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January, 2001
The TSRA Board authorized a grassroots research and workshop program known as The 21st Century Sea Ranch Project on June 24, 2000. The project solicited a series of member-authored reports which were presented and discussed at the Project’s second public workshop on January 27, 2001. The reports that follow represent the views of their authors only:
They are an intermediate step in the Project’s mission to evaluate ideas and make recommendations for action to TSRA Board. Written or e-mail comments are welcome. Direct your comments to: 21st Century Sea Ranch Project e-mail: info@tsra.org
Fire Prevention! Most critical issue of The Sea Ranch Observation: Although progress has been made, implementing the Eldon Beck Plan should be accelerated. More corridors of a wider width should be created as tire breaks. Removal and thinning of trees, brush and undergrowth should be expedited. Meadows should be cleared of exotic trees and bushes with reduction of grass thatch. Solution: If one plan of implementation does not work, substitute another, as time is of the utmost importance. If necessary, hire temporary personnel to achieve objectives, even if it means subcontracting. For individual lots, monitor for a state mandated 30 foot setback. For unimproved lots, owners be informed of their responsibility to cut grass and foliage 30 feet from neighboring buildings. Economics: Funding allocated to tire prevention should not be diverted to other programs. If membership dues are insufficient to achieve goals, assess for this designated purpose. Thereafter, routine maintenance will be less expensive. The. forest is encroaching upon the open spaces that once existed two and three decades ago. We are tempting fate in allowing this to happen - the fate of incineration. The membership is sending a loud message that fire management be pursued in an expeditious and thorough manner. Views Observation: There is widespread forestation with decreasing views that once existed when lots were purchased, especially hillside and meadow real estate. Solution:
There can be neighborhood cooperation in securing and maintaining views, both on private and common property. This might engender a greater respect by the individual for the views of another. This is a community, one that should honor the needs of the general populace over the desires of just a few. We must preserve the aesthetics and economic investment of our lands. Merilyn Lafferty
Using "green energy" for the generation of electricity is an admirable concept, but currently only amounts to a very small percentage of electric generation. Coal burning-generation is the predominate energy source for the generation of electricity in the U.S. This is followed by the use of natural gas, oil, and nuclear. Green sources are water power, geothermal, solar, wind power and biomass. Each of these has its own problems that need to be dealt with. Any discussion of new dams for water power generation is instantly opposed by most environmental groups as having too great an impact on the environment. China is probably building the last great dam in the world, which will displace over a million people and greatly change the environment of a large region. Deregulation of the utility electric business in the U.S. has so far only resulted in a price increase to the consumers and had little effect on electricity generation. Green Mountain Energy Co. appears to be in the forefront of promoting electricity from green energy. Their basic pitch is that the consumer pay a slightly higher price for the utility companies to use green energy sources for electricity generation. This will place a priority to energy companies to develop more green energy sources and thus result in a cleaner environment. Recently Duke Energy is going to pay a northern California timber company for "clean air" credits as a trade for fossil fuel generation of electricity in Texas. This approach, in my opinion will not reduce pollution but merely is a numbers game to allow them to put off the development of a green energy source. A similar numbers game has been proposed to at low developed nations to pay third world countries so that we can continue to pollute in excess of proposed green limits advocated at the Koyoto conference. Tom Cochrane
Shoring Up the Basics – A 21st Century Project The Problem We Face It is brewing slowly, quietly and invisibly—and mostly underground,, It is the gradual deterioration of the infrastructure of basic services: water pipes, electric power lines, and telephone and television cables. Four different organizations are responsible for these services, each in command of its own right of way and repair and replacement schedule: The Sea Ranch Water company, Pacific Gas and Electric, Citizens Communications and Central Valley Cable TV. The only constant is that that eventually, whether piecemeal or wholesale, all that stuff will have to be replaced. The Water company, for all its visible problems, is at least under our control, effectively managed with excellent committee and staff oversight. Individual water meters, that most effective of conservation measures, are in place I assume that major service disruptions involving main pipes are quickly noticed and traced but suspect that small cumulative leaks may not be so readily found. I know from personal experience that a catastrophic household plumbing failure can pass unnoticed for at least a week.. The difference in water usage when you are at home from when you are away is not visible to the water company. Household meters help conservation and are fundamental to billing but, to my knowledge, do not help much in problem detection. In short the company could use basic detailed information about its moment to moment operations to improve reliability and service. PG&E is under increasing pressure from the CPUC to put its distribution system underground, perhaps especially in places where wildfires threaten homes and businesses. It will also come under increasing pressure to improve distribution service in general, as it contracts with competing power companies to deliver "their" power reliably. Service disruptions will not affect just its bottom line. When a power outage occurs, PG&E knows when an area feed is back on line, but doesn’t know when