Architectural Review Process

To ensure maximum fairness and objectivity the AC has evaluated each home based on the following criteria:

• Mold / dark stains on the stucco
• Moisture damaged stucco
•  Chipped, peeling, or substantially faded paint
• Exposed wall anchors
• Bent, loose or missing siding
• Gutters and/or downspouts in disrepair
• Rusting metal surfaces
• Broken or missing shutters / other decorative elements
• Badly weathered/ deteriorated "hardware" (metal door handles, knobs, and locks; exterior, metal light fixtures attached to residence, etc.)
• Significantly dented/ damaged garage doors
• Extensive, visible termite damage, broken/missing/rotted elements (to fences, visible architectural elements, etc.)
• Improvement maintenance (e.g., driveway strips)

(These minimum standards were previously developed by the AC and approved by the Board - please see the documents on the right.)

The AC then adopted a rating scale for its volunteers to use to reflect the degree of severity/urgency of each maintenance condition for each house: 

1. No adverse observations 
2. Limited adverse observations, monitoring recommended, no action recommended at this time 
3. Limited adverse observations, monitoring recommended, warning recommended 
4. Fairly significant observations, action recommended
5. Significant observations, action required

Each committee volunteer was allocated a group of houses (excluding his/her own) to evaluate. Pictures were taken to document noted areas of concern.The AC then used the above scale (along with a total scoring for each house) to prioritize the most problematic houses in need of attention.

Once it's double-checked the scores needing action (3,4, and 5) the AC will forward its recommendations to the HOA Board of Directors for ultimate disposition.

We will share the most notable findings here.

- Your Architectural Committee

Driveway Hardscape Conversion Pitfalls

If you have recently converted or are considering converting your driveway to a hardscape, please bear in mind:

1) You MUST have the sprinklers professionally capped.

2) Please be mindful of the irrigation pipes under the driveway. Our irrigation is 20 years old and getting brittle. It does not take much to accidentally break an irrigation pipe under the driveway when removing the old sod or installing a hardscape. In one unfortunate instance a broken pipe leaking water under the hardscape was discovered AFTER concrete was poured in, necessitating cumbersome and costly repairs.

3) Please control the weeds. Driveway hardscape is your property and your responsibility. Stones seem to be a popular solution but weeds will grow between them if a weed barrier is not installed properly.

New Plantings

Finally! The new plantings have arrived at the affected front yards!

The plants were carefully selected from the Approved Plant List for maximum variety and cohesive look and professionally matched to a specific location (house orientation, sun, proximity to the driveway, surrounding plants, water and maintenance requirements).

This marks the beginning of Mendocino's planned transition from woody, "heavy", sculpted shrubs to a "softer", natural, drought tolerant look.

From the Architectural Committee:

One of the benefits of living in an HOA is having neighbors who share your interest in maintaining and enhancing the value of your (probably biggest) investment and have the means to act on that interest, at least to the extent that the appearance of the neighborhood impacts your home's value. Without an HOA, pointing out how your neighbor's maintenance (or lack thereof) is adversely affecting Your investment might be considered -- well -- downright rude! Isn't it good to have community volunteers willing to undertake this job?

The Board has delegated to the Architectural Committee (AC) the task of identifying home (non-landscape-related) maintenance issues that are visible to the rest of the community and which are in need of remediation in order to preserve everyone's property values and maintain the appeal and appearance of the neighborhood. 

The AC currently comprises two non-Board homeowners, one Board member, and technically the President in an ex-officio capacity who is not participating in the AC work - all of whom are your neighbors. Of course, we'd expect the main beneficiary of these repairs to be the homeowners' of those properties themselves. (Remember: "a stitch in time saves nine" - that fading flaking paint isn't protecting that wood, stucco or metal like it used to, and who needs the added hassle and expense of dealing with rotted wood, damaged stucco, or rusted metal?) But even if that benefit doesn't pay off monetarily immediately to the homeowners undertaking the repairs, there could be such benefit to their neighbors in the form of restoration of Their property values, not to mention the intangible value for everyone in living in a beautified community.  

The AC is in the process of assessing the conditions of all 71 homes in Mendocino based on the common criteria approved by the HOA Board of Directors, and will be sharing periodic updates here.

- Your Architectural Committee

Landscaping on the Corner of Via Vantebria and Garden View Rd

Many homeowners are concerned about the landscaping (or rather lack thereof) on the corner of Via Cantebria and Garden View Rd. Why is it so uneven, with such abrupt boundaries?

