April 2003
Activities Announcements

The first annual wine tasting event was a huge success with over 100 people in attendance.  The clubhouse ambiance was enhanced with soft candlelight, a warm fire and friendly neighbors. DeVille Cellars, Austin Robair Vintners, JM Cellars and Columbia Winery featured many outstanding red and white wines which were then offered at a discounted price through Arista Cellars of Edmonds.

Nancy Fleck of "Your Table is Ready" served her signature grilled coconut glazed chicken, stuffed mushrooms and gruyere cheese puffs.

Thank you to Jan Holbrook and Jeri Jacobsen for organizing the Wine Taste and to Dave Fosmire, Linda Gigstad, Teri LeClair, Kathy Malarky, Sylvia Moren, Pam Smit and Shelley Watson for all of their help.

The event was well received by all and there is already talk of the Second Annual! Party-goers voiced their appreciation of this new event and their desire for more community get-togethers.  Come join us on the activities committee, share your ideas, and stay tuned for future fun events!"

Mark your calendar:
June 13, Friday   7-9 PM
Flower Arranging with Sheri Miller

Would you like some ideas on how to decorate your home with the plants and flowers that grow in your yard?  Come spend an enjoyable evening at the clubhouse with Sheri Miller, AIFD - an Innis Arden resident.  Sheri will give you ideas for designing with materials from your yard. 

Bring in an assortment and as much as you can (we will share) any flowers, branches, cuttings from foliage plants, herbs, hosta leaves, evergreens, cones, stones etc..  You can cut these ahead of time and just leave them in water.  Sheri will demonstrate, and then you will work hands-on with your own arrangement to take home.  Bring a vase or watertight container NO LARGER than 12 inches high and 9 inches wide to use; or if you let us know we can supply a vase for you.  Bring your clippers!  Call Sheri Miller to RSVP at 533-9277.

May Meeting—
Tuesday, May 6th,  7:00 pm
Pam Smit’s house

Thanks to Lael Call and her crew for the new and improved landscape in front of the Clubhouse. DO stop and smell the flowers! Still looking for someone experienced in brick work for small project to finish the landscape. 

Coming events scheduled:

Last but certainly not least—A HUGE thank you to Pam Smit for her leadership, initiative, idealism in making this community a better place to live. She put in countless hours in her duties as an Innis Arden Board member and Activities Chair. Roger Lowell will now be the Activities Representative on the Board of Directors and Chris Kocher has agreed to stay on the Activities Committee as Co-Chair.

 Activities Committee…
WHO, WHAT WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY…

WHO:  We are a group of self-selecting community volunteers who organize and execute a variety of activities open to the neighborhood. We also recruit, cajole, encourage (and sometimes beg or plead) others to join in and help make these events happen.

WHAT:  To name a few, the Salmon Barbeque, Holiday Party, and the Rummage Sale, our largest fundraiser are some of the events supported by the Activities Committee. The successful women’s and junior tennis programs are also sponsored by us. We don’t just dole out jobs. We can tell you what’s happening in your community and the projects we are doing. Just come and listen, learn and take on as much or little as you want. Benefits:  You can meet great people, hone your organizational skills, and give something back to your community. Call Chris Kocher 206.533.1223 for more information.

WHEN:  You may join us at anytime!! Meeting dates are always posted in the bulletin and you may call Chris at 533-1223 to find out more. It’s a great way for newcomers in the neighborhood to meet people and get involved.   Some members are active all year-round and some help at certain times--it’s up to you! We appreciate anyone who gives of their time, talent, expertise, etc.

WHERE:  We meet at members’ homes, and usually in the evening. Sometimes we meet during the daytime.

WHY: Do what’s dear (to you) and get out and volunteer!!

Agenda for the May 13th, 2003  7:00 PM
Board Meeting

A ‘Thank You’ to Gail Schwarz…

Who for years has been the coordinator for assembling, labeling and mailing of the Bulletin. She is stepping down due to career demands. She will be missed!

