CastleRock Estates

CastleRock Estates
com m u n i t y as s o c i at i on ne wsle t ter
summer 2012 Hi Everyone,
We recently held our second Annual General Meeting. Approximately sixty-five people attended the
meeting and approximately forty attended the lunch and golf immediately following the meeting.
There were significantly fewer owners present this year. Hopefully this is a sign that owners are feeling
better about the community even though the economy continues to impact the development.
board of directors
Mike Gagné
President and Director
[email protected]
250-342-6962
Blair Robinson
Vice-President and Director
[email protected]
250-688-8568
Myron Wicentovich
Treasurer and Director
[email protected]
403-217-2694
Betty Anne Goodwin
Secretary and Director
[email protected]
250-341-6040
Michael Anderson
Director
[email protected]
250-347-2980
Brian Foster
Director
[email protected]
403-268-3036
Phil Neufeld
Director
[email protected]
403-391-9210
Gordon Scott
Director
[email protected]
403-314-6801
Jason Werle
Director
[email protected]
403-510-2317
Please feel free to contact
any of the Board members
if you have any questions
or if you would like to
raise any issues regarding
the community.
As many of you know the original developer is no longer involved in the development and the lender is in
the process of identifying and negotiating with persons who may be interested in assuming this role.
Hopefully this will be resolved in the near future. The District of Invermere (DOI) has hired a consultant
to review the deficiencies in CastleRock. Once these have been fully determined an action plan will be
developed to address the deficiencies with securities deposited by the Developer.
There will be some new builds in CastleRock Estates this summer. This is a very encouraging sign
and hopefully we will see more and more activity in the community. Unfortunately it has been
determined that the power in Phase 3 was not completely installed and as a result there will be
some delays in issuing building permits. We are having discussions with the lender and the DOI
but it is not yet clear how this will be resolved.
Please feel free to contact any of the Board members if you have any questions or concerns.
Mike Gagne
President and Director, CastleRock Estates Community Association
Annual General Meeting
Prior to the start of the official meeting Staff Sergeant Marko Shehovac of the local RCMP gave us a very
insightful look at the issues they are facing in Invermere and in the valley. The good news is that CastleRock
Estates is out of sight and out of mind for local thieves and there are no issues in our community.
Crystal Leonard, the local Bear Aware Coordinator, gave us a very informative presentation on the bear
situation and how we can do things to be bear smart.
Both presenters did a great job at providing us with useful information in an entertaining way.
The President then provided the members with information on the work of the Community Association.
Following is a summary of some of the items reported on:
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Donors of prizes for the golf tournament were recognized. A draw was made for a beautiful piece of
metal artwork donated by Three Bears Gift Shop. The owners of the gift shop, Wendy and
Daryl Stankewich, are owners in CastleRock. Please support their business. The lucky winner of the
draw was Lynne St.Denis.
Rent Charge Agreements registered on title are working and the Community Association receives payment for overdue accounts on the sale of the property. Owners are encouraged to pay their membership fees by the due date to avoid the administrative penalty and interest.
The Board has had several discussions on the building scheme and is commited to ensuring that the scheme is followed for the benefit of all owners. All the owners we have talked to support this position.
As no interest was expressed for a school bus service to CastleRock Estates, the Board is no longer pursuing it.
CastleRock Estates Community Association PO Box 1082, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
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Community Association insurance policies were renewed.
The Board agreed to sell surplus equipment such as lawnmowers and the tractor mower.
The Board approved the budget and financial statements for presentation to the members.
Some members of the Board met several times with the DOI to discuss areas of concern. These include:
• Repair to an existing stop sign and the installation one new stop sign.
• Weeds in the development.
• Access road wall.
• Water leak in development.
• Hydro in Phase 3.
• Water in gazebo area.
• Paving of Phase 1.
The Board will continue to meet with the DOI to ensure that these and other areas of concern are dealt with.
The President then introduced Chris McKenzie, a representative of the lender to the current developer.
Chris confirmed that the current developer is no longer involved and that they are working to attract a new
developer to the development.
The members then reviewed the Financial Statements for the Year ended December 31, 2011 and the 2012
budget. The members approved the budget and membership fees for the 2012 calendar year.
The members then elected the Board of Directors. All current Directors were re-elected with the exception of
Frank Schnell who stepped down from the Board. Betty Anne Goodwin was elected as Frank’s replacement and
she will assume the role of Secretary.
The Board would like to thank Frank for his valuable input over the last two years and for his excellent service
as Secretary.
Events Committee
Theresa Wood has organized several events for the Community Association. All the events have been very
successful and the Board would like to thank Theresa for all the work she has put into their organization.
Theresa has recently bought a house in Invermere. As a result the community association is looking for a
volunteer to head up the events committee.
Coming Activities
Information on future events will be sent out as events are established.
2012 AGM and Golf Tournament
CastleRock Estates Community Association PO Box 1082, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
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Community Events
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April 28 – Community Clean-up and BBQ
This event was a great opportunity to clean up our community and meet our neighbours. Thirty-seven people, young and old, met at the gazebo to pick up their garbage bags and obtain a designated area for cleaning. It was surprising how much garbage was collected. After the clean-up we met back at the gazebo
at noon for a BBQ lunch. Everyone had a great time and the community looked better for it. Thanks to all those who participated.
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May 19 – Gagrage Sale
“Clean out your closets and garages!” Eight owners did and took advantage of the community garage sale. Once at CastleRock participants had the opportunity to visit and enjoy time in our community.
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June 2 – Annual Meeting, Lunch and Golf
As indicated in the opening message, many owners participated in these events. The lunch was great.
The weather didn’t look great in the morning but as the golfing started the skies opened up and the sun came out. It was a beautiful day for a golf game.
All prizes came from owners in CastleRock Estates. The Board would like to thank the following for their
contribution of prizes:
Three Bears Gift Shop – A beautiful piece of metal artwork.
Lorena Siemens – A sun tan lotion pack by Mary Kay.
Sandy Hawkins – A sports bag and a dozen golf balls by his company, Hawkings EPP Dumont LLP.
Hiking
The hiking group has been out on several hikes and is looking forward to warm sunny days ahead so that they
can start hiking at higher elevations in the back country. If you would like to be added to the hiking group email
list please contact [email protected] .
Building Scheme Committee
The Community Association has set up a Building Scheme Committee. The role of the committee is to review
plans for new construction and modifications to existing properties with the objective of preserving the intent of
the building schemes within CastleRock Estates.
It is important to note that any modifications to existing properties also require approval of the committee.
This applies to any work done to the outside of your house, (for example deck additions, changes to siding,
house colour, etc.) and any landscaping that may encroach on the non disturb zone on your property. If there is
any doubt as to how this applies to you, please feel free to contact us. We would rather have a discussion before
work proceeds to avoid the scenario where work has begun and costs are incurred only to find out that the
changes do not comply with the building scheme.
The Chair of the Building Scheme Committee is Phil Neufeld. Contact at [email protected] .
CastleRock Estates Community Association PO Box 1082, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
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Play Structure
The DOI has approved $10,000 for the purchase and installation of a play structure in CastleRock Estates.
The Board of Directors has agreed to match this amount in the form of cash or volunteer labour to erect
the play structure. The Community Association will need to work with the DOI to determine what type
of structure would be of interest to the community. We are looking for volunteers, especially those who
may have expertise in this area, to assist in this review. If you are interested please contact [email protected] .
Change of Email Address
Almost all communication to members from the Community Association (newsletters, fees invoices and
follow-up, general notices, etc.) is sent by email. Please ensure that all changes to email addresses are
communicated to Myron Wicentovich at [email protected] . If we are not made aware of changes a
Board member is required to contact the owner for a new address and then resend the notice. Please remember
that all Board Members are volunteers and you can help us save time by immediately advising us of changes.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Reminder to Dog Owners
The Building Scheme requires that no owner shall permit their animal(s) to roam at large within the
community. Dogs must be leashed when not on the owner’s property. In addition we have received complaints
that a few owners are not picking up after their dogs. As a common courtesy please be responsible pet owners.
