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...
Volume 7.3 Newsletter of the Mapleton Home Association [MHA] August 2002
Inside this Issue:
- Negotiation update
- Bike Path Closed
- Minutes of Quarterly Meeting
- Fire Plan in the Works
- Letters to the Editor
EXEC SPEAKS OUT
by MHA President Mark Reeder
When you hear that knock on your door this month, open it with a smile. Chances are it is a neighbor with an explanation about how affordable housing will affect your future.
Carrying an educational video as well as handouts, twelve Mapleton Park residents are going door-to-door in the month of August to help their neighbors begin to navigate the complexities of affordable housing and the Park’s inclusion in Thistle Community Housing’s Community Land Trust. The material, put together by Thistle, the MHA and Housing and Human Services, details some of the information residents will need in order to make informed decisions over the next year.
Foremost in the canvassing is a confidential income survey to be filled out by each home.. All residents who return the survey will receive $15 off their October rent.
This information is vital in order to create an affordable housing community that can pay its way. In addition, this survey will help the MHA, Thistle and HHS create a tiered rent structure that is equitable for all residents. Moreover, the information will help the MHA and Thistle determine the level of infrastructure upgrades the residents of the Park can afford.
Please watch the video and read all the information carefully. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask your canvasser; or call the MHA's Community Coordinator, Debbie Kranzler at 303-444-4140 between 9am and 6pm, Monday through Friday; or call Etta Habegger at Thistle, 303-443-0007/x-105 between 9am and 5pm, Monday through Friday; or visit the MHA website.
The work by the canvassing volunteers is just one important piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is the Mapleton Park Affordable Housing Project. A lot has been done so far and there is more to come, but thanks to the efforts of all the residents, Thistle and HHS staff, this venture will succeed.
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by Debbie Kranzler, Community Coordinator
(Negotiations for the sale of the Park to the Thistle Community Housing and Mapleton Home Association alliance continue to move ahead. Several key elements in the sale have been agreed to, laying the ground work for a successful transfer of the property to the Thistle Community Land Trust. The following article summarizes agreements from City/Thistle/MHA meetings, the video "Affordable Housing in Mapleton Park" and the information packet that accompanied the income survey. Some of these agre3ements have been reviously published in the Mobile-izer. Eds. Note)
Rents:
There will be two rent categories: affordable and market rate. There will probably be 3 or 4 rent tiers in the affordable category, plus 1 market rate tier. Within the affordable category rent will be based on income and agreements regarding long-term affordability. Rents will be structured so that no current resident will be displaced due to inability to pay.
Affordability Guidelines and Resale Provisions:
A minimum of 80% of homes in the Park will be in the affordable category. We will target 5%-20% market rate as needed to assure long term financial viability and accommodate the affordable or market rate preferences of the current residents. There are currently a high number of residents with very low income. We recognize significant obstacles for this group to make payments on homes plus pay lot rent, so other resources will be sought for home-buying assistance.
Market rate homes can be sold to anyone regardless of income or assets, for whatever price the home will bring. Resale provisions on affordable category homes will limit the income and assets of future buyers of the home and will cap the future sales price, which will most likely be based on a market appraisal plus some controlled annual increase in value. Of course, depending on the real estate market, this maximum price does not guarantee that a buyer can be found willing to pay that price. By agreeing to the resale provisions, current residents (those living in the Park on the date the property is transferred to Thistle) can choose the highest affordable rent tier if their income and/or assets are above the limits (not yet determined) or they choose not to provide income and asset verification. No one will be forced into the market rate category.
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Qualifying Current and Future Residents for Affordability:
Both income and assets will be assessed in income qualifications. Maximum income for the affordable units is tentatively set at 72% of the area median income. For 2002, for a single person that is $44,250. For a family of four: $63,200..
Income and asset certification will be performed initially for all residents with no subsequent re-certification planned, like the established homeownership program.
Thistle's CLT has requirements will need to be modified somewhat to fit Mapleton. For example, the CLT orientation will need to be customized; current residents will be required to attend in order to qualify for affordable rent. The homebuyer course will not be required for current residents; a customized course will need to be developed for future buyers. Other requirements, such as owner-occupancy of homes, already apply. In the CLT, home owners cannot own other residential property; how this meshes with asset limits needs more investigation.
Sale of the Property:
An agreement on the sale price has been reached between Public Works (which actually owns the Park) and HHS (which manages it). The calculation followed the dual purpose of City Council: flood work and affordable housing. The calculation includes cash out by PW, the time value of this cash and expenditure by PW outside of normal expense for doing the flood mitigation. The sale price gives credit to Mapleton/Thistle for principle payments to Mr. Nutall from rent income. This price information, together with the results of the income survey, allow financial modeling for setting rents and for seeking grants and loans to fund the purchase.
BIKE PATH CLOSED
By D. Kranzler, Goose Creek Construction Liaison
The bike path that passes under 28th Street and ends in Mapleton Mobile Home Park, at the edge of the construction site is closed. While the path will provide tremendous convenience for Mapleton cyclists once it is opened, please respect the closure for the interim. There are two main reasons for the closure: first and foremost, safety!! Second, our Park is not a public throughway.
SAFETY: Even with signs and barriers, bicyclists and pedestrians continue to travel through the construction site. According to the engineer on site, quite a few of those trespassers are Mapleton residents. While theconvenience is a strong temptation, the risk to your bicycle and your body and your life are stronger reasons to stay out! Unbelievably, "civilians" travel through the site even when large machinery is moving and working there. The operators of these monsters can neither see nor hear a walker or cyclist and could easily, and tragically, scoop you up, run you over or dump a load of rocks on top of you. In addition to machinery, at all times there are pieces steel, concrete, tools, rocks and other hazards scattered around the site. Finally, travel through the site has the potential to disturb work-in-progress, whether during the day or before/after hours. The best way to ensure that the construction is completed and out of our Park as soon as possible is to stay out of the way so that it can proceed as efficiently as possible.
NOT A THRUWAY: Residents were very vocal during the designing of the Goose Creek channel, and the finished bike path will be at the bottom of the channel, rather than at street level, in order to minimize traffic through the Park. There will be signs, as there are at the public streets, stating that this is private property and that no pets are allowed. When residents remove the barriers on the path to give themselves access, they also provide access for all of the other path users—walkers, runners, bicyclists, bike racers, dog walkers, skate boarders, etc. etc.—exactly what residents overwhelmingly stated they did not want. Once these non-residents get used to using a route through our Park streets, they will continue even after the bike path is completed.(For those who were not here during that discussion, residents’ concerns included: passersby will come to see our Park as a public amenity, yet we do not have the City services such as street cleaning, municipal liability insurance and police presence, to support such usage; dogs are allowed on the paths, but not allowed in or through Mapleton) In a few more months (target date is December) the path will be opened and we will have convenient, new access to the great network of greenway paths throughout Boulder. Meanwhile, please respect the path closure, for your own sake and for your neighbors.
MINUTES OF THE SUMMER
QUARTERLY MEETING OF THE MHA
by Maria Downing and Nick Tamm
Mark Reeder called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm 7/21/02. He began by explaining that because the Association had evolved to a level of increased complexity, the former relaxed format for Quarterly Meetings was in need of revision. The new format was reviewed and agreement signified by virtue of all remaining present.
Rules Governing the business portion of meetings and the comment period:
1. The business portion will be restricted to agenda items as listed by the President of the MHA.
2. Five (5) minute break to give residents time to sign up for comment period.
3. Public comment period when the business portion is concluded - Consists of a structured time of thirty (30) minutes to be divided equally among participants with no participant speaking for longer than five (5) minutes.
4. Ten (10) minute period at the conclusion of the meeting to allow residents to speak with members of the various MHA Committees and the Executive Board.
5. Meetings open to all residents.
6. The Chair will read the rules of the meetings to the residents before the meeting begins. It will be explained that if residents stay, they agree to follow the rules and abide by the decisions of the chair.
7. Questions about an agenda item asked after the agenda item has been presented.
8. Specific clarifications of information may be asked during an agenda item presentation.
9. Questions should be succinct.
10. People who use the question period to make comments or to ask questions that do not refer to the agenda item will be asked to wait until the general com-
ment period at the end of the meeting.
11. People who persist in making comments or asking questions that do not refer to the agenda items will be asked to leave the meeting. If they do not leave the meeting voluntarily, they will be escorted from the meeting.