Garden Club News:

The Innis Arden Garden Club has planned a trip to Herronswood on May  28th. We can take up to 20 people; you do not need to be a garden club member. Please RSVP to Shelley Watson (542-4369) by May 14th.

Viking Properties in the News

 In January of 2001, developer Eric Sundquist of Viking Properties sent a letter to some Innis Arden residents informing them that he intended to short-plat the property at 1445 NW 188th Street  where a new house was currently under construction.  Since most of Innis Arden building sites are about 100 by 200 feet, they would be divisible by city standards (7200 square feet). However, Innis Arden’s covenants would preclude building on a lot of that size and subsequently Sundquist abandoned the effort.

 There is another covenanted community similar to Innis Arden, and just across the street. It is located on the northwest corner of 8th NW and Richmond Beach Road. Its covenants were written in 1938 by Bill Boeing, and limit the density of development to one single family home per one-half acre. Sundquist has bought a 1.4 acre parcel in this community and is requesting relief from the court (in other words, he is suing the residents) for ”an order declaring that the restrictive Covenant’s density limitation has terminated and is unenforceable” and “for an award of Plaintiffs’ costs and statutory attorneys’ fees” among other things.

 Sundquist’s lawsuit alleges two grounds on which the minimum lot size can be avoided. One is that the increase in density in the general area and the State’s adoption of the Growth Management Act represent changed conditions requiring greater density than the covenant allows. The other ground is that apparently there are violations of the covenant, thereby establishing a legal abandonment of the covenant prohibition.

 During my short experience on the Board, I have been asked to allow a 6 inch variance on the 10 foot building setback requirement, and to ignore a small 20 square foot addition. When I consider what the community to the north is going through for possibly allowing a tiny variance, it strengthens my resolve to enforce the covenants.
-- Carol Solle

Sundquist is currently developing the northwest corner of 6th NW and NW 180th (shown above) . When construction has been completed, there will be 13 homes on ~2.5 acres.

Project   Clubhouse

First, I would like to thank Jed Miller and Amely Wurmbrand for the many hours they spent on brainstorming, preliminary planning, advice and helping me understand the remodel process. Their enthusiasm convinced me that remodeling the clubhouse is an idea well worth trying.

The clubhouse was built fifty years ago on a very tight budget, and little, except the maintenance, has been done to the structure since. Over the past decades, it has turned into a worn-out facility that is not up to present codes. A recent inspection revealed many both major and minor areas of concern. The necessary repairs and replacements would cost thousands of dollars…but they would do nothing to improve the building’s looks or functionality.

In surroundings as beautiful as Innis Arden, we deserve a clubhouse that we are all proud of—a building that is a pleasing space and a joy to use.  

There are also financial benefits to a new, attractive clubhouse. The clubhouse is currently rented to both members and non-members, with non-members being charged $500 for a whole day’s use. A nice facility of the same size in the Seattle area rents for $2,000 for an evening! With a new building, we could quadruple our income and use the profits for our community.

In the months since the meeting concerning the clubhouse’s future, I have met with a group of neighbors and spoken with several residents who are very supportive of a clubhouse remodel. Community interest and backing for this project are definitely present.

It will be up to the community to decide what will be done to the clubhouse. It has been planned to present Innis Arden residents with solutions to the clubhouse issue no later than at the 2004 annual meeting. In order to accomplish this, we need to do several things:

 The Innis Arden Board approved forming a committee and opening a Clubhouse Capital account. If you would like to be a part of the committee or have questions, please contact either me by email azs13@attbi.com or Judy Allen at 542-3219.

Let’s get together and work on this project for the benefit of our community. It can be done!
-- Ewa Sledziewski

Junior Tennis Registration form

Innis Arden Club, Inc.
Special Board of Directors Meeting
March 21st, 7:00 PM
Summary of Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 7:10 p.m.

