WCR Road Projects 2016

In January 2016, the board approved spending $100,000 of reserve funds on a portion of the ranch’s common roads. The contractor who completed the 2015 road chip and seal project had already submitted a bid for other sections of roads on the ranch.

The WCR Maintenance Committee met at the end of May to discuss which sections of the road should be targeted for completion in 2016 under the $100,000 approved amount. The committee took under consideration the section of ranch roads from Hampton House to the Middle Gate and alternately the roads from the Middle Gate to the end of White Bluff Trail. Each project estimate came in slightly under the approved budgeted amount. Because there are two newly approved home building projects on the Hampton House road section, the committee was concerned that the paving might be damaged by large trucks with heavy loads and decided to postpone that section until late 2016 or 2017 pending board approval of use of additional reserve funds.

The committee then discussed moving forward with the Middle Gate/White Bluff Trail section and after discussion with the contractor and members traveling the section to identify trouble spots, approved this project for 2016 under the currently approved budgeted amount. Work on this project may begin as early as the middle of June depending on the weather and will take about 2 weeks to complete.

Ideally, paving projects are best completed during late spring through early fall, weather permitting. Nelda has discussed with the contractor temporary staging areas for the road rock at the middle gate and at the end of White Bluff Trail at the commencement of the paving. Once the project is completed, any remaining materials that would be used in future projects will be moved to the area behind the shed at the barn so they are out of the public view.

The Maintenance Committee also reviewed an extensive list of maintenance items many of which have not been budgeted for. Some of the items might be accomplished through a community work day (or two) sometime this summer or early fall. Since we have had so much rain and many of the projects involve painting, no dates have been set.

Maintenance Committee Members:

Lyn Mefford, Interim Chair

Eliza Bishop

Jim Fletcher

Susan Mitchell

Mark Stracke