GID NEWS
Greetings Skyland!
Last week, on October 30, the Skyland GID Board reviewed a change order for $10k from Impact Construction in response to our request to flip the fence to face the Highway side. Given the extensive reconstruction necessary to repair under warranty, the failure of the fence to survive last Winter's snows, the cost of flipping has come down from ~$97k to $10k. The Board approved paying this cost to execute the change order.
There was some debate about the validity of this cost and I encourage you to listen to the recording and/or attend the board meetings if you object. The major deciding factor is that it will cost us more to flip the fence later if we do not pay to do this now. The vast majority of property owners have requested we flip the fence for improved strength and reduced maintenance, as well as improving the appearance of the community from the Highway-50 approach.
Summary: We will reconstruct the fence with the pickets and rails on the Highway-50 side of the posts.
Construction is expected to continue, Monday through Thursday until complete or until weather prohibits. Due to the extensive warranty repairs necessary, the original estimate of 2-3 weeks has increased to 4-6+ weeks and we are two weeks into it now. I believe both Impact Construction and Mule Fence were surprised at how badly the posts were initially set. We've pulled about 310 of 318 posts and only one was set 35" in concrete. I've attached our independent engineer's report if you'd like to know how many were set in less than 24" of concrete.
Mule Fence has made good progress so far. The fence is down. New holes have been dug on the south side of the entrance--please do not disturb these holes! A brief inspection of those holes today showed they appear to be the specified 14" width and close to the 40" target depth. We will have our independent engineer on-site during post setting and concrete pouring to ensure that each post is buried to depth and set with appropriate concrete. The concrete mix will be modified for our cold weather. New posts and horizontal rails have been ordered. They will attempt to re-use pickets in good condition and order what's needed to replace damaged ones.
Mule Fence has requested that nobody take any wood or other materials from the site--the reclaimed wood is their property, please leave it alone.
Some people have asked about the trailer(s) parked in the new fire-lane entrance down by Willow. Those belong to our construction company and are part of the fence rebuild. Please don't call the police on them. I don't think it's a fire lane until we energize the gate, anyway.
As always, if you have questions, reply-all and I or one of the other trustees@skylandadmin.com will get back to you.
Regards,
Scott
Folks,
I’ll have more fence updates at the end of this week. So far, of the 70+ posts removed, none were installed correctly.
We had previously considered an offer from the Contractor to flip the fence to face HWY50 (boards and rails installed on the highway side) for an estimated ~$97,000 in time and materials. The board rejected that offer, or rather we declined to pursue it.
In light of this week's findings that a substantial portion of the fence line needs to be removed and re-installed, we have again asked the Contractor to consider flipping the fence. They have responded with a new estimate of “$10,000 in compensation to restructure the fence on the Highway 50 side.”
I am requesting the Board meet Monday afternoon at 4pm PST on Zoom Only to discuss the pros and cons of this option. The agenda is attached below.
I hope to see you there.
Cheers,
Scott
Fellow Property Owners & Residents,
We had a board meeting on the schedule for this Wednesday, October 25, but without an agenda, we are canceling this meeting. No meeting this week.
Kayaks
Get your Kayaks off the beach by Nov 1. Call me if you need help.
Fence Update
At long last, fence repair has begun. We made an agreement with our contractor that if we asked them to pull a post and it had over 35" of concrete footing, Skyland would pay the bill to replace the post. This was a gamble, but put the contractor in a position to stand behind their work and prove they did it correctly, without the financial risk of paying for work done properly.
Getting them to agree to that gamble allowed us to start repairs today.
Below is what we are seeing within the first couple hours. The first post removed had only ~16" of concrete, explaining much of the lean/tilt we see along the fence line. The second post had virtually no concrete. According to the official plans in place last year, each post should have a 42" deep concrete plug, 14" wide, encasing 36" of wood. They should each weigh about 450lbs due to that concrete and be very difficult to remove. We expect similar short-cuts were taken down the entire fence line and the contractor is preparing to replace all posts.
I'll send another update at the end of this week.
Here are some updates for October 2023:
Snow Removal
Our 2023-2024 Snow season begins Nov 1. We've renewed & signed a new contract with JP Landscaping LLC who provided service through last year's epic Winter. Look for JP to install snow stakes along the roads in the coming weeks.
Please remember that per Douglas County Code 10.12.120 no parking is allowed on Skyland streets. This is especially true during snow conditions. Make arrangements to keep all your vehicles on your driveway or property over the next six months.
Remove Kayaks from the Beach by November 1st!!
We've heard several anecdotal reports of non-residents using our beach and storing Kayaks in our racks or on the sand. We would like all Kayaks removed this year by November 1 so we can properly label and identify them next year as they return. In November, I plan to cut cables, remove stray Kayaks, and donate them somewhere so we don't leave any on the beach through the Winter.
We do not want to get rid of your Kayak! If you need help moving it off the beach, contact me.
