Sunland North Owners Association
Quarterly Newsletter June 2019
Email: sunlandnorth@gmail.com
Website: https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1655, Sequim, WA 98382
The next two Sunland North Monthly Board Meetings are scheduled for July 10 and August 14. The annual meeting is September 11, 2:30 PM at the Gathering Place, 135 Fairway Drive.
Welcome to all our new residents: As a reminder, please review Sunland North Homeowners Association Governing Documents (CC&R’s, By-laws, and Rules and Regulations) available on Sunland North’s website.
Needed – willing volunteers to serve Sunland North!
Sunland North (Division 17) has at least two (2) and possibly three (3) Board positions opening this fall. In order to maintain the quality of property and lifestyle that we all enjoy in Sunland North, the Association needs you to step up and help your neighborhood by volunteering your time to serve as a Board member.
Although serving on an HOA board can be challenging at times, it can also be rewarding. Volunteer board members are essential to the harmonious functioning of planned unit developments. If you are interested in serving on the board of Sunland North, give it a try. You just might like it! Current and past Board members and committee chairs are available to help you as you learn your responsibilities as a Board member.
Employ the skills and experience that you’ve gained over your lifetime in support of the community you’ve chosen to live in. Have a strong financial background? That would be helpful to the Board as well. Board recruitment for the upcoming fall Board election is underway. Fritz Field and Susan Hamman are Board recruitment co-chairs. Please contact Fritz Field at 360-797-1275 or fhfjaf@msn.com or Susan Hamman at 360-683-1800 or SusanRainsHamman@gmail.com with your interest or intent to run for the Board.
Please provide a brief biography of yourself and a statement about how you would like to help the community. Thank you!
Treasurer’s Report – Jim Jones (Volunteer)
Division 17 expenses during the first five months totaled $177,040 which is $5,190 over Budget due primarily to higher than planned legal expenses and the unexpected need to provide an injunction bond of $250,000 which cost the Association $5,350. At the end of May the Operating Fund balance was $116,551 and the Reserve Fund balance was $94,092 which does not include the $250,000 from Reserves used for cash collateral for the bond. There were no progress payments from the Fire Trust Fund during the second quarter so the Fire Trust Fund balance at the end of May was $511,691. On June 14 Division 17 reinvested the $51,648 in proceeds from a maturing First Federal CD into a new 13-month CD with an interest rate that is adjusted monthly based on the Treasury bill rate (currently yielding 2.39%).
The Division 17 2018 tax return was filed in April which included a payment of over $1,700 since the Association had interest income of almost $5,800 for the year. The 2020 Do-It-Yourself Reserve Study has just been completed and will be presented at the July Board meeting as well as the Annual Meeting. The proposed 2020 Budget is currently under development and will be presented for Board approval at the July Board meeting. The 2018 Financial Review is also underway and should be completed before the July Board meeting as well.
As a reminder, 2019 third quarter assessment payments ($710) are due July 1 so, hopefully, you have already made your payment to Division 17 at PO Box 1655.
Finally, on June 21 Estes Builders closed on the sale of a new unit on Mount Baker Drive, so Division 17 now as 137 units and the final two units are expected to be complete during the next quarter.
Architectural Control Committee’s (ACC) Report – Susan Hamman (Volunteer)
It has been a busy spring for Exterior Change Requests in Division 17. Since March, the ACC has received 18 requests for exterior changes, ranging from privacy fences, installation of handrails, and storm and retractable screen doors, among other requests. 12 units (6 buildings) are scheduled for repainting this summer; eight units (4 buildings) requested color changes, which were reviewed and approved by the ACC.
Reminder: do not start any exterior changes until your Exterior Change Request has been reviewed and approved by both Division 17’s and SLOA’s ACC’s.
The ACC has 30 days to respond to a request, but generally, the process goes much more quickly than that. To start the process, please go to www.sunlandnorthownersassociation.com and fill out the three forms for the ACC process: Exterior Change Request, Hold Harmless Agreement and Neighborhood Consent forms and then follow the instructions for submittal to the ACC.
