be found in the road and have been marked in orange), which depicts the center of Tract A. If you are on Capes Drive or Fall Creek Drive, measure out 30′ from the marker. For Capes Loop, Capes Point and Promontory Lane (which are platted as 50′ roads), measure out 25′ from the marker. This will give you a general idea of where the adjacent private property lines begin.

At the January 18, 2020 board meeting, the Landscape Committee submitted to the Board for approval their proposed Landscape Guidelines for Tract A Common Area. The guidelines were approved, and can be found here.  Over the next few weeks, the committee will be surveying the landscape that falls within this common land Tract A in order to identify areas where HOA landscaping may be blocking views, overhanging the road (which can cause vehicular damage) or obstructing the view of drivers.

Fireplaces

If your wood-burning fireplace is more than 10 years old, we strongly recommend that you have it inspected before you light another fire. We have heard of many instances lately where chimneys have been completely rusted, pipes are disconnected, or they have never been cleaned and are full of soot and creosote. Any of these issues is a major fire hazard. If you use your wood-burning fireplace regularly, you should have it cleaned every year and have it inspected every 2-3 years. A local chimney/fireplace care service was here one day in December and checked 3 fireplaces, and of the 3 only ONE was deemed safe to use! When is the last time your chimney was inspected?

Beach Clean-Up – Save the Date!

Our first official beach clean-up as part of the SOLVE Adopt-a-Beach program is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2020, so save that date. As you can see from the photo at the top of this post, keeping our little slice of paradise clean is going to take some work, but Capers, I know you are up to the task! If you’d like to volunteer for the clean-up event, watch your email for more information, coming soon!

CARE Bowl-a-thon

The CARE Knock Down Poverty Bowl-a-Thon will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2020 and we are currently taking applications for bowlers to represent The Capes. Participants will get to bowl 1 free game, win fun door prizes and will collect donations that provide support to a vital Tillamook County resource. Last year, The Capes came in second place, raising almost $2,800 for CARE (and more than doubling what we raised in 2018)! We will need at least 5 bowlers, and if the parameters are the same as last year, each bowler is asked to collect at least $125 in donations. CARE will even provide the means to set up a donation page so that you can send out a link and donors can contribute online! It’s always a fun event, and everyone who participates gets a door prize – and no, bowling skills are absolutely NOT a requirement for participation! It’s all about raising money for a good cause.

If you’re interested in participating, let me know by March 1, 2020. If you’d like more information about CARE and the services they provide to Tillamook County, you can find that here.

Annual Homeowners Meeting & Board Election

Don’t forget, our 2020 Annual Homeowners Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 10:00 am in the meeting room of the Netarts Fire Hall (1235 5th St. Loop in Netarts). Meeting materials will be snail-mailed to all homeowners in mid-March, so if your mailing address has changed since last year’s meeting, now would be a good time to update your contact information with the office.

Terms are ending for two of our current board members, which means there will be two seats to fill. All seats are for 3-year terms. Could one of those seats have your name on it?

If you are a go-getter who is interested in helping to effect positive change within the community by serving on the board, the first thing you’ll need to do is declare your intent to run. You can do this by mail, email or in person. Your intention to run must be received by 5:00 pm on Friday, February 14, 2020. All homeowners who will be running will be announced at the board meeting on February 15, 2020. Here is the contact information for declaring your intent to run: