LANDSCAPE
ADVISORY GROUP
In view of the successive deluges here in Coronado
during the week of 18-22 January, residents of Coronado Shores are probably wondering
whether they should be considering building an Ark rather than worrying about conserving
water. Nevertheless, we as a community must realize that the storms of that week were an
aberration that amounts to a mere blip in the long-term trend toward a major drought that
is being experienced by Southern California. Yes, we do need to consider how to conserve
water, and use of water for landscaping at Coronado Shores is a big deal indeed, both from
an environmental stewardship perspective and as it concerns our pocketbooks. The price of
water is escalating at a rapid pace, so residents will eventually see the consequences in
their monthly assessments unless steady reductions in water usage for landscaping as well
as other purposes at Coronado Shores can be achieved. A complete makeover of Coronado Shores
landscaping to a desert motif would be prohibitively costly, aesthetically questionable,
and probably unwarranted. But, tweaking here and there to steadily reduce water usage can
be done beneficially without dramatically altering our lifestyle and the appearance of our
environment.
The Landscape Advisory Group (LAG) of the
L&R Committee has been looking into the possibility of eventually migrating from
conventional lawn turf to usage of low-water turf or even artificial turf at Coronado Shores.
A reduction of water usage by about half could be achieved with low-water turf, and
artificial turf requires only occasional use of water for cleaning purposes. However, such
a migration would be costly, and it’s a step not to be undertaken lightly without
carefully examining a variety of complex issues and obtaining answers to the following key
questions: 1) How much water (and dollars) could really be saved over the course of a
decade?; 2) What would it cost to replace conventional turf by either option?; 3) What
would the maintenance costs be for each turf option over the course of a decade?; 4) What
would the impact be on the appearance of Shores landscaping? You get the idea; it’s
not a trivial matter!
What the LAG is considering doing as a
proactive measure is to conduct an experiment. It would involve setting aside a small,
isolated test plot of lawn at Coronado Shores, scalping the existing grass there, and then
over-seeding the area with a species of low-water turf to see how it catches on and fares
in this environment. In other words, we would examine the potential benefits of low-water
turf in a realistic situation at low cost. This experiment would require L&R approval
and a couple of years to deliver definitive results. We think it’s worth a try.
The LAG welcomes your comments and
suggestions concerning landscaping issues at Coronado Shores. Please address them to: smithdonevelyn@gmail.com.
FITNESS
CENTER INTEREST GROUP
We
are assessing the results of our Survey, and, are allowing new owners to participate
before tallying the final results. The final
results will be made available by March.
PADRES
GROUP PRICING TICKETS
We
are taking reservations for group pricing tickets for Padres games on 7/17 at 5:35pm vs. Arizona,
and, on 7/27 at 7:05pm vs. LA Dodgers. Please
call the L&R Office NOW so we can purchase our (20) tickets SOON!
|
JANUARY
L&R ACTIONS
THRU 12/2009
Budget
Actual
Variance
INCOME:
Assess.
2,083,895
2,083,895
Admin
420
6,284
+5,864
ID
Cards
37,000
78,567
+41,567
Roeder
4,000
6,610
+2,610
Beach
Club
123,480
138,690
+15,210
TOTAL:
2,248,795
2,314,046
+65,251
COST OF GOODS SOLD:
Beach Club
91,590
104,256
-12,666
EXPENSES:
Admin
408,010
402,737
+5,272
Landscape
290,000
274,194
+15,805
Maintenance 466,284
464,962
+1,321
Beach
Club
101,658
103,630
-1,972
Recreation
92,540
102,621
-10,081
Utilities
361,216
315,071
+46,144
Security
437,496
435,130
+2,365
TOTAL:
2,157,204
2,098,348
+58,856
NET:
1
111,442
+111,441
FAVORABLE ESTIMATED REFUND TO ASSOCIATIONS
- Mesh pool gate panels will be delivered,
installed and painted over the next month
- Tennis Court light fixtures have been cleaned
and bulbs replaced
- No or Expired Parking Permits/Passes were the
most common parking violations and Boardwalk infractions were the most common rule
violation
- 4 bids for solar heat panels to heat the Beach
Club Pool will be presented in February
- Not to exceed $5,000 was allocated for the
purchase of emergency supplies
- Jeanne Cooper resigned as Beach Club Chair
after serving as Chair for 7 years. THANKS
Jeanne! Georgia Ellis, Phyllis Maas, and
Therese Abboud were named 2010 Co-Chairs
- As an experiment, two lap lanes will be left in
place at the El Camino Pool until 11am daily and then one lap lane will be left in place
all day
- The Landscape Advisory Group will consider
adding Twisted Junipers to the Approved Tree List so that Twisted Junipers can be
considered to replace the damaged Palms removed at La Playa, at a cost of no more than
$890
- Property & Liability Insurance renewed with
Farmers. Property Limit increased to
$781,818,025. Premium for 2/1/2010–2/1/2011
is $365,911.00, $20,000 less than for 2009
- The induction pole lighting and fluorescent
landscape lighting replacement project is done
- The General Manager was directed to propose a
rule change and a procedure reinstating a Non-Photo Card system by which a limited number
of cards will be issued to each association for authorized users to access the facilities from only when the L&R Office is closed, to only when the L&R Office next opens.
Next
Meeting: Roeder, Thurs. 2-18-2010 at 2:30pm |
RESULTS OF DECEMBER SAN DIEGO FOOD BANK FOOD DRIVE
During
December 2009, a San Diego Food Bank red barrel was placed in your building and in the
common area facilities to collect food to be shared by many San Diego charities. Well, we didn’t collect a TON of food, but we
did collect a HALF TON (1,041 pounds) of food. It was as easy as going through your cupboards and
sharing items that would have gone unused or that would have expired. Las Flores was the first building to fill their
barrel, and the second barrel filled was in the Health Club.
Coronado Shores received a heartfelt THANK YOU from the San Diego Food Bank. THANKS to all who participated!
TIPS FOR REDUCING
WASTE
Being
careful about what you buy, consume, and throw away may not seem all that exciting even
for the most committed environmental steward. But,
efficient daily practices and a little old fashioned common sense are good for the
environment and your bottom line. You can use
this checklist to see how many waste management and recycling practices you’ve
implemented.
- Make waste reduction a priority in your home
- Evaluate the waste you generate to identify and reduce your
greatest sources of waste
- Measure the volume or weight of the garbage you generate and set
reduction targets
- Reject wasteful consumption by carefully considering what you
need and buy products that last
- Purchase products with minimal packaging or packaging that can
be recycled, or buy in bulk
- Use cloth napkins, cloth lunch bags, sponges/dish rags, reusable
plates, and reusable coffee filters – instead of paper alternatives
- Repair or donate older or unwanted equipment and household goods
to local charitable groups, rather than dispose of them
- Purchase durable furniture and equipment or products made of
recycled materials to reduce waste from inferior products
- Purchase recycled paper products, such as office paper, bathroom
tissue, etc.
- Set up an area to collect recyclable paper, glass, cardboard,
aluminum, tin, and plastic
(Source: Community Associations Institute)
HELP KEEP OUR
COMMUNITY GREEN
Like
leaders in more and more associations these days, our community leaders strive to use
environmentally friendly products and services. Here
are some tips that you can use in your home to continue this positive trend in our
community:
- Use organic products, which are less harmful to the environment
- Choose latex paints over oil paints, which are harmful to the
environment
- Use energy-saving light bulbs
- And, at home and at work, save and reuse scrap paper
These
little things, when done consistently by enough people, can really add up.
(Source: Community Associations Institute) |
