Mammoth Creek Condominiums

Sunday, May 5, the Board of Directors will gather at Mammoth Creek for its annual “Walk the Project” meeting. Members and management tour the property to review upcoming maintenance and repair projects, and to identify new damage or winter wear-and-tear that needs attention. In addition, a full agenda will be discussed.

Pretty much, this is an all-day affair, so homeowners are welcome to join anytime. If you have any questions please contact any Board member or the MCC office.

As a Mammoth Creek Homeowner, you received two pieces of certified mail in the past month regarding the Gap Bike Path Project proposal to replace the dirt path on the south edge of our property with a paved bike path.  As these documents have some short deadlines combined with the possibility of the town using eminent domain to acquire the property, here is an update from the Board regarding what is being done.

The HOA Board of Directors and several members had a conference call meeting with Town representatives on Wednesday night, December 13. The HOA’s attorney and a board member had a subsequent conference call with the Town representatives on Friday, December 15 to discuss the requirement to appear before the Town Council on December 20 to protect our rights to challenge the right of the Town to acquire our property by eminent domain. Our attorney will be drafting a letter and getting it to the Town by the deadline to protect us on this matter.

The Board and Town are anxious to start the formal negotiation process on this project. Our first meeting is scheduled for January 9, 2018 in Mammoth Lakes. The board has appointed Gary Drlik (gdrlik@gmail.com) and Tom Waller (trw2001@sbcglobal.net) to be the HOA’s representatives to negotiate with the Town on this project.

The Board plans to try to come up with a settlement package that addresses homeowner concerns, while simultaneously accumulating concrete reasons that will effectively challenge the eminent domain resolution of necessity should we be unable to reach a settlement, or the settlement does not receive the necessary votes for approval.

Since there is a very tight time line that the Town needs to adhere to for funding for this project (obtain the property by April 30, 2017) the board is requesting any owner that has information that they want the negotiation team to consider before we start the negotiations with the Town to contact either/or both Gary and Tom by December 27, 2017. This will allow the Board and the negotiation team to prepare our side for negotiations with the Town. It is the Board’s and the Town’s hope that acquisition of the property needed for the Gap Bike Path project can be successfully negotiated which would eliminate the need for the Town to obtain our property by eminent domain.

If we can reach a negotiated settlement with the Town, the agreement would need 2/3 approval by our HOA members. We hope to have a voting package out to all members before the middle of March, to meet the Town’s requirement of obtaining the property by April 30, 2017. Once you receive this package please vote ASAP.

We will try and keep updated info on this project on our HOA web site.

Any questions please contact Tom or Gary.

Thank you,

Your Mammoth Creek Board Members

Much has transpired regarding the Ice Rink/Multi-use Facility (MUF) in the past months. This post serves to catch up all homeowners on recent events, and to ask for comments that will help direct the how the Board can proceed as this process unfolds.

Town Council Certifies EIR

Monday, May 17, 2017, the Town Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) by a 4-1 vote, and now the MUF construction will start at Mammoth Creek Park West this summer. To litigate the validity or adequacy of the EIR, parties must file within 30 days of certification—that’s by June 16, 2017.

Contesting the EIR

If the HOA were to join our neighbors to contest the EIR, the estimated cost of our share would be $50,000 or more. Here’s where things get dicey: our bylaws state that homeowners must approve any expenditure that is over 5% of the Operating Budget—and MCC’s share of litigation costs exceeds that mark. Because we cannot proceed without a vote of all homeowners to spend this money, we would be hard-pressed to conduct a vote and secure a law firm to formally bring a lawsuit within the required 30-day window.

However, even without these time constraints, the board discussed this issue at our May 20 meeting and trended away from pursuing litigation, as its cost (if approved by the homeowners) would either significantly impact reserves or require a special assessment. Multiple board members doubt whether this expenditure would significantly reduce the odds of the MUF getting built. Litigation involving the EIR would pit the Town’s experts against our experts. Also, there are other forces in play that might ultimately prevent the MUF from being built: 1) the implausibility to publicly raise an additional $1.5 million of funding, 2) the opposition of the Mountain to the rink location, and 3) the possibility that other parties will submit litigation.

EIR Background: A brief update on the MUF EIR process to date.

The EIR addressed…

1. Water contamination from ice rink operation, both to the ground water and Mammoth Creek.
2. Traffic impact to the area, including the potential blind view of oncoming traffic from the west, particularly from snow build-up on Old Mammoth Road.
3. Noise and light pollution.

For further details, click here to access public comments to the EIR.

What’s Next:  Funding and Construction

Total estimated price tag for the MUF: $9.5 million. Funding sources:

1. Measure R and Measure U funds (sales taxes revenue to fund recreation projects)
   1. Measure R–$2,600,000 from fund balance/reserves.
   2. Measure R–$5 million bond to be paid back over 10 years at 3.5%.
   3. Measure U–$500,000 fund balance/reserves
   4. Public fund-raising–$1.5 million from unknown sources

The Council approved the funding plan 3-2. The 2 dissenting council members voiced concerns about the ability to raise $1.5 million through public funding, the additional costs excluded from the $9.5 million price tag, and diversion of Measure R and U funds from other activities.

Construction of the MUF will proceed regardless of whether litigation is submitted. Caveat: the project will halt if specific sources of public funding (to the tune of $1.5 million) cannot be identified by March of 2018–a motion made by Mayor Richardson and passed by Town Council.

Thursday December 22, 2016, the Board will meet discuss some current issues, along with additional agenda items (click here for agenda). This will be a conference call meeting at 7:00 pm; we will use a free conferencing service which charges callers according to each one’s long-distance plan. Please see the agenda for call-in number and PIN.