12. Comment period is open to all residents and consists of a structured time of thirty (30) minutes to be divided equally among participants with no participant speaking for longer than five (5) minutes.
13. Residents must come to the front to make a comment.
14. If a resident asks a question that can be answered by a member of the Executive Board, a Committee member, or another resident at the meeting, he or she will share the allotted speaking time with the answer.
15. If the comment or question is about an individual or personal issue, it will be referred to the appropriate committee.
Introduction of guests: John Pollak-Housing and Human Services, Roger Lewis and Etta Habegger-Thistle, and Paul Keaton- MHA Business Committee.
Debbie Kranzler introduced the MHA’s new video, "Affordable Housing at Mapleton: What it means for Residents," which was then presented to the attendees.
Agenda Item #1: Affordability and Income Survey. The meeting was turned over to the guests.
The guests introduced themselves and offered a brief comment on their role in the process of creating the park as a permanently affordable, low-income community.
John Pollak acknowledged the disruption of the Park due to the construction of the Goose Creek Project but noted that it was necessary to mitigate any damage by a 100 year flood. John went on to discuss the Park’s future. He stated it was the City’s goal to keep the Park affordable. He also noted that in the past 18 months of meetings much has been accomplished. There was much more to do and we just have to keep the end in sight for the project to succeed.
Paul Keaton spoke on the role of the Business Committee in negotiations for the purchase of the Park. His group looks at budget models for the Park with emphasis on rent levels,incomes, number of people in the Park, costs for maintaining and managing the Park. The committee was developing rent tiers with rents ranging from $250 - $400 per month. Rent tiers would be designed so that rent and house payments would less or equal to 30 - 35% of total income as suggested by federal guidelines. All future rent increases would be tied to cost of living increases but kept permanently affordable.
Etta Habegger, Coordinator of Thistle�s CLT, their permanently affordable home ownership program, emphasized the need for current homeowner information from Mapleton residents. Previous information dates from 1997 and is incomplete. She noted that the confidential income survey distributed in August would help Thistle, HHS and the MHA reach a fair price for the Park.
Roger Lewis noted that this Mapleton project was put in place to keep the homes affordable. However, affordability would lead to some difficult decisions in order to maintain the Park’s diversity. The Agenda item was opened to questions.
The question was asked, what happens to a person�s rent if they retire and their income reduces significantly? The answer was that a resident�s place in the tiered rent structure was determined by a one time income certification. If their rent changed dramatically, other avenues would be pursued, such as Section 8 Housing, in order to make it possible for them to stay in the Park. Jumping tiers was probably not possible. Etta Habegger added that income certification is a very labor-intensive process, both for residents and for staff. Regular re-certification would be costly and therefore add to everyone�s rent. If re-certification is by request, no one will ask that their rent be increased, only that it be decreased. Therefore, over time, the income of the Park would go down and we would be unable to meet our financial obligations.
Keith Ainsworth, #156, asked if assets would be used to determine a resident’s place in the tiered rent structure? Keith made the observation that it did not seem right to penalize residents for being thrifty. Etta explained that federal guidelines for determing income assume a low, 2-3%, annual income from assets, so they are included in assessing income for rent tiers. In addition, there will be an asset cap, just as there is an income cap. The level for Mapleton has not yet been set. John added that City of Boulder’s affordable housing program uses a cap of $50,000, up to $75,000 for some people.
Panelists ended the discussion by asking residents to make the opinions on this issue known by adding comments to the survey so that input can be taken into account when setting rent tiers and the asset cap. Moreover, assets would not be used to displace any resident from the Mapleton Park.
Once more, emphasis was placed on the importance of each home owner completing the income survey accurately and returning it by August 16. In order to make the budget work for purchasing the Park and upgrading the infrastructure, residents had to give accurate information.
In response to a question on the top tier, Paul Keaton explained that it would be market related. Persons who chose the top tier would be able to sell their homes for whatever the market would bear. They would also pay a rent that reflected the free market value of their home and the land. Etta mentioned that in Boulder most mobile home parks ask rents significantly higher than Mapleton’s current rents.
Agenda item #2. Goose Creek Construction.
