OCN

Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

OCN > 2605 > Woodmoor Improvement Association, April 22 – Volunteers maintain trails

Woodmoor Improvement Association, April 22 – Volunteers maintain trails

Highlights*

  • Volunteers Dawn Roney and Cindy Thrush are actively developing Safe Routes to School (SRTS) connected walking trails in Woodmoor, including a bridge crossing the Woodmoor Lake spillway, with ongoing coordination to keep the board informed and ensure safety.
  • They began marking informal trails with blue flags, engaged neighbors in cleanup and trash pickup, and worked to connect trails to the commons area, framing their efforts around the SRTS project involving D38, WIA, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District.
  • The board emphasized the need for close cooperation with Commons Area Director Steve Cutler to assess trail work for potential board involvement and to maintain safety and management of trails and common areas.
  • Financial and administrative updates: new phone system is being pursued from reserve funds; revenues are on track except for new construction fees; liens will be placed by May 15 with a $300 fee; 301 accounts are unpaid.
  • Covenants and safety notes: 31 covenant items in March with two violations issued; 25 issues resolved through friendly communication; architectural control shows a 98.6% project approval rate; no significant public safety issues though high fire danger days noted.
  • Forestry and common areas: three forestry/Firewise visits completed; grant funds remain ample; chipping dates set for June 20 and 21 and July 18 and 19; and water conservation encouraged.
*AI-generated

 By Jackie Burhans

The Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) board met on April 22 to hear about a volunteer effort to maintain common trails and heard director reports.

Volunteers

Residents Dawn Roney and Cindy Thrush, a former WIA board member, spoke about their efforts to work on trails that connect common areas. Roney said she wanted to share with the board a volunteer effort that she began with Thrush.

Roney said she heard about the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project involving D38, WIA, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, which will provide a walking path between Lewis-Palmer Elementary School, Lewis-Palmer Middle School, and Palmer Ridge High School. She noted that the bridge that will cross the Woodmoor Lake spillway had been delivered, adding that she was very excited about the path. For more information, search for SRTS at www.ocn.me.

Thrush had already known about the project, and the two of them thought it would be cool to have some walking trails to connect to the commons property. They had started informally but wanted to get more serious, she said, so they identified walking tracks and informal trails and began marking them with blue flags and cleaning off pine needles. Through their efforts, they met other residents who were mowing and picking up trash in common areas close to their property. They shared information about SRTS and had many interesting conversations, Thrush said.

Roney said they had noticed some trees with some issues that might require risk reduction. This year, she and Thrush got T-shirts that say “Safe Route Volunteer Maintenance.” She passed out a map showing the area where they had been working, SRTS, and interior roads that have less traffic. Architectural Control Committee Director Ed Miller noted that with Woodmoor Lake, the common area goes behind people’s homes, though that might not be clear to them.

President Brian Bush commended Roney, Thrush, and others for taking an interest in the community and neighbors and for their efforts. He requested that they work closely with Commons Area Director Steve Cutler to ensure he can assess if any of their work should come to the notice of the board and whether WIA should get involved. Bush said that WIA has an obligation to maintain the trails and common areas in a safe condition and thanked them for making the trails better.

Director highlights

  • Vice president. Bush reported in Peter Bille’s absence that he had instructed the board’s IT consultant to get new phones using available money in the reserve account.
  • Community outreach. Bush said he attended the latest Northern El Paso Coalition of Community Organizations (NEPCO) meeting and heard a presentation by the president of Triview Metropolitan District. Triview manages parks, roads, water, and sewer for the part of Monument that is east of I-25. He reported that Monument will undertake a project to improve one lane of Jackson Creek Parkway (JCP) going north from Higby and Whataburger. He said there was no mention of timing for improving JCP heading south.
  • Treasurer. Bush reported for Treasurer Pete Giusti that revenues are on track except for new construction fees. There are funds available for common areas and forestry that haven’t been expended yet.
  • HOA administrator. Denise Cagliaro reported 301 unpaid accounts and noted that two phones had been replaced. Bush said that liens would be placed no later than May 15 and would incur a fee of $300.
  • Covenants: Director Jennifer Davis reported 31 covenant items with two violations issued in March. There were no unfounded complaints, and 25 issues were resolved with friendly communications. There were 19 HOA checks in March. There were no hearings in March, but two hearings in April resulted in one fine. There are no May hearings scheduled at this time. Davis reminded residents that real estate signs may not exceed one square foot and only one sign is allowed per lot. Bush asked if Covenants Administrator Kelci Spencer could produce a monthly report on covenants. Forestry Director Jason Hann said he wanted to discuss a database or customer relationship management (CRM) application for tracking but said that Spencer is starting with an Excel spreadsheet.
  • Public Safety. Director Brad Gleason said there were no significant security issues, but there are a lot of red flag days indicating high fire danger. He said that nights are longer and temperatures are higher, so more kids are running around—he asked that residents be cautious when driving in the community.
  • Architectural Control: Miller reported 36 project submissions in March, 31 of which were approved administratively. One was approved by the Architectural Control Committee, and one was denied. So far, Miller said 71 of 72 projects have been approved for a 98.6% approval rate. Bush asked if every outdoor project came to Architectural Control; Miller said there was no guarantee of that, but if they don’t and Woodmoor Public Safety (WPS) or another resident notices it, it may be reported. Bush complimented WPS for finding a crew that was using unauthorized water and reporting it to Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District.
  • Forestry: Hann said that WIA completed three forestry and Firewise visits. Spencer has done a great job so far, he said. He noted that the state forestry representative did a final walk-through for the grant packages. He said he had been in contact with the resident who spoke at the last meeting who seemed happy with the progress. Hann said there is a lot of money left in the 50% matching mitigation grant. Chipping dates for 2026 are June 20 and 21 as well as July 18 and 19. He noted that Black Forest Slash/Mulch (bfslash.org) and Urban Firewood (urbanfirewood.com) are also accepting yard debris.
  • Common Areas. Cagliaro reported for Cutler that the sprinkler system at The Barn will start in early May, and flowers will be planted, weather permitting. Final restoration of the North Park area is nearly complete, with final grading and reseeding scheduled for May.
  • President. Bush, who is also president of the WWSD board, said that even though there will not be additional water restrictions, he encouraged all residents to follow the district’s conservation schedule and use water wisely.

**********

The WIA Board of Directors usually meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Barn at 1691 Woodmoor Drive, Monument. The next meeting will be on May 27.

The WIA calendar can be found at www.woodmoor.org/events/. Once approved and posted, the WIA board meeting minutes can be found at www.woodmoor.org/board-of-directors/.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

 

The long-awaited Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) project now has a physical manifestation: the bridge that will take the trail over the Woodmoor Lake spillway. SRTS is a grant-funded project involving D38, Woodmoor Improvement Association, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, which will provide a walking path between Lewis-Palmer Elementary School, Lewis-Palmer Middle School, and Palmer Ridge High School. The bridge is currently staged just north of Lake Woodmoor Drive, looking east to the trail and the pump station in the lake. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Other Woodmoor Improvement Association articles

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *