Spring 2020
A publication of Willow Creek Homeowners Association
“Deed Restricted Single-Family Neighborhood”
Greetings
Spring is almost here after a wet winter with very few freezing days and nights. As I drive around the neighborhood, I see that most of our trees and plants appear to have “weathered” the winter fairly well. Thanks to many of you for protecting your Hill Country flora!! Some of the non-native plants did suffer somewhat but probably will recover.
The assumption is that most violations are mistakes and not deliberate acts. Occasionally someone will tell us that the seller or the real estate company “did not tell them” about restrictions or about any mandatory fees if any.
That’s one reason why research is helpful so the buyer can and will be fully aware. Willow Creek neighborhood is a single-family deed-restricted neighborhood with various requirements depending on which section your lot is located.
Our new website is one of the most helpful ever built—it reveals lot by lot what is required. Here are some recent resident mistakes which should be corrected by the homeowner as quickly as possible:
1. Do not park recreational vehicles on the front of the lot; some sections allow RVs to be parked up to 72 hours at a time to help prepare for or after a road trip. Most sections disallow “parked” recreational vehicles; some sections allow them to be parked behind fences or off a paved driveway. To be sure, check the website for your section’s requirements.
2. Do not install garages of any type if not approved in advance by the architectural board.
3. Build according to the designs that were approved; observe setbacks and lot boundaries. A “foot here or there” does make a difference.
4. Refrain from causing flooding on a neighbor’s lot if installing berms or other types of artificial barriers; please work with the architectural committee so structural changes to your lot lessen chances of flooding or increasing run-off on adjacent lots.
5. Once a specific roof building height is approved, please do not deviate without contacting the Architectural committee first.
6. Observe animal restrictions. There are plenty of nearby non-HOA locations for animal husbandry. The bobcat population already feasts on the deer so there is no need to add chickens or rabbits to the diet mix. Bobcats are very agile and can scale an 8-foot fence in a flash so it’s nearly impossible to protect small fauna.
7. And finally, thanks to those of you who do observe the restrictions and work to preserve and enhance the value of your property and the aesthetics of the neighborhood!
~ Becky Dobbins, Your HOA President
WCHOA’ Annual Garage Sale… It’s coming up fast!
Friday, April 4th & Saturday, April 5th
The annual WCHOA Spring Garage Sale. We hope you participate in this exciting event.
Usually, there are 20 to 40 participants on both Friday and Saturday and some on just one of the days.
Shoppers love good bargains and are usually on the look-out for all types of goods. WCHOA offers these services: you give us your address, whether Friday or Saturday or both days and the types of items you’ll be selling (such as small electrical items, furniture, books, etc.)
We place ads in various locations and have brochures with the information posted at the three main entrances to Willow Creek Estates. The garage sale shoppers love the brochure since it helps them find items/locations quickly!
One quick story about a past garage sale—A few years ago a neighbor was selling very few items—all big—and sold out quickly, primarily due to providing a specific listing of the items.
This type of advance information helps the buyers decide which locations to target first. Click here to complete a form to submit your garage sale information or you may send an email to wchoa99@gmail.com by March 31 if you intend to participate and want your sale information to appear on our printed brochure. The form is also available on the Garage Sale page and can be found here.
Annual Membership Meeting June 7, 2020
Before you know it our annual WCHOA meeting will be here. We’ll meet at the San Marcos Police Department auditorium at 3:00 p.m. on June 7 so please mark your calendars.
We’ll have an exciting agenda, officer elections, refreshments, and door prizes.
Attendance ranges from 50 to 80 people depending on the type of issues at hand. If you are interested in serving on the board, we will have vacancies to fill.
This is your neighborhood so please help the dialogue.
Do you have ideas on how to increase the number of payments on the voluntary dues? Yes, dues are voluntary even though membership is mandatory!
How much money should be designated for litigation? How aggressive should the board be with litigation? Do you think restrictions should be rigidly enforced or more loosely observed?
What is the balance of responsible ownership versus “to heck with everyone else I’ll do what I want when I want?” What would you like the primary purpose of this HOA to be? Enforcement of restrictions? Communication? Fostering events?
Spay and neuter initiatives reduce the number of homeless animals and certain life-threatening diseases and can help curb a pet’s negative behavior.
The SM Regional Animal Shelter, located at 750 River Road, San Marcos serves all of HAYS County and has many adoptable pets available. One of our HOA residents, Sharri Boyett, is the first Animal Advocacy Advisor to Hays County and is a founder of PALS (Prevent-A-Litter) to help assist owners for spaying/neutering of their pets.