Board members present:Mike Jacobs (Vice President), June Howard (Treasurer), Carol Solle (Secretary), Ewa Sledziewski, (Clubhouse), Loys Lamb (Buildings and Remodels), Maggie Taber (Grounds), Dave Fosmire (Reserves), Pam Smit (Activities). Community members attending: About 100

Jacobs announced the purpose of the meeting, which was to vote on whether or not to proceed with a lawsuit that was filed on March 7^th against property owners at 1463 NW 186^th, Tom and Diana Dillard. The lawsuit seeks injunctive and other relief against the Dillards for their failure to obtain approval from the Board for the remodel of their home that apparently includes exterior alterations which is a violation of paragraph 4 of the restrictive mutual easements for Innis Arden II. 

With respect to notice of this meeting, 5 days written notice was provided to all directors as well as to all Innis Arden residents by postcard.  There has been a suggestion that a minimum 14 days notice is required under RCW Chapter 64.38.0351. However, a distinction is made between 1) a meeting of the homeowners association in which 14 days notice is required, and 2) a meeting of the Board of Directors, which gives no specifications regarding notice.  Because the RCW is silent with respect to the notice period for meeting of the Board of Directors, the Innis Arden bylaws apply. Article II section 7 of the bylaws provide that a minimum 2 days notice be given for Special Meetings of the Board of Directors. Michael Rasch has recused himself from this matter.

The Board became aware on or about February 27^th of this year that the Dillards were proceeding with a remodel of their home. A photograph was taken of their home showing that the siding had been removed and the studs were exposed. On Wednesday, March 5th Jacobs spoke to Mr. Dillard in the evening asking about the remodel. When asked if he was going to replace the chimney Dillard replied that he was not sure. Jacobs asked Mr. Dillard if his plans included any exterior alterations which would require approval. He stated there were no exterior changes. Dillard was told by Loys Lamb last year that board approval was not necessary for interior remodels; however Loys has not seen the plans. The following day the Board obtained a copy of the permit issued from the city on November 4^th, 2002, specifying the addition of 20 square feet of new space under existing covered porch. Anytime there is a change in the footprint or profile of the home, it is considered an exterior alternation which requires Board Approval. Based upon the project description, it was apparent that this was an exterior alteration.

On March 6^th Jacobs spoke with 6 Board members (excluding Michael Rasch), and Board counsel, Peter Eglick. The Board was concerned that if the Dillards were allowed to complete their project and the Board took no action to enjoin the making of the exterior changes, then under section 4 of the covenants, the Board could loose its right to require approval and an argument could be made that the Club had abandoned enforcing the covenant. Based upon the information obtained at that time, Jacobs instructed Eglick to file suit. 

The Board had an obligation to act in keeping with the covenant’s purpose, which is to “establish a general plan for the development, improvement, maintenance and protection of the real property embraced in Innis Arden No. 2”. It would be irresponsible for the Board not to enforce the covenants.

A motion was made that the Board ratify and approve the filing of a legal action against the property owners at 1463 NW 186^th Street for failure to obtain Board approval for an exterior alteration. It was seconded.

Comments were received from shareholders.

Jacobs agreed with many of the comments and agreed that lawsuits are distressing. He felt bad for the Dillards, but on the other hand the Board has the responsibility to enforce the covenants. He encouraged the Dillards to furnish a copy of the plans to Mr. Lamb. If it is an interior alteration, this could be resolved quickly.  He felt bad that it had come to this point, but the Board is damned if they do and damned if they don’t. A majority of residents want the covenants enforced.

Smit said it has been hard being on the Board. She has no agenda with Rasch. The Board asks everyone who does an exterior remodel to apply for a permit. We can’t make exceptions. Boards in the past haven’t done the right thing. She said she has been accused of being unethical, illegal, and associated with the KKK since being on the board. No one should have to take this stress. If the community doesn’t want the covenants, then let’s get rid of them. But as long as we have them, let’s enforce them. Where do you draw the line--Twenty square feet, fifty square feet?