one or more downstream households are still without power until it hears from the victims—who are not always believed. (If you kick enough they will send you a specialized telephone, which also has a power plug. Once activated, it automatically calls the company when power goes out and when it comes back on..) Power, like water, is metered. Once a month a truck roars into our driveway, a meter reader bounds onto the porch and jerks open a shed door to take a reading. Billing follows but at least, like the water company, payment is optionally automatic. PG&E, too, lacks real time data about its operations. Citizens Communications is our fourth telephone company, due to take over from No 3 GTE in October. Even before it starts its service is poor, and it faces growing competition from cellular phones. Its underground lines were Type 4 government surplus to begin with and Its switches and routers mostly lack the capacity to handle a Mother’s Day volume of plain old telephone service, let alone an epidemic of internet greeting cards, Our problems with slow analog internet access, and the inability of any supplier to bring us a digital service have been documented in Soundings, at several Sea Ranch Forums and most recently in a memo from the Communications Committee to the Community Manager addressing concerns that GTE will somehow escape from completing the meager improvements underway before it sold us to Citizens. Citizens reputation is poor. It is known as a "bottom feeder" that buys cheap and supplies basic service at least cost to itself. Central Valley Cable TV is a major step up from Wander Cablevision. Its owner knows the company must compete effectively with satellite TV companies. It has conditionally promised to offer broadband (high capacity) internet downloading to match the satellite service offering. Its subscriber base dwindled during the Wander bankruptcy, however, and in at least one instance it has offered to buy satellite installations for a small cluster of isolated subscribers rather than continue to lose money serving them. Also, the satellite companies are poised to’ offer two-way broadband internet service, which CVC/TV has so far refused to consider. However, satellite companies cannot easily offer community TV channels, nor have they yet offered a way to reach homes blocked from receiving their signal directly. Still CVC/TV is in for a struggle if all it can offer is plain vanilla TV. The Opportunity We Have Suppose Oceanic had just bought the Ohlson Ranch as of July 1,2000. What would it do differently to provide basic services? One way to find an answer to that hypothetical question is to examine what tack new planned communities have taken in recent years. Two with extensive web sites are DC Ranch, our near name sake in Arizona, and Celebration, Disney’s planned community in Orlando, FL,. In both cases the base telecommunications technology chosen is an underground fiber-optic-network connecting all buildings with each other and the world and providing enough capacity for telecommunications’ nirvana: two-way fill motion video between and among homes, businesses and community centers. When two-way full motion video is possible it means the capacity is there for all the other signals to piggy-back: phone calls, radio, cable TV and anything the internet can entice you with. One broadband fiber pipe provides vastly greater capacity and reliability than copper telephone wires and TV cable lines and geosynchronous satellites combined can ever deliver. Not only can a single source supply the basics of telephony, television and fill Internet access (text, graphics, audio, video), it can also open the door to other services that can radically enhance community health, safety, security, education, governance and commerce, all while improving our ability to live sustainable, environmentally sensitive lives. While the traditional piecemeal provision of the basics is barely profitable for the individual specialized providers, and cumulatively expensive to their customers, it is possible that two or three competing providers each able to offer a full menu of services over the same broadband fiber net can turn a profit. The trick, of course is getting there. Perhaps a solution could be found if the four companies cited above would agree to pool their maintenance and capital investment budgets into an investment stream based on a coordinated schedule and a common approach. It would not be impossible for all four to share a single fiber optic pipe in ways I will describe below. Each would benefit from reduced expenses and capital costs and an opportunity to sell new profitable services. Success would depend on how much each "partner" was willing to bring to the table, how easily and effectively maintenance could be scheduled, how readily new services could be provided and how quickly and comprehensively the community, collectively and individually, would adopt and pay for them. The Infrastructure We Could Build Gradually, over the course of 2-4 years, we would systematically re-wire and re-plumb The Sea Ranch, learning how best to proceed as we go. Road and ground surfaces would be disturbed, ideally, just once. Fiber would replace phone and cable wires, above ground power lines would be buried and below ground power and water lines inspected and refurbished as necessary. Monitoring, metering, servicing and billing systems would be upgraded by all participants to provide a detailed real time view of each service in operation. Leaks, breaks, shorts and other anomalies would be detected in time to help prevent service disruptions from turning into extended outages or costly catastrophes. Within The Sea Ranch a de facto campus area telecommunications network would be created, joining residences, businesses and public places—some outdoors—into a secure isolated system. It would be self-contained for some purposes with links to our utility partners for their use. The Services We Want and Need Predictions of things. to come are notoriously unreliable. What follows is a sampling of what has been suggested under each of the following, arbitrary categories. While these claims might seem wildly problematical to some, they are in fact cautious and conservative. Some exist here and there, others are being developed and tested. None are original with the writer.