Become a foster or a volunteer at the shelter is a unique way of supporting our community. Prefer donating items, used or new? Here’s the list:
- kitten food (dry or wet);
- puppy food (dry or wet);
- milk replacer;
- canned dog food;
- durable toys—no stuffing;
- laundry detergent;
- cleaning supplies;
- dog & cat treats;
- dog & cat shampoos;
- blankets & small beds.
Additionally, the shelter is listed on the smile.amazon.com wish list. Some of the current wish list items are blankets, heating pads, slip kennel leads, 9” x 13” foil aluminum pans, and more.
Photo source: Texas Disposal Systems
Trash Collection
Don’t forget the city or county requirements for the collection of your trash. We have various collectors in our HOA, and each has a schedule with differing rules.
You can find some great and helpful information on the city’s website at sanmarcostx.gov.
Carts need to be out by 7 a.m. on service day (city) OR 6 a.m. for Best Waste; must face forward; must be 3 feet apart; must have lid closed; must be returned to side of house or behind a fence by 9 p.m. on service day; and most importantly, don’t block sidewalks or automobile traffic.
Here’s a tip about a really heavy cart—they will buckle and “pop-out” a corner if stuffed with heavy goods. And these carts are made with heavy-duty materials!
City Residents Only — The city of San Marcos hosts a monthly FREE brush drop-off (weather permitting) on the second Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at 750 River Road.
City Residents Only — Access to the site is through the entrance to the SM Animal Shelter—just follow the signs. Please bring a copy of your utility bill since this is for city residents only. Another key benefit at this location? Residents are encouraged to load and take ground-up mulch at this site. (Now that’s fabulous.) Take advantage of this great service.
Lastly, don’t forget about the prescription/meds drop-off site is located very close-by at the San Marcos Police Department at 2300 I-35 frontage/access road. The drop-off security container is available 24/7. Please remember to remove any personal information before disposal.
Please pay your $20 annual dues!
Send your check to PO Box 1883, San Marcos, TX 78667-1883 or go to our website and send your payment via PayPal®.
This money helps pay for the garage sale advertising, the annual meeting, Neighborhood Night Out, holiday prizes and door prizes at events.
Dues money also helps to defray printing and postage costs for those who do not want information sent via email.
City Street Paving within WCHOA
The streets identified so far are Duncan Dr, Handler Hollow, Leslie Lane, Stagecoach, Summit Ridge, Tate Trail, and a portion of these 3 streets—Great Oaks, Rolling Oaks and Mountain Drive.
The construction crew is Viking Construction and this firm will be working on behalf of the city of San Marcos Maintenance Manager Shawn Wolfshohl.
One-way traffic will remain open throughout the project as lanes are closed for repairs. A door hanger will notify homeowners within 48 hours when their street is scheduled to be “sealed.” PLEASE do not park on the street during “seal” time.
Additional map information can be found at sanmarcostx.gov/streetsandsidewalks or swolfshohl@sanmarcostx.gov. This slurry seal surface treatment will extend the life of the existing asphalt by 5 to 7 years.
A traffic signal is scheduled for installation at Centerpoint and Hunter in May 2020 (weather permitting). Many of our residents travel this area so new lighting will really help on those dark corners!
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Notes from the February 12 Sector 9 meeting at Village Mail
Many of you attended the City of San Marcos’ Neighborhood Commission Sector 9 “Community Conversation” on February 12. Thank you so much for being there. Your president chaired the meeting as the Sector 9 liaison.
Joe Cantu, a member of “The Ridge HOA” co-chaired the meeting. Joe will be assuming the Sector lead role as of March 1, 2020.
As information, Sector 9 is rather large in the area since it includes Kissing Tree, Hunter’s Hill and Willow Creek. (The City of San Marcos is divided up into 9 sectors.)
Many items were discussed—such as the traffic light at Centerpoint (see above), street paving within Willow Creek Estates (see above), traffic challenges, ADA access and more. If you signed up for email notifications, you should have received at least three (3) emails by now from the City of San Marcos. Thanks again for attending!
Safety
Do NOT leave your vehicles unlocked or your garage doors open. Simple safety procedures will lessen the chances of opportunistic crimes. Don’t leave packages on your front porch either. If out of town, ask a neighbor to check for deliveries.
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Please support our Local Business Partners!
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~ NEWSLETTER EDITORS: WCHOA Board
| Director | Marianne Moore | marimoore2001@yahoo.com |
| Director | Gordon Love | glove266@hotmail.com |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Fred Davis | fdavis0880@gmail.com |
| President | Becky Dobbins | lizdobbins@rocketmail.com |
| Vice President | Debbie Harvey | topcooker@gmail.com |
| Vice President | Carol Short | cshort101@gmail.com |
| Vice President | Lisa Walls | lisanrodwalls@gmail.com |
| Secretary | Larry Lyles | llyles@cpamoore.com |
| Treasurer | Jon Leonard | jlwcehoa@gmail.com |
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