Editor Bill Webb

2007 was an extremely busy year, and your Board sees the same looking at 2008!

This Newsletter spotlights many of the issues and opportunities that the Board and the community continue to wrestle with.

I would like to extend my personal thanks to everyone who helped us and Bear Valley in any way this past year. To my embarrassment, we neglected to thank publicly such folks and Mary Korn and Jill Wegenstein for working on the CC&R and fire inspections this past year. Please excuse me if I’ve missed your name, but also please accept my thanks!

Hopefully, you’ve noticed a flurry of email updates from BVRI. We’ve set up a service that allows us to do it without being thought a "spammer". If you are not getting emails from BVRI and you want to, please be sure to enter your email address on your Membership form or email us at bvri@goldrush.com.

It’s also time for election of BVRI Board members and, of course, payment of BVRI dues. I urge all of you, especially those new to Bear Valley, to join BVRI. Your dues will enable us to continue some highly successful programs such as Forest Management, the Beaches, and our very popular 4^th of July Picnic! These all benefit our wonderful community and we, the BVRI Board of Directors, ask for your support.

Brian Neth

President, BVRI

Special Newsletter Issue: This newsletter is being mailed to all Bear Valley property owners to inform you of current homeowner issues as well as to encourage you to become a member of BVRI. The annual dues notice is included in this newsletter. We need your support to help keep our community clean, safe and beautiful. The BVRI budget (supported by your dues) supports the following:

We encourage you to support the efforts of BVRI by completing the enclosed dues notice and forwarding your $80 check to BVRI, P.O. Box 5145, Bear Valley, CA 95223

Annual Homeowners/Community Picnic Date Is Set: Board member Gloria English provides the following details of the picnic:

This is always a great event, mark your family calendar, and join us on the 5^th of July for a fun time!!!!

ARC Report: ARC Chairman Ron Murphy provides the following report:

Since our last newsletter report, the Architectural Review Committee approved for construction: one deck addition with a hot tub on Snowshoe Road, a remodel enclosing a lower deck into living space with the addition of a new deck on Bloods Ridge Road, and an application for an entry bridge extension for a home on Bloods Ridge Road. A new home was approved at the corner of Avalanche and Snowshoe Roads (construction was started just before snowfall) and another on Avalanche Road on an existing foundation.

Currently under preliminary review are two homes. One is near the end of Avalanche Road and the other is a large home on Snowshoe Road.

Homeowners needing to replace their propane tanks are urged to consider burying them. New technology allows burying up to two 1000 gallon tanks, thus avoiding an above ground structure and its resulting construction and maintenance costs. It also looks better!

Reminder: It is the responsibility of the property owner to request and obtain ARC approval prior to construction or any other exterior changes to a home. This includes re-paint or re-stain, re-roof, re-model, propane tank covering structure. Prior review and approval will avoid possible fines and fee increases, as well as having to dismantle unapproved construction.

The ARC members encourage you to contact them and let them assist you through the review and approval process. ARC members are Ron Murphy (Chairman), Terry Woodrow, Nancy Zawacki, Gary Willard and Chuck Taylor. They can be contacted through the BVRI website (bvri.org).

Forest Management Report: BVRI Board member Dave Morley reports:

There was much progress last summer toward making the forest in Bear Valley healthier and safer from fire. That being said though, there is still a lot to do next summer. BVRI will again be inspecting all lots (with or without homes). We will be looking for dead trees, dead slash from trees, pine needles – essentially anything easily burnable. The BVRI inspectors will be looking at lots as soon as possible after the snow melt. Letters will then be sent to lot owners where there is burnable material. A grace period of about a month will then be given to the lot owner so that the lot may be cleaned of burnable material. If after that month the lot has not been cleaned up, the lot number will be turned over to the Sheriff. The Sheriff has the power, by Alpine County law, to have the lot cleaned up with the bill going to the lot owner.

