Landscape

The Landscape Committee (LSC)

The volunteers on the LSC strive to help retain ocean and bay views while maintaining the natural coastal beauty of The Capes. They meet as needed to review view restoration requests, approve new construction landscape plans, and assist homeowners with landscape-related questions and issues.

The philosophy of the Landscape Committee is that landscaping should be attractive as well as functional and must be maintained in an acceptable manner. Property owners need to actively manage their landscaping to ensure that they are in compliance with Section 6.11 of the CC&Rs regarding landscaping. Bushes and trees should be pruned or replaced as necessary and not be allowed to grow so that they affect the view of the ocean or bay of other owners. The Capes is first and foremost a coastal community, with property values based largely on views – when the landscape of one homeowner restricts the ocean or bay view of another, everyone’s property values suffer.

In the event that trees or other vegetation are allowed to grow to the point where it affects the views of others or presents a safety hazard, the owner will be required to remove the trees or trim the vegetation. In the situation where plant or tree removal is required, the preferred method is “plant substitution”. That is, the owner should replace the tree(s) with other plants that will be shorter but still provide soil stability and meet the needs of the owner.

Section 6.11 of the CC&Rs reads in part:
“All landscaping shall be natural, indigenous vegetation suitable to The Capes, as determined by the Landscape Committee. The Landscape Committee may allow nonindigenous plant species. Owners may plant nonindigenous plants in flower boxes, pots and similar temporary containers; however, all in ground plantings of a nonindigenous species must be approved by the Landscape Committee. No landscaping shall be installed by a Lot Owner which materially interferes with another Lot Owner’s ocean or bay view and no landscaping shall be allowed that can grow so as to materially interfere with another Lot Owner’s ocean or bay view. Disputes regarding whether landscaping violates this requirement shall be resolved by the Landscape Committee.”

If you need to submit a View Restoration Request or if you would like the LSC to evaluate your own property to make sure your landscape isn’t restricting the view of your neighbors, please fill out and submit a Landscape Review Request form. [Submission instructions are on the form.] Here are some more useful links:

• Landscape Review Request Form
• Landscape Guidelines – HOA Common Area Property “Tract A”
• Legal Opinion on Material View Determination Authority
• Meeting Summary with Geologist, Tom Horning – March 2020
• Approved Plant List
• Landscape Fire Guidelines for The Capes
• Care and Pruning of Shore Pines
• The Capes Landslide – Initial Report – 2-1998
• The Capes Landslide – Slope Regression Study – 1-20-2000
• Topographical Map – Updated 3-2020
• Tree Removal and Topping
• Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Section 4.130 – Development Requirements for Geologic Hazard Areas
• View Protection Resolution

Current committee members:

• • Cheryl Jones – Chair
  • Jenny Green – Manager
  • Cherie Plaisted
  • Mary Lesperance
  • Melissa Myers
  • Virginia Wulf
  • Vickie Wylie

To contact the LSC, please send an email to Landscape@thecapeshoa.org.