Notice of Annual Meeting
The 2005 Annual General Member Meeting will be held on 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 30th at the Elks Lodge (938 Wilmington Way, cross-street Jefferson).

As of the annual meeting, five board seats will be vacant. Of the eight existing Board members (one seat was never filled), two have served their terms and are running for re-election: Carole Henley and Sallie Martin. Two directors are resigning, Buck Hallen and Cathy Recht., citing plans to move and shortage of time, respectively. The nominations committee has located and interviewed two new nominees, Lee Dodge and Marilynn Goldberg.

FAQ: Getting Rid of Eyesores
Q. Where can a resident of Emerald Hills address a neighborhood eyesore? (inoperative, abandoned, wrecked or dismantled vehicle; accumulation of debris, garbage, refuse, weeds, overgrowth; any other hazard to public health or safety)
A. The issues listed above are addressed in the San Mateo County Ordinances under “Abatement of Nuisance.” Report issues to the County Planning & Building Division's Code Compliance Unit at 650-363-4825. The precise items that are covered are listed in Section 1.12.010 Definition of a Nuisance. Regarding vehicles, the specific ordinance is Section 7.60.140 Infraction, which states, in brief, that “it is unlawful to leave any licensed or unlicensed vehicle or parts of a vehicle which is in an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative condition upon any private or public property for more than ten days unless such vehicle or parts thereof is completely enclosed within a building in a lawful manner where it is not plainly visible from the street.”

Community Residents Want Changes
Last summer EHHA Board members held a series of Community meetings to determine if the Zoning Regulations that apply to Emerald Hills needed updating. Strong member turnout voiced concern over the following points: 1). Maximum House size; 2). Subdivisions; 3). Tree protection during construction; 4) Fees for Tree permits/fines for illegal tree cutting; 5) Protection of Streams; and 6) Retaining wall height/appearance.

At our Annual meeting the EHHA Board will review these points and announce the dates for the All Community meeting where proposals will be discussed. Please watch for these dates via your email and future newsletters to all residents and property owners.

Needed: A Few Good Tree Huggers
In response to the feedback we heard at our August Community Meetings, the EHHA Board is looking for a few residents who are dedicated to preserving our beautiful Emerald Hills trees to serve on a Task Force.

The Task Force will be charged to:
1. Review the current Emerald Hills and general county ordinances relating to tree preservation and tree removal;
2. Recommend changes in the ordinances that will strengthen the protection of our heritage trees;
3. Consider ways to expedite the permit process for homeowners to remove dead or diseased non-native trees; and
4. Suggest community solutions to problems created by illegal tree cutting.

If you are interested in serving on this Task Force, please contact Carolyn Chaney, Board President, at 364-5547 or Carolyn.Chaney(at)emeraldhills.org.

Protect Our Schools--Vote Yes on Measure V
The Emerald Hills Homeowners Association strongly urges EH residents to vote Yes on Measure V.

As massive State deficits continue, funding for the Redwood City Elementary District has undergone sharp reductions. Budgets have been cut yearly for four years totaling $8 million. Now the district is facing a fifth year of cuts totaling almost $3.5 million. Previous cuts have been kept from the classroom, but that is no longer possible.

To balance its budget, the District will need to lay off over 100 employees, including over 60 teachers. Small class sizes will be eliminated, raising student-teacher ratios in the K-3 grades from 20 to 1 to 29 to 1. 50% of all librarians will be cut and the entire district music program will be eliminated. Reading and math intervention specialists for struggling students will be reduced, along with the Gifted and Talented Program. Redwood City will be the only school district in San Mateo County without small class size.

To avoid these cutbacks, the district is trying to pass Measure V, a parcel tax, on May 3. Funds from Measure V will be used to maintain small class sizes, fund the entire library and music programs as well as intervention specialists and the Gifted and Talented program.

Residential parcels will pay $85 per year, with commercial parcels paying a higher rate based on their size. Homeowners, 65 and older, are exempt if they file for an exemption. Non-profit and religious organizations owning property are also exempt. The tax is for 5 years after which the district must get voter approval for its continuance. Parcel taxes require a 2/3 supermajority in order to pass. An independent oversight committee will be created to monitor and audit parcel tax funds to be sure they are spent only for voter approved funding categories.

This parcel tax election will be conducted as a mail ballot, there will be no polling places on Election Day. All ballots go out on April 4 and must be mailed back and physically received by the Registrar of Voters by 8 P.M. on May 3.