Benefits We Can Derive
Bruce Johnson
Serious transportation at The Sea Ranch revolves around the gasoline powered personal vehicle. Hiking and biking are largely recreational because trails for these purposes form an incomplete network, even in conjunction with The Sea Ranch private roads. Aside from the American love affair with the instantly flexible car, five facts of life unique to this community are behind this condition.
Transportation moves people, things and information, usually in some combination. We use petroleum distillates for energy, which pollutes the atmosphere and warms the globe. A 21st Century Transportation policy for The Sea Ranch would have as its goal fewer, more fuel efficient trips. When information is all that is being transported, the goal can be no trip at all. Communication has substituted for the gathering of people at least since smoke signals, drum talk, semaphore and writing became popular. Even instantaneous communication at a distance is as old as the telegraph and the telephone. Today’s Internet takes this potential to a new level, adding images, even true to life images in motion, to text, graphics and sound to the realm of what is possible. We are entering the era of "virtual" trips and meetings. To reach these goals of fewer, more fuel efficient trips and more virtual trips, the following are proposed:
CAVEAT: These proposals are only now being distributed to the people and organizations affected, including Kathleen Morgan and Jo Rouse, fellow transportation group members. Only they can say whether I have incorporated their views and, in the case of organizations, their interests and capabilities. Bruce Johnson
Development of Local Geographic Information System Geographic Information systems (GIS) are now routinely employed to utilize and effectively communicate spatial data. Major advantages of GIS-based community management include significant cost savings and enhanced communication, both to Association members, and to state and local elected officials and agencies. These comments are based on more years of collective experience than we care to admit, and the strong belief based on this experience, that the Sea Ranch Association can provide better service to its members and to our broader community, by entering the GIS world. Possible Application Examples Administrative, Infrastructure & Planning
Public Safety
Recreation
GIS Myths
Rcommendations
Michael A. Lane with Mary-Dee Bowers and Tom Cochrane
Domestic water supply quality and quantity are critical issues for any community. The Sea Ranch water source consists of two wells adjacent to the Gualala River near the Hot Spot. From their location, the water supply wells are potentially vulnerable to environmental conditions in the watershed. Therefore, there is a direct link between watershed protection issues and The Sea Ranch domestic water supply. The Watershed Protection issue has three major tasks: Identify Adverse Impacts to the Watershed Different land uses (agricultural, residential septic systems, logging) all have potential impacts to the watershed. These impacts can include pesticide and herbicide loadings, stream siltation due to altered runoff patterns, and fuel spills on public and private roads, to name only a few. Any discussion of potential concerns within the watershed should begin with a basic understanding of the overall system. As a beginning, The Sea Ranch should:
Determine Sensitivity of Water Supply Wells to Watershed Conditions and Capture Zone Impacts Details of the Sea Ranch water supply wells are relevant to water quality and quantity assessments. These include:
Based on this information, an assessment of potential impacts due to regional and local conditions can be made. The underlying principle for this task is that the operator of a public water supply system is responsible for more than pumping, purifying and distributing the resource. The operator should be constantly aware of environmental factors which could adversely affect the quality and quantity of the resource. Review Current Water Samplling Protocols Conforming to applicable agency requirements is the beginning, not the end, of domestic water supply management. Current water sampling protocols should be evaluated and modified as may be needed. Lists of contaminants may not be adequate and sampling schedules may not properly account for local conditions. Ultimately, responsibility for safe and adequate water supplies lies with The Sea Ranch, not the government. This review should consider:
Michael A. Lane
At Issue: We continue to burn piles of vegetation that emit smoke into our environment and atmosphere. The smoke is anything from a mild irritant to some people and a major health risk to others. Furthermore, the County of Sonoma doesn’t even allow brick and mortar fireplaces to be built into new homes anymore, unless the builders sign an avadavat stating that they will not burn wood in these fireplaces. Obviously, smoke, including wood smoke, is perceived as harmful to our environment. For an association that expounds about "living lightly on the land" we should find a better way to deal with the problem of getting rid of vegetation "trash". What we’ve done in the past and what we do now: We used to "cut & burn" which meant feeding a live fire as we cut out the material. That meant more, smaller fires that had green material in them which led to more smoke. We now only use "cut & burn" on dead material. We also strive for larger burn piles that will mean hotter fires that will burn more quickly. We try to not burn on Friday in order to lessen the amount of people that are affected by