Douglas Sullivan was unable to attend this meeting and Mark Reeder reviewed progress and tentative time lines for completing Goose Creek construction and repair of infrastructure. The remaining bridge, joining the two halves of the Park, was to be demolished on Monday, July 22. It would be gone for 3-4 months. So far the project appeared to be on time to finish this year. Mark then pointed out maps on the wall that showed landscaping. He mentioned that residents were welcome to give their input, but Boulder had hired an expert consultant and residents should not automatically expect their suggestions to be used. All input on landscaping should go through Debbie Kranzler. He noted that at the last meeting some residents were worried about noise from 28th Street. Unfortunately mitigating the sound was prohibitively expensive and impractical.
Infrastructure upgrades would not begin before March 2003. Debbie Kranzler noted that the a preliminary design for infrastructure upgrades had been made. They showed a time frame of 8 months to complete upgrades.
Other MHA Business:
Mark then introduced Tammy Lynn, the MHA Treasurer, who would be accepting membership dues after the meeting. He also introduced her husband, Patrick and noted that Tammy and Patrick were members of the Finance Committee, chaired by Silvia Gentile. The Finance Committee would be responsible for overseeing a business with an income of over $500,000 a year.
Recess and opportunity provided to make a public comment. None requested.
Meeting adjourned at 7:10 pm.
NEW UTILITIES ARE COMING
by Concept Study Review Committee, D. Kranzler, MHA; R. Lewis, Thistle; C. Pieropan, HHS
Some time in the next year, most of the utilities infrastructure of Mapleton Mobile Home Park will be replaced. The sewer, water, electric, phone and gas systems in the Park are generally old and in disrepair. Many residents have had direct experience with sewer backups in the street or phone trouble that took hours to fix because the technician had to search for the outside connection points. In addition, if you wanted to purchase a new, or used-but-newer home for your space, you would need to upgrade the electric service to your home, which can be extremely expensive depending on how far the electric lines must run. In order for Mapleton to be a well functioning community, sustainable well into the future, these issues need to be addressed .
A preliminary engineering design report is in progress, with participation from MHA, Thistle and City staff. This report will make recommendations for how to lay out the new utilities and provide initial cost estimates. MHA and Thistle have been working with the same planners who helped residents create last year's Concept Study to develop a more detailed site plan from the preliminary engineering. There are many decisions for the community to make as the plans gets more specific, including topics such as landscaping, street lighting, community areas, home/yard standards, a community building, and more. Look for notices of Mapleton community meetings in the next few months and please plan to participate in this design work.
Meanwhile, everyone needs to recognize that the residents of Mapleton will soon be responsible for managing the Park. One step towards this is for each of us to understand that everyone will need to cooperate in specific ways. Right now, this means that any new landscaping or home improvements, such as a bush, deck or storage shed, might turn out to interfere with the work necessary to construct and bury the new utilities and could end up having to be removed. This would be upsetting to the person who had made the improvements and add to the overall cost of the new infrastructure. Increased cost affects rents for all residents.
For now, it would be best for the Park as a whole to delay any exterior projects you might be considering. If there is some work that you really want to do, please submit your idea, in writing, to Hast & Co. They will forward it to the Concept Study Review Committee (made up of City, MHA and Thistle representatives) and MHA's Management Committee for review. This is not a change in policy, since most improvements have always required Management approval, but an expansion of what projects should be pre-approved.
Many exciting changes are coming in the near future. While the current uncertainty can be unsettling, the results will be positive for everyone in the long term when we have a park where the systems all work!
A FIRE PLAN IN THE WORKS
by Deb Feustel
As a member of the community, coupled with experience as property manager, I am concerned about our having a Fire Plan. If we were to have a fire in the park, what would you do first? Have you considered exit possibilities, clearing the way for emergency vehicles, etc? Maybe you have a good relationship with your neighbor. What if your neighbor would have a fire, could you be of help? Maybe at the time, they could be away for the weekend. Could you be of assistance? Would you want someone to look out for you?
Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home that is both for chemical and electrical fires? Have you checked it lately? What about your smoke alarm(s)? Do you have a plan to change the battery once a year?
During the Goose Creek Project, all our roads are closed to through traffic and too many cars in the park could hinder emergency vehicles response. Park all cars on one side of the street? Get your car out of the way sothe emergency vehicles can enter? At the very least, the above questions may be good reminders that you should think ahead so that if the unthinkable happens, you’ll have an idea of what to do.