The district has made enormous improvements both physically and academically. In the past 5 years, the district has had the largest increase in test scores of any district in the County or, for that matter, in any of the 9 Bay Area counties (see http://yesonmeasurev.org for comparisons). Yet, it is the only elementary district between Burlingame and Mountain View that does not have a parcel tax providing supplemental funding.

We think the district has proven its ability to handle public funds wisely and to sharply improve its academic standing. Our children deserve quality schools. Our property values depend upon it. Vote Yes on Measure V.

Community Market Corner Expanding
It’s an exciting time at the corner of Oak Knoll Drive and Canyon Road! While the grocery market makes progress towards its eagerly anticipated summer opening, more new shops are open for business. Now open: Canyon Coffee Roastery, Sancho’s Mexican Restaurant, Cielo Salon, Curves, Scoops Ice Cream, Canyon Cleaners, and a temporary convenience store that will close when the real market opens.

The structures on the corner will all be getting a major facelift, with the market sporting a long front porch and patio seating. And the tall sign in the middle of the parking lot will be replaced with a large live oak tree!

These are just some of the reconstruction plans; for a preview of coming attractions, check out the architectual firm’s website: http://www.toposarchitects.com/.

Photo: Tyler, son of board member Sallie Martin, pauses to reflect on the wonder of ice cream at Scoops, one of the new community shops.

Got Mail?
Are you frequently not getting your mail or are you frequently getting your neighbors’ mail? This problem seems to be happening more and more. The reason for this is because a few years back the postal service starting sorting the mail with computers, instead of allowing the mail carriers do it themselves. Unfortunately in this case computers have proven to be less reliable and accurate as our local carriers.

So what can you do to help the post office fix this problem? If you receive mail that is not yours—including junk mail—on the next day of mail service please put it back in your mailbox with the flag up. This will help to ensure that other peoples’ mail will be delivered to them. Each time this happens call the postal service and file a complaint. If you don’t do this, the Post Office won’t know they have a problem. The contact numbers are as follows: United States Postal Service 800-275-8777; Redwood City Main Post Office 650-368-1782 (ask for the carrier supervisor).

Nominees' Statements

Lee Dodge — “I’m a Registered Professional Civil / Environmental engineer and trying to be retired. I have lived in Emerald Hills for 13 years and was a board member about 8 Years ago. My interest in joining the board focuses on water issues e.g. hydrology and drainage. The issues are the apparent casual manner in which an upgradient (uphill) property developer can modify historical drainage paths to the potential detriment of the downgradient property. Another area that I think needs some illumination is the ability of some developers to obtain permits to build in the face of significant rule discrepancies. Limits to this apparent “flexibility” need to be determined and ratified by us. A related issue is the purported disconnect between the planning and the building dept. The Hills have become recognized as a desirable place to live BUT that doesn’t mean that every developer’s wish must be granted.” Marilynn Goldberg — “I have lived in Emerald Hills for seven years and feel very fortunate to live in a slice of paradise. Obviously, Emerald Hills is changing. We notice it most in the construction and remodeling of homes. The area is becoming more populated with larger structures, many of which don't fit into the landscape as well as some might like. However, I do feel it's important to keep as much open space as possible. I am realtor with Coldwell Banker. I am not a big fan of development. I feel strongly that we need to preserve the charm and ambience that made our area so special. Hopefully, as a realtor I can provide some perspective and do what I can to maintain the integrity of our neighborhoods.” Carole Henley (incumbent)— “Resident of Emerald Hills for over 20 years. I have served on the EHHA Board for over 14 years, and was community representative for the Design Review Committee for 12 years. My interest in serving on the Board is to continue to preserve the best and most unique qualities of our hillside community and to keep it a desirable place to live. My occupation is Sales Manager of an import company and my career prior to that was a retail buyer and product developer for a major chain store.” Sallie Martin (incumbent) — “I graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 1986 with a degree in International Business Management. My career comprised of 16 years in hardware and software companies. I am currently not working and enjoying being a mom to my 3 year old son, Tyler. I’ve sat on the EHHA Board of Directors for 2 years and focused most of my energy in updating the zoning regulations and the installation of the Emerald Hills entrance markers. I also sit on the San Mateo County Design Review as an alternate member. My husband, Mike and I moved to Emerald Hills 7 years ago. I was raised in Montana and accustomed to the scenic beauty of the mountains. Maintaining natural beauty while in harmony with the reality of peninsula living is an accomplishment that I strive for. I value the opportunity to help the community of Emerald Hills flourish.”