Capes News – January 2023

Believe it or not, this is a morning shot, not sunset! (Photo courtesy of Caper Marla)

New Dues Rates and Mailing Address!

Just in case you missed the previous memos, here are the new monthly dues rates for 2023:

  • Townhomes – $283
  • Single Family Homes – $155
  • Cottages – $155
  • Undeveloped Lots – $141

If you use your bank’s autopay service, please make sure you update the payment amount! (This usually works better if you delete the entry you have set up and create a new recurring payment. If you just change the payment amount in your current entry, many times it reverts back to the previous payment amount after one payment.)

Please also note that we have closed out the PO Box in Oceanside and are now using our Capes address exclusively. The “new” mailing address is:

The Capes Homeowners Association
605 Capes Drive
Tillamook, OR 97141

It’s That Time Again…

Terms will be up for reelection this April for two seats on the Board of Directors. 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. Your intention to run should be in writing and must be received via email or US Mail by 5:00 pm on Friday, February 17, 2023. All homeowners who will be running will be announced at the board meeting on February 18, 2023.

Here is the contact information for declaring your intent to run:

The Capes Homeowners Association
605 Capes Drive
Tillamook, OR 97141
manager@thecapeshoa.org

If you’ve got questions about board member responsibilities and/or obligations, feel free to ask. If you’d like to see the board in action, join us for the next meetings on Saturday, January 7, 2023 or Saturday, February 18, 2023 to see what it’s all about.

Historical Capes Info

I’ve been hearing some questions, theories and misinformation lately about the landslide that occurred here at The Capes in the late 90’s. For anyone who is interested, I present the links below for your reading pleasure:

  • What caused the 1997 landslide? (spoiler alert, it was not caused by trees) – If you read through the two reports that are posted on the Landscape Committee page of our public website, you will see that the slide was caused by erosion of the toe of the dune by that winter’s El Nino tides, which destabilized the bluff. This may have been exacerbated by a storm water pipe that emptied into the top of the dune. Since the slide, that particular section of the storm water system has been redirected and closed off permanently. A large retaining wall was installed behind the 2-3 townhomes closest to the slide, and tiebacks were installed.
  • What happened to the North Stairs to the beach? The bottom sections of the north stairs were damaged in the 1997 slide. They were not replaced because the above reports indicated that even after the movement of the main slide block ceased, the slope would continue to shift, lay back, and adjust for several years to come. The recommendation was not to rebuild at that time and that any future efforts to rebuild there should only be considered temporary due to the temperamental natures of the tides and the instability of the area close to the beach, so the decision was made to remove the entire staircase permanently. (See the January 2000 Slope Regression Study Report, p24, North Stairs.)
  • Expert Consultation: The landscape committee consulted with Geologist and Dune Specialist Tom Horning in March of 2020 with the sole purpose of discussing tree removal and slopes so that The Capes would be educated on what is safe and what is not in his expert opinion. The HOA has not removed – nor do we plan to remove – trees in any areas that fall outside the parameters of his recommendations. A summary of the meeting with him is also available on the Landscape Committee page of The Capes’ website.
  • How do we know where the steep slopes are? Mr. Horning also provided the HOA with an updated topographical map of The Capes at that 3/3/2020 meeting so that we are able to determine the slope values throughout The Capes when necessary. It is also posted on The Capes’ website:3/2022

Office Closure

The Manager will be on vacation from January 9 – January 22, 2023, and during that time office services will be limited. If you anticipate needing something from the office, please don’t wait until the last minute to let us know!