The burning issue in Crystal Park is a Volunteer Fire Department created by the Homeowners Assocation board in 2007.
Perhaps you’ve never heard of Crystal Park, a 2,000-acre private-membership community on the mountainside above Manitou Springs, west of Colorado Springs. 
It’s a beautiful, remote subdivision where 220 homes are built amid thick forest, creeks and ponds.
About 70 homes are built in the lower regions of the park with 30 or so in the middle and 120 at the top — a slow, steep, six-mile drive from the gate at the bottom.
A mill levy, administered by a Metro District, pays for fire protection from Manitou Springs. The annual bill is $10,000. In addition, residents pay $125 a month in HOA dues.
But there are problems. For example, it takes 35 to 45 minutes for Manitou crews to reach the upper park. That’s a long time if you are suffering a heart attack or something is burning.
And some residents became concerned because Manitou can’t guarantee it will always respond to Crystal Park calls for help. It must serve its own residents first and foremost. If there is a conflict, or a truck is out of service, Crystal Park’s calls could go unanswered.
That’s never happened.
But it scared many in Crystal Park and inspired them to form their own Volunteer Fire Department. The Crystal Park Homeowners Association obtained a $70,000 grant to buy used trucks, tankers and other equipment and started getting trained to respond to calls for emergency medical service, perform high-angle rescues and fight fires.
In 2008, the HOA appropriated about $70,000 in HOA funds to build a fire station.
But some folks in Crystal Park were not impressed. They didn’t like the HOA spending its money on a fire station. They say the Volunteer Fire Department is unnecessary and portray it as a rogue group of residents acting without authorization from the entire community.
In fact, three opponents campaigned and won control of the HOA board last August and have attacked the previous board members involved in the fire department. Read what they have to say here.
Fire department supporters are outraged and are trying to recall the board. Read about their complaints on their blog. They allege the board held illegal secret meetings to discuss, select and negotiate the hiring of a management company and the firing of the previous park manager.
The lone upper park resident on the board, who also supports the fire department, was even excluded from the secret discussions and actions, so he resigned in protest along with another board member.
I was surprised to learn there was so much opposition to a fire department. After all, Crystal Hills is at great risk of a wildfire. I’d think everyone there would want a brush truck and trained crew handy, given what we’ve seen along the Front Range with the Hayman Fire in 2002 and many other large, deadly fires.
Even folks who own lots in Crystal Park, but don’t have homes there, would value a department that is protecting their investment. Right?
After all, how much is a charred, barren landscape worth after fire roars through? Go ask the folks in Teller County and near Deckers.
Here’s a look at the Crystal Park area from FlashEarth:
Author Ivan Brunk wrote a great little history book: Crystal Park, The Gem of Pikes Peak published by Pulpit Rock Press in 1990.
In it, Brunk pulled together old stories of Crystal Park, starting with how explorer Zebulon Pike surveying Crystal Park during his failed attempt to reach the summit of the mountain that now bears his name.
He describes how it got its name from a wealth of quartz and gemstone crystals found in the park.
The book offers great detail about efforts in 1883 to build a 30-mile narrow-gauge railroad from Manitou, around Red, Iron and Sugarloaf mountains, through Crystal Park, past Cameron’s Cone to the summit of Pikes Peak.
Money was raised. About nine miles of the route was graded. But the railroad was never built.
Instead, the graded right-of-way became the scenic Crystal Park Road which charged tourists a toll to ride touring cars for the ride past Sublime View and Inspiration Point up to Crystal Park.
By 1912, it cost $2.50 to take the ride, which included a spin on a wooden turntable where the road was too narrow for the cars to turn around.
There are great historic photos and maps in the book, as well.
One of the most interesting stories is from 1975 when a couple Texans tried to buy Crystal Park and create a private, 2,000-acre retreat for residents of the Lone Star State.
They felt mistreated in Colorado and wanted a haven for Texans. They even tried to create a Texas State Park using 40 acres which they planned to deed back to the state of Texas. Lawmakers in the Colorado House of Representatives quickly passed a bill to outlaw ownership of Colorado land by other states. By June, the project was dead.
In October 1975, the property was “dedicated to God and his loving people” as the Crystal Park Christian Community. Memberships were sold for $12,500. Owners could then build houses on lots within the park. Each lot is less than an acre.
It’s been mostly quiet in Crystal Park ever since. Until now.