Taber said that we have run into a couple of other situations. Our intent would be to advise you if you don’t need an application. A dimensional change requires a permit. The covenants state that the Board may consider even the exterior color scheme.

Sledziewski mentioned a similar situation the Board has recently encountered. A new shareholder was removing the roof and siding of his recently purchased home. Because he was not living at the residence, we could not talk to him directly. We found his mailing address and after mailing several letters, he came to us and explained the situation. He filed his plans and applied with the Board. We approved his plans. Now, the Dillards chimney was taken down, siding removed, studs exposed, but there is no cooperation coming from the Dillards.

Action: A motion that the Board ratifies and approves the filing of a legal action against the property owners at 1463 NW 186^th Street for failure to obtain Board approval for an exterior alteration was passed unanimously.

The meeting was adjourned.

Innis Arden Club, Inc.
Board of Directors Meeting
April 8 2003, 7:00 PM
Summary of Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 7:10 p.m.

Board members present: Michael Rasch (President), Mike Jacobs (Vice President), June Howard (Treasurer), Carol Solle (Secretary), Ewa Sledziewski, (Clubhouse), Loys Lamb (Buildings and Remodels), Maggie Taber (Grounds),  excused: Dave Fosmire (Reserves). Community members attending: About 100

Action: A motion to approve the March 2003 minutes was passed unanimously.

A. Community Announcements and Concerns

 Wheel Stops: Swim Board Reps Lisa Allen and Claire Eadie reported that the Swim Club will be hosting an all city swim meet on August 5^th of this year. In order to prepare for this event, the west fence will be replaced, and they would like to install cement curbs to prevent cars from running into the new fence. The cost of the curbs is estimated to be $350-$390.

Action: A motion that the Club pay for half of the cost of the curbs was passed unanimously.

Council of Neighborhoods Report:
Soil and groundwater tests planned for Hidden Lake Pump Station, sewer improvements
King County will hold a community meeting on Wednesday, April 30, to discuss project details and get public comment on landscape and facility design, such as site layout, aesthetics and appearance of aboveground facilities. The meeting is scheduled to run from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Richmond Beach Congregational Church, 1512 N.W. 195th St. For more info, call Jennifer Kauffman at 206-263-6029 or click here.

Construction at Richmond Beach Trailhead
The trailhead will be closed for construction between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM on April 16 - 18; 21 - 25; 28 and 29.  Access to the trail will be open before and after working hours and on weekends.  The changes include replacing the existing gate that has been damaged, and widen the area to improve accessibility for city vehicles and pedestrians.

Disaster Preparedness Training for Citizens
The Shoreline Fire department is having a series of classes to help citizens be better prepared to respond and to cope with the aftermath of a disaster. It is called Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). The 8 classes will be held on Thursdays, May 8, 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12, 19, and Saturday June 21^st from 6:30-9:30 PM. Call the Shoreline Fire Department at 533-6500 to register. For more info, click here.

Tent City temporary homeless facility to set up camp in Shoreline
From April 19^th until June 22^nd, a tent city will be set up across the street from the Shoreline Public Library near 5^th and NE 175^th.  There will be up to 100 people to be housed in up to 47 tents, ranging in size from 40 to 800 square feet. Officer Aker said police patrols will be increased at this time, watching out for shoplifting and car prowling. Another member from the Council of Neighborhoods said that Safeway and Walgreen’s are stepping up security for credit card fraud. For more info, click here.

