Did You Know?
"Did You Know?" is a semi-monthly email blast sent out from the Association on the 1st and 15th of each month to inform its members about rules, regulations, tips and other useful pieces of information. Here is a listing of "Did You Know?" articles since their inception on March 1st, 2010. Use the "Email Subscribe" form in the left sidebar to sign up to receive "Did You Know?" emails.September 1st, 2010
Did You Know?
That fish have been dying in ponds at the Pine Creek Golf Course?
Testing is being done to determine the source of the contamination killing the fish, but it's strongly suspected that it's coming from pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals. While we don't know for sure where the chemicals are coming from, we felt that this would be a good opportunity to let all of you know that the golf course is privately owned and that no Pine Creek homeowner should be spraying any chemicals on golf course property. If you feel that there is a problem with weeds or pests on golf course property adjacent to your property, please don't try to remediate the problem yourself. Instead, contact Ben Dumakowski, the course superintendent, at 439-3537 or 494-0211. In fact, Ben is the person to contact if you have any issues with the golf course grounds such as broken sprinklers, etc. To avoid problems with chemical pollution, please follow all label directions for any chemicals you apply to your lawn or yard.
August 15th, 2010
Did You Know?
That beginning in January, 2011 the Pine Creek Village Association will no longer be sending out coupon books for dues payment?
Due to the high costs of printing and postage of coupon booklets, we will require that homeowners submit their dues payments electronically. In addition to saving time and money, this will minimize late payments, fees and fines since your payments can be automatically scheduled on a recurring basis. Eliminating printed coupon books will save the Association about $8,400 in 2011 alone.
Setting up an electronic payment is easy - there are several options. Please visit www.pcva.org/pay for information on how to make electronic payments, or just check with your personal bank who can also set up electronic payments from your checking or savings account. You don't need to wait until January to set up electronic payments - you can do it now!
August 1st, 2010
Did You Know?
That the City of Colorado Springs has said that they won't repair street damage in Pine Creek for several years?
Nearly all of the streets in Pine Creek are owned and maintained by the City (there are a few exceptions listed below). Therefore our sales and property taxes should be used for street repair on City owned streets. However, the City contends that, due to declining tax revenues, they won't be able to repair even the most serious road damage for several more years. If you've been through the roundabout at Pine Manor Drive and Stoneglen Drive, you know just how bad it can get. Some of the cracks traversing the roadway on Chapel Hills between the golf course and Old Ranch are almost 4" wide.
The Association is investigating taking on the cost of repairing some of the worst street damage in Pine Creek, but before we commit to any course of action that involves PCVA paying for road repair, we'd like to put some pressure on the City to repair the streets using the tax dollars we've paid them, and that should be allocated for this purpose. One of the best ways we can get the message to the City that we want them to fix our streets is for all Pine Creek residents to contact the City. The more complaints the City gets from Pine Creek, the more likely they are to accelerate repairs in our community.
Requesting street maintenance is easy. You can either call 719-385-6808 or you can submit a street maintenance request via the City's website at http://www.springsgov.com/formpage.aspx?formid=13
We strongly urge all Pine Creek residents to contact the City to request the services that we have paid for.
Below is a listing of the private streets in Pine Creek. If you see damage that needs to be repaired on these streets, please contact the Community Manager.
1. Northern section of Clovercrest Drive and Foxtail Drive (Sage Hill Greens).
2. Palazzo Grove & Tuscanna Grove (La Bellezza).
3. Pine Knoll View and Carriage Creek Point (Carriages).
4. Pine Valley View (Wildflower).
5. Echelon Heights & Sovereign View (Reverie).
July 15th, 2010
Did You Know?
That Pine Creek has a written covenant enforcement policy?
We get a lot of calls and email from residents asking why a certain violation is not being addressed by the association. While it may not appear that action is being taken against those who violate the covenants and community guidelines, the fact is that the enforcement process can take quite some time, and more often than not, the enforcement process has already started when we receive a complaint about lack of enforcement.
The enforcement policy has a lot of detail - for the full version, you can CLICK HERE to download a copy of the association's enforcement policy, but we'll summarize the main points here.
The board has empowered our management company, MSI, to enforce the covenants and guidelines that all of us living in Pine Creek have agreed to abide by. There are 5 main milestones in the enforcement timeline:
Step 1 is a courtesy letter sent to the offender that informs them of the violation. No fine is imposed and the offender has 15 days to respond and/or correct the problem. MSI enters the violation into a sophisticated hand held computer system called Reefpoint that tracks all phases of the violation process.
