Water Pump Down: Please Conserve Water

The Colony Mountain Community Club’s water pump is not working. We are working to find a solution. But in the meantime, we are currently limited to the water already available in the tanks (approximately several days worth), so it is important that we all work together to conserve water during this time. Please conserve your water use until further notice.

Also, please check your water meters for leaks. With the recent weather it’s possible that frozen lines could cause leaking now that everything is thawed.

Contact us right away if you have any concern that you may have a leak: info@colonymtcc.org.

We will continue to update the website as more information becomes available. Thank you.

Mountain Drive Road Closure Jan 4, 5, 6

Tree removal work will be performed on Mountain Drive that will require the road to be closed for the majority of three days early next month. This will effect lots 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, and 60. Removing the trees at the road edge and around the power lines will benefit us all by reducing electrical outages and unplanned road closures, though we apologize for the temporary inconvenience.

The work is currently planned for January 4, 5, and 6 from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm (weather permitting).

If you need to leave the mountain during this time, please make arrangements to leave before 8:00 am or park your vehicle at the bottom of the road ahead of time so that you can come and go during the work hours (park on the East side at the entrance of Pond Lane).

Affected lot owners may want to have their mail and packages held for pick up at an alternate location or arrange for delivery after January 6.

Additional tree work along the road is scheduled from January 7 thru 13 that will not require road closures but please drive with care and be aware of worker safety.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@colonymtcc.org.

Thank you!

Upcoming Road Mowing – Please Remove Debris

As part of our regular maintenance, Colony Mountain Community Club roads will have mowing done along the shoulders November 28 through December 2. These roads include: Schultz, Toad, Park, Mountain Drive, Pond Lane, Linda Lane, and Colony Mountain Lane.

If you live on any of these roads, please check your property and surrounding areas, and be sure to remove any large debris that may have fallen along the roads, or any other obstructions to allow for safe easy access for the mower.

Thank you so much!

Firewise Update

A more detailed message was emailed out to the community today. Below is a summary, but is missing personal details such as Chris’ contact information. Please check your email inbox for the full message, or contact us at info@colonymtcc.org for more information. Thank you.


A message from your Neighbor: Chris

Well neighbors, we managed to survive another hot dry summer without any wildfire in our community. For this I am grateful, because we still have a lot to do before fire shows up here.  Colony Mountain has been a Firewise Community for five years now, and we will be re-writing our action plan this year. While there are many good benefits for being a Firewise community, perhaps the most helpful is that it makes us eligible for Federal, State, and local grants. Grants that could help us prepare for wildfire. In the past the grants have been rather minuscule, a couple of hundred bucks to rent a chipper, for example. However beginning in 2022 The USDA Forest Service is making millions of dollars available to communities just like ours, so that we can get some real work done to reduce our wildfire risk.

Our new action plan will need to list projects that can be done to reduce our risk as a community. For example: Removing dead fuel, limbing trees, and removing hazardous trees within 100’ of each residence (if the property owner wishes). Perhaps building permanent fire breaks in logical locations within our forest. None of this has been determined, but we are working with the Skagit Conservation district, and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to determine what projects would bring us the best results.

So, I am requesting two things from everyone:

First, I need to report how much effort we have made over the last year.  Please let me know approximately how many hours you have worked on your place preparing it to resist fire. Things like reducing brush near your home, replacing a cedar roof with a fire resistive roof, or removing hazardous trees. If you hired any of this work please estimate how much you paid. For example, I spent about three days piling and burning brush this spring, so I estimate I worked about 24 hours.

Secondly, a forester from Skagit Conservation would like to survey our forest for health and resiliency. Please let me know if you would allow him to walk on your property for this purpose.

Please write or call me [see email sent earlier today, or contact info@colonymtcc.org for Chris’ contact information].

I think it’s important to mention that no one in our community is required to participate in any Firewise project or action. Your property is private and your responsibility. Fire, however does not care about property lines so If we work together, we are all more likely to have a better result.

Thank you!

Chris

Water System Flushing Saturday, 10/29

On Saturday October 29 the Community will be performing the bi-annual water system flushing per Washington State Department of Health Guidelines.

This involves running large volumes of water through our water system in an effort to remove sediments that may have collected with the distribution piping.

As the water is flushed through the lines, Ferric Iron (res water iron) that is loosely adhered to the inside of the pipes will be scrubbed loose and flow downstream. Most of the loose Ferric Iron will be flushed out, but you may find your water is cloudy and has reddish brown particles in it for a few days. This has no effect on the water quality (other than visually).

If you experience this condition you may run water through all of your taps (inside and out of the dwelling) for 5 to 10 minutes. This should remedy the condition. If the condition persists please contact the CMCC water system Manger for further guidance.

Additional Notes:

  • CMCC does not add chlorine to the water system for routine system flushing.
  • To avoid cloudy water within your house plumbing, you could opt to consider installing a whole house filter. An example of a water filter installation can be found on this site under the Water System section.
  • Learn more about your water quality in the latest Consumer Confidence Report which is sent to you annually, and filed under the Water System section on this site.

