Mapleton Mobile-izers

Welcome to the archive of Mapleton Hollow's community newsletter!

The Mapleton Mobile-izer is issued quarterly, following the MHA membership meetings. Special editions are issued as needed, for example before a quarterly meeting where MHA members will be voting for executives or making an important decision...


MHA BLOG Volume 6.2 Newsletter of the Mapleton Home Association [MHA] May 2001

Inside This Issue



Jensen and Haas Elected Unanimously
By Mark Reeder
back to top
 At their second Quarterly Meeting for 2001, Mapleton Home Association members returned Ben Jensen to office as President on a motion of acclamation by Don Lucas. Several residents had expressed interest in running for President of the organization, but in the end, Ben's willingness to run for a second term made him the odds-on favorite. "He's done a great job in the the MHA drive for permanently affordable housing," one resident opined. "We have a lot of work ahead of us over the next two years and it's good that Ben will remain at the helm," Mark Reeder, co-chair of the Business Committee said. 'Ben's an integral part of our successful negotiations with City Staff on issues concerning Mapleton Park's infrastructure, management and buyout. On the next vote of the evening, Mari Haas was elected to take over for Pete Caterina who stepped down as the MHA secretary after two terms in office. Mari moved here from Branding Iron in 2000 and started attending MHA meetings shortly thereafter. She supports the Mapleton Park Housing Project and the successful completion of the transfer of ownership from the City to Thistle's Community Land Trust. She believes this can prove to be a very worthwhile model for other parks.



Pete Caterina Stepping Down
by the editors
back to top
 After two terms as Secretary for the Mapleton Home Association, Pete Caterina is retiring. Pete started working with the MHA on the Goose Creek Flood Control Project. He and Alex Wilson called the first meeting of the "Goose Creek Twelve" - the homeowners who would be displaced if the wide option for the flood control project was to be implemented. Pete continued to work on this project and soon found himself in the thick of resident issues. Former MHA President, Mark Reeder, said, "Without Pete, the MHA would not be where it is today. I relied a lot on Pete and one of the reasons the MHA got so much accomplished during my terms as president is because he was there." Among his many accomplishments, Pete was part of the MHA Lease Committee which negotiated a landmark lease agreement with the City of Boulder; he helped write the MHA's application for our 501(c)3 status; and he wrote a column for the Mapleton Mobile-izer. Pete will remain as the MHA's archivist. The next time you see him, tell him thanks for all his hard work.



Exec Speaks Out
by Ben Jensen
back to top
 Greetings fellow residents of Mapleton Mobile Home Park. First, I want to thank you for all your support and enthusiasm over the past two years. I also want to request your continued support over the next two years to come. This support is crucial because of the critical decisions that will be made in the near future. As you may know, we are working with Thistle Community Housing (what a great crew they are) to put Mapleton Mobile Home Park into a Community Land Trust. This requires many decisions to be made by the residents of our park. Some of these decisions include: What and how will equity be limited? Will I ever want to upgrade my home within the park? What are fair affordability guidelines for those new residents moving into the park? As you can see, decisions like these affect everyone in the park in some way or another. These topics are all put forth to the residents in a variety of ways: volunteers canvassing the park, this Mobile-izer newsletter, the MHA website at www.mapleton.20m.com etc. Perhaps the most important medium for communicating with the residents is the MHA Quarterly Meetings at the Unity church. These meetings are where we inform residents of relevant news, vote on important issues, have presentations, and have an opportunity to get questions answered. So, what is the point of all this? I am thanking you for your input and attendance at the MHA Quarterly Meetings and asking you to continue to participate in them in the future. The next two years are our opportunity to take control of our destiny and we would like all residents to have input and participate. Thank you.

Thistle Community Corner - Planning To Stay, Planning to Thrive
by by Larisa LaBrant

back to top
 (Ms. LaBrant was specifically hired by Thistle Community Housing to work on the Mapleton Housing Project. She has several years' experience working for lenders in the Mobile Home market. eds. note.) What are the new buzz words around the community? What is the meaning of the acronym LAND? The residents who attended MHA's Quarterly Meeting on Sunday April 28th know! MHA's Debbie Kranzler, and Larisa LaBrant and Etta Habegger, from Thistle Community Housing, gave a brief overview about community planning, lasting fifteen to twenty minutes. Larisa spoke about what community planning is and how Mapleton can use this tool to make the community stronger, more sustainable, and more accurately reflective of the diversity within the park. Debbie spoke about each of the stakeholders with key interests in the process - the residents of Mapleton, Thistle Community Housing, and the various City departments. Etta addressed resident concerns about future home resales and continued affordability. Now that the residents of Mapleton have decided on the purchase option that they feel will best keep the community as a permanently affordable, resident-controlled housing option in Boulder, one of the next steps is to plan for the long term future of the community. Over the past five years many changes have taken place or are in the process of altering Mapleton, specifically the Goose Creek construction. While many of these changes are for the good of the greater population, the Mapleton community has been in a reactionary position learning to live with was has happened, instead of being able to plan for what will happen. Mapleton was created in a reactionary manner, site by site, as the original owner added individual mobile home pads to meet demand. On the other hand, "Master Planning" means this community coming together to express a shared vision of how they want the community to evolve and to look pro-actively to future changes,instead of reacting to changes brought into the community. The residents of Mapleton now have the opportunity to learn about where they live, how to shape it to better suit their needs and how to sustain it for the long term. One of the first steps in this proactive process is for each community resident to look out the front door and ask themselves: 1. "What are the Liabilities of this community?" (For example, sewer issues.) 2. "What are the Assets of this community?" (E.g. mature landscape, quiet area) 3. "What are the Needs for this community to continue to thrive? (E.g. bringing the sewer system up to code) 4. "What are my Dreams for this community?" (E.g. cable TV, high speed internet connections) Once these answers take shape , take the thought process another step "How can the Liabilities of the community be turned into Assets?" "How can the Dreams of the community meet the Needs of the community?" While contemplating these questions, discussions with neighbors and fellow residents are strongly encouraged to facilitate the process. Honest answers to these questions bring the diverse interests of all the residents into the planning process. The suggestions paired with the questions are just a starting point, not a limit. One resident may dream of better electrical service to upgrade their stereo system; another may not be concerned about water service problems; yet another may not be bothered by the inconsistent sewage system; and another resident's primary concern may be the community pet policy. Open discussions on the six questions above, will form the foundation for a complimentary step, a survey of all the residents. Those who attend the next MHA Quarterly Meeting will hear more about the planning process, but all residents will be involved in the process just by being a member of the community. Look for more articles on the status of your community's master plan in future issues of the Mobile-izer. LAND - what are YOUR answers?

Classical Gas
by #176
 back to top
 (The accident described in this article is still under investigation at press time. eds note) On March 12th, around noon, an out-of-control car driving way above the speed limit while cutting across Dumpster Park lost control when it returned to the pavement, half jumped Goose Creek, landed in my front yard, and slammed right into the gas meter, damaging the pipe connections, and drove off. While I hope this never happens to anyone else, from time to time gas lines do get disturbed (especially in a construction zone!) and the flow of gas to YOUR house can be suddenly and unexpectedly stopped. So, I thought I'd relay my story in order to inform/educate us all on the best and timeliest procedures to follow if a gas line problem occurs outside your home. Because of the "hit & run" nature of my story, I called the police first and notified them of the damage to the gas lines and that gas could be smelled. They (1) contacted Public Service for me, but that's the first thing that needs to be done to protect the safety of everyone. After Public Service arrived and surveyed and tested the damage, they concluded that the pipes past the meter (leading underground and up to my house) "could " be damaged due to the impact. As a result, they immediately disconnected the meter, put a red tag in its place and drove away with it leaving a gap and guaranteeing that I would have no gas until I could safely navigate through the bureaucratic maze of the utilities world. Since the possible bent/broken line was on City owned property, I (2) called Hast & Company/Loretta at 444-7575 and asked her to call their plumbers to come and test the bent line into my house. Precision Plumbing, came and detached the line into my house and sealed the underground section at both ends with 50 lbs of air pressure--to prove that the line (fortunately for me) was safe. Before the plumber left - and this is very important--I asked him to (3) contact the Boulder City Gas Inspectors office and notify them that my line was ready to be tested (again) by them. The City Inspector came and certified that the system was again safe to operate and placed a yellow tag over the red one. Before the inspector left - and this also is very important - I asked him to (4a) notify Public Service of his approval. I then immediately (5) called Precision Plumbing to come back and remove the pressure gage and reattach my line into the house so only the gap (where the missing meter had been) remained. Again, I (4b) also asked them to notify Public Service of my readiness to re-hook the meter. With both the City Inspector and the plumber calling Public Service, they arrived fairly soon afterwards to re-attach the meter, remove the tags, and open the flow of gas. After three days and two nights I had my heater, hot water, stove and oven up and running. (Thanks again, to #181 and #183 for the loan of their space heaters!) By the way, Public Service will assist in relighting your pilot lights after an interruption of your gas service you're there when they are. Otherwise they suggest when (6) relighting the pilots on your own: start by lighting the stove and let it run for 5 minutes to get even pressure throughout your system; then light the rest.

