FIRE is a 4-Letter Word!
As a reminder, outdoor burning and fireworks of any kind are prohibited at The Capes. This includes fire pits, chimineas, gas or wood-burning patio heaters, table-top fire pits/bowls, burn barrels, sparklers, firecrackers, sky rockets, etc. Anything that produces a flame – other than a BBQ grill – is a no-no. [Grills are allowed, but should be used with care, and should not be left unattended.] We are entering the very dry summer months here at the coast, and need to be extremely careful when it comes to fire and its dangers. The close proximity of homes to one another at The Capes pretty much guarantees that if one goes up in flames, it won’t be alone, so we need to do everything we can to keep the risk of fire as low as possible. If you are caught violating the rules on burning, you can and will be fined a minimum of $100 per instance.
Fires on the beach are allowed, but should be built with small pieces of wood only – do not burn the large logs – and should be at least 50 feet from the vegetation line. An out-of-control beach bonfire can quickly race its way up the vegetation-covered hillside to our homes if built too close to the dune. To extinguish a beach fire, always use water. A fire buried under sand will continue to burn, and could potentially burn someone who walks over it unawares. If you see a fire on the beach that does not look safe, the Netarts Oceanside Fire District is happy to come and take a look. You do not need to confront whomever has built the fire – simply call the fire district’s non-emergency number at 503-842-5900 and let them know where it is.
Tales from the Bridge House
As Covid-19 has put a damper on some of our larger community events for now, we thought it might be fun to set up a series of smaller summer events for those who might be interested. “Tales from the Bridge House” (which is NOT to be confused with Tales from Crypt…) is the brainchild of homeowner Andreas R, who thought that we might all enjoy the opportunity to gather (in a responsible, socially-distant way, of course!) for “an evening of community, education and entertainment.”
There will be four events in the premiere run of this series – one per month in June, July, August and September. Each month will feature a different guest speaker and subject. In June, homeowner Eric P will delve into the “hidden history of the American fashion industry. A family story.” July will feature homeowner and MD, Andreas R, as he talks about “Aging and Chronic Conditions – and everything else you need to know about falling apart.” Interested in art? Homeowner Carter T will offer “A Brief Introduction of Color Theory” in September.
The August event will be a little different. On “The Moth Night,” four storytellers from The Capes will compete in front of the audience and a panel of judges to see who can tell the best 8-minute story. (For more information on Moth events, visit The Moth Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moth)
We’re still ironing out a few last-minute details, so watch your inbox for more information, coming soon!
It’s Time to CLEAN-UP!
Just in case you missed it in the “Mid-May Musings” email that went out to all owners on May 20th, our Spring Clean-Up has been scheduled for Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 14th. Here are all of the details again, if you need them:
WHAT: Our spring and fall clean-ups are your opportunity to do a little yard work without having to worry about what to do with the debris. We will set up 5 collection areas throughout the neighborhood where you can discard your leftover plant material and other woody debris, and we’ll dispose of it for you.
WHEN: The clean up will run from Friday, June 5, 2020 through Sunday, June 14, 2020.
WHERE: The collection sites will be marked with orange stakes (or cones) as follows:
- The front of Lot #115 on Fall Creek Drive. (East side of the road, just south of 475 Fall Creek Dr.)
- The Meadow (where Capes Drive, Capes Loop and Capes Point all come together)
- Tract F on Capes Drive (the northernmost point of Capes Drive, right at the point where the road makes a 180° turn)
- Tract N on Promontory Lane (near where the observation platform used to be)
- BONUS site: New this year, we are adding a pick-up location near the tennis court!
Here is a map for the more visual among us. The sites are marked with a big, red X:
https://www.thecapeshoa.org/documents/forms-and-information/Landscape/Clean%20Up%20Location%20Map.pdf
WHO: Josh Vance of His Glory Landscape Care and Home Maintenance will be organizing the collection sites and disposing of the debris. He is also available to assist with any yard maintenance or tree trimming that you would like (at your expense). Josh can be reached by telephone (503-812-5716) or email (hisglorylandscapecare@gmail.com)
THE FINE PRINT:
- All woody debris (trees and tree limbs) should be limited to NO LARGER THAN 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER. Anything larger is your responsibility and should not be taken to a clean up site.
- Please remember that this is for “clean up” and not “clearing”. If you are clearing or significantly thinning a vacant lot, disposal of large amounts of trees will be your responsibility. (Our budget will not handle the disposal of an entire forest. Sorry!) If you are not sure whether or not what you are planning to remove constitutes a “large amount of trees” then it probably does…but feel free to contact the office and make sure!
- Debris must be taken to one of the staked sites in order to be disposed of as part of the Spring Clean-Up. If for some reason you need Josh to collect debris directly from your lot, it is your responsibility to contact him and let him know. If the debris meets the criteria for items #1 and 2 above (it’s less than 4 inches in diameter and is not a significant number of trees) he will still include it with the HOA disposal items, however, you will be billed for any time/labor charges incurred while collecting the debris from your property. Our contract/arrangement with Josh is for setting up and clearing the 5 collection areas only. Anything above and beyond that requested by a homeowner will need to be done at that homeowner’s expense.
Let the Painting Begin!
Phase III townhome trim painting is officially underway for Lot #’s 78 – 83 and 173-175 on Capes Drive and Lot #’s 84 – 109 on Promontory Lane. The crew from Ofstad Painting will be on site for the next couple of months and are usually open to taking on small side jobs while they’re here as well, if anyone needs to have their garage door painted (hint, hint…). If you are interested in contacting them for a quote, call or email the office, and we can make that happen! If you are the owner of one of the townhomes being painted, the crew will move any objects in the vicinity out of the way as they go, and is as careful as they can be to make sure the paint only goes where it’s supposed to…but if you have anything fragile, or anything that you’re particularly concerned about in an area that will be painted, this might be a good time to move it temporarily to a safer location.
Scenic Views – A monthly update from the Landscape Committee
Written by Landscape Committee Co-Chair, Eric P:
The Capes continues to get its overdue hair cut, as in trees, and the results – stated by those who’ve seen it – are an overall improvement. The Tract-A tree removal plan was completed in recent weeks in the lower townhome area (Capes Drive, Capes Loop, and Capes Point), improving view corridors, street visibility, and providing an overall more maintained aesthetic. Upcoming work will now focus on tree maintenance to restore views for Promentory townhomes as well as some townhomes on Capes Loop that border the canyon, and continuing the Tract-A work along Fall Creek Drive. The wooded area around the Bridge House will also get some attention, to clean out several dead and/or leaning trees. Once the tree maintenance is complete, the committee will work to identify any Tract-A areas that need a little “filling in” with native shrubs and plants.
A plan for the community meadow, or bocce court area as some refer, is being developed now that trees have been trimmed. Focus items are: to improve a large flat grassy area surrounding the recreation areas (bocce and horseshoes), for people to enjoy sitting or more easily walking around; a more handicap-accessible pathway, accommodating wheelchairs and walkers; and the possible introduction of a community garden space. The bocce court will be replaced in coming weeks, with these other planned improvements to begin in the fall.
The Community Garden, to be located in the sunny south area of meadow that goes largely unused (southeast of pump house) has been a suggestion of several homeowners. The idea is to develop a series of three raised beds to be quartered (providing 12 garden spaces) where community members can “adopt” a space to grow vegetables or flowers. Plots can be put on rotation for others to share, and as interest warrants, the plan includes an additional two raised beds (providing 8 more spaces – a total of 20). The garden would be aesthetically deer fenced to avoid becoming an unwelcome buffet.