We have also been informed that the Alpine County Board of Supervisors is holding the first reading of an ordinance requiring a higher standard of vacant lot clearing for fire safety, on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at 10AM in Markleeville. This is something the BVRI Board has been asking for during the last three years. You can see the text of the draft ordinance at (www.alpinecountyca.gov) on the right side of the page under recently added documents. BVRI believes this ordinance is a good thing, responsible environmentally, and a significant fire safety step to keep Bear Valley fire safe.

Home Size Survey Results Update: BVRI has continued to follow up regarding the issue of possible home size restriction and a change to the CC&Rs in Bear Valley. The results of the postcard survey are below. The CC&Rs, and this survey, only apply to the "new" subdivision in Bear Valley (lots#001 - #427). As such, the survey postcard was only sent to these home/lot owners.

Results: 426 postcards were sent to homeowners in the "new" subdivision. Our CC&R elections are conducted according to Article XIII, Section 1, in our CC&Rs. Since there is one vote per lot, and a majority of all the lots must agree, a non-response is considered the same as a "No" vote. The responses received were:

Two ballots were returned without being voted; four ballots using the bottom of the letter (2 "no" and 2 "yes"0 were not counted due to the possibility of double voting. These results fall 54 votes short of the 50% plus 1 vote necessary to pass a CC&R amendment.

Based on these results, the BVRI Board of Directors has decided not to pursue the issue of a change to the CC&Rs limiting home size in the new subdivision. We feel quite certain those property owners who felt strongly on both sides of the issue probably voted, and, it is unlikely that sufficient additional "yes" votes could be obtained from the 168 owners who did not vote.

Snowmobile Rules: Board member Gary Willard provides the enclosed snowmobile rules summary, for your use, as well as posting at your home for use with all snowmobile riders (including guests). Following these rules will help insure a safe and village friendly winter season for all Bear Valley residents!

Village Development – Environmental Impact Report Update The BVRI Board continues to stay actively involved in the village development process. As of January 31^st, Leah Toeniskoetter reported to BVRI that the EIR, being prepared by the SWCA, will be released in mid-May. BVRI will continue to monitor these developments and will help to insure the EIR is available for public review as early as possible. For additional information about the new development, visit; (http://www.bearvalley.com/new_village/)

Common Areas and Snowmobile Trail Update County Supervisor Terry Woodrow indicates that the county has formed an ad hoc committee, to address the items that were discussed at last September’s meeting. Facilitating the ad hoc committee are County Council Martin Fine and County Planner Brian Peters. The members of the ad hoc committee include the following: Aaron Johnson, Paul Peterson (BVRI representative), Suzy Lewis, Jeff Sibley, Neil Wolff and John Watts. Terry Woodrow will provide BVRI updates on the ad hoc committees progress and in turn we will communicate via newsletters and email blasts to all BVRI members.

Bear Valley Water District Update BVRI Board member Eric Jung reports the following: "At its January 21 meeting, the Bear Valley Water District discussed options for implementing the tertiary treatment required by the state and how the project financing might work.

The state mandate requires that the District build a tertiary treatment plant for operation by October of this year. The Board now believes they may need more time to get the financing in place, and they are working with state staff to get more time to avoid fines or a revocation of the NPDES discharge permit. The permit solves the problem of the overflowing effluent reservoir by allowing occasional legal discharges under certain conditions. But the state, in granting the permit, tacked on the requirement that the District go from secondary to tertiary treatment. At a December 29 workshop, the District’s engineer Neal Colwell told the audience that a preliminary estimate of the cost of the tertiary project could exceed $14 million. The District Board is considering an assessment to fund a bond which would pay for the project.

The Board is looking at various engineering options, as well as bond proposals to see how best to proceed. Homeowners can contact the Water District office at 209-753-2112 for additional information. The District has also a website where additional information can be obtained (www.bearvalleywater.org)." The BVRI Board will continue to monitor this issue and keep its members informed via email blasts and newsletters.

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