Fence Repair Begins October 23
We've signed a contract to repair the HWY-50 Fence and expect construction to begin October 23 if the weather holds. TRPA can impose a no-dig moratorium in the event of rain, so cross your fingers. We expect the work to take 2-3 weeks. The plan is to pull all damaged/leaning posts, inspect their footings, and re-install them with proper 36" concrete footings. If the existing footing is under 35" this will be considered a warranty repair. If the footing is 35"+ then the post is considered damaged and Skyland must pay to reinstall. We expect most to be under warranty and will revise the plan if that turns out to not be the case.
As the posts are fixed up, the rails and pickets will all be secured with screws, along the full length of the fence.
We talk about the Fence at every Board meeting. If you would like more details, please join us at the next one.
Skyland Community Members:
Below are a bunch of updates for our wonderful Summer:
June 28 Board Meeting - Cancelled
Security July 1 through July 4th
At May's meeting, the Board of Trustees approved hiring security for July 4th weekend (July 1 - July 4). To implement, we are establishing check points at the Hwy-50 entrance as well as at the Skyland Beach. Property owners, renters, and their guests can get through these check points with your green beach or parking pass. Alternatively, state the address of your property and last name of the owner. Security will have a list that is mostly accurate.
Security will discourage anyone unable to provide a pass or name and address from entering our community or using the beach. Our beach is private. There is no parking allowed on our streets per Douglas County Code 10.12.120. If you have any difficulty with our security, please send us your feedback.
Beach & Parking Passes
If you do not already have the green beach and parking passes, you may contact us with your name and address to arrange a time to pick one up. Only one per property.
Beach Porta-Potty
Our newest GID Trustee, Karl Ney has arranged for a portable-toilet at the Beach as part of security's requirements as well as to assist with those of us with unfortunate emergencies. We plan to leave it in place until the end of September.
Storing Your Kayak in the Racks
Last year, I heard a few complaints from people that could not get a reserved spot in the kayak racks. This year, the GID is not reserving spots, and it looks like the racks are filling up.
If you want to keep your kayak on the beach between paddle sessions, we ask that you clearly label the kayak with your name, street address, and a contact phone number. Store it in the racks if you can find a spot. Store it on the ground if you cannot. We will keep an eye on usage to determine whether we should consider buying more racks for next year.
Be-warned: several home owners reported their kayak(s) went missing last year. Skyland GID assumes no liability for your equipment. Storing at the beach is at-your-own-risk.
I’ve heard rumors that people from outside Skyland are storing Kayaks in the racks and using our beach. This is trespassing (Douglas County Code 9.36.010). Let’s get all our Kayaks labeled so we can see how much of a problem this really is. Contact me for a Skyland sticker so we know which kayaks belong to Skyland and can try to figure out which ones might not.
Please make room for others and do not keep your kayak(s) at the beach when you are not in town. Your kayak(s) must be removed from the beach in October. Several were left over the winter last year. We will likely remove and donate any unlabeled kayaks at the end of October.
Fence Repairs
Jon Herwig arranged a meeting between the fence contractor, RO Anderson, and myself a couple weeks ago to inspect the damage to the fence. Sample excavations of five fence pillars revealed four that were not meeting the 36" design depth. We also discussed the unapproved use of nails when the plans called for deck screws. We are asking the contractor to reinforce the pillars in the damaged areas to the design depth with additional concrete as well as secure the rails and pickets with coated deck screws. We are awaiting the final report from RO Anderson and are hopeful Impact Construction will agree to performing the proposed repairs under warranty.
Street Parking
I was surprised to learn that Douglas County Ordinances already prohibits parking on all highways (streets) within Skyland except for emergencies, loading & unloading (DCC 10.12.120 prohibits, 10.08.020.D.3 requires the Skyland GID to post “conspicuous signage”). I'm still trying to work out with the Sheriff's office what sort of signage is required to enforce these regulations. At least now you have the code to cite if someone is nuisance parking in front of your house.
We will discuss this further at an upcoming Board meeting once I've worked out enforcement details with the Sheriff's office.
Storm Drain Cleaning in July
Janet at TDD has put Skyland on the schedule for storm drain cleaning around the middle of July. We know about the major clog at Lynn Way and Tahoe Dr. We also know about the backup across from 1040 Myron Dr. If you know of any other backups in the storm drain system, please let us know. We are going to focus on trouble spots rather than pay extra to clean all the drains. We need to get a map of requested drains to TDD Around July 1st.
Street Pothole Repair
The GID has a couple estimates to repair the major potholes at the entrance. We’re still working out details and hope to move forward on repairs this summer.
Greetings Skyland Residents! 02 20 2023
We had planned for a meeting February 22 at the Library, but with nothing pressing on the agenda we have elected to skip it. Our next GID meeting is planned for March 22, 2023 at 3:30pm at the Zephyr Cove Library.