the burning. The large burn site on Deertrail is now burned one time a year for 2 – 3 days instead of two to four times a year for 2 weeks, as was necessary when the site was open. Generally, piles of material are gathered in an area and then consolidated into one or more large burn piles and left to sit for a few months or more in order to dry out the live material as much as possible. We use manpower to cut, pile, consolidate, re-pile and finally burn and monitor this material. It is a very labor intensive task and indeed, according to Bill Chapman, "one quarter of our fire management budget is for burning." Possibilities to consider: We own a chipper, but it can’t be used for "dead" material according to Bill. We’ve tried that in the past and the material chews up the blades. It would take a larger capacity chipper. I’m looking into chippers made by Altec and will specifically ask them about "dead" material. If we could find a way to chip the material, then we’d save the labor costs of all the handling and burn pile monitoring that is currently occurring. Another possibility would be to rent a very large chipper a few times a year. These huge machines could chip just about anything we would throw at them. We’d still have the expense of managing the piles to a main site and the labor to feed to material into the chipper, but unlike burn days, we would be able to schedule and plan to do these projects when we want to do them. Some might think another possibility would be to leave the materials where they’re cut, but that defeats the fire management purpose so it really is not a viable alternative. One other way to cut down on the amount of material we have to dispose of gets into the sheep versus prescriptive burns issue. Obviously the prescriptive burns create a smoke problem of their own and I don’t consider that a viable alternative, when we should be looking to get rid of our contribution of smoke into the atmosphere. Besides, that’s another issue. Summary: We have made some progress, but one hopes even more progress can be made in the 21st century. Just because things have always been done this way, is no reason to figure we should be complacent. Whether chippers are the answer, I don’t know, but I feel that we need to seriously take a look at all viable possibilities that exist now and will exist in the future and find a way to stop burning. Pam Kelley
Recycling of Materials by Resident Members Members use the local waste disposal service, Pacific Disposal, to recycle glass, aluminum, tin cans, plastic, newspaper and junk mail/paper from their homes by paying an additional fee in their garbage bill and placing the items in recycle buckets that are picked up at the member’s home. A recent article in the Bulletin listed a table of what and how items are recycled. Community recycle containers are also housed behind the Association office. These belong to Pacific Disposal and provide a place to recycle all of the above-mentioned items plus cardboard. The maintenance and servicing of this area is the sole responsibility of Pacific Disposal and as such TSRA has little control over the site. Problems arise with inconsistent signage and instructions on the containers. The containers are not always emptied on a regular basis and become over-full, leading to the overflow of materials falling on the ground and/or being placed in the incorrect container. It would appear that member education and better servicing & signage by Pacific Disposal at the community site would increase utilization of the currently available service. Recycling of Materials by The Association TSRA has the same recycling services available as do the members and routinely utilizes them along with more specialized recycling such as for tires, waste oil etc. Where needed, outside firms are called in to take away these types of specialized materials. Recycling containers are not currently available at public locations. According to Bill Chapman, there isn’t much need for them at the recreation centers because food and beverages are not permitted in those areas. As for the Del Mar Center, when someone rents the center for an event that will have food/beverage, they are requested to leave the bottles and cans in the closet, separate from the garbage and the association does pick these up and recycle them. I recommended that a separate recycle containers be placed at the Hot Spot and One-eyed Jacks and Bill agreed that would be a good idea. I think further review of the other areas would be a good idea. Recycling of Materials by Rentals/Renters This is an area with it’s own set of unique problems. Most members with rental properties do not spend the additional money required by Pacific Disposal to have at-home pick up of recyclables. Members should be encouraged to do this in order to make recycling by their renters an easier thing to do. Renters need to be educated on how the local recycling works. The table published in the Bulletin would be good to include in the rental booklets that are at each rental unit. Use of Recycled Materials by The Association If recycling is ever going to be successful, there must be a market for the recycled materials. TSRA is a large consumer of paper products in the office. Recycled paper has jammed in the copy machine in years past, but newer papers and newer copiers may have alleviated this problem. Research needs to be done and a program implemented to strive for using recycled materials whenever practical. Recycled plastic products were considered for benches, but the design committee turned the idea down as it was felt that they wouldn’t be aesthetically in tune with