B. Board Agenda

Action: A motion to ratify Roger Lowell, the Activities Committee appointment to represent the Board was passed unanimously

Message from Secretary: Solle presented some books that she checked out of the library that would be very helpful to present and future Board members. She recommended that the Club purchase the following publications:

Be Reasonable! How Community Associations Can Enforce Rules Without Antagonizing Residents, Going to Court, or Starting World War III by Kenneth Budd. This book presents a philosophical approach to serving a community and has lots of common sense suggestions, which include:

Homeowners Associations: A How-to Guide for Leadership and Effective Participation by John Paul Hanna and Grace Morioka. This book is a comprehensive reference manual for Board members and includes ‘templates’ for forms such as ballots, proxies, procedures for Enforcement of Association Rules, landscape maintenance contracts and so on.

Guide to Annual Meetings, Special Meetings & Elections published by the Community Associations Institute. Solle was particularly interested in using this publication as a guide for the next election. During the last election, people brought fistfuls of proxies that took a while to process, and those who just came to vote had to wait a long time. A synopsis of this book suggested having proxies submitted to the secretary perhaps 24 hours prior to the meeting. (Community Associations Institute)

Action: A motion to spend up to $130 on these publications was passed unanimously.

Solle said that she intended to follow the authors’ recommendation with regard to meeting minutes: minutes do not include a verbatim transcript of everything that is said, except for the motions that are made.

Building and Remodel Revisions
The Board is considering having two types of Building and Remodel applications: 1) minor and 2) major. We will be discussing what qualifies for each type of application.

Solle argued that 1) In the 50+ years of Building and Remodel archives, minor remodels have never required approval 2) No one complained about paint color or roof replacement in the neighborhood survey taken last year and 3) Blue Ridge, a community similar to ours, does not require approval for minor remodels.

Sledziewski argued that metal roofs can cause glare and ugly paint colors affect neighbors who have to look at it more than the homeowner.

The Board will continue to discuss how to improve the Building and Remodel Process.

Discuss the hearing process for determining covenant violations
Non-View Complaints—in December 2002, letters were sent to 9 residents

Solid Successes: 

Solid Failures:

Still waiting:

Somewhere in between success and failure:

Dropped request

View Complaints--Currently there are 10 view complaints that are pending until a hearing process has been developed.

Several of the textbooks previously mentioned provide templates for the Rules Enforcement Process.

Action: A motion to have Club attorney Eglick review the template for the Rules Enforcement Process was passed 7-1

Once Eglick determines if the Rules Enforcement Process could be adopted by the Club, it will be published for community input.

Discuss revising the Message Board policy
Action: A motion requiring participants to register with a name that can be identified and verified in the Innis Arden Directory was passed unanimously.

Action: A motion to require message board registration for everyone who views the message board was passed unanimously.

Building and Remodel Neighbor Notification Change:
Action: A motion to require Building and Remodel notification of neighbors within 250 feet and other affected neighbors was passed unanimously.

Blockwatch Chair Recognized: Rasch read a letter from Deputy Leona Obstler from the Shoreline Police Department thanking Judy Allen for her hard work in setting up 34 separate Blockwatches. Community members acknowledged Allen’s contribution to the neighborhood.

C. Committee Reports

Treasurer:
Action: A motion was passed unanimously to make Howard, Rasch and Solle the signatories on our bank account.

Activities:
Lowell is now the ‘token male’ on the Committee and invites others to join him. The Easter Egg hunt is in danger of being cancelled unless someone steps forward to organize it. On April 24^th the area in front of the Clubhouse is going to be spruced up with new plantings. May 6^th will be the next Activities Committee meeting. On June 13^th there will be a flower arranging class. It has been suggested that attendees bring flowers from their own gardens for practice. TGIF’s are being planned for July and August. The Salmon BBQ is scheduled for September 7^th. Thanks were extended to Jan Holbrook and Jerry Jacobson for making the Wine Taste such a fun community event.

Clubhouse:
The Building inspector has presented his report on the condition of the Clubhouse. It will be posted on the Web site. There are safety hazards including a leaky water heater in the utility room, rotten wood around windows, drains that are clogged, and the building needs treatment for carpenter ants.