Step 2 is the 1st formal violation notice sent to the offender if they have not responded to the courtesy letter. The offender has 15 days to correct the violation or provide an adequate response on how they will correct the violation. No fines are imposed with the 1st violation notice.
Step 3 is the 2nd formal violation notice sent to the offender if they have not responded to the 1st notice of violation. The offender has 15 days to correct the violation or provide an adequate response on how they will correct the violation. A $75 fine is levied against the resident's HOA account.
Step 4 is the 3rd formal violation notice sent to the offender if they have not responded to the 2nd notice of violation. The offender has 15 days to correct the violation or provide an adequate response on how they will correct the violation. An additional $150 fine is levied against the resident's HOA account.
Step 5 is the 4th formal violation notice sent to the offender if they have not responded to the 3rd notice of violation. The offender has 15 days to correct the violation or provide an adequate response on how they will correct the violation. An additional $300 fine is levied against the resident's HOA account AND the matter will be referred to the Association's attorney. The resident will be required to pay legal fees incurred for enforcement.
If the resident fails to pay fines and fees associated with enforcement, the Association may place a lien against the resident's home so that fines and fees will be collected upon sale of the home.
So you can see that if a resident does not comply, the enforcement process can take 75 days or more - much more if legal action is involved. It's also important to know that at all steps along the way, violators can choose to come before the board in a hearing to decide the outcome.
We hope this clarifies the main points of the enforcement process, but we'd encourage you to download the full policy using the link above.
July 1st, 2010
Did You Know?
That there are guidelines for the kinds of rock and wood mulch you can use in your Pine Creek landscaping?
Some residents are using colored mulches, which are not allowed, in their landscaping. For consistency, the community guidelines say that "wood mulch must be of professional grade, consistent in size and natural in color pigment.". The guidelines also say, "acceptable rock mulch color includes natural, earth-toned colors. Prohibited rock mulch includes: lava rock, white marble, black granite or any similar types and colors to these materials. Dyed or painted rocks are also prohibited." There are additional guidelines on matching mulch with your neighbors, acceptable size of rock mulch and mulch edging. We encourage you to visit www.pcva.org/documents and click the "Governing Documents" link where you can download a copy of the Community Guidelines.
Did You Know?
That flyers, announcements, and advertisements are prohibited on the mail kiosks in Pine Creek?
They get torn off by the wind and rain and create litter in our neighborhoods, so we ask your cooperation in not posting them, and removing them if you do find them. If you have a service or something for sale that you'd like to advertise to your Pine Creek neighbors, we ask that you post it on our website using our FREE "Neighbor to Neighbor" service. CLICK HERE for more info.
Did You Know?
That we need volunteers to help with the community picnic?
The picnic this year is on August 14th, and we need residents to help out serving food, making hot dogs, cotton candy, serving drinks and helping with other picnic activities. Teens - this is a perfect way to earn community service time - you will get a letter certifying your volunteer hours. It's also a great way to meet your neighbors. Please contact Kelly Peterson at 719-661-2904 or at spideyf16@aol.com
June 15th, 2010
Did You Know?
That by the end of 2010, all Pine Creek front yard lamp posts must be painted black?
Light posts throughout Pine Creek are inconsistent in the application of paint color. To simplify the issue, the board decided in 2008 that all light posts should be painted black by the end of 2010. If your light pole isn't black, this is the time to plan to get it painted. The correct color is Kwal Royal Ebony Black or OX9066J. You can pick up the correct color at the Kwal Paint store at 6345 Source Center Pt. Colorado Springs, CO 80923 (CLICK HERE for a map). The kit will include 1 quart of paint, a brush, sand cloth for buffing the post, and instructions on how to properly prepare and paint your light post. The cost is approximately $15.00.
This is also a great opportunity for an enterprising Pine Creek resident to offer light pole painting services to other residents. If you're interested we'd ask you to visit the "Neighbor to Neighbor Services" page on our website to submit your listing.
June 1st, 2010
Did You Know?
Timberline Landscape is our current landscape company for the Pine Creek Village Association and provides a range of contracted maintenance and cleanup services for the Association common areas.
