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Wickersham Road News Greetings Happy
New Year We
have had a busy and wet year and have focused our limited available time on
actual road work. This has put us behind in getting out this newsletter as well
as annual dues statements. But here we are. We
will be changing the front gate combination on: Friday,
February 15. Dean
Falkenburg has volunteered to change the combination. Thanks to Dean. The
new combination will be: Please
note it down but keep it out of the newspapers. Given
the difficulty in keeping the gate locked (see article below) Dean has asked
that we change the combination more often. This may help discouraging residual
guests who may have the combination but have worn out their welcome. As a
courtesy to our neighbors, we will try this for the remainder of the year. Annual
Dues notices as well as statements of past due accounts are included in this
newsletter. Please remit as soon as possible. We
have also included an Annual report describing Road Association financial
activity for 2001. Gate Issues As
everyone is certainly aware, the new front gate is suffering from failure of the
foundation. The gate is deflecting badly due to weakness in the supporting soil
at the anchorage. The
installer has attempted to correct the problem by installing an additional dead
man and shoring up the gate post. This has proven unsuccessful, as the gate has
continued to defect. We
have met with the installer to discuss repairs and agreed that no further work
should be done on this gate until the ground is dry in the late spring. At
that time will design either a more substantial foundation or a driven pile that
will adequately resist the weight of the gate. In
the mean time we have welded a new lock and chain on the original gate for use
until repairs can be made to the new gate. While
we are waiting for repairs on the new gate, please continue to lock the old gate
at all times. We appreciate your patience and understanding on this
matter. Second
Gate While
meeting with the installer concerning the new gate, we also reviewed a detail
for the locking mechanism at the Big Iron Gate. This detail will allow for easy
access, at chest level, from both sides of the gate. The
installer should be able to make the modifications to the gate during February.
At this time we are intending to install a combination lock on the Big Iron Gate
rather than a key lock. This will simplify access and management. Gate
Locking Refresher Course As
a courtesy to our neighbors, whose land our road crosses, we should use the gate
as follows:
For the majority of you who do lock the gate consistently, thanks from the Road Committee and from our neighbors. Road Use in Winter We
have had a very wet year already and many Owners have noted both the exceptional
condition of the road as a whole, but also the soft spots that are becoming
increasingly damaged. As
we proceed with Long Term Improvements to the Road, there are going to be some
choices that will have to be made regarding the actual design of the Road. Currently
the Wickersham Road is a seasonal rural road intended ideally for use only
during the dry season. While it can take use during the winter it does not
include all of the components necessary for a year round rural road. It
is primarily a dirt road with extensive surface drainage that discharges
directly into watercourses. When
wet, the surface of the road is vulnerable to disturbance, Use of vehicles when
wet loosens extensive amounts of the road surface and creates the potential for
this material to be carried into the adjacent watercourses in the next rain. A
year round road will require much more rock, armor and drainage management than
our current road enjoys. It may not require more maintenance when constructed
properly, but there are basic components that will require more labor and
equipment to install. In
the past we have asked Owners to avoid using the road after periods of rainfall.
This gives the road a chance to partially dry out and stabilize. We are still
requesting that road use in the winter be kept to a minimum and that necessary
trips be delayed until at least 72 hours after rain has stopped falling. Even
with this measure, we will still see damage occur in the shady spots where the
road does not dry quickly. Ultimately
these areas will need rock for winter use, where they may not need rock for
summer use. The
problem is occurring primarily because we are seeing more extensive use of the
road in the Winter. There has been an increase in industrial and residential use
of the road, generating more trips in the Winter time. There has also been an
increase in recreational use of the road in the winter as we see more new owners
who are excited about visiting the ranch. At
this point we are asking all Owners to consider the following guides to using
the road in Winter:
Residential
and Industrial owners should minimize trips where possible and certainly stay
off the roads during and after rainy periods. If we decide as a group to make the road a year round road, we may need to provide increased resources for alterations and preparations for more extensive winter use. The current road dues provide only enough resources for regular maintenance of a seasonal road and for required long term maintenance of that same type of road. Recent Work December
1, 2001 Martin
Dreiling and Dave Schaeffer spent a day inspecting culverts and road conditions
during the storm. Work included hand cleaning of various ditches and catch
basins as well as drainage adjustments on portions of the road. Areas
requiring larger equipment were flagged and logged for machine work to occur the
following week. Week
of December 9 Steve Parmeter performed ditch and catch basin clearing and removed debris from the slide near mile 6.5. Weekend
of January 12, 2002 Approximately ½ mile of Snot Hill was rocked. This
was a partial volunteer effort initiated by Art Viramontes, who offered
equipment and labor. The Road Association provided a truck and driver from
Vadelnicks and Sons. Dave Scaeffer also volunteered his time and the use of a
bulldozer. Work
included rocking the slickest portions of the road where orientation does not
allow for dry out. Snot
Hill requires additional detail work that will include ditch adjustment,
selected berm removal and grading adjustments. This rock, however, will remain
and will serve as the basic roadbed for the sections rocked. Our
thanks to Art and Dave for volunteering their efforts and to Doug Porter for
bringing this to the attention of the Road Committee. Thanks also to Paul Farrar
for continued use of rock from his quarry for the benefit of the road. As
always, any rock used will generate a credit for Paul’s road dues. This
kind of collaborative effort will help leverage our limited resources so that we
can perform more long-term tasks in the future. Additional
Work Additional work has been performed as needed by Owners who discover local problems. Apparently a fallen tree was removed near mile 6.5. Owners also continue to clear incidental rocks and remove litter when passing by. These efforts are appreciated, by the Road Committee and certainly by the rest of the Owners. If you perform a task, the Road Committee would like to know so that we can keep track of incidental work and incidental problems with the road. Road Maintenance Master Planning In
the previous newsletter we described a series of goals and strategies for
long-term maintenance of the Wickersham Road. Since
that time the following tasks have been completed: Road
Inventory A
complete road inventory was prepared by the road committee. This inventory
includes the following components:
Road
Project Types Based
on the Long Term Maintenance tasks identified in the last newsletter, and based
on the Road Inventory and quantification of total tasks, the following project
types have been identified for pursuit over the coming years. Snot Hill Drainage and Surface Corrections Parcel 37 Drainage Corrections (above bridge) Culvert Replacement Will include removal and disposal of old culverts, excavation to original watercourse bed, re-structuring of backfill, full armor where appropriate and grading adjustments to approaches. These projects will correct most of the washouts identified. Incidental Grade Alterations Will include washout stabilization and source management. Incidental Repairs Rock Resources 2001 / 2002 Committee Members For those who have not heard, Dianne Porter resigned from the Road Committee and Earl Farnsworth, as alternate, has agreed to continue for the remainder of 2002. Martin
Dreiling Earl
Farnsworth Dave
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