Web Site
The Community Association launched its new website at the annual meeting at
www.castlerockestatescommunity.com . This is the first iteration of the website and changes will
be made over time. There is a member only section and the password is – we rock – (with a space
between the two words). If you would like to contribute your photos for use in our web site or
newsletter, please submit them via the contact page.
The Board would like to thank Donna Deschenes, an owner in Phase 2, for donating her time to
develop and maintain the website.
Membership Fees
Each year the Community Association sends out a membership fee invoice to all members.
The fees are used to carry out the business and activities of the Community Association. The 2012
fee of $132.00 per year was approved at the Annual General Meeting. The invoices for 2012 were
sent out recently by email and payment is due by July 15, 2012.
Dealing with the collection of late payments does not come without expense for the Community
Association. So this expense is not a burden to all members, a late payment fee in the amount of $25.00
plus an interest charge of 1.5% per month is charged on all accounts outstanding after the July 15 deadline.
We ask for your cooperation in looking after your account. If you have any questions or if you are not
sure what your outstanding balance is, please contact Myron Wicentovich at [email protected] or
403-217-2694.
Payment should be made payable to: CastleRock Estates Community Association and mailed to
P.O. Box 1082, Invermere, BC, V0A 1K0.
CastleRock Estates Community Association PO Box 1082, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
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Garbage Reminder (Again!!):
In May 2011 there were significant problems regarding garbage left outside of the garbage bins after the
busy long weekend. As a result of information provided to owners by the Community Association the
problem was essentially eliminated. Unfortunately the problems returned this May as evidenced by the
photograph below.
Please help by taking garbage and recycle materials to the district’s disposal area when the bins are full.
As a reminder, the district’s disposal area is on the way out of town (turn left at the Panorama road and
then take the first left in the industrial area – the disposal site is on your immediate left). Also please
advise your friends or relatives that are visiting your home to do the same.
You can also help the recycle situation by crushing your cardboard boxes prior to putting them in the
recycle bin. The garbage area is not a community dump and members should not be leaving dead batteries,
building materials, etc. by the garbage cans for someone else to deal with. These items must be delivered to
the appropriate disposal locations. If you are here during the week, please be aware that there is street side
garbage pick-up every Tuesday. The DOI requires the garbage be placed in a closed garbage container.
There is also a street side blue bag recycle pick-up every second Thursday (garbage pick-up and recycle pick
up does not apply to the Strata units).
The Invermere Bear Aware Coordinator, Crystal Leonard, has been monitoring the presence of bear
attractants such as garbage. Crystal noticed the state of the garbage bins in CastleRock Estates and
recently presented a lengthy, detailed report to the DOI. It was prepared with the objective of making
Invermere a Bear Smart Community. Unfortunately the garbage situation of the May long weekend may
have contributed greatly to the following recommendations for CastleRock Estates:
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Prioritize bear awareness education efforts in this area, reminding homeowners how to properly dispose of waste without attracting bears;
Sticker ‘bear-resistant’ dumpsters with Bear Aware decals;
Move the location of ‘bear-resistant’ dumpsters to an area that is secure, allowing access to condo residents only;
Examine the implementation of a ‘bear-resistant’ communal dumpster system rather than continuing curbside collection.
The full report can be found on the DOI web site under Documents, agenda items, June 12 meeting.
Unfortunately the actions of a few irresponsible owners may have created a situation where our community
will lose some of the services it previously enjoyed. The Board will monitor the situation and hopefully we
can provide meaningful input into the DOI’s deliberations.
More information on the Invermere garbage and recycling program can be found at
www.invermere.net/works/recycling.htm .
Let the summer begin!
CastleRock Estates Community Association PO Box 1082, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
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