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Re: Crystal Park
Unfortunately, the story misses the point (or most of it). This is NOT about the fire department, as I do NOT know anybody in Crystal Park who actually is against having one. This is instead about how the fire department was created and how it is being paid for.
A very small group of people who were following a long range plan to overtake the Park were able to occupy the positions of president, member of the BoD of Crystal Park, president of the Metro District that is supposed to oversee and provide financing for the fire department, as well as fire chief, assistant fire chief, chief engineer etc.
They created the fire department as a cover for their shenanigans, acting like ANY criticism of their actions amounted to a proclamation against the fire department. Furthermore and more importantly, they used money from the Home Owners Association to pay for various accounts of the fire department – in clear violation of the rules and covenants. And most of this was done without the membership being asked. The convenants call for the fire department to be financed through the Metro District’s ability to collect taxes via a mill levy, which can be raised by vote of the membership. However, no such vote has been held.
This is were the real problem lies – it’s not the fire department, it is
the way it was started, the way it is run and the way it is financed.
The then president of the board was term-limited but managed to get a legal opinion saying he was not. When the nominating committee rejected his candidacy, he managed to nominate himself via board proclamation, which violates both Crystal Park By-Laws and the laws of the state of Colorado.
He was NOT re-elected, thus opening the door for 3 new candidates who got elected in a land-slide (75%). That’s when the trouble started.
Some of these folks thus sent packing had been in office with very little oversight or opposition for so long that they acted like we were a hereditary monarchy. And they started this absolutely nasty campaign
of lies and rumors that is still going on today.
This is about power and nothing else!
Peter Brebach
Member of Crystal Park
The BOD held a meeting in open forum and adjorned to go into executive session. After all the members attending the open board meeting left due to the BOD entering into executive session, the BOD then made the decision to go back in to open session which according to the by-laws, the BOD must give membership a 48 hour notice. Of course, all members had already left when the first open session was adjorned. With no members present, the board voted to change the way Crystal Park historically was managed by hiring an outside management company. One board member was not included in these negotiations because this board felt he could not keep a change of this magnitude secret from the membership. This meeting was the first he had heard of the board’s plot to fire the Park manager and replace his full time position with a part time management company that very night without any consideration of Park members. This betrayal by this current BOD who claimed transparency if elected is the reason why most of us signed a proxy to recall the board, not about the issues some members have concerning the way the fire department evolved.
The past Crystal Park Board of Directors was dominated by several retired military officers. So was/is the Metro Board. So, was/is the Crystal Park Volunteer Department. They were so used to the military’s almost unlimited budget that they attempted to set up a retirement plan for the firemen of Crystal Park, but did not because the Colorado state retirement fund required the firemen to contribute the funds through dues. In the proposed budged for the CPVFD, $20,000/year would be drawn from HOA dues as payment for the “Chief.” Someone informed them that “voluntary” meant “without pay,” and they dropped their effort to dun us in that manner.
We in the lower park would like to fix the roads. Money was diverted from roads to the poorly planned Multi-Use Building (a.k.a. MUB/Mixed Up Building/Fire Station). The firemen held parties there on our tab, but excluded members of the CPHOA they did not like, and ran up $2000 heating bills for the MUB and the holey shed (a.k.a. “Holy Sh–!”) next door.
The CPVFD is like the proverbial definition of a boat – a hole in the water into which to throw money. The CPVFD is a hole in the mountain into which to throw money. It’s not like the CPHOA didn’t indulge their comforts. After all, how much does it cost to heat the outside pool? But, meanwhile, some of us have waited for years for a culvert. Meanwhile the road crew cuts our roads deeper and narrower with every scraping. We nearly break our axles on the ruts of erosion, for lack of proper routine maintenance.
The upper park must be off limits to us lower park people. We are accused of “spying,” or not given a code for the club house. Upper Park people should have their own budget and pay for their splendor themselves. Personally, I would rather have a good road.
CPHOA BOD should maintain the roads, as the Crystal Park By-Laws require, by routinely grooming them, or pave them. We have two obsolete earth movers, and still owe over $100,000 on them. We cannot afford to fix up the MUB, buy new vehicles, and fix the roads without our dues increasing significantly. The new building will cost even more to repair than it would have if built properly in the first place.
I wonder how much partying went on while they built such a sloppy building. Since the CPHOA paid for the building I am angry that the CPVFD didn’t protect our investment better. They want to overthrow this BOD so this info doesn’t get out. But, one of the CPVFD apparently called The Gazette, so here we are finally in an open forum.