We are still looking for another Trustee to join the GID Board. If you are interested, please reply to trustees@skylandadmin.com to volunteer or ask questions.
We know the fence is damaged from the snow. In Spring, our contractor will repair it as part of the project completion efforts. Stay tuned.
With snow in the forecast this week, feel free to contact us if you feel the snow removal service isn’t getting your street plowed or clear enough. I’ll be coordinating with Jake Porter as his crew clears our neighborhood.
I hope you are having a wonderful Winter, wherever you may be!
Cheers,
Scott Sullivan
Skyland GID Trustee
Some updates on the fence project and other matters are presented below:
Fence Project - Feb 2023
Below is an update from Jon Herwig on the recent status of the HWY 50 Fence project. You will note that our contractor plans to address the damage from plowed snow in the Spring. If you have any questions, please reply to this email and we, the Trustees, will get back to you.
Cheers,
Scott Sullivan, GID Trustee
Folks - There has been very little progress on the fence project due to the
extreme winter weather that has affected our area. The only accomplishments
include:
- Installation of concrete pads for the electric pedestals and meters at
the two new electrical connection points.
- Continued manufacture of the emergency gate - completion expected in late
Spring.
Remaining work includes:
- Installation of the electric pedestals and meters and final electrical
connection of lights and irrigation system - when weather permits.
- Installation of two additional lights and poles - when weather permits.
- Staining of fence - when weather permits, likely in Spring.
- Installation of emergency gate - when manufacture is complete and weather
permits, likely in Spring.
- Design of drainage system by emergency gate.
The extraordinary amount of snow that has occurred over the last four weeks
has caused some of the pickets to be pushed off of the fence. The fence
contractor will reattach the pickets prior to staining of the fence, as well
as repair any other impacts that may have occurred.
Jon
- The USDA loan was executed on 13 October with approximately $652,000 in
loan proceeds. The project is now drawing against this loan. A grant of
about $97,000 was also authorized, and the project will draw against this
once the Skyland contribution and loan proceeds are exhausted. The total
cost of the fence is approximately $1,050,000 assuming no additional change
orders, which are currently not anticipated.
- The State Historic Preservation Office has approved the design change for
the straight-across fence configuration.
The electric pedestals and meters for two locations continue to be
problematic. The pedestals are caught up in supply-chain issues and will not
be available for several months. When the pedestals are received, they will
be installed, weather permitting.
- Several of the new light poles have been installed at the entrance and
hopefully the remainder of the poles and lights will be installed during the
next several weeks, weather permitting.
- Temporary power will be supplied to several of the lights at the entrance
using the existing circuit. This will hopefully be completed in the next
week or so.
- Staining of the fence will occur when weather permits. Staining cannot
occur below 40 degrees F.
- The emergency gate and signage will not be installed until Spring when the
construction season opens again.
Board Trustee Vacancy
Nancy Beaulieu has submitted a letter of interest to the Board that is
attached to this email. Nancy is a long time resident of the Skyland
community. She has been verified as a registered voter in the Skyland
District and is eligible for Board appointment. The Board will consider her
potential appointment at the 30 November meeting.
Bonding of Trustees
Nevada law requires bonding of Board trustees and officers, and a potential
action item is on the agenda for the 30 November meeting to approve moving
forward with the required bonding.
I also wanted to let you know that I will be leaving the GID Board effective
immediately. I have been elected to the Tahoe Douglas (Sewer) District Board
of Trustees. Nevada state law does not allow an individual to occupy more
than one elected position, so it will be necessary for me to leave the
Skyland Board. Additionally, my focus for my two years on the Board has been
the design and construction of the boundary fence project. This project is
near successful completion, and it is time for me to turn my efforts to
improving our wastewater infrastructure on the Sewer Board.
It has been an honor serving you as a trustee on the Skyland Board.
Jon
Skyland Community Members:
I have some good news on the fence project. We have received our permit from
the Nevada Department of Transportation and are ready to move forward with
construction of the new fence beginning in the next few days. The project
will initially begin with demolition of the existing fence, installation of
trenching for electrical and irrigation, then installation of the new fence
and emergency gate, and finally landscaping.
There are several things our community members need to keep in mind as this
project commences:
- As with all construction, there will be some impacts on traffic and
pedestrian flow as the project proceeds. The Contractor (Impact
Construction) will make every effort to minimize adverse impacts to the
community, but some effects are unavoidable. If extraordinary impacts are
present, let me know and we will do what we can to reduce the effects.
- The southern end of Myron Drive will no longer be accessible for parking
or pedestrian traffic as this area will be used by our Contractor for
equipment and materials storage. Access to the forest area is available off
of the cul-de-sacs at Ponderosa and Skyland Drives.
The Contractor will get as much done this construction season as possible,
but it is highly likely some elements of the project will have to be
completed next Spring.
Jon Herwig
President, Skyland GID
