The Sea Ranch Association Q&A



		Questions and Answers by Iris Y. Borg Facilities Services Governance State and County Laws, Regulations and Facilities Septic Systems and the Project Review Committee Miscellaneous Facilities When are the TSRA pools open and are they heated year round? The pools hours are: Ohlson Recreation Center: Summer 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM (for lap swimming) 11:00: - 8:00 PM Winter 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM (for lap swimming) 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Note: Pool Closed November - Memorial Day Weekend, except for Thanksgiving week, weekend before Christmas through New Year's Day, week before and week after Easter. Moonraker Recreation Center: Summer 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM Winter 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM Del Mar Center: Summer 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM (for lap swimming) 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Winter 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM (for lap swimming) 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Yes, the pools are heated the year around. When are the new weekly tennis sign-up sheets posted at Ohlson Recreation Center, Moonraker Recreation Center and Del Mar Center? Del Mar Center Tennis reservation sheets are available every Monday at 7:00 am. Use of courts is first come, first served on weekends & Holidays. Ohlson Recreation Center tennis reservation sheets are available every Friday at Noon. Moonraker Recreation Center tennis reservation sheets are available every Saturday at 8:00 am. for more complete information see the attached PDF file Recreation Information for Members, Guests & Renters Can the Del Mar Center be used for private parties or by non-Sea Ranch organizations (so-called non-affiliated organizations)? Yes. However, availability and all reservations are governed by TSRA policy that requires that a member of the Association make the reservation. In addition, non-affiliated groups are charged hourly rates for the use of the facility and must provide proof of liability insurance. Where is the recycle center on The Sea Ranch? It is located in the TSRA corporation yard at the end of the driveway at 35600 Verdant View. Verdant View intersects Annapolis Road at the CDF Fire Station. There are bins for glass (no ceramics, window glass or mirrors accepted), plastic containers, cardboard, newspapers (no paper or plastic bags or telephone books accepted), and aluminum and tin cans. What facilities are available for storage of recreational vehicles (RV) at TSR? RVs owned by members can be stored at TSRA corporation yard which is located at 35600 Verdant View (beyond the TSRA Office Annex). The facility is managed by a committee of TSRA members. (Contact: Doug Adams 785-2867, Dick Balch 785-3359 or John Horn 785-2747). There is an initial charge of $20 and no monthly fee. At the present time unoccupied space is limited. What is the address of the manager of the Sea Ranch Apartments, the 45-unit low income housing? The Sea Ranch Apartments Attn: On-site Manager P. O. Box 934 Gualala, CA 95445 Can guests of The Sea Ranch Lodge use TSRA trails and facilities? By a settlement agreement with Sea Ranch Village Inc April 23, 1991, "Overnight Lodge patrons may use TSRA trails to the same extent and in the same manner as TSRA members; provided, however, that such use is and shall be limited to patrons of up to one hundred twenty (120) rooms". This agreement does not extend to other facilities maintained by TSRA such as tennis courts and pools. By the Bane Bill settlement can all TSRA maintained trails be used by the general public? No. Public access trails to the ocean from designated parking areas near Highway #1 are identified by signs and street markings using a double wave as a logo. Except at the north end of TSR the bluff trail is not open to the public. The section that is open to the public extends from the Gualala Park to the north end of Walk-on-Beach. A different symbol is used for public and private TSRA trails on trail maps issued by TSRA and reproduced on this website. Services Should I call TSRA security in case of fire, crime or medical emergency? No -- Call 911 Why doesn't the TSRA provide information concerning architects, contractors, plumbers, handymen, grass mowers, window cleaners, etc. who are available for hire in the TSR area? The Association's legal council has recommended that such information not be handed out because of liability considerations. The names, addresses and phone numbers of service companies can be found in the classified sections of the various phone books used in the area or in advertisements in the Independent Coast Observer. What is the schedule of the TSRA's brush pick-up service? Starting in April and ending in September TSRA crews collect brush and debris put at the roadside by owners. Collection is on the third Monday of the month. Owners must notify the Association by the previous Friday that have brush to be picked up. Only debris that can be shredded will be accepted. Owners have the option of receiving the chips upon request. No garbage, material in paper or plastic bags, construction materials or debris from lot clearing will be collected. Where can I obtain a map showing the location of the TSR hiking, equestrian and bike trails? It is for sale at the Association office for $2.00. How may I obtain a copy of the TSRA annual budget? It is available from the TSRA Finance Department