Members of the CP Volunteer Fire Department have been going house to house for CP members’ proxies. This is known as electioneering, and although not illegal, it does discourage voting privacy, as it did in the 1960s South. One member confessed she was frightened, and concerned that if there were a fire, the CPVFD would not respond to her house. One blogger recently threatened our Board Pres. with his German Shepard. On the blog mentioned in Mr. Vogrin’s article, which is now controlled by a members of he CPVFD, all the BOD members’ names, home addresses, phone numbers, and emails were posted. This reminds me of the right-to-lifers’ no-holds-barred approach to abortion providers. The CP By-Laws prohibit guns in the Park, but many members now carry guns. There has been a change in culture in Crystal Park. I guess the thing that unites us is fierce independence. So, we are not likely to see beyond our own noses.
Perhaps the worse of all is that USAA will no longer insure our homes. Many CP members’ premiums with USAA increased by about $600 a year. Once you quit USAA, you cannot go back. That’s a hard habit to break. They have always been there for us and we don’t trust other insurance companies. News of the CPVFD spread to Denver. CPVFD Chief proudly showed the Fire Station to the wrong person, and USAA refused to issue new policies and raised the premiums of many of the others in Crystal Park.
Although every point in the above post has been debated, refuted and proven false 100 times over the last three years, this person has no other argument in defense of this BOD except to try to keep the lies alive. (Although I have never heard the lie about the partying fire department before! I guess at this point the writer above thinks people will believe anything if it is in print. When did this become a given in American media?).
As for the second post: it has been well documented that members have saved money on their insurance rates because of the Crystal Park Volunteer Fire Department. Also, the mutual aid agreement with Manitou has kept costs for assistance from the Manitou Fire Department at the same rate over many many years; these would go much higher if there was no CPVFD. Of course those that do not pay taxes to Metro because they have an undeeded membership, (perhaps the person above knows someone like that?) need not worry about such things.
It is very neighborly that “busted”is so concerned about all the lower park roads. Recent arguments to make the upper park pay for the fire department and the swimming pool would logically extend to making the lower park pay for its own culverts. So is that where you are going with all this???! I suppose that would suit the non-resident member but is a horrible argument for the good of our community.
Go to http://www.crystalparkblog.info for loads of information about the recall of the current BOD.
OK, you got me. Scrubjay didn’t write this one. I was kidding.
FYI
http://groups.google.com/group/crystal-park-community/browse_thread/thread/6e609b02d5cfc798
Someone shot out the window of CP gatehouse yesterday. The audit is in. Depositions are in order from the husbands of molls whose firey husbands hide behind their skirts.
Newly elected Metro Board member, fireman, and ret’d USArmy officer, demands immediate overthrow of BoD who might find out who stole thousands of gallons of gas from the pumps at upper Crystal Park owned by HOA.
http://groups.google.com/group/crystal-park-community/browse_thread/thread/4cd7bc5f2511fd48
Mailroom glass door kicked out and shattered over weekend. Voting irregularities for Metro Board: 112 votes discarded. Two of polling judges were firemen’s wives.
It was a bullet, not a kick.
http://groups.google.com/group/crystal-park-community/browse_thread/thread/5ab8e7862691c32f
Now those crazy, BOD-ousting firemen are shooting at us! Please hurry with Bill 1278!
To see expressions of bias against the CPHOA BOD of recently elected Metro Board members go here: crystalparkblog.info
The wife of the Chief of Metro Board accuses a non-drinking member of being “tipsy” and and “idiot,” here: http://groups.google.com/group/crystal-park-community/browse_thread/thread/cc7930a423007cd5#
i M SURPRISED NO ONE ELSE IS WRITING RIGHT NOW. iTS HAS CAME DOWN TO THAT THESE PEOPLE ON THE RECALL HAVE LIED TO NO END. nOT ONE OF THEM ARE ON OUR COMMITTEES TO MAKING THE PARK WHOLE AGAIN. tHEY WANT THEIR RECALL SO THEY CAN STEAL MONEY AS THEY HAVE DONE PER AUDIT OUR ASOCIATION DID. tHE PARK IS MOVING ON WITH THE CHANGES OUR BOARD DID, WITH NOT EVERYONES LIKING SO THEY STARTED THEIR RECALL. nOW THEY ARE HAVING A MEETING WHICH IS ILLEGAL TO RECALL THE BOARD. iTS INSANE, AND WHATS SAD IS THE FACT IS NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE ARE ON A BOARD OR COMMITTEE VOULNTEER , WHICH SPEND ENDLESS HOURS FOR THE GOOD OF THIS COMMUNITY. hELP US IF THEY GET THEY WIN THIS SITUIATION. tHEY HAVE PREYED ON THE OLDER FOLKS OF THIS COMMUNITY THAT JUST WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE AND ENJOY THEIR RETIREMENT YEARS, tHESE ARE SAD DAYS THAT i LIVE UP HERE WITH VICIOUS PEOPLE. pOWER IS ALL THEY BELIVE IN. sICK AND WE WILL FIGHT IT. hE WHO LAUGHS FIRST LAUGHS LAST.