Approved minutes from our HOA Annual Meeting and Board of Directors meeting–both held on Saturday, September 10, 2016–are now available for your reading pleasure.

All minutes are posted in Board News; immediately after each BOD meeting, check that page for new additions, or simply follow the links in announcements such as this one.

The Board of Directors needs your input on a possible door replacement project. Please read this post for background information and then complete the ten-question survey by 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 15, 2015.

Click here for the MCC HOA Door Replacement Survey

Purpose: Calling All Homeowners

With a 40+ years of service, our buildings are showing their age—mostly in drafty, leaking, and failing windows and doors. About ten years ago, homeowners were ready to replace doors, only to be trumped by an invalid vote and the more urgent need for new fireplace inserts. Next, we took on overhauling all windows at homeowners’ request. Now the demand for better doors has resurfaced.

At the request of numerous homeowners, we have looked into the costs, processes, and options a door replacement project would entail; now we need your input. We want to present the need, explain the options, provide the information we gathered, and then survey you to see where all the homeowners stand.

Please note that this is not a done deal. Rather, we’re informing ourselves of all the options so we can present them to you and get your feedback and preferences. The more of you who complete the survey, the better our decision will reflect homeowners’ needs.

The Need

Several of you have been experiencing problems with your front doors including

• Water and air leaks
• Excessive swelling and shrinking
• Difficulty opening & shutting the door; door failing to stay shut
• Failing door hardware & lack of deadbolt
• Out-dated and worn appearance (exterior and interior)

For many units, we’ve exhausted all the repairs, replacements, and remedies that can be made… with little improvement. For at least a dozen units, replacement is the only next step.

What a Replacement Would Entail

Because front doors are a key part of a building’s design, ours have a big impact on architectural consistency. If the homeowners’ wish is to replace, all doors, jambs, sills, and hardware would be identical throughout the complex. The total cost per unit would be between $1,800 and $2,600, depending on the final design homeowners choose. Replacement would include the following, and would be the same for each unit:

1. Door, jamb, sill, and hardware—hinges, handles, lockset (handle and deadbolt), keys
2. Exterior door and trim finish (interior finish and upgrades at owner’s expense)
3. Removal/disposal of old door
4. Installation of new door, jamb, sill, and hardware

The Research

At the Annual HOA meeting in September, Board member Sara Gomberg presented her research on door upgrades. In addition, she made available a PowerPoint of random door samples pictured on our existing entry, collected through Thermatru’s free mydoor app. View PowerPoint here.

Sara’s recommendations:

• Go with a solid fiberglass door (not wood or steel); it stands up best to Mammoth’s extreme climate.
• Choose a style that is compatible with our architecture. A paneled slab would update the look of our doorways.
• A glass insert would light up our dark entries. To provide the most security and safety, go with a rectangular privacy glass insert near the top of the door.
• Choose a finish that the manufacturer or installer applies before installation—ensures color consistency throughout the complex.
• Consider a keyed/keypad combination—good option for a second home, especially if it’s late & you’ve forgotten or misplaced your keys.
• Therma-Tru seems to be the most reputable and reliable manufacturer.

Options

Based on the Sara’s research, we propose the following options:

1. Option One: Replace doors as needed with the current design, but with an upgrade in materials:

• solid flat composite door (with new jamb and sill) in a rough-cut cedar grain.
  

  The current door style in our complex

• Exterior door and trim painted to match the complex color scheme.
• Interior finish of door and trim at owner’s expense; upgrades at owner’s expense.
• New handle, lockset, and deadbolt.
• Replacement would take place over 10-12 years, funded through reserves if possible (approximately $1,800). Maintains architectural consistency.

2. Option Two: Replace all doors with an upgrade in quality, architectural style, and finish:

• Solid paneled composite door—with jamb, and sill—in a smooth wood grain finish with
  

  Sample of a possible upgrade.

  decorative privacy glass insert (door pictured is a sample only)

• Exterior door and trim stained in a color complementary to the complex color scheme.
• Interior finish of door and trim at owner’s expense. Upgrades at owner’s expense.
• Upgraded handle, lockset, and deadbolt; key pad option to be considered.
• Replacement would take place over 3 – 5 years (approximately $2,000 – $2,600, depending on the style all homeowners choose). Updates architectural consistency over a short period of time
  • funded through special assessment , OR
  • funded through increase in HOA fees with no special assessment

Next Steps

1. All homeowners weigh in. Click here to complete the 10-question MCC Door Survey. Deadline: Monday, February 15, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.
2. BOD to compile and share survey results. The BOD will meet Thursday, February 18^th to discuss the findings of the survey; immediately after, results will be shared with all homeowners on the Website.
3. BOD to act on homeowners’ wishes. The Board will plan the HOA’s action on doors, depending on the survey results.

IF THE CONSENSUS IS TO MAINTAIN CURRENT DOOR:

4. Replace as needed: BOD and HSM will establish a door replacement cycle and revise both the budget and Reserve Study to accommodate costs.
5. Prioritize Replacements: BOD and HSM will examine all units to identify most damaged doors. Based on observations and owner input, they will create a prioritized schedule to be shared with all homeowners.

IF THE CONSENSUS IS TO UPGRADE:

4. Narrow the door choices: Homeowners will be surveyed a second time to vote between 2 or more door and hardware styles.
5. HOA vote: CC&Rs require a vote on any special assessment or fee increase.
6. Results of vote:
   1. Yes—we will proceed with door replacement much like our window project.
   2. No—we will replace doors as needed with the current style.

Click here to access the survey. Thank you for your input!

The Board of Directors will hold a meeting at the MCC Office and via conference call on Tuesday, January 26 to discuss a full agenda . All homeowners are free to join the meeting–it’s slated to start at 7:00 p.m. For those wishing to call in, please see the conference call number and PIN on the agenda.