the concept of natural materials used here. We need to consider whether it is more important to use all natural materials or to start introducing some recycled materials that may look similar to what they are replacing, but allow us to "live more lightly on the land" (the earth in general). One possible idea is plastic fencing that looks like wood. Bill Chapman stated that he has seen fences made from these and you can’t tell it’s plastic until you get up close. The initial costs are about the same as what we spend on wood fencing, but the plastic will last much longer as it won’t rot. So not only would we be utilizing recycled plastic instead of using up natural wood, but we would be saving money in the long run. Just one item we need to consider. If the association were to develop a routine review process before initiating material purchases that included a step to analyze possible recycled materials that would be a first step. This needs to become second nature in our purchasing strategy for it to work smoothly. Pam Kelley
Are you interested in surviving? Life-Span Development Mary-Dee Bowers
High Speed Tele-Communications Services In excess of thirty years have elapsed since the founding of TSR, and the whole world has changed drastically in that period. Our challenge for the 21st century will be to retain those aspects of life at The Sea Ranch that attracted us in the first place, while incorporating available technologies that can make it even better. When first envisioned, TSR was to be a second home community and a retreat from the "real world". This is no longer the case.
As we analyze our situation and where we are headed, it will be important to keep in mind that many of the issues we will explore can be divided into two categories:
While legally we are just a Homeowner's Association (HOA) and governed by Sonoma County, in actuality we have a mini-government of our own and we are a distinct "community"—not just in geography, but also in attitude and action. Since it has been demonstrated that our county government won't do much for us except collect our taxes, and the service industries can't (or won't) justify providing us with a modern infrastructure, it is incumbent upon us to provide for ourselves. TSR has a history of taking responsibility. When it became apparent that we had a serious water supply issue, we acquired the water company. When our basic rules (CC&Rs) were threatened from outside, we fought that effort for our own protection. A number of other necessary services are wanted and needed by a significant portion of the membership. Changing demographics have demonstrated that TSR is becoming younger and is attracting people who want to work full or part time from their homes. Many modern retirees want high quality telecommunications services for staying in touch with family, tracking investments, or for part time work. It's time to get involved and take responsibility for our situation. These services are needed and if we don't actively pursue solutions, we may never get them. There are a number of things we can do.
Since it is obvious we will never get the services we need unless we force the issue ourselves, this is a good time to explore these issues and become proactive on behalf of the membership at large. The Board of Directors should appoint a committee to investigate the issues and make recommendations as to our future direction. We consider these to be essential services, so these projects need to be started as soon as possible.
Septic Systems and the Onsite Wastewater Zone In studying the current On-site Wastewater Disposal Zone (OSWDZ) and Septic Systems, I have relied in part on a reply from personnel of the "Zone" to my questions. The questions and replies are appended. I admit to a strong bias against the OSWDZ from the start. The "Zone" was the result of the Bane Bill requirement that The Sea Ranch monitor its septic systems. The proponents made inadequate cost projections and distorted the truth. The Board failed to present the "Zone" idea to a vote of the membership. The OSWDZ has grown as all bureaucracies do. From $65 a year the cost to "Zone" members has grown to $105 and is projected to grow to $129 in 2004. Many Sea Ranchers don’t realize they pay $315 of their County taxes for one septic system examination. The OSWDZ can fix nothing. The same service, including the repairing of minor defects and recording the results, could be provided for $60 or so, by a licensed plumber, particularly if jointly contracted by neighborhoods. A recent experience illustrates the nonsense of the inability to repair minor defects. The OSWDZ employee, a particularly pleasant gentleman, informed me that the alarm system was malfunctioning. I called an electrician who pulled the floats out and shook them, fixing the problem. I paid him $60 for the visit. Figure! Don’t forget the 560 lot owners in the Zone. It is patently unfair for them to pay $105 for nothing! I doubt that many of them realize they are being ripped off. There is good new to report, Very few outright failures have been reported. I didn’t hear of any red tags being placed on properties. The innovative systems appear to be successful. They receive one test a year at the same cost as those who receive one in three years. Another piece of good news relayed to me was the excellent policy of providing a walk-through on the property of new owners who are not familiar with septic system. The most valuable aspect of the Zone is that it reminds us to check the sludge. Before the Zone was imposed on us, I learned how to check the sludge in the tank, to check for leaks, to see whether the