Cindy,
Your message here goes beyond inappropriate. You own some people an apology.
Michael
David, I was pretty upset and how I have seen people treated. I belive this BOD did the best they could when they stepped into the mess the last BOD left. I still believe that a recall should not of happened, but it did and makes me very sad. I hope the next board will be treated better and the park can move on. The main leaders of the recall side can treat people anyway they want and no one seems to think they should apolgize. I have no ill feeling towards anyone!
The recalled board fought it all they way to the courts. A judge ruled today that the recall was legal, and the former BoD must go! They lied, broke laws, and ignored the will of the majority. If that is the best they could do, as some claim, they aren’t worth much! Good bye and good riddance to these fools! They left the park with legal debts, horrible roads and a huge mess to clean up. They should hold their heads in shame, but seem too clueless to know that. Now their actions are on record forever in the court records. Good job!
Btw Cindy, it is “he who laughs last, laughs the loudest”. Can you hear how loud we are all laughing? Also, there are two words, have and of. Every time you say ‘should of ‘, it should of been ‘should have’! Get it together lady!
Just another lovely person of Crystal Park. Laugh all you want. I think its sad.
Cindy, it is YOU who are on the side of wrong. THAT is sad. It is also sad that you continue to support them. You are the one who brought up laughing! It just happened to backfire on you, just like the crooked behavior of your board backfired on them. If my dancing on the grave of those idiots bothers you, too bad! The LAW was on our side, in spite of your best efforts to confuse people about that. You tried to trick people into going along with your lies and it did not work. Remember that in the future, to save yourself further embarrassment. That is, if there is anything in you that will allow you to be embarrassed. You try to school people about their nastiness, and then the nastiest blog of all is from you, and is a few spots above this one. For someone who is an emplyoee of the park, you should tone it down. Maybe that will change too, now.
For one I have no idea what you are talking about, I am not a employee of the park, so you are lost. I am not embarresed at all.I can have my beliefs and do not need you telling me what to think. I know what happened in the court. Fine the recall won.You want to laugh, thats fine. Hopefully you are just a wierd do out there and not associated with people who do care. But I am afraid of what you are saying is who just took over management of our park. Maybe you are one of there main players. That is scary.There are going to be elections in 3 to 4 weeks. Honey, maybe you need to go to school for your nastiness!! Leave me alone.
I’ll go to charm school, if you go to ‘grammar’ school. You want to be left alone once someone decides to call you out on your lies and hypocrisy! Classic! You, in another blog, said the previous road crew ripped off the members of Crystal Park by loafing around on the job. Truth? The roads were much better then than they are now. You accused ‘our’ side of scaring poor little old people and forcing them to sign proxies. Truth? YOU told all the little old people that our meeting was illegal, and that if they went to it they would be participating in something illegal. YOU did this, knowing that it would scare the older folks into staying home. You know old people are afraid of doing anything illegal, and you knew your lies would scare them! You continued to do this after the exact law was shown to you that proved our recall meeting was, in fact, legal. It took a judge to make you believe it! That is, if you even do now. You also posted a blog, claiming to have some experience with the courts, and encouraged people to not attend the hearing, saying the judge would not care. You further said the judge would likely make the two sides go out and come to an agreement. WRONG! The judge looked at the case and then let the law rule. I know the law is a foreign matter to you guys, but now maybe it seems important to you! You do not need me to tell you what to think? Truth? You have tried to tell others what to think in all of your blogs, and thankfully, enough of them didn’t listen to your foolish lies and voted the real liars out on their duffs. Crystal Park is a better place today! Truth!