Sledziewski would like to hire an architect (paid with private donations) to evaluate the clubhouse and make recommendations for 1) maintenance 2) minor remodel 3) complete rebuild.

Action: A motion was passed unanimously to approve of the formation of a committee for raising funds and choosing an architect.

Action: A motion was passed unanimously that the Club open a clubhouse capital account managed by the Treasurer.

Grounds:
On May 3^rd Richmond Little League will be on the playfield having their pictures taken. Hopefully by then the League will have paid for the use of the field.

Buildings and Remodels:

The Board encouraged Mr. Dillard to submit a formal application to the Board for approval of his remodel and promised that the application would receive prompt consideration.  Mr. Dillard responded that he would not submit an application because he did not believe it would be approved.  Mr. Dillard was told that without an application, the Board would have no choice but to continue the litigation in order to fulfill its obligation to the Innis Arden Community to enforce the covenants. The Board again asked Mr. Dillard to provide the Board with his building and remodel application. 

D. Closing

Action: A motion to have a meeting to discuss legal matters was passed unanimously.

Action: At 10:25, a motion to adjourn was unanimously approved.
-Carol Solle, Secretary

Happy Valley—A History

Recently I paid a visit to the Shoreline Historical Museum and discovered an interesting autobiography of a man named Wilson Schwehm, He lived at 641 NW 175th (currently an Innis Arden residence) during the 30’s when it was a game farm owned by William Boeing. The current owner of 641, Robin Montero, informed me that the person who built the house was Ray Smith who moved to the area in 1903. She provided me with an interesting history of this early settler. (Thank you Robin!) I thought I’d share these stories with the community. This month will feature Ray Smith’s history and next month (as space permits) will feature Wilson Schwehm’s autobiography.

Disaster Preparedness Training for Citizens

CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens can make a difference. Following a major disaster, Fire, Medical and Police emergency responders will not be able to meet the demand for their services. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs.

The CERT program will provide citizens with an understanding of their responsibility in preparing for disasters. It increases their ability to safely help themselves, their family, and their neighbors. The CERT course will benefit any citizen who takes it. For further information, go to http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/CERT.

Class date and times: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
8 Week Session, attendance required at all classes
Thursdays: May 8, 15, 22, 29
June 5, 12, 19 and
Saturday: June 21
Location: Station 61 Headquarters, 17525 Aurora Ave N.
Call Shoreline Fire Department to register: 533-6500

For your safety, there will be a $25.00 fee to pay for approved safety equipment including helmet, goggles, gloves, and vest.

CERT Class Content

Innis Arden to Host Swimming Event

The Innis Arden Swim Club is hosting the premiere swim event for the Seattle Summer Swim League next summer. It will take place Aug 5, 2003. The All Cities Swim meet will feature the 6 fastest swimmers in 72 events. It will be a gala event sure to rival any Olympic event. Sixteen teams from North and South end of Seattle will be coming to our community to participate in All Cities.

This means there will be lots of cars and people in the neighborhood on this day. We need people to drive vans shuttling attendees from various parking sites (i.e. Sunset)  to the pool. If you can help, please call Roger Lowell at 546-0128.

Innis Arden Bulletin Board

Electric Wheelchair:QUICKIE P120 with new batteries, hardly used. $1600/obo. 542-4978

For Sale:Fold up Ping Pong table with accessories   $50
Schwin BMX Bike - Good shape    $30
Call Susan   546-3236

Exploring    Svalbard ,
Land of the Ice Bears

Aboard the M. S. Endeavour, North of the Arctic Circle July 17, 2004. Travel and explore the pristine Arctic wilderness. Enjoy the wildlife, terrain and wonders of 78 degrees North. I am forming a group for “Ham radio” operators for this trip and there is plenty of room for people of all interests. Call Marc Weinberg 546-8952 for info or visit   www.expeditions.com for trip details.