Minutes of the Quarterly Meeting of the MHA General Membership Held at Unity Church on Sunday 29 April, 2001
by #176
 back to top
 President Ben Jensen called the meeting to order at 5:35 pm and welcomed and thanked members for their attendance at the meeting. He summarized the items on the agenda and requested that questions be held until the end of the meeting. He read a list of 28 residents who had served in some volunteer capacity during the past year and requested that everyone give thanks to these volunteers whenever we have such opportunity He stressed the need for more volunteers to spread out the work load and to replace volunteers who burn out or move. The meeting was then given over to Vice President Alex Wilson, head of the election committee, for the annual elections. The candidates were Ben Jensen, running for a second term as MHA President, and Mari Haas, who has been the acting secretary for several months, running for MHA Secretary . They were both elected unanimously. Ben announced the death of Lu Nuttall Sr., former owner of Mapleton Mobile Home Park, who sold the park to the City. Mark Reeder explained how Lu Senior and Lu Junior had started the park with only Mark's home on lot #14 and gradually added more sites as they were able. Ben gave an update on the hiring process for the position of Community Coordinator. He explained that a notice for the position had been sent out to the residents of the park and also an ad had been placed in the Boulder Daily Camera. The Executive Board had interviewed the applicants and a final decision would be made by 1 May, 2001. Etta Habegger, of Thistle Community Housing, explained that the Community Coordinator would be paid through the payroll system of Thistle and supervised by MHA President, Ben Jensen. She further explained that funds for this position are from a grant from the City, through December, 2001.
Ben summarized the present state of progress of business with the City. He explained that the MHA/Thistle negotiating team and the City have been discussing a Master Plan for Mapleton. Ben encouraged the community to become informed, especially during the immediate future months when the crucial master site plan decisions are made by the residents for the long term future of the park. Ben explained that we will be receiving a special edition of the Mobile-izer with a survey for park residents to indicate our desires and needs for the future of the park. From this survey, three possible master plans will be developed; they will be reviewed by Thistle and the Business Committee and then presented to Mapleton residents.
Ben then announced that MHA has a new web site: www.mapleton.20m.com. Ben reminded us that membership in the Mapleton Home Association is necessary for voting. Membership is $5 each year and is renewable every April. Among other things, these funds are used to maintain our non-profit status and for publication of the Mapleton Mobile-izer. Alex Wilson announced that Sylvia Gentile, Treasurer, would be available after the meeting to receive new and renewing membership payments. Ben introduced Etta Habegger and Larisa LaBrant, from Thistle Community Housing, and Debbie Kranzler of the MHA Business Committee, to give a presentation on the process of developing a master plan for our park. Debbie briefly introduced Larisa to the community and Larisa explained that she was hired by Thistle expressly for working with the residents of Mapleton and overseeing the development of a master plan. Larisa went on to say that the purpose of a master plan is to incorporate as many of the needs and wishes of residents as possible, and to plan it ahead of time, rather than using the Nuttalls' pad-by-pad process.
Debbie explained that the key parties in this planning process were, of course, the residents who will be living here, as well as Thistle, who will own the land. In addition, the City will be involved. Although the seller of property does not usually have a voice in how the property is managed, since the City is also the regulator, in the sense that they are requiring that Mapleton be permanently affordable, and they write and enforce building codes, they do play a role in the long-term planning for the park. There are multiple departments in the City that have roles, but for convenience Debbie grouped them all together as "The City."
Larisa described some of the elements considered in developing a master plan: infrastructure, including sewer/water, electrical service, gas, and cable/telephone/fiber optics; roads and access, which means goose creek pedestrian/bike access, sidewalks - do we want them elevated or level with the road as they are now roadways--one way possibilities, width, on-street parking?; quality of life issues such as trees and landscaping, community areas, traffic issues and street lighting. Finally,
Larisa explained that all decisions must be made with the constraints in mind. These include "setbacks" which are the distances between homes. Currently the City code says that mobile homes should be 15 feet apart, 20 feet from property lines. When considering replacing any homes, it is important to know that standard homes being manufactured now are 16 feet wide. Another important constraint is any requirement by the institutions that might lend Thistle the money to purchase Mapleton Mobile Home Park. Taking all of these factors into account sounds complex, but that is why Larisa was hired to help us.
In response to a question from the floor, Etta briefly explained that currently, in order to buy a home in Mapleton, the City requires that buyers make less than 67% of the area median income. HUD (the federal Housing and Urban Development agency) sets a standard for "low income " at 80% of the national median income. In Boulder, a person making 80% of the NATIONAL median is making 67% of the Boulder median income since salaries are higher here than the average across the country.
Ben then opened the floor for general questions. Julie Morris responded to a question about tree removal and advised us of the importance of contacting the resident managers (Julie and Russ Morris, #180, 440-3315) if we think that a tree is diseased or dangerous. Likewise, she reminded us that we should notify the Morrises of ANY problem that needs attention. The meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm. Respectfully submitted by Mari Haas, MHA Secretary.