alarm was functioning. It is not advanced science, but we need to be reminded. Just as cleaning the chimney once a year is advisable, making sure electric systems are not malfunctioning, and attending to many other maintenance problems, septic systems should be checked. It does appear to be ironic that a chimney fire is far more likely to have devastating effects on others, but the law requires septic tanks checks. Sandra-Moersch-Hughes, Assistant Utilities Director, is a lovely person, very helpful and well informed. She answered my questions well. There are, however, some conflicts in our findings. For instance, some sources indicate the average life of a septic system is 20 years. An early OSWDZ report said 40 years is possible with good care. Mrs. Moersch-Hughes sees the life of a system as "unlimited" if septics are properly maintained. She cites improper engineering and careless maintenance as the culprits, probably correctly. I am skeptical, however, of her reports that monitoring the beaches results in no pathogens of a dangerous level found as yet. Personal experience in several beach areas have negated that belief. I and many others have reported strong effluent odor, not to be confused with rotting kelp, etc. It is logical to assume that during heavy rain leach lines fill and discharge raw effluent into ancient waterways. I believe these streams are unsafe to play in. We read of the serous pollution of the ocean in Southern California. I believe it is likely that we will have the same problem here as build-out occurs. Legislation is currently being considered which will tighten restrictions on septics. The assistant director informed me that water purity checks will likely be required in all septic systems. More expense is in the offing. My recommendation is to sewer all of The Sea Ranch on a pay-as-you-go plan, to do the problem areas first. Establish a Community Service District as advocated by the former respected County Supervisor, Ernie Carpenter. Privatize the monitoring with trained, licensed plumber until the sewers are complete. Sewers enhance property values. The most important advantage of sewers is that effluent is treated, harmful bacteria are killed with chlorination. Currently, according to scientists, septic systems pollute ground water. There are those who promote "Sewer Scare" pointing to the devastating costs in Gualala. According to one of the principals in the devastating costs in Gualala. According to one of the principals in the sewering of Gualala, the costs were inflated because factors that were controllable were not controlled. We should avoid hiring the overpriced engineering firms that have not always proved competent. I would suggest hiring an experienced retired engineer assisted by The Sea Ranch personnel and volunteers. Use backhoe operators in our employ. Sewer sites were originally figures into The Sea Ranch plans. IT is sad that the infrastructure wasn’t completed at initial stages. Let us not postpone acting wisely at this juncture! In conclusion, The Sea Ranch is a progressive entity, unafraid to tackle the statuesque when forces threaten. The pressure to change our system is caused by the realization that the present organization is much too expensive, unfair, environmentally dangerous, troublesome, and, because of increased bureaucracy, doomed to be more expensive and invasive. Can we start now to get the rest of The Sea Ranch sewered? Do Board members understand the problem? Do they have the foresight? Time will tell. Don Mahaffey
Sea Ranch Services in the 21st Century Services: Community Gardens, Library, Tools and Equipment Lending Center, and Community Telescope Since its inception in early sixties, The Sea Ranch community has become internationally known for its concern for the environment and for consistently applying creative and enlightened approaches to successfully living lightly on the land. As the number of full-time residents has grown, many projects were planned and implemented to construct new facilities and to offer services in response to emerging needs or to enhance our quality of life. This process must continue in the 21st century while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency we are known for. The Sea Ranch is evolving into a more complex community representing a mix of the old and the young, working and retired folks, weekenders and increasing numbers of full-time residents. The technology revolution continues unabated and pace of change has accelerated. We are challenged as never before as we approach future planning of services and allocation of resources at TSR. As a community, we must acknowledge the diversity of interests that exist at TSR and become more tolerant and supportive of each other’s interests. The remarks such as "Why should I pay for something I will never use?" are simply inconsistent with the spirit of the community living. We must identify, categorize, and prioritize various services in order to allocate our resources wisely. What criteria and guidelines could be put in place in order to facilitate the implementation and operation of new (and existing) services and the allocation of resources in the future? More specific guidelines and requirements would be needed for each service or service group in order to ensure proper operation. It would appear that as a first step, services that are essential, necessary, or most useful to all or significant majority of Sea Ranchers could be differentiated from others that contribute to the enhancement of quality of life but don’t fit the first category. How can BOD encourage or facilitate activities in the second