The Meadows-Ferndale has developed a set of Rules and Regulations (Rules) to clarify and amplify the existing CC&Rs and By-Laws. It is being distributed to all members for review.
Further explanation and review instructions can be found at the following link:
The Board has identified two over-riding issues related to our mailboxes.
We have discussed this with the USPS office in Ferndale and they have indicated that they are OK with having some of the mailboxes relocated (at our expense). The Board is now considering options for relocation and better lighting (including solar powered lights).
Winter is coming and along with it the threat of snow. Our experience of the past two winters (2017-18 and 2018-19) suggests that we’re pretty much on our own for dealing with snow on our streets (especially the private streets and shared driveways). We are therefore executing an agreement with a local snow-removal company. This will be a “push” type contract and they will come only if called and charge only for the actual services rendered. The contract is currently under review by the HOA attorney.
There have been a large number of complaints about vehicular traffic on the one-way section of Rossi Lane where it comes down the hill and meets Brian Court. Vehicles are often speeding and/or going the wrong way. The Board has discussed the situation with the Police and Fire Departments and has examined a wide array of options for addressing the issues. Remember that Rossi Lane is a private street and that there is no turn-around area for large trucks (e.g., moving vans, fire trucks). These facts limit the options. We are currently in the process of reducing the speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph and installing more signs to clearly indicate what constitutes acceptable vehicular behavior. The Board will continue to monitor the situation and will take more aggressive action if warranted to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents.
The Board has recently installed “Pet Waste Stations” at four entry points to our Wetland walking path. These stations provide plastic waste bags for picking up the pet waste and trash receptacles for depositing the used bags. They will be maintained by Windwood Landscaping Inc. Also coming are signs that will define appropriate use of the walking paths (e.g., stay on path, pick up after pets, no motorized bikes, etc.). These rules originate from the Wetland enabling documents of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the City of Ferndale. The “rules” signs are being fabricated by a local sign company and will be placed in approximately the same location as the waste stations. Our goal is to keep the walking paths safe, clean, and attractive – and the Wetland as a whole compliant with the rules imposed on us.
The letter from Windermere Property Management to Meadows Homeowners dated September 6th, 2019 provided information concerning a Board-sponsored project to investigate the feasibility and desirability of a proposed playground (aka “Tot Lot”) on one of our neighborhood lots. The letter explained some of the issues and requested a non-binding “straw vote” to determine if there was sufficient interest to justify continuation of the project into detailed analysis and planning. The period of voting was to close at the end of September, but the Board extended it to October 6th, exactly one month after initiation. The result of that vote, as of the end of day on October 6th, is as follows (percent of Homeowner votes):
Consequently, the Board declares that the voting is closed and that the project is terminated. Since a playground would require a change to the CC&Rs (see letter referenced above), it would require the support of 67% of homeowners. The straw vote clearly indicates that this just isn’t going to happen. The Board, therefore, will neither expend nor request any additional time or effort for analysis of the Playground proposal.
Thanks to all involved for their suggestions, information, and votes.
This is a “For Your Information” notice that Aqua-Terr Systems Inc (ATSI) will be conducting their periodic mitigation monitoring of our wetland areas on October 2, 2019. On that date, you will see ATSI personnel in the Wetlands inspecting, sampling, and taking notes. This activity is in compliance with requirements levied on the Meadows-Ferndale Association by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the City of Ferndale. We contract with a company named Squalicum Mountain Ecological Restoration (SMER) to do the actual wetland maintenance to ensure compliance — and with ATSI to monitor the compliance status and submit the required reports to the governing agencies cited above. ATSI conducts their monitoring activities twice a year: in the spring and the fall. This is their fall visit.
New information. ATSI has indicated that they will be back on Monday 7 October to finish the fall mitigation monitoring task.
The Meadows-Ferndale Board of Directors has recently announced, via a mailing (both USPS and email) by Windermere Property Management, information related to the following topics:
The complete announcement can be found by opening the following link:
The link below is to a document which contains a Facebook posting from one of our Meadows homeowners – and a paragraph-by-paragraph response from your Board of Directors (aka Board).
It is clear that Facebook has gained some traction as a means of communication for our residents. We (the Board) need to point out, however, that Facebook is totally unofficial and represents the personal opinions of the authors who post there. Official information about our community comes only from the Board, from the Property Manager, or from this web site.
The Board hopes that you (Meadows-Ferndale homeowners) will take advantage of all possible avenues of communication, including attendance at Board meetings, to stay informed and participate in the decisions and activities that impact our community.
A news item posted to this web site on July 11, 2019 described the HOA “Rules and Regulations Project” that will develop a set of Rules and Regulations for the HOA to clarify and amplify (where necessary) the community CC&Rs and By-Laws. That posting specified that the input from homeowners would take place during the month of August 2010. The homeowner input period has now been changed to September 2019. Sometime in the next several weeks, the Board members will go door-to-door in the community to deliver a detailed announcement to each and every homeowner about this very important project. At the same time, the Board will attempt to verify and/or update contact information so that the dissemination of news is easier and more reliable in the future. The Board seeks to ensure that community members are well informed and able to participate in the decisions and activities that affect our community.
The Board looks forward to these contacts — and to the receipt of homeowner input to the development of community Rules and Regulations.
There have been numerous reports of solicitors visiting our neighborhood lately. Some are legitimate, others either not legitimate or at least suspicious. The following information is intended to help you deal with such encounters.
