Items of interest

CHANGE TO OUR DNA  PROGRAM: At their January meeting, your Board approved a trial change to our Discovery Neighborhood Assistance program for 2021. We are aware of situations in Discovery which could benefit from the program, including such things as home maintenance, landscaping, snow removal and just simple economic hardship. Those are the challenges that our voluntary contributions are intended to address. For whatever reason, we have had very few occasions in the recent past to help address those challenges. Therefore, your Board agreed to set aside $2400 to encourage "neighbor-to-neighbor" inputs to help meet those challenges. If you are aware of a Discovery neighbor who could benefit from a little help from our DNA program, please go here for details and instructions. 

LOCKING MAILBOXES: Good News! Based on the popularity of our locking mailbox program, your Board approved Phase III and we have mailboxes in-house. Details for you to take advantage of this great opportunity to enhance the security of your mail at a reasonable price can be found here.

WINTER WATER USE: Please remember, while your lawn, shrubs and trees are "dormant" during the winter, they will still need some water to stay alive until spring. Please try to "drag a hose" out once a month to take advantage of some of our warmer winter days.

SNOW REMOVAL: We contracted for snow removal at some of our "problem" intersections again this year. During negotiations, our contractor pointed out that the practice of shoveling or blowing snow from our sidewalks and driveways onto our streets -- particularly on our hilly side streets -- causes much of our icing problems. When cars run over the snow and pack it down, it is much more likely to freeze during the night time hours (or, on street areas with little or no direct sunlight). Additionally, snow builds up in our curbside gutters, resulting in ice dams that redirect melting snow and ice away from our drains and out into the street. Please shovel and blow your snow onto your lawn, shrubs or trees whenever possible...it will help reduce the ice on our streets and your plants will love it!

SIDEWALK OBSTRUCTIONS: As mentioned earlier, some of our mature shrubs (particularly junipers and pines!) extend over our sidewalks and thus interfere with clear passage. This is particularly a problem when they are weighed down with snow and ice. City Ordinance 3.4.103 requires: "Every owner and occupant of real property within the City shall keep the public sidewalks which abut or are adjacent to their real property, or public sidewalks located upon real property subject to a public easement or right of way, in a clean condition free from projections and obstructions across the surface, debris, litter, or dangerous conditions not involving the structural integrity of the sidewalk."  

In addition, our Covenants require that you maintain your trees and shrubs at intersections in a manner that ensures a clear sight line of oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, we have received a number of complaints. Please check your shrubs and trees and trim them back as necessary so you won't be surprised by communication from the Board that someone else has noticed an "obstruction" and complained.

BURN RESTRICTIONS: The Colorado Springs Fire Department enacted Burn Restrictions effective at noon on Friday, April 17, 2020. A guide to provide clarity as to what is and is not allowed can be found here. These restrictions will reduce the threat of wildfires in Discovery and limit the exposure to the fire crews called upon to respond to a wildfire. 

FIRE PITS: We recently fielded a question about whether fire pits are allowed in Discovery. The short answer is, "YES," but their use is restricted until the Colorado Springs Fire Department lifts the current Fire Restrictions (see above). Please access our FAQs for more detailed information. While Governor Polis recently lifted the statewide burn ban, OPEN FIRES ARE STILL NOT ALLOWED.  This means, if you want to enjoy your fire pit in the coming cool days, you MUST cover it with a screen or other means of controlling rising embers.

Sheds!

We are aware of the presence of a few storage sheds in Discovery. Some were approved…and some “magically appeared.”  No further violations of ARC Approval will be permitted. Any future sheds discovered to have been constructed without ARC approval will be subject to relocation or removal at the owner's expense.  Please review the information on sheds in our FAQ area before you decide if you need a shed in your yard.


Your Fall 2020 Newsletter is now available in the Documents area. We hope you find it both interesting and useful.