So you seem to know it all. Are you going to vounteer or run for the board. Or are you just somebody that likes mouthing off and does nothing. Like I said leave me alone for the 2nd time.!!!! How do you know its better after 1 day? Guess you havent seen what was done in the park inthe last 6 months. More than has been done in 3 years, but I know you know it all and I could bet you have did nothing except ridicule. I did not lie about anything. Maybe you should of talk to some other people in the park. You are not worth my time, I have 3 business’s I run, that are very sucessful. I am sick of CP and even tho I was not for the recall, I think most the people that voted for it are good people, unlike a few like you. Get a life or maybe a job.
I am posting on a public blog. YOU keep coming back to read and post. Leave ME alone! You have lied, and just wont or cant address the lies you told. Saying you didn’t is really, really, stupid, when they are still posted on the blogs. Wave your magic wand harder, and maybe people will believe something other than the truth. One of your lies is right up there, where you say that the audit shows theft. It doesn’t at all, as you know. Though you people claimed a theft of tens of thousands of dollars, there was actually none. Something like 6k was mis-categorized, but not stolen. It was spent on Crystal Park! If you cant grasp this, how in the heck do you run any business? (btw, isn’t one of those businesses working for the park?) Another lie you told has already been mentioned. You ran around telling everyone that the recall meeting on the 12th was illegal when it wasn’t. THAT WAS A LIE! Do you think people don’t notice that you glaze over all of this by ignoring it? I know the park is better off after one day because it is no longer run by liars who break the law and then say it is ok for them to do it but not for anyone else to do it because only they know what the park needs and they can do what they want to get what they want. Nobody needs you to say who is good people and who isn’t. In my book, good people do not break laws, or defend those who do. Good people do stand up against those people, which is what is going on here. YOU are on the wrong side, and are known as a person who NEVER ‘gets it’ around your neighborhood. GO TO SCHOOL and LEARN TO SPUELL! I have a life, and don’t need a job, much less three jobs. I might not ‘know it all ‘as you said, but next to you, it may look like I do!
I know who you are now. The 2nd time I will tell you I do not work for the park so you are looking kinda dumb yourself. Maybe you are mixed up that my husband volunteers for the road comittee.No pay. As far as roads go, not to many people have complained except one who would not give us his address and then to find out there was not even a problem. We called numerous times and basically they could not even call us back. Our guys are doing a great job and no matter what has happen we will give our best to donate to park. I do not have to hide my idenitiy like you have on several occasions By the way you cannot spell very good.. Also, since you have such a big problem, I would like you to know the BOD last night wants my husband to keep helping out on the roads. We do care about the park and its well being, you do not. You do not know my neighbors or me so do not judge when you do nothing!!! Or know anything your talking about. Past is Past and everyone who truly cares is trying to move on.Things were said in heated times, now we all need to work together. Good things have happened but you will not even recognize them. I feel sorry for you. You have issues. Get over it and help.
Dear Laughing:
Don’t read too much into the judge’s decision. He did say he was “new” at this. And, he had not read Scheuerman’s brief. And, he disagreed with the probably more experienced counsel for CPHOA.
He also had to correct the recall audience for their ribald laughter and scornful face-making when said counsel questioned Recall’s chief witness. “It’s hard on the attorneys and the witness.”
Said witness had to admit that when he learned that his “deductions” were erroneous, he did not bother to inform the members whose proxies he had obtained falsely.
Judge returned control of the CPHOA to the firemen from whose thieving hands it had been wrested 11 months ago.
Recall’s new Pres. was the pres. when she signed the lease purchase agreements on the 2 barely used, but aging, earthmovers several years ago, for which we now owe $100K this year and $100K next year. One blogger said, “We never intended to pay it off. We intended to keep financing it.”
We probably cannot finance it now that our credit rating is so low. We are looking at doubling our HOA fees, at least.
And, don’t forget that the judge said Sharon et al, had “enhanced” Crystal Park. No doubt he and the rest of COS think of us as nearly feral troglodytes, and were surprised to see the well behaved audience behind them.
I think it is very fitting that those responsible for getting us into this bind will now be faced with getting us out. Good luck to all of us!
The judge did not say Sharon enhanced anything. He said that whether this Board had enhanced the community or not, there was CAUSE for their removal as defined subjectively by the Members.
There was no theft, as the audit proved. If you really think there was theft, in spite of the audit saying there was not, where are the theft charges against those who you continue to slander?
The counsul for the former board appears to be a complete fool. He loses a lot of cases, it seems! If the hearing had been allowed to go on as long as that fool wanted, the judge surely would have found much wrong-doing on the part of the former board. They are an unethical bunch and got what they deserved. If the HOA fees go up, it will be to pay the legal fees for these idiots.