I'm writing this letter to argue for a change to the Mapleton Trailer Park's rule prohibiting residents from letting their cats outside. I never knew the motivation for this rule, which originally banned cats from the park entirely, but I'll try to respond to the reasons presented by our Community Coordinator, Debbie Kranzler, in the February, 2002, issue of the MHA newsletter.
First this article suggests that it is dangerous to cats for them to be outside. This is, I believe, also the official view of the Humane Society-- that cats lead safer, happier lives when kept inside. I acknowledge that there are a lot of hazards out in the world, and I wouldn't be surprised if, statistically speaking, the average "indoor cat" lives longer than the average "outdoor cat". This is probably also true for "indoor humans" versus "outdoor humans", however I don't want to stay in my trailer all the time, even if I am less likely to get run over. I'm also more likely to go bonkers, and I've met a lot of cats who also seem to enjoy the outdoors. I've also seen plenty of cats who can survive quite well outside, even managing to avoid quick moving construction machinery and infectious diseases (especially when inoculated to them). So, who should decide which is better for a cat, to stay inside or be allowed outside? Clearly, if we let the cats themselves decide, most cats would venture outdoors at least some of the time. I think that it is fair and ethical to let the caretakers of the cats make this decision, as long as it is only the cat's well-being that we are talking about (this is also the position held Boulder animal control statutes and the Humane Society).
Which brings me to the second sort of argument for restricting cats to their trailers: that they "disturb our natural wildlife and their habitats". I have seen no evidence for this and find it hard to see a problem with the urban wildlife I encounter in the park (deer, raccoons, rats, squirrels,birds, and foxes). The deer in my yard appear to ignore both cats and myself as they munch away on my tulips. Some cats do eat rodents and birds,but in the case of a typical well fed domestic cat, squirrels and birds are just not worth the effort. We could also minimizethis problem by having hunter cats wear bells on their collars and placing bird feeders safely out of their reach.
Lastly, the article suggests that cats can be a nuisance to humans in the park. I genuinely enjoy the presence of cats in our park, but I can understand that some cat behavior can be annoying to others. However, as the article pointed out, there are already Boulder statutes prohibiting nuisance behavior by cats (and other pets). I propose that these laws are sufficient protection against annoying cat behavior; if the city statutes don't applywithin the park, then we could modify the current indoor cat rule to be similar in spirit to the city's policy, that is,to regulate problematic cat behavior but permit the typical idle slouching about. Neighbors could work out problems with specific cats themselves, or, as a last resort, bring a complaint before the Animal Control people or park management. I think that such a policy would: 1) make it easier to attract and keep a diverse population of home owners, 2) promote a more democratic feeling within the park, 3) make a bunch of cats and cat owners happy, 4) and (possibly) lead to world peace, real soon now.
Also keep in mind, that while we can educate and fine members of our trailer park, this is not true for members of our broader community,who will continueto let their cats roam around our park, which is after all more desirable to cats than Mapleton, Folsom, 28th, Valmont.
Patrick Lynn, # 16
I moved into this community less than nine months ago with the understanding that the "100% in-door cat rule" was lax. Indeed it was at that time.
My cat is eight years old and has been used to going outside, usually at night, as he sleeps all day. What a life!
He is spayed, always has an I.D. collar and his shots are updated. I believe with this criteria it should be acceptable to allow those amongst us who have cats which like to go outdoors to be able to do so.
My cat is well fed, well-cared for, hence he is not out hunting for food. He is out for exercise and to enjoy nature. Shall we put a raccoon or fox on a leash? They are the wild animals-not our domesticated pets!
We live in a beautiful, nature oriented community in which all of the animals (we are animals, too, you know!) enjoy the beauty of this unique Park. To limit our, no to imprison, our pets is cruel and would force us to have to give up our beloved pets.
Please consider this plea in the spirit of love and fairness. Please do not force us to have to give up or pay fines because we have a cat who needs to spend some time outdoors.
Again, I stress the point that as long as our cats are spayed/neutered, have updated shots, and wear an I.D. collar, they should be allowed the same privileges as the rest of us animals.
Sincerely,
Ellen Safford, #3.
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The Mapleton Mobile-izer is published quarterly by the Mapleton Home Association and is distributed free to all residents of Mapleton Mobile Home Park.