Parking strips (the narrow strips of land between the sidewalk and the road) belong to the city but must be maintained by the homes bordering on them, thus the responsibility to landscape and maintain the corner of Via Cantebria and Garden View Rd. rests with the two non-Mendocino homes on the corner. The even narrower strips between the fence and the sidewalk are the property and responsibility of those homes.

The city approved the construction of the two homes on the condition that they create and maintain the outer perimeter landscaping to the city standards but has not been enforcing its own rules; and the non-Mendocino homes have not done anything with the landscaping. Mendocino HOA does its best to maintain the parking strips up to the boundary of its responsibility - hence the abrupt change in appearance.

It's unfortunate that the two non-Mendocino homes subtract from the neighborhood appeal while benefiting form the proximity to Mendocino. One of the homes has recently done some landscaping but it still falls short of the responsibility of the Garden View HOA which those two homes comprise.

Approved Plant List

An updated Approved Plant List is available upon request from MMS.

We want to have a unifying landscape theme throughout Mendocino while allowing for variety and individual character.

Vendor Library

If you have a vendor you can recommend or need to find one - check out our Vendor Library on the right.

Turf Aerating

Being done this week to encourage grass rejuvenation and growth. (The newly installed turf doesn't need it yet.)

Message from the President: "What Can I Do in My Front Yard?"

Fellow homeowners:

Make no mistake: Mendocino is on an upswing. This year we are focusing on the landscaping:

- eliminating the worst vestiges of the drought
- starting a transition to a more natural, less sculpted, "soft" look
- adding new trees to the bald spots
- encouraging more diversity and character in the front yards

Some homeowners are happy with the basics that the HOA provides while others want more but are unsure what they can and cannot do. The good news is: you can have the front yard of your dreams.

All you need to do is submit your landscape design to the Landscape Committee (LC). The LC will run it by the HOA landscaper to make sure your plants can be maintained at no additional cost. Some homeowners even use a landscape architect to help them with the design.

Your new front yard will still be maintained by the HOA landscaper.

To facilitate more front yard diversity and character, the Board has:

1) put together an approved plant list (available from MMS upon request) that you can use as a gudeline, and streamlined the approval process;

2) set up a Homeowner Landscape Gallery here to provide inspiration and to showcase the best of Mendocino's landscaping;

3) adopted a reimbursement program as follows:

If the HOA needs to replace dead/dying plants in your front yard, it will obtain an estimate from the HOA landscaper and then offer you the option of designing and installing your own front yard and getting reimbursed 75% of the original amount.

For example, the HOA estimates that repair and replacement in your front yard will cost the HOA $200. You can either let the HOA do all the work or get $150 and do a complete makeover.

For details please see Mendocino Landscape Reimbursement Policy on the right or contact MMS.

Slav

Driveway Strips Maintenance Reminder

Driveway strips are homeowner property; the HOA has an easement and an obligation to maintain the grass. Once a driveway is converted to hardscape it is the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain it.

Many homeowners chose to have stones/rocks in their driveways. As dirt accumulates between stones, weeds sprout. We are at the beginning of a new growth season - please be sure to control the weeds in your driveway.

New Architectural Committee

Please welcome the new Architectural Committee:

Anita Broughton, Jon Jacobs, Doug Kerr.

Nancy, Gail, Lee: thank you for your service to the community!

March 7 Board Meeting Agenda

Call to Order 6:30 PM / Open Forum 6:30 - 7:00 PM

Approve Minutes/Financials

Management Report / Project Status Update (Chris/Slav/Anita)

- delinquencies, driveway strips, annual tree trimming + 4 trees removal, landscape maintenance plan, non-HOA landscaping

Treasurer's Report (Anita/Chris/Slav)

- delinquency status

Architectural Committee

- AC enforcement

Landscape Committee Report (Slav)

- grass aeration

- sprinkler inspection

- driveway strips repair letter

- landscape reimbursement

Regular Business to be Conducted (Slav)

- drainage inspection

- director shifting / positions

Executive Matters (closed to membership) 8:15 PM

- appeals/hearings

Next Board Meeting

Adjournment

Landscape Update

Phase 1 removed "the worst offenders":

- dead or dying shrubs
- shrubs inappropriate for their location
- overgrown scraggly shrubs at the end of their useful life
- shrubs blocking access to the side of the houses with fuse boxes and electric/gas meters,

We can now start transitioning to a new fresh more natural "soft" look. We will examine the remaining plant materials to see if additional removal is warranted, and decide on replacements.

Some places were simply too crowded and will benefit from a simpler look by letting the remaining plants grow out, others will need new plant material.

Our goal is to maintain a cohesive look by using the same plants throughout Mendocino while allowing for more diversity and character. If you want a bigger say in what goes into your front yard, please contact Emily Podgurski at MMS.