REMINDER: CMCC Annual Meeting & Potluck this Saturday

Don’t forget that the 2022 Colony Mountain Community Club Annual Meeting for all lot owners will be held this Saturday:

Saturday, Aug 27, 2022 at 10:00 AM
at the North end of Colony Mountain Drive

(at the end of road, in the cul-de-sac)

Click here for Full Agenda

The business meeting will start at 10 AM, followed by presentations from special guests, including:

  • Skagit County Undersheriff, County Fire Marshall and Patrol Lieutenant
  • DNR District Director
  • CMCC Firewise Program Coordinator

Then join us for social time afterwards! If you would like to, bring a dish to share or your own picnic lunch. *A volunteer has offered to bring paper plates, napkins, and plastic silverware, as well as trash bags and water – so we’re set there.

NOTE: This is a bring-your-own-chair event. There may be a few chairs on hand, but if you want to be sure to have a seat, please bring a chair for each person in your group.

Reminder: This is your opportunity to raise questions, concerns, or ideas and discuss these things with your community. & Your attendance is very important! A quorum (participation of at least 25% of shareholders) is required in order for the meeting to proceed successfully. If however, you are unable to attend the annual meeting, please complete and return this proxy statement.

We look forward to seeing you at this Saturday!

CMCC Annual Meeting & Potluck 8/27 at 10 AM

The 2022 Colony Mountain Community Club Annual Meeting for all lot owners will be held:

Saturday, Aug 27, 2022 at 10:00 AM
at the North end of Colony Mountain Drive

(at the end of road, in the cul-de-sac)

The business meeting will start at 10 AM, followed by presentations from special guests, including:

  • Skagit County Undersheriff, County Fire Marshall and Patrol Lieutenant
  • DNR District Director
  • CMCC Firewise Program Coordinator

Then join us for social time afterwards! If you would like to, bring a dish to share or your own picnic lunch. No plates, utensils, or beverages will be provided, so please bring along whatever you might need.

NOTE: This is a bring-your-own-chair event. There may be a few chairs on hand, but if you want to be sure to have a seat, please bring a chair for each person in your group.

Reminder: This is your opportunity to raise questions, concerns, or ideas and discuss these things with your community. & Your attendance is very important! A quorum (participation of at least 25% of shareholders) is required in order for the meeting to proceed successfully. If however, you are unable to attend the annual meeting, please complete and return this proxy statement.

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s annual meeting!
 
All our best,

CMCC Board of Directors

Call for Volunteers: Saturday, Aug 6

Community volunteers are needed to assist with maintenance and repairs around the well house, shed, and surroundings, as well as for roadside repairs on Shultz Lane. The work will involve shoveling and raking, lifting and placing blocks under the storage shed, moving the communications sign-board, repairing road drainage, and other manual labor involving bending, lifting, moving dirt, etc.

If you are able and available, please meet at the well house at 10:00AM on Saturday, Aug 6 for this important work party.

Thank you for your help!

Reminder about Fireworks

Independence Day weekend is a wonderful time for celebratory gatherings. But as a reminder, there are limitations regarding outdoor burning and fireworks in our community.

Per the CMCC Consolidated Policies and Procedures:

To reduce the risk of fire within the CMCC properties, the Colony Mountain Community Club Covenants, Restrictions and Agreements do not allow unattended outdoor burning. They also do not allow either storage or use of explosives (including exploding fireworks) without the written permission of the Board of Directors. In addition, explosive and firework devices are illegal in Washington State (except on Indian reservations) per RCW 70.77 specifically [70.77.255 (2) – setting off fireworks without a permit] and [70.77.495 – unlawful for any person to set off any fireworks in a forest, brush, fallows, grass or brush covered land…].

Keep in mind that fireworks not only pose a wildfire risk, they also create trash, are harmful to wildlife and pets, and can cause trauma for those with PTSD.

So maybe plan to skip the fireworks this year, or catch one of the nearby sponsored fireworks displays like Mount Vernon’s Fabulous 4th of July show, Bellingham’s 4th of July Celebration, or another nearby community celebration.

Thank you for honoring our community restrictions so that all of our neighbors can enjoy a safe and fun 4th of July weekend!

Water System Flushing Today

We’ve heard from several community members that are experiencing cloudy/discolored water, so community volunteers will be performing unscheduled water system maintenance this afternoon. 

This water system flushing involves running large volumes of water through our water system in an effort to remove sediments that may have collected with the distribution piping.

As the water is flushed through the lines, Ferric Iron (res water iron) that is loosely adhered to the inside of the pipes will be scrubbed loose and flow downstream. Most of the loose Ferric Iron will be flushed out, but you may find your water is cloudy and has reddish brown particles in it for a few days. This has no effect on the water quality (other than visually), and may be resolved by running your water for a few minutes. 

 Contact us if you have any questions. 

Thank you.