located at the TSRA office on Annapolis Road. Governance Who can use the TSRA airstrip? The airstrip is for the exclusive use of members, their invitees, and renters between sunrise and sunset. Before using the airstrip, pilots must obtain the TSRA briefing concerning landing and takeoff patterns and procedures which is available from the TSR Association office at (707) 785-2444. Can I install one of the new small satellite dishes without getting Design Review and Environmental Management approval? Legally, yes; however in the spirit of "living lightly on the land", DR & EM requests that owners submit an application with two copies of a hand drawn site plan of the proposed location to them. If the proposed location is not reasonably screened from view from neighboring properties, DR & EM will work with the applicant to find another location suitable in all respects to the owner and DR & EM. There is no charge for this service. Can I plant non-native flowers and shrubs and trees around my house? Not unless they cannot be seen from neighbors' property, Commons or TSR streets. What restrictions are there on trimming and/or topping trees on my own lot that block my view? For major trimming or topping approval must be obtained from Design Review and Environmental Management. A TSRA Tree Proposal Application must be submitted together with a sketch of the location of trees to be altered. The trees involved should be tagged with tape supplied by DR & EM. If the trees are on a neighbor's property, his signature is required on the Tree Proposal Application. If the trees are on Commons, an Application for an Encroachment Permit together with a refundable deposit is required.. Thinning the tree top to develop a view or removal of the tree is preferred to topping due to the disfigurement associated with the latter. In order to provide the recommended fire break around my property, I need to cut vegetation on Commons. How do I handle this? Normally TSRA has no objections to the clearing; however it is best to check with Design Review and Environmental Management. If I have proper TSRA car identification, can I park anywhere on any street on TSR? Yes, provided you park off the pavement as far as possible and do not park overnight. Do I have to be concerned about cars in view to my neighbors if I have an occasional dinner party of overnight guests? No, but overnight guests must park on your property. Do I need reflective house numbers and what colors are allowed? Sonoma County requires that each house be identified with a 4 inch, reflective house number. TSRA Design Review and Environmental Management for purposes of uniformity recommends that the sign be clear redwood and the numbers be 4-inch Gothic-type mechanically routed with 1/2 inch minimum stroke width and painted with light-reflecting white paint. For additional recommendations concerning associated posts and location of signs on the property or for review and approval of non-standard signs, contact DR & EM. I need to re-stain the exterior of my house. What colors am I restricted to using? Such work is considered to be maintenance; nonetheless a proposal should be submitted to Design Review and Environmental Management (with no fee required). In general, you are restricted to the recommended and suggested stains described in a hand-out "Exterior Finish Requirements" available from the Department, but other finishes and colors will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Even if you plan to use the original, approved stain or color, DR & EM would like to be informed in order to check whether the name of the original stain is in your file. By enlarging its data base, DR & EM is able to supply information to interested parties who wish to use the same stain on their house as on such-and-such house. How do you locate a leachfield on your property? Contact TSRA Design Review and Environmental Management (785-2316) for proposed leachfields and the TSRA On-Site Wastewater Disposal Zone (785-2756) for locations of existing leachfields. How do I obtain a permit to use commons for my leach field or reserve commons for a back-up leach field? Allocation of commons for this purpose is under the aegis of the Project Review Committee which consists of the Director of Design Review and Environmental Management, the Director of Facilities and Resources and the Director of Zone Operations, who report to the Community Manager. Rules regulating the owner's use of common areas are given in TSRA resolution No. 106 adopted in 1997. Is there a Lost and Found at TSR? Yes. TSRA office will accept items found on TSR and respond to inquiries concerning lost items. State and County Laws, Regulations and Facilities Where is the nearest Sonoma County Land Disposal and what are its hours? The landfill is located on Annapolis road beyond the town of Annapolis, about 9 miles from Highway #1. The hours are 8 AM to 5 PM Fridays through Tuesdays; 8 AM to Noon on Wednesday; closed on Thursday and holidays (Easter, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving Christmas and New Year's Day,) The fees for use are related to volume of refuse deposited at the site ($7.25 minimum). There are bins for recyclable material. Large appliances, oil and oil filters are accepted. Does TSRA require that underground fuel tanks (UFT) be removed? No. The State of California has decreed that the tanks be removed whether or not they are in use and whether or not they are leaking. Information concerning State regulations mandating removal and permits for removal