If you have any questions, contact Susan Hamman at SusanRainsHamman@gmail.com or (360) 683-1800.
Exterior Maintenance & Inspection Report – Doug Hale (Volunteer)
Our exterior inspections have been completed and I would like to thank the volunteers who stepped up to help get these done.
Jim Follis, Mike Johnson, Dave Walp, Eric Mahnerd, Randy Woodson, Chet Reynolds, Rob Crombie, and George Bannon. This association could not exist without the participation of our members.
I would also like to remind our residents that dryer vents can be a source of fire and are the responsibility of the owners to keep the vents free of lint and the ducts clean.
Insurance Review Committee Report – Donna Carson (Volunteer)
We have many new owners in Sunland North this year so it’s a good time to remind everyone of the important information available on our website: Sunlandnorthaownersassociation.com
Insurance documents such as certificates of insurance required by most lenders can be found under the “Owners Info” tab.
There is also a tremendous amount of information on our site to help you navigate ownership questions, concerns, and contact information. Welcome to Sunland North!
Communications and Outreach Committee Report – Kay Hatler (Volunteer)
The board officially recognized and approved the Communications and Outreach Committee. The purpose of the committee is to keep residents informed of issues that affect us all and will include communicating to new residents about living in our HOA community; compiling information and publishing the Quarterly Newsletter; maintaining the Sunland North Website; and communicating other general information to Sunland North residents that may be relevant throughout the year. Another part of this committee is to inform the community of events such as workshops, surveys and other activities.
The Welcome Packet was sent out to the board and all committee chairs for review and changes were made to reflect the input we received. The Welcome Committee is looking for volunteers, so if you are interested, contact Leah Prince at bali102158@hotmail.com. Leah Prince completed one welcome visit this quarter.
Lawrence Charters is our Website Coordinator. There’s lots of useful information for HOA residents online, so check it out at (https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com). The website now has a search function which should simplify finding things on the site. Enter a search term into the box next to the magnifying glass. The site is now encrypted which makes it safer to visit and helps to ensure identity, authenticity, and reliability to our Website. If you do a google search for Sunland North Owners Association, the search will provide the site and you can click on that.
Landscape Coordinator’s Report – Eric Mahnerd (Volunteer)
Well it looks like summer is finally here! Yea! The warmer days are stimulating lots of growth throughout the Division so I thought I’d give you a landscape update:
- Geoff and his crew are in the process of spraying for weeds, applying fertilizer to the grass and pruning out winter damage to the shrubs;
- I have received numerous requests to fix or adjust sprinkler systems. Geoff is working through the list;
- As a reminder, please don’t change the timer for your sprinkler system. They are all programed to come on at specific times to manage the water flow throughout the Division. IF you think they need adjusting, PLEASE LET ME know and I will get Geoff out to adjust them;
- A big Thank You to Kathy Mahnerd for the beautiful job she has done with our entrance flower beds. FYI, whoever tried to help by pulling weeds from the bed on the left, those were Lily plants, oops! Kathy has asked that you please let her maintain the beds;
- If you want to make changes to your landscaping, download the form from our website and drop it off. I will check it out as soon as I can. Remember that if you change your landscaping, you assume responsibility for maintaining those changes.
That’s all for now so Get Out There and enjoy the Great Weather!
Greenspace Report – Tom Hamman (Volunteer)
The greenspace has been mowed twice during the past couple of months. As dryer weather moves in, the grass should start growing more slowly. We anticipate only one more mowing later this summer.
The poison hemlock infestation is under control due to the diligent efforts of Barbara Brooner, Alan Morris, Doug Hale, and Tom Hamman.
There is an infestation of thistles on the north side of the Mt. Baker neighborhood berm. Gerry Busch has been investigating options with the county. He’s found that the best time to spray is in the fall, after the thistles flower.