Some of these services than you can expect to see are weekly mowing of the turf from May through September, cleanup of the clippings after each mowing, monthly edging of the turf along the concrete curb line, mowing of the native grasses two times a year, a chemical weed and herbicide control application on the native grasses once a year, weeding in all mulch beds, normal shrub and tree pruning (under 10' in height) in the spring and fall, weekly trash and debris cleanup including in the mailbox kiosks, leaf removal in October and November (dead leaves on the grounds), winter watering as needed of the trees in the turf areas, 1-2 turf aerations yearly to promote a healthy turf, turf fertilization and weed control, doggie pot stations bag monitoring and removal of trash, monitoring of the splash park and special landscape projects as approved by the Board. This year's special projects to date are major drainage changes to problem areas, Willow Glen Common Entry irrigation enhancement and irrigation conversion in the first two islands on the south section of Chapel Hills for less water waste.
Pine Creek also contracts with Mt. High Tree Company for our major tree trimming and removal of dead trees, preventative tree maintenance (seasonal spraying for beetles, ash borer, etc.) and for the winter watering as needed of the trees in the native areas.
May 15th, 2010
Did You Know?
That we're already starting to see a rise in vandalism in Pine Creek for 2010? Generally vandalism increases when school is not in session, and peaks during the summer months. Unfortunately, most of the vandalism in Pine Creek is done by youths who live in Pine Creek.
To help combat vandalism, the PCVA has contracted with the Colorado Springs Police Department to begin patrols using off duty police officers in marked police vehicles. So that the vandals won't know when and where to do their dirty work, we will not be disclosing the dates and times of these patrols, but rest assured that all of Pine Creek will be patrolled.
We ask all of you to be on the lookout for vandalism, and if you see it happening, or know who might be responsible, please contact the CSPD via the city's website - CLICK HERE. If it's an emergency, call 911. We also ask all residents to talk with their children about vandalism, how disruptive it can be, and how much it costs each and every one of us.
May 1st, 2010
Did you know?
That Pine Creek Has Two Community Garage Sales Every Year, one in the spring and one in the fall? In order to keep our community looking great and to minimize traffic on our streets, individual garage sales are not permitted at any time, other than on the two designated garage sale dates. The Association understands that garage sales can be fun and useful, so it has designated June 12th and September 18th 2010, for all residents to participate in a garage sale that is advertised city-wide through various media outlets, with signage and maps distributed throughout the community on the day of the event. In addition, this year we will have a dynamically updated map on the PCVA website to show you (and more importantly, potential customers) every participating home in Pine Creek.
But that's not all! The Association has also rented a portable document shredder that will be available FREE to ALL Pine Creek residents. The shredder will be located at: 9871 Pine Springs Way from 9:00 am to 11:00 am on June 12th.
For 2010, the garage sales will be held on June 12th and on September 18th starting at 8:00 AM and ending at 2:00 PM. If you'd like to participate we'd ask that you CLICK HERE to register your address. While registration isn't required to participate, registration will get your address in our marketing materials, maps and signage.
But wait! There's even more. This year Boy Scout Troop 62 will be hosting a toy drive to to support Christmas Unlimited. The toy drive will coincide with the spring garage sale on June 12th. Any resident who has new or gently used toys can donate (tax deductible) them to be picked up by the Boy Scouts. We'd ask that you CLICK HERE to register your address so the Boy Scouts know where to pick up your donation.
April 15th, 2010
Did You Know?
That Pine Creek Village pet regulations apply to the Splash Park, as well as to all common areas in PCVA! Children have recently been knocked down and bitten by unleashed dogs in the park, and we are constantly battling dog waste throughout our community..
Dog owners are not permitted to turn their pets loose anywhere in Pine Creek because of danger to people as well as increased risk of animal fights. We ask that you please carefully observe this regulation. Violators may be subject to a fine. Please consult Section 3.2.3 on page 28 of our Community Guidelines to verify the regulation (CLICK HERE to download the Community Guidelines for PCVA).
In fact, it is a violation of city ordinance for any dog to be off leash anywhere in the city, except for in designated dog parks. For a listing of city dog parks, please CLICK HERE. The nearest dog park is at Rampart High School - only 5 minutes away!
Retrieval and disposal of pet waste is also an Association regulation (Section 3.2.4, also page 28) that some residents are not complying with throughout all Pine Creek neighborhoods. The Association has installed many green "doggie pot" stations conveniently located throughout our community. We ask your cooperation in using these doggie pots for your convenience and out of respect for your neighbors.