are available from the Sonoma County Department of Health Services, Environmental Health, 1030 Center Drive Suite A, Santa Rosa, 95403-2067, (707) 525-6365. This county agency under contract to the State Water Resources Board provides oversight for the removal of UFTs and for any remedial action needed at the site should the fuel tank have leaked. Where are the marine preserves at TSR? There two types at TSR: A California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Reserve at the Del Mar Landing, Unit 35-C, south of the golf course. It is illegal to disturb or take plant or animal life except fish. Fishing according to DFG regulations is allowed only from the shore (for those over 16 years of age with a valid saltwater fishing license). The Sea Ranch Association Preserves at Unit 28 at south end of Walk-on Beach and Unit 18 at the north end of Green Cove Drive. These are educational preserves. Their use is in accord with DFG regulations. Septic Systems and the Project Review Committee Who determines what type of septic system I must have? The County of Sonoma If I want to add a bedroom to my house, who determines whether my present septic system is adequate? The County of Sonoma If my lot only percs for one bedroom, does it mean I can’t build more than a one-bedroom house? No. You may apply for and follow the Project Review Committee submittal procedure for permission to investigate areas within commons for all or a portion of your system. However, no areas of investigation hold a guarantee that suitable soils will be found. Real Estate agent: "My buyer wants assurance that the lot will perc for 3 bedrooms on commons. What can I tell my client?" There are no assurances or guarantees that an area of commons will perc for a specific number of bedrooms. Perc testing on commons is done with the risk and understanding that an investigation area may or may not give the desired results. The best building site on the lot is the only place we can put a septic system on lot. Can we go onto commons for our septic system? It is The Sea Ranch Association’s policy to discourage moving a viable septic system from an on-lot site to an off-lot site for any reason. However, if a substantial case can be made for moving the system to commons, you may apply for and follow the Project Review Committee submittal procedure. Each circumstance is considered on a case-by-case basis with no guarantee of use of commons. The lot we want to purchase/just purchased has a temporary reservation/provisional permit, but we don’t plan to begin construction for a while. Can we keep the reservation/permit? Why not? There are specific time limitations on commons reservations to prevent "land banking" viable common areas that can be used by members who are ready to begin construction. A Temporary Reservation shall expire if requirements for a Provisional Permit have not been met within six months after date of issuance of said reservation. A Provisional Permit shall expire if requirements for a Permanent Permit have not been met within three years after date of issuance of said permit, or date of expiration of Sonoma County "vesting certificate", whichever occurs first. Do we have to get the Project Review Committee’s approval before we have percolation testing done on commons? Yes. Please refer to the attached Submittal Procedure for Construction of Leach field Systems on Commons. (If a copy is not attached, please call Design Review and Environmental Management at The Sea Ranch Association to obtain a copy (707) 785-2316) What am I required to do to get a temporary reservation or provisional permit? You will need to follow the submittal procedure outlined in the attached Submittal Procedure for Construction of Leach field Systems on Commons. What is considered a bedroom? Sonoma County Environmental Health Instruction 23-85: The following guidelines are generally applicable in determining "bedrooms" for purposes of designing an on-site disposal system: Sewing rooms, dens, offices, studios, lofts, game rooms, etc., of at least 70 square feet as shown on the floor plan are considered bedrooms. A bedroom has minimum of 7’-6" ceiling height, portions of which may be sloping, 70 square feet superficial floor area, is no less than 7’ in any one dimension, and has at least one window with a sill height no more than 44" above the floor and a net clear opening of 5.7 square feet. A closet or lack thereof, does not determine whether a room is potentially a bedroom. If a room described in (1) above is at the same end of the dwelling as the bedroom(s) and meets the criteria of (2), it will be considered a bedroom in designing the sewage disposal system. Rooms on a second story which otherwise consist of room space will be considered a bedroom. Second story lofts will also generally be considered bedrooms. A single large upstairs room adaptable to partitioning will be counted as one bedroom for each 70 square feet of superficial floor area. If a "family room" is shown on the plan, it will generally not be counted as a bedroom if it meets the criteria outlined in (6). If both a "family room" and a "den" are proposed, then at least one bedroom will be counted for the two rooms, even if both rooms meet the criteria of (6). Some features which, in various combinations (generally having only one feature does not preclude use as a bedroom), may make it unlikely that a room will be used as a bedroom include: A large, arched doorway without a door, which opens onto the entryway or a main activity area. Use of a half wall or railing