Greenspace – Is That My Backyard, or Not? – Barbara Brooner (Volunteer)
I was startled during my very first week living in Sunland North to see a guy right outside my sliding glass doors, going across my patio with a leaf blower. I was used to traditional home ownership, where one feels that, basically, no one has a right to enter your yard without your permission. So is my backyard in Sunland North my backyard, or is that “Common Area”? What about the “Open Space” (Greenbelt) that surrounds Sunland North homes? This is how I think about it: Yes, you own the lot on which your home was built — but per the CC&Rs (which are part of your deed), you’ve assigned the homeowner association the right and the responsibility to maintain that yard and your unit exterior. That makes your yard a “Common Expense,” so you should expect the yard crews, any exterior maintenance contractors hired by the Association, and the volunteers doing twice-per-year exterior inspections to enter your yard unannounced.
What about the Open Space/Greenbelt? Well, the open space that surrounds us was purchased by Sunland Division 17 in 2011, to ensure our control over what happened there. So that is, indeed, “Common Space,” and it is not intended for any owner’s individual use. It’s considered a “natural” area. It’s technically open space that should be accessible to all Division 17 owners equally. It’s also understood that the lovely open space and trees that surround the division make the entire development more attractive, regardless of whether your home backs onto the space directly. And since it’s Common Space that we all share, let’s not leave pet waste in it — bag and take it home to your own garbage can, okay?
Can you plant things in the landscape areas of your yard or not? And should you pull weeds there or not? The goal in Sunland North is landscaping that is attractive but requires minimum maintenance, to help hold down costs for all of us. The area is under Association control, so don’t pull trees and shrubs out without permission; likewise, don’t plant new trees or shrubs without approval by the Landscape Coordinator. You’re not prohibited from adding your own annuals/flowers, but if you do, it’s your responsibility to maintain them. Catering to unique yards would be too hard for the lawn crew, and add to our expenses. On the other hand, go ahead and pull the weeds, regardless of whether you’ve planted something in the area or not — that also helps hold down costs!
Happy Birthday, Sunland North!
In May 1999, the articles of incorporation for the SunLand Division 17 Owners Association — aka “Sunland North” — were filed by the developer, Kevin Estes Homes.
As stated in this founding document, “The purpose for which the corporation is organized is to present a unified effort to the members in protecting the value of the property of the members of the Association, SunLand Division 17, Clallam County, Washington…” The development started with a “Phase 1” of just 8 townhome units on Blakely Boulevard, directly across from the driving range building. Additional construction phases were initiated by the developer every 2-3 years after, with the 6th and final phase — and a final total count of 139 units — just wrapping up completion.
So where are we now? November 2012, the number of units sold finally reached the proportion that required the developer to turn over control to the owners. It was a pretty steep learning curve. Though the association had technically existed before that, it had been closely held by the developer, so up until that point it was hard to tell what was being done by the developer as part of a builder’s responsibility and what was being done by the Association. And odds are, what a homeowner association does and how to do it was new to you, too, before you moved here.
Rotary Flag Project
For those of you wondering about information on the flags that fly in our neighborhood, the Rotary Flag Project is sponsored by the Sequim Rotary Club. Rotary puts the American Flags out on five holidays – President’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Veteran’s Day. Last year Rotary raised almost $20,000 and all the proceeds went to worthy local and international projects. Throughout our community and Sequim there are over 500 flags flying. For additional information, call Eric Mahnerd at 260-447-1314 or eric777@olypen.com.
On one last subject matter, please be gentle to your neighbors during the pleasant weather. Many residents have health issues that are aggravated by tobacco smoke or barbecue smoke. While you are free to smoke on your patio or barbecue a burger, be aware that drifting smoke can be life-threatening to your neighbors, and force them indoors.
2019 Sunland North Board Members
President – Gary Fortmann
Vice President – John Lewis
Treasurer – Jim Jones
Secretary – Lawrence Charters
Member at large – Mike Johnson
Kay Hatler – Newsletter Editor, kay.hatler@gmail.com