Membership Renewal
by #176

back to top

It is that time of year again to begin thinking about renewing your membership in the Mapleton Home Association. Everyone's membership expires on April 30, 2001 and membership for 2001-2002 needs to be renewed by that date. Membership is only $5.00 per year. For your dues you receive the bimonthly newsletter, The Mapleton Mobilizer. Yearly dues also pay for the bookkeeping for your association and for office supplies. Moreover, your membership allows you to vote in elections for the Executive Board. While the amount of money is not great, the significance of your $5.00 dues is tremendous. Nearly two-thirds of the Park home owners are members. They believe in the dream of the Mapleton Park Housing Project. Your $5.00 will help this project succeed and provide all residents with security, resident management of the Park and continued affordable housing. Please support your home owners' association by joining the MHA. Dues this year will be collected by Gene Langlois #30, Alex Wilson #58, Mark Reeder #14, and Silvia Gentile #143. You can visit any one of these members and pay them your dues. Please make checks payable to the Mapleton Home Association.

Community coordinator hired
by the editors

back to top

Thanks to efforts by the MHA, Thistle Community Housing, and Boulder's Division of Housing and Human Services, Mapleton Park has a new Community Coordinator, Debbie Kranzler #14. Debbie has lived in the Park since 1987. She has had extensive mediation experience with the City of Boulder and was co-chair of the former Residents Advisory Committee, now the Management Committee. Debbie's duties will include: develop and implement an acquisition plan for Mapleton Park, apply for grants, meet and negotiate with City Staff and educate the Mapleton Community on the Mapleton Park Housing Project. Mapleton Murmurs A driver, roaring through Dumpster Park, lost control of his car and nearly rammed into #176; in addition to all the other signs at the entrances, maybe we should post one that says no village idiots allowed...A tip of the editor's cap to Alex Wilson and his canvassers for all the educational work they did door-to-door informing residents on the choices for a buyout model; expect to see them again as the community gears up for another educational campaign on the Master Plan, so be nice to these people when they come to your door...Debbie Kranzler is our new Community Coordinator, when she asks for your help, give her a hand...Cindy Pieropan of Housing and Human Services did a fine job in helping relocate Ron Marcus and Paul Keaton within the Park when Excel Energy wrenched them on short notice from their homesites because of the new Line Tower installed near Dumpster Park, thanks Cindy...Thistle Community Housing hired a specialist in mobile homes, Larisa LaBrant, to help with the buyout of Mapleton Park from the City; at Sunday's Quarterly Meeting she proved she's smarter than we are so everyone listen up when she's talking. Heard something interesting in Mapleton Park? Send it to . The Mapleton Mobilizer invites any association members who have businesses offering services or other products residents may be interested in, such as cooler maintenance or massage, to advertise at no cost. Management Committee Members Gene Langlois #30 444-4988 Anne Crone #82 545-5470 Alex Wilson #58 447-8508 Ben Jensen #178 545-2672
MHA Executive Board 2000-2001 Pres : Ben Jensen #178 545-2672 Vice P: Alex Wilson #58 447-8508 Secty : Mari Haas #161 442-7544 Treas: Silvia Gentile #142 447-2246

More info

The Mapleton Mobile-izer is published quarterly by the Mapleton Home Association and is distributed free to all residents of Mapleton Mobile Home Park.