We have a great Covenant Community that inspires all residents to enjoy being good neighbors! We thank you for your cooperation.
April 1st, 2010
Did you know?
That Pine Creek Has Regulations Regarding Parking?
From the beginning, the developer envisioned Pine Creek as a premier neighborhood and wrote the Community Guidelines to ensure that the community stayed that way. The founders wanted, as much as possible, for the neighborhood streets to remain clear of cars, trucks, RV's, trailers and other vehicles. However, realizing that it was virtually impossible to craft rules to eliminate vehicles on our streets, they wrote some rules about who could park in Pine Creek, for how long etc. Unfortunately these parking regulations were confusing for residents and non-residents alike.
Over the years, the board and management have probably dealt more with parking issues and complaints than any other single issue. This was confirmed in the last two Community Surveys where the range of resident comments clearly indicated that residents were confused about parking and how to follow the rules. So the board and the modification committee, along with input from MSI, recently rewrote the parking section of the Community Guidelines to clarify the existing parking regulations. The intent of the regulations themselves were not changed. But the wording was changed so residents and non-residents could better understand how to park in Pine Creek.
The complete Community Guidelines can be downloaded from the website at www.pcva.org/documents, and we encourage every resident to download a copy of the CGs, but we've highlighted the changes below. The paragraphs in the CGs that were changed are 3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 3.3.4. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with these parking regulations as they are in effect now.
3.3.1 RESIDENT PARKING
Residents shall park their automobile, SUV, pickup truck or motorcycle in their garage. Should no parking spaces be available in the garage, residents shall park in their driveway. Should no parking spaces be available in their driveway, residents may park on the street in front of their lot. Recreational vehicles, boats, campers and trailers may not be parked in the street or driveways except as provided for in section 3.3.4
3.3.2 NON-RESIDENT PARKING
Non-residents may park in resident garages or driveways with no restrictions. On-street parking for non-residents is for short term use only and is limited to 48 hours for any automobile, SUV, pickup truck or motorcycle. Recreational vehicles, boats, campers and trailers may not be parked in the street or driveways except as provided for in section 3.3.4
3.3.3 PARKING ON UNPAVED SURFACES
Parking by any vehicle including, but not limited to, automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, boats, campers and trailers on any unpaved surface is prohibited. Parking in side and rear yards is permitted only on paved driveways serving side or rear loading garages.
3.3.4 VEHICLE STORAGE
Any vehicle that is unlicensed or not in road-worthy condition must be stored in a garage or off-site. Recreational vehicles, boats, campers and trailers shall be parked in a garage or off-site. Recreational vehicles, boats, campers and trailers may be parked in front of the owner's home for up to twenty-four hours for loading and unloading before and after a trip.
3.3.5 PARKING IN STREET SIDEWALK
Vehicles shall not be parked in such a way so as to block access to the street sidewalk.
3.3.6 PARKING IN CUL-DE-SACS
Parking in cul-de-sacs is permitted on the INSIDE curb of the island only. The outer lane in cul-de-sacs is designated as a fire-lane by the City of Colorado Springs to allow for emergency vehicle access. Refer to Exhibit 4 below.
EXHIBIT 4: CUL-DE-SAC PARKING
3.3.7 PARKING ENFORCEMENT
The PCVA may levy fines or assessments for violation of parking rules. The PCVA may also tow, at the expense of the owner, any vehicle in Pine Creek that violates parking rules.
March 15th, 2010
Did You Know? That the Pine Creek Golf Course is NOT owned by the PCVA. The golf course in Pine Creek is privately owned by a company that maintains and administers it as a commercial business. Because of this, PCVA residents are NOT allowed to use the golf course for hiking, walking dogs, as a play field, or for any other activity except for golf that they have paid for. The golf course is a neighbor and we ask each of you to respect it as private property - just like you would for any of your neighbors.
The Pine Creek golf course is a premier public golf course - for more information including 2010 rates, please visit http://www.pcva.org/golf-course. If you have any questions for the golf course please call 719-594-9999
March 1st, 2010
Did you know? That we've had reports from residents that ADT security is planning rate increases in 2010? But the good news is that residents who have called ADT and said they were canceling their service because of the rate increase actually got a DECREASE in their monthly monitoring service. ADT knows the long term value of a paying customer. They would rather keep your business by giving you a lower rate than seeing you go to a competitor.