Chapter 5.20 of the Ferndale Municipal Code, which addresses Peddlers and Solicitors, states that it is unlawful for any peddler or solicitor to engage in door to door activities without first applying for a license from the city. Individuals desiring a license must fill out an application at City Hall, as well as pay for the application, fingerprinting, and background check. These might take as long as 30 days to finalize. It should be noted that the licenses are an individual responsibility. They are not acquired by businesses or organizations for their members. The licenses (essentially permits), when acquired by individuals, must be displayed on their person in plain view. “My employer has the license” is an invalid and untrue response to an inquiry about a license. Solicitors must honor any “No Solicitors” signs.
The City of Ferndale recommends that you call 911 to report suspected violators of this code, and substantiated violation may result in fines. The following individuals and groups are exempted by the City of Ferndale from these licensing requirements: non-profit, charitable or religious organizations, farmers or gardeners selling farm produce, veterans selling goods, candidates for political offices, campaign workers, and Census Bureau workers.
For more information, visit the following City of Ferndale web site:
https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Ferndale/#!/Ferndale05/Ferndale0520.html#5.20.090
Your Board of Directors has recently initiated a project to create a set of Rules and Regulations (hereinafter referred to as the R&R Document) in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.2 of the Association By-Laws. The creation of an R&R document follows common practice and is a means to augment and interpret the Association CC&Rs and By-Laws in order to make them more useful and responsive to the needs of the Association. It should be noted, however, that the R&R Document cannot override either the CC&Rs, By-Laws, or any law to which the Association is subject. Any portion of the R&R Document that violates this restriction is, de facto, invalid.
Since the R&R Document will be relevant to all members of the Association, the Board of Directors seeks your assistance and input. If you have an issue with either the CC&Rs or By-Laws that you think should be included in the R&R discussion or in the Document itself, please notify us through the “Send Us a Message” portal at the bottom of the home page of our Web Site (https://www.meadows-ferndale-hoa.org/). In your message, please identify yourself as a member of the Meadows-Ferndale HOA and include contact data such as: name, address, and lot number. This is to ensure that your input gets reported back to the correct Board by the property manager, who manages and receives correspondence from a large number of associations and properties. Your response should also include a paragraph reference number for the CC&Rs or By-Laws and a brief discussion of your issue. Your responses will be factored into the process of developing a draft R&R Document. The CC&Rs and By-Laws can be found under the DOCUMENTS tab of the Association Web Site. The Rules and Regulations option on that page is a place-holder, awaiting the product of this project.
Upon completion of the draft R&R Document by the Board of Directors, it will be distributed to all Association members for review. Subsequent to a homeowner review period of at least 30 days, the Board will meet to consider the comments of Association members and will vote on an adoption motion. The homeowner review period for this project is the month of August 2019. Following the end of the review period, the Board will convene an open meeting to discuss the inputs and vote on adoption of the R&R Document. This is expected to be completed by the end of September 2019.
To be clear on the process, please note that pursuant to the Revised Code of Washington (RCW Section 64.90) and the Meadows By-Laws (Section 6.2), Association members (homeowners) can provide input and comments, but only the Board members can actually vote on adoption of the R&R Document. This process also applies to amending (adding, deleting, or otherwise modifying) the R&R Document at any later time.
Your Board of Directors looks forward to receiving your inputs.
The Architectural Review Process has been established to facilitate the process of customizing our residential properties while maintaining community standards. The CC&Rs and By-Laws, augmented by the ARC Charter policy, establish the standards of the process: e.g., when an ARC application is required and how to move it through the process. These documents may be found on the Community Web Site (https://www.meadows-ferndale-hoa.org/ ). They are intended to ensure that we collectively maintain a safe, appealing, and welcoming living environment.
The Architectural Review Process is managed by the Homeowners’ Association (HOA) Board of Directors through its subcommittee, the Architectural Review Committee (ARC). The ARC meets regularly to examine and discuss proposed projects on the second Monday of each month. The Board and ARC members are committed to providing thorough, objective, and timely reviews.
In order to facilitate prompt and efficient reviews of all requests the ARC requests that your applications be submitted by the first Monday of each month. This will give the committee members adequate time to preview your application in preparation for our monthly meeting and put you on track to receive approval during the same month. The ARC Charter document on the Web Site (under General Information / HOA Policies) describes the submittal process.
When preparing the ARC Application, please include a concise description of your proposed project, as well as drawings and/or photographs of any proposed structures (storage sheds, patios, pergolas, arbors, etc.). Include measurements and overhead drawings or images showing placement on your lot. The more information you provide, the easier it is for the committee to arrive at a timely recommendation for approval.
All members of the ARC are owners and residents in the Meadows, and they are honored to be of service to our delightful community. If you have questions or need some guidance prior to preparing your applications, please feel free to reach out to any of the Board or Committee members – or to the Windermere Property Manager. Contact information is provided on the Web Site.
Thanks, and good luck with your projects!
In response to comments at our last HOA Board meeting concerning speeding in our community, we requested the Ferndale Police Department (FPD) to deploy a speed monitoring radar trailer to collect vehicle speed data. They put the requested trailer on Monument drive from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM on the following dates: 18-19 March and 21-22 March. The attached data file provides the results (click HERE to activate link to file). In addition, the FPD has provided the following assessment and conclusion:
These findings notwithstanding, the HOA Board of Directors will continue to monitor traffic conditions within our community and take appropriate and necessary steps to ensure the safety of our residents. If you note a vehicle speeding or otherwise causing unsafe conditions, please contact the Ferndale Police Department, providing as much detail as possible (date, time, description of vehicle, description and location of incident, etc.).
