As President of the Board of Director's in 2001, I started looking into the changes that might have occurred to our usable land in the park. Since the area is not platted, we could find no information. It now appears that this issue was never pursued prior to requesting bids and sending out a ballot. I have recently asked the Board of Directors to do this. We cannot heal our community and move on with business until we have an answer to this question. There may no longer be sufficient land on which we can build a pool or anything else. Thus, all this fighting and hostility of recent weeks may have been totally unnecessary.
Why do I question whether we have the land? There are several reasons for this. In summer, 1997, Pape-Dawson did an engineering review for us. This determined that there was 3.3 acres outside the floodplain. This is probably invalid now and we can't use it. First of all, they used a 25 year flood plain. Floodplains following our recent floods are now considered on 100 year or more floods. Homes in Encino Park to our north are now in the floodplain, but they were not in 1997. The Unified Development Code(UDC) passed by the city in 2001 has now been fully implemented. Only building which was fully permited prior to the implementation of the UDC can build without following it. The UDC sets strict standards for land usage and development. It is particularly strict over the Edwards Recharge Zone.
I did not ''dream'' the above information to be adverse to the pool. Once I saw in the newletter that a ballot was coming I started checking as I never heard that the Association had looked into this issue. Following my initial inquiries, I contacted city departments that deal with these issues. I was told that the park lies in a natural low area surrounded by a drainage easement and an inudation easement. Looking at what maps are avaialable since the area is not platted, I was told that we have definately lost land to the floodplain. How much? Only an engineering study can tell us this information. We needed it before any action was taken and we need it even more now. Use this web page to contact the Board of Directors and let them know that you also are concerned.
By Colletta A. Galloway
Why do I question whether we have the land? There are several reasons for this. In summer, 1997, Pape-Dawson did an engineering review for us. This determined that there was 3.3 acres outside the floodplain. This is probably invalid now and we can't use it. First of all, they used a 25 year flood plain. Floodplains following our recent floods are now considered on 100 year or more floods. Homes in Encino Park to our north are now in the floodplain, but they were not in 1997. The Unified Development Code(UDC) passed by the city in 2001 has now been fully implemented. Only building which was fully permited prior to the implementation of the UDC can build without following it. The UDC sets strict standards for land usage and development. It is particularly strict over the Edwards Recharge Zone.
I did not ''dream'' the above information to be adverse to the pool. Once I saw in the newletter that a ballot was coming I started checking as I never heard that the Association had looked into this issue. Following my initial inquiries, I contacted city departments that deal with these issues. I was told that the park lies in a natural low area surrounded by a drainage easement and an inudation easement. Looking at what maps are avaialable since the area is not platted, I was told that we have definately lost land to the floodplain. How much? Only an engineering study can tell us this information. We needed it before any action was taken and we need it even more now. Use this web page to contact the Board of Directors and let them know that you also are concerned.
By Colletta A. Galloway