along at least one side of the room. A conversation pit which encumbers the floor area. Presence of a fuel-burning water heater or fireplace in a room designated as the family room, game room or recreation room. Location in a main activity area of the dwelling. Wet bar in family, game or recreation room. Built-in bookcases, file cabinets, desk, etc. Can I construct my driveway over my leach field? Can I park/drive on my leach field and/or septic tank? Can my transmission line from my tank to my leachfield cross under my driveway? Leach field: The County of Sonoma will not approve installation of your leach field in an area intended for parking and/or driving. Transmission Line: Sonoma County Environmental Health Instruction 1-84: Driveway Crossing – 1) Sewer pipe must be buried and have a minimum of one (1) foot of native cover over the pipe. 2) If PVC sewer pipe or similar material is used for the effluent sewer pipe, it must be double encased (sleeved) with ABS Schedule 40, cast iron or concrete pipe extending a minimum of five (5) feet from the driveway edges. Septic tank: County Ordinance 3999, Adopted 5/2/89: No person, firm, corporation or other entity shall use or cause or allow the use of property above any septic tank (or container amenable for use as a septic tank but used as a sump, water tank or other water-tight underground receptacle) to support the weight of any object, including but not limited to motor vehicles, trailers, boats, improvements upon the property, construction materials, construction equipment, or any combination thereof, with a gross weight exceeding 1,000 pounds. Temporary weight loads in excess of what is permitted herein may be authorized by the Sonoma County Environmental Health Agency to the extent that adequate mitigating measures distributing the weight load upon the septic tank may be feasible and given prior approval by said agency. If I want to install an intercept drain on my property, how far must I stay from my septic tank and/or leach field? Can I install a drain down slope of my leach field? Intercept Drains – The use of intercept drains to lower the level of perched groundwater in the immediate leach field area shall be acceptable under the following conditions: Natural ground slope is greater than 5 percent; Site investigations show groundwater to be perched on bedrock, hardpan, or an impermeable soil layer; The intercept drain extends from ground surface to bedrock, hardpan, or the impermeable soil layer. In no case shall the pervious section of an intercept drain be located less than 15 feet ingredient or 50 feet laterally from any septic tank or leach field, or 25 feet from any property line. Where all of the above conditions cannot be met, detailed engineering plans must be supplied or actual performance of the intercept drain demonstrated prior to approval. How close can I get to my septic tank and/or lines if I want to build an addition to my house? Minimum of 5 feet from septic tank and 8 feet from leach lines. How close to my septic tank and/or lines can I get if I want to add a deck to my house? Piers for a deck must be a minimum of 5 feet away from the septic tank. In cases where a deck is approved over a septic tank because piers can be spaced a minimum of 5 feet from septic tank, then an access hatch large enough for access and egress must be installed in the decking floor. No structures can be built over leach lines. What are the restrictions for building a fence near my leachfield or septic tank? Support posts/pillars/piers must be 8 feet away from the leachfield area. If I have a septic system with monitoring wells, valves and/or observation wells, who is responsible for keeping them cleared and accessible for inspection? What if they are in commons? In all cases the homeowner is responsible for maintaining the different components of their septic system for inspection accessibility. If your leachfield is located on commons, you may obtain a copy of your septic plan from the On-Site Wastewater Disposal Zone office to help locate, clear and mark your monitoring wells and/or valves for inspection. Miscellaneous What is the "Blue Book"? The Blue Book is a privately printed listing of telephone numbers of residents and commercial enterprises within Sonoma and Mendocino Counties located between Manchester and Timber Cove and extending east to Annapolis. Its source materials are the telephone books published by the several telephone companies serving this area. The Blue Book is up-dated bi annually. It can be purchased at most grocery and variety stores in the area. I have been told that one can bicycle the length of TSR? How do I do it? North to South - From Leeward Road (Unit 35E) follow The Sea Ranch roads to the south end of Breaker Reach (Unit 21). Follow the bicycle symbol street signs through the bicycle links all the way to Moonraker Road (Unit 1). No bicycle riding is allowed any farther south from Unit 1, except on Hwy 1. South to North - From Moonraker Road (Unit 1) pick up bicycle link near the Moonraker Recreation area. Follow the bicycle symbols on the signs all the way to Breaker Reach (Unit 21). Then follow The Sea Ranch roads to the north end. DO NOT RIDE BICYCLES ON THE BLUFF TRAIL Is it OK to explore the tidepools? Yes, provided the tidepools and the life they contain are not disturbed. It is recommended that designated trails be taken when moving from the bluff to the beaches to prevent further erosion of the bluff. Stairs, when nearby, are the preferred way down to the beach .
		Last Updated: 03/19/07