You are writing from the Central Time Zone. You probably weren’t there. As came out in the testimony, The CPVFD’s budget was $50K. They spent that plus $75K STOLEN from other pots and put into theirs. That’s why we hate them. Plus, one of their EMTs is incompetent. I dread having to call 911.
Wish I had more customers like Mr. Laughing, I could sell him anything.He fell into all the propaganda. There have been two board meetings. Go to one and see what is happening right now. Theres a push to sign this and that. Close session being held while taking 2 people from audience back with them.Does that sound right.The elections have now been put on hold for 2 to 3 months.If people do not get involved we are going to have a 600 pound Gorilla out of control.
The guy laughing can laugh at himself. Apparently he does not have a clue what is going on. I say open your pocketbook now because your fire dept. is going to take it. I drive through the gate and what do you see at the office, the crew in their uniforms. Wondering what they are fighting with all the rain we have had. I have no problem with a fire dept. but they have spent enough and have all their toys. They need to back down. Share the MUB building as it was voted. Membership has to be crazy to sign any kind of lease to these guys for a $1.00 a year for 40 years. How bout market value if they want it, then that goes back to the HOA.
I am afraid things will be signed and then they will tell the membership.One of the last issues on the recall is how secretive the last board was. Is anyone awake, because this one already is going down same road. Anyone been told whats going on? What a joke.
At this point, I hope people will let the past go and we move on with our community. There are trust issues all of us need to get over but if we work together, I think it can be accomplished. Its very different in our park now than it was 6 to 10 years ago. I am not sure how some issues will work out, but I do think with certain people , good volunteers, all with different opinions, a solution can be worked out.they maybe bring some serenity back to our community. If people want to stay on a ego trip, we are in trouble. You always have a few in any group that need to come back to reality, touch their feet on the ground and work for the overall good of our community.
Chillowack, if I were you, I would dread needing 911 too, after the lies you continue to tell about them. I am sure they will be better than you, and save your life so that you can continue to slander them. And you seem truely incapable of understanding the audit, and have made up your own facts. BTW, I live in Crystal Park, which is the same time zone you live in!
Cindy, you could not sell me water if I was dying from lack of it. You were not able to sell me the pack of lies you have been telling, and continue to tell. You excuse your lies by saying “Things were said in heated times, now we all need to work together”. You my lady, are full of bull!
You are a very hateful person and not good for the park in anyway. You have did nothing to try and help the park. So please spare me. Hope the rain treated you good today! You have some serious issues, maybe counseling would help.
What a nightmare to have “Laughing” and his cohorts arrive at your home when you’re dying, bearing gifts such as a fire hose or a needle. HELP! And, not from CPVFD!
This is to Mr. Laughing or should I say David. You can say what ever u want about me. After the rains yesterday my husband has been there to help. Your new board was eager for the help and like I have said we care for the park, no matter what. So u look pretty stupid, or maybe u should get out there right now, we could use the help.on the roads. Where are you, hiding behind your computer while everyone else does the work.? You cannot even answer a phone. Your a coward..
To Mr Laughing, I am laughing at you. Duh!!!
Mr. Laughing, Ha Ha
I heard that the word on top of CP by the Fire Chief is quote “soon we will have OUR home back” what home? This is suppose to be a “shelter in place” oh no sorry “a multi use building” with one occupant; oh no, even more sorry a” Fire Station number 1″!
I guess this must be where the phrase comes from “our home”! Oh boy oh boy! Is anyone watching?
Wow, what a thunderstorm we had two days ago. If it would of kept going the roads would of been totally wiped out. This should be a #1 priority in this park that has been neglected for years. Our money needs to go for the infrastructure of this park so we have safe roads and our guys can stop wasting their time doing things over and over.It could raise dues but would be well worth it. This is a daily situation and needs to be addressed. We waste so much money having to deal with these secondary roads.
This is not about the good old boys anymore. Great for the volunteer fire crew. They started it let them finance it. If they want their fire station then pay for it. Not a free ride on the HOA.
Yes, the infrastructure needs help, so the people can get in and out in a safe manner.
How are the VFD people get to the people if need be when the roads are not passable? Maybe a helicopter, I am sure there are good used ones to be had! The scenario of washed out roads is much more possible than a fire. So let us take care of what is truly needed first, anything in addition is more like gravy!