Cedarvale Estates

URGENT Road Update 2012

by Jim McCready, Treasurer

Well, today is the 15^th April, 2012 and for a day that was supposed to rain it’s not bad. As I sit here writing this to you looking at the lake it is seasonally warm with a grey sky and lots of sun. Having said this I will now rain a little on our parade. I just spent some time with Dennis Irick (Irick Excavating) going over our road, which has its usual patch of potholes. (Jim McCready's repeated attempts to obtain quotes from other companies met with absolutely NO RESPONSE--it's Irick Excavating or none!)

Last year at the Road Meeting which many of you attended we promised that the back stretch of the road would be stoned as this had not been done for several years. After going over this with Dennis Irick here is the conclusion. First, it is going to cost more than it does to do the front part of the road as there are branches over the road that impede the use of his large truck. So, as it was explained to me, Dennis will have to bring the stone in with his large truck and then transfer this stone to a smaller truck in order to lay the stone down. (The other alternative would be for end-of-the-road homeowners to have the impeding branches cut away so the big truck can pass through, and if you are one of these and are willing to do that quickly, let Jim McCready know ASAP.)

There is a choice that the committee has to make regarding the stone to be used and so I would like to ask that those people living on the back end of the road from Alice Morgan’s property to the end of the road to please give us their input. The choice is this, if the wish it to have white stone on this part of the road it will cost approximately $2,000.and will require about 4 loads of white stone. If we use black stone, basically shale, to cover this part of the road we can keep the cost of doing so down to approximately $1,400. This is because the distance required to haul the dark stone to Cedarvale is shorter that to haul the white stone. Please note that your response is required before the 4^th May, 2012 otherwise the committee will have to make a decision and all parties will have to live with it.

As regards the front two thirds of the road--we would need to spend approximately $2,080 to bring this stretch to a reasonable condition. Please keep in mind that no matter where you live on the road you need to cross part of the beginning of the road to get to your property, which means this part of the road gets the most wear and tear.

Now down to the facts that have to be weighed in reaching a decision. We have started to receive a trickle of checks coming in for this year and we are keeping the road fee the same as in 2011, at $75. According to our records there are eight properties still owing road fees from last year (2011). We finished the year last year with $1,775. in the bank.

With checks we have received this year at the time I am writing this we have $2,175. in the bank. If all parties pay for 2012 before May 4, 2012 we will have another $1,800 to deposit, which would give us $3,975 to work with. This, in an ideal world, may give use just enough to do our road for this year. However if we still have eight homeowners who will not pay, then we will fall short by $600. Five of these eight parties live at the back end of the road. Our hope is that we will have the road done “in good faith” and that every homeowner's 2012 dues will be forthcoming. If they are not paid then you’re asking and allowing the rest of your “neighbors” of Cedarvale Estates to pay your way, which frankly is not fair, particularly as you have to make use of the road when going to your properties whether you drive, walk, run or cycle.

With the money we have in hand currently we can proceed with doing the “back stretch” of the road. In order to do anything about the front two thirds of the road we would need all money owed for 2012. Also receiving unpaid road fees for 2011 would be even better, and leave us a small cushion for emergencies. Please remember we require your input and your money by May 4, 2012. For those who don’t pay or haven’t paid you may provide your input and we will take it under advisement.

Please send your checks payable to James McCready with a note on it Cedarvale Estates Road Fee to James McCready, 63 Cedarvale Est., Alburgh, VT 05440 by May 4, 2012. Our books are available to be looked at by anyone with an interest in doing so.

COULD IT REALLY BE SPRING ALREADY?

The Fall/Winter season of 2011-2012 was probably the shortest the Northeast has seen in many a year. At least it seemed so when the last of us trundled away fron last summer at the chilly end of last September, only to find ourselves hustling back before the end of February to start taking on the "opening up" tasks for this coming summer season.

Thinking of summer in February? Indeed! The eyes and ears of Cedarvale-in-winter--those trusty, hardy year-rounders who brave the frigid months when the rest of us "almost snowbirds" head to our more southerly havens--sent out the alert that the Punxsutawney groundhog was also working his magic in the North Country and spring was just about to, well, spring onto the scene in Alburgh. 

It's a good thing Loretta Knight (#59) took a photo of the right-on-time ice up of the lake around Thanksgiving, or we might have doubted winter really came at all!

Not that anyone is complaining. It's great to see green things poking up, to wake up to birdsong and not snow plows, and to take off these itchy long johns!

True, no one has begun to think about all the extra mowing and trimming that we'll all be doing soon. Nah--let's just enjoy this unexpected gift!

And, just think, if  MUD season follows suit.........

ROAD FEE UPDATE MARCH 2012

The 2011 road fee records have been finalized, and it looks like several folks didn't contribute. Times are tough, to be sure, but if we can all afford second homes, then donating $75 for maintaining the common road doesn't seem like much to ask! Will those neighbors who forgot or decided to forego the 2011 fee please add the last year's amount to the 2012 fee--also $75.

And our 2012 fees are due by April 15 if we want to have the road re-graveled from the point to the beginning of road this year, which is the plan. The homes toward the point have foregone additional gravel for too long, so that's where the money will be spent first.

And here's an important announcement--our treasurer, Jim McCready, will be receiving and depositing the road fees, so send your payment made out to him and either mailed to 63 Cedarvale Estates Rd, Alburgh, VT 05440 OR you can put your check into the container marked "ROAD FEES" in the plastic storage box by the garage at 63 Cedarvale.

Please bring or send your checks as soon as possible. Paying your fee on time makes things a lot smoother on Cedarvale Estates Road. (OK, corny, but you get the message!)