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 9.3 Newsletter of the Mapleton Home Association [MHA] July 2004
Inside this Issue:
Park Sale Draws Near
The deadline for sale of the park to Thistle Community Housing is drawing close and representatives from the Mapleton Home Association, Thistle and Housing and Human Services are doing their best to see the transfer of the Park by fall into the Mapleton LLC, set up by Thistle to own the Park. Affordability is complete, said MHA's new President Mark Reeder. Now it's up to the residents to fill out the forms they'll be receiving from Thistle, HHS and the MHA and return them as quickly as possible to Thistle. In July, City Council approved rezoning of the Park- Mobile Home Existing(MHE) and the replat, necessary to the sale of the Park. Permission to sell the Park should come this month. Other issues have yet to be resolved but all parties want to see this project succeed. Since 1997, residents have worked with the City of Boulder's Housing and Human Services Staff to see Mapleton Park become a permanently affordable community. At the 2001 Winter Quarterly Meeting of the Mapleton Home Association, residents overwhelmingly approved joining the Thistle Community Land Trust. Since that time, the MHA and TCH have become partners with the goal of creating a resident managed affordable housing community in their Land Trust Program. During that time Thistle and the MHA have worked with HHS staff to create a community that balanced privacy, affordable housing, and resident management. "Everyone has brought a willingness to make this project work, " said Reeder. "and it's going to. " There are a few issues left to iron out. All parties are diligently working on the various contracts that will make the sale of the Park a reality. Agreements on the sewer and infrastructure are nearly completed and the MHA is finishing drafting new By-laws for the organization and Park rules and regulations. All of the documents need to be reviewed by lawyers on all sides. Finally, some needed work on the survey to set the exact boundaries of the Park and on the replat are necessary for the sale to be complete. Once the sale of the Park is finalized, we want to have a party after the signing, If you would like to help please contact a member of the Management Committee or the Executive Board.
Mapleton Residents made a strong effort to return the income certification packets. Now it's time to choose which income and rental tier you wish to participate in. In May and June, most of you responded to the income certification process. On the forms you returned you indicated which rent tier option you wanted to qualify for and/or choose. Very soon, you'll be receiving a letter in the mail that lists your options and asks you for your commitment. Please fill out the form enclosed with the letter and indicate which rent tier option you choose and return it as quickly as possible. A prompt return means that the sale of the Park can be completed quickly. Since the criteria have changed slightly to give everyone a shot at the lowest rents possible, please be sure to read and understand all the changes. If you have questions, call Etta at 303-443-0007 x105, or Barbara x103. Or call Kathryn, Mapleton's Community Coordinator, at 720-565-1010. The program of using Mapleton Park's existing homes to add to Boulder's core of affordable housing has been in the works for seven years now. The Mapleton Home Association, Thistle Community Housing and the city of Boulder Division of Housing and Human Services want to thank you for your cooperation through this entire process. We have only a little bit to go and it will be completed. REMEMBER--WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR LETTER, FILL OUT THE FORMS AND RETURN THEM TO THISTLE COMMUNITY HOUSING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
Minutes of the Quarterly Meeting of the Mapleton Home Association, July 25, 2004
Submitted by Lori Anderegg, MHA Secretary.
Lori Anderegg opened the meeting by announcing the resignation of Debbie Feustel as President. The Executive Board nominated Mark Reeder to take over the position. A vote was taken and Mark was welcomed as the new MHA President. Mark continued by reading the MHA guidelines for meetings. Jim Harrington from Thistle Community Housing related that a loan for $120,000 had been acquired through the Colorado State Division of Housing and will hopefully translate into a grant. He stated that the rezoning has been completed and the space will be maintained as a mobile home park. ?The site review, a process that will ensure that homes will be able to be replaced in the future without having to ask for a variance- is expected to be passed within a couple of weeks. The sewer lines have been tested and the City of Boulder has agreed to maintain these lines for 5 years. The legal language of the agreement is still being negotiated and will be completed soon. The Management Plan as created by Thistle and MHA has been submitted to the City of Boulder for review. Some additional work will require resident participation. New lot lease is being completed and will be submitted to residents for input. Etta Habegger from Thistle continued with Affordability. She stated that 110 residents submitted their Affordability packets. More households chose to opt for the top tier than was expected. The Affordability Plan is being revised for more equal distribution to increase the chances of receiving grant money from the City of Boulder. It should be presented by the end of the week. Residents are asked to review the options, choose, and return their paperwork to Thistle as quickly as possible. Resident Ben Jensen. chair of the Business Committee, reiterated from previous meetings that no matter what rent tier is chosen the Title of the mobile home must have the resident's name on it. Ben Jensen urged residents to submit their rent choices ASAP because that information is being used in several other applications that are necessary before the closing of the park can occur. Thistle will have open hours to assist residents in filling out the rent tier forms and answer questions. Kathryn Alexander, Community Coordinator (720) 565-1010, is also available to residents. In response to a resident question, Jim updated the infrastructure situation stating that an agreement has been made to replace/update the water and electric lines within 18 months after closing. Phase II which may involve the telephone lines and cable will be completed at a later date. When the work is completed the park will be able to accommodate both newer and older homes. Mark Reeder recognized Ben Jensen and Kathryn Alexander for their dedication to MHA. Deb Feustel was recognized as the Chair of the Management Committee and as President of the MHA-a plaque to honor her will be presented to her after the meeting as she was not present. Don Lucas announced that a speaker from Neighborhood Watch would be present at the next Quarterly Meeting. Mark Reeder announced that the meeting would break for 5 minutes to allow residents to sign-up for comments. A show of hands declared that no one would be signing up for comments. Meeting adjourned at approximately 6:15 p.m.
By Mark Reeder
In December 1995, the Residents of Mapleton Mobile Home Park held their first meeting as a group. Rumors about the sale of the Park flew madly through our community. By the end of that meeting, we had decided to form an association with the idea that we would buy the Park from the owner at the time, Lu Nuttal, or put together a management agreement with him. In the eight and a half years since that meeting, a lot has happened. Lu refused to sell the Park to the residents and instead sold it to the City of Boulder. HHS negotiated the deal that allowed the City to purchase the park in order to preserve affordable housing while putting through a flood control project on Goose Creek. Residents, working with the Department of Utilities, helped create a plan that saved eight homes while taking Mapleton Park out of the flood plain. Residents then went to work on their vision of the Park's future. Many plans were debated. Eventually, it came down to two--a Limited Equity Coop or inclusion in Thistle Community Housing's CLT, Community Land Trust. Residents voted overwhelmingly for the CLT. From that point on, Thistle and the MHA partnered to create a unique project--a resident managed community that preserved affordable housing. Building on the original vision of HHS staff, the MHA, Thistle and HHS drafted plans that would preserve Mapleton as a Mobile Home Park, give residents unprecedented security in their lot leases, create permanently affordable housing and have a resident managed community. That vision of eight years ago, is NOW. NOW we will be managing ourselves. NOW we will have the security of a permanently affordable mobile home park. There are many people to thank who made this project a success. Thanks to you, the residents, for your volunteerism, for your participation and your unflagging spirit of cooperation. Thanks also to HHS staff for their vision of preserving Mapleton Mobile Home Park for permanently affordable housing. And thanks to Thistle Community Housing and their staff for partnering with the residents to make this vision come true. The staff of Thistle and HHS, and the volunteers of Mapleton Park have worked long hours, giving up weekends and time with their families, to make this project a success. The next time you run into one of your neighbors or a Thistle or HHS staff person, take the time to say thank you.
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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.