category? What would be reasonable criteria for developing a policy in this regard? Recommendation: The Board, with some guidance from chairs of existing committees, should develop policy and guidelines to facilitate the implementation and operation of new (and existing) services and the allocation of resources in the future. Services discussed below probably belong to the second category. Community Gardens: The phrase "community gardens" immediately suggests several alternative models. "Posh Squash" and Del Mar Center Garden Group" represent two very different but thriving models at TSR. Many regard the current configuration of "Posh Squash" as a successful example of a community garden. Its present location is on private land adjoining the TSR property. It was started in early seventies as a very modest effort with an entry fee and an unrestricted membership. Over the years it has undergone a few metamorphoses and evolved into its current format with a membership of about 100. It is one of the largest community activity groups. To be sure, it remains somewhat controversial in the eyes of some because of restriction on membership (due to lot size) and work requirements. Posh Squash group has worked with TSRA over last couple of years to select a potential site on the commons for a community garden and there is a proposal before the BOD for proper designation of the site. The membership restrictions were cited as primary reasons for classifying this proposal for an alternate garden site as a "special interest activity". This designation makes this proposal from "Posh Squash" ineligible for TSRA funds, putting them in the same category as SR Equestrian center, Hanger, and RV Parking. Some members regard "special interest" designation as inappropriate and feel that current membership restrictions are unnecessary and should be removed. The current debate has brought into focus the larger issue of how BOD or TSRA can encourage or facilitate community group activities such community garden proposal before the BOD or analogous proposals in the future. Posh Squash membership includes part and full-time residents of TSR. A steering committee composed of day leaders is responsible for all management decisions. Several members have commented that they like the present format in which a master plan is developed each season by the steering committee and implemented under the supervision and direction of day leaders by work groups. All participants share the harvest. At the moment, there appears to be no interest in alternative ideas for community gardens such as a shared lot in each unit or solo gardening in small lots at a designated site on the commons. Recommendation: A committee appointed by the Board should develop a framework of criteria and guidelines for creation, financing and operation of community group activities within the scope of CC&Rs for the dual purpose of helping the Board in making decisions on such requests and for the guidance of organizers of community group activities. Library: We have a small library facility at Ohlson Ranch Center. At present it serves as a place to find/exchange interesting novels to read. The entire collection is donated and run by volunteer effort. The scope and functionality of our library could be considerably expanded to make it more useful to a broader segment of TSR population. The spectrum of services offered by the library could evolve in response to emerging needs of the community. Our existing facility could play an important role in housing, preserving and presenting our historical collection of materials and documents that describe the growth of this community since its inception. It deserves very high priority. Interlibrary loan service, links with other libraries and other such services might be worth exploring. Could library also serve as a Media Services Center? Expansion of the current physical facilities would have to be given serious consideration. Recommendation: A Library committee appointed by the Board should evaluate, prioritize the library services mentioned above and others in the context of community needs and make a recommendation to the Board. Tools and Equipment Lending Library: Maria Bardini-Perkins offered this novel idea in response to an open invitation to all Sea Ranchers on TSR list. To paraphrase her, we all have tools, duplicate tools in our garages and kitchens that we use occasionally but not on an everyday basis. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to borrow a shovel or a mixer or a tiller or a post-hole digger, instead of buying one and letting it sit for months on end for that one time we need it? The T & E Lending Library could be run by volunteers, like the book library, if there were enough people interested or perhaps even on an honor system. Recommendation: Board should examine the potential for success of this service via a survey and proceed accordingly. Community Telescope: There appears to be considerable enthusiasm for this idea. However, there appeared to be diversity of opinions on how to implement it. A wealth of knowledge and expertise is available at TSR. Should TSRA acquire a telescope for community’s use or simply facilitate "star gazing" as a community activity? Because of the local weather conditions (high moisture content of air) along the coast and forested areas along the ridge, a portable format would be highly desirable if one is acquired by the TSRA. It would also require a storage facility at TSR. Organized "star parties" was suggested as an attractive alternative to a permanent observatory. "Hot Tub Astronomy" has been suggested as an antidote to getting