Board of Directors. BVRI is looking for a few good men and women to serve on the Board Of Directors. If you are interested in serving on the BVRI Board of Directors, please contact David Smith at (707) 823-2288.

Fire Hydrants. CSA has proposed an "Adopt a Fire Hydrant" program under which each homeowner is requested to identify the fire hydrant which that serves his or her house. Home owners are also requested to inspect it whenever the snow level/storm activity suggests it may have become obscured or inaccessible due to by snow, and clear away the snow whenever necessary. Recognizing that many homeowners will not be present in Bear Valley to regularly inspect and/or clear inaccessible fire hydrants, the Fire Chief will also be inspecting fire hydrants and notifying the CSA if any of them become obscured or inaccessible by high snow levels.

While the intent of the program is a voluntary, inspection and clearing of hydrants by homeowners, CSA will arrange to have them cleared if necessary. Since the CSA has a limited budget for this purpose, please inspect and clear your hydrants whenever possible. If you become aware of an inaccessible fire hydrant and are unable to clear it yourself, please notify the Bear Valley Fire Department of the situation. We are paying for the upgraded fire hydrants in order to enhance fire protection in Bear Valley; it is imperative that they be accessible at all times. If you cannot identify the fire hydrant which serves your house or if you become aware of an inaccessible fire hydrant and are unable to clear it yourself, please contact the Bear Valley Fire Department.

TRASH. Please put all trash and recyclable materials in the appropriate dumpsters and make sure the bin doors are latched. Please do not leave any trash or recyclable material on the ground. If the dumpsters are full, please take it with you and dispose of it at home, at the gas station, for a fee, or at the transfer station in Avery. There is a $500 fine established for leaving anything outside the dumpsters.

OUTSIDE LIGHTING. Please think about how the lighting around the outside of your house affects your neighbors and your neighbors’ enjoyment of wintertime star gazing. It’s especially important in the wintertime to keep outside lighting to a minimum as light significantly reflects from the snow. Remember the CC&Rs require that all lighting be shielded. If your outside lighting fixtures aren’t shielded please make the required changes now. Do your part and allow everyone to enjoy the wintertime stellar shows.

MEADOW MUSIC FESTIVALS. Two music festivals were conducted in the meadow south of Highway 4 this summer. The High Sierra Music Festival scheduled for the July 4th weekend was moved on account of late snow and was replaced by a smaller (499 person maximum) and quieter (55dB limit 100 feet from the speakers) event put on by Avery Ranch (Jim Stearns). Over the Labor Day weekend HSMF put on the larger (6250 person maximum) and louder (65dB limit at the perimeter of the highway and 60dB at any residence in Bear Valley) event. According to the acoustical engineer who monitored the Labor Day event, the decibel scale is logarithmic and an increase in sound from, for example, 50 dB to 60dB generates ten times the sound energy and doubles the subjectively perceived sound.

On September 29, 1998, the Alpine County Planning Commission held a public hearing in Bear Valley to consider competing applications for future events in the meadow. Avery Ranch applied for a one year permit for the 1999 July 4th weekend with proposed attendance and noise levels consistent with the 1998 Labor Day weekend event. HSMF applied for a multi-year permit for both the July 4th and Labor Day weekends with attendance proposed at 7000 persons, exclusive of children under 12, and the same sound levels set for the 1998 Labor Day event. The principal complaint regarding the 1998 Labor Day weekend event was the level of noise. The Planning Commission continued the matter to its October meeting at which it issued a one year permit to HSMF for the July 4, 1999 weekend, with authorized attendance of 6500 persons. The Planning Commission did not reduce the noise level or order sound baffling or redirection of the speakers away from the Village.

NEW SKI LIFT. Engineering and economic studies regarding a ski lift from the Bear Valley Village to the Bear Valley ski area are ongoing. BVRI has taken the position that any such lift must not adversely affect the availability of parking for homeowners in Bear Valley. The means of funding this ski lift have not been determined.

ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE. Two new homes were approved for construction during the early part of 1998. One, located on Avalanche Road, is substantially complete. The other home, located at the intersection of "upper" Snowshoe Road and Bloods Ridge Road will be completed soon. Five re-roof applications were approved and the new metal roofs installed over the summer. Four repairs for winter snow damage were approved. Four of the re-models were extensive additions including deck

add-ons, and the fifth was the addition of storage area and an elevator. One extensive re-model remains under review at this time.

Three applications for tree removal were approved. One application for tree removal was denied because the number of trees to be removed was excessive for the lot. This application was referred back to the owners for reduction of the number of trees. Six applications for landscaping were approved (walkway/path, rock retaining walls, steps, etc.) With the heavy snowfall of last winter causing some homeowners to incur extensive deck and structural damage, and with the possibility of another heavy winter coming, the ARC suggests that homeowners inspect their homes and look for problem areas. If you suspect that your home or decking is vulnerable to snow damage this winter, contact one of the local contractors for an inspection and advice regarding corrective measures.

Homeowners in the Bear Valley Tract Subdivision, Tracts 1-9, are reminded that any physical alteration to a home must be reviewed and approved by the ARC as provided in the CC&Rs (and, in most cases, the Alpine County Building and Planning Department) prior to construction. This includes exterior repaint/restain, reroofs and deck modifications. In most cases of exterior changes your adjacent neighbors must be notified by the ARC prior to approval.

BVRI PICNIC. The BVRI picnic was held on the Labor Day weekend this year on account of snow pack. There was good attendance at the picnic and everybody had a good time despite the marginal weather. Many thanks to Liz Protell, Chair of the Picnic Committee, and the members of her committee, La Velda Conrad, Jeff Sibley, Terry Woodrow and Nancy Zawacki, who put in a lot of time and effort to make the picnic a success. Next year, assuming a normal winter, the picnic will return to the 4th of July weekend.  

PLEASE POST

SNOWMOBILING IN THE VILLAGE. It’s time for everyone to think about safe snowmobile use throughout our Village. The sheriff would like everyone to make sure all persons in the household, especially guests, are familiar with the rules of snowmobile operation. The sheriff recommends you post the following (legally binding) rules in a prominent place in your Bear Valley home:

The speed limit throughout the Village is 15 miles per hour. No matter where you’re going it’s going to be a short trip; little is gained by exceeding the speed limit. Drive slowly and cautiously when encountering pedestrians, skiers and other snowmobiles on the Village roads.

Snowmobile travel in the Village is allowed only on the groomed roads.

Snowmobile travel is not allowed between the hours of 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. except for travel to residence or business. Snowmobiling on Bear Valley roads is for transportation, not recreation. Joy riding is never allowed.

Snowmobile travel on a common area is not allowed except to gain access to residence or business.

Snowmobile travel is not allowed on private property, including private roads, without owner’s consent.

All snowmobiles must be properly registered. Current registration sticker must be visible on right side of snowmobile.

All snowmobiles must be equipped with operating headlight, tail light and break light. Modified exhaust systems are not allowed.

The only allowable attachment to a snowmobile is a trailer specifically designed for a snowmobile. The towing of toboggans, skiers, snowboarders, sleds, saucers, etc. is not allowed.

Snowmobiles must not be parked on the groomed portion of roads.

Snowmobile safety will be a priority of the Sheriff’s Department this season. The Sheriff’s Department will be actively patrolling all Bear Valley roads this season to ensure snowmobile safety. Be forewarned! The sheriff’s Department has announced that the department will be issuing citations to violators this season.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING SNOWMOBILE OPERATION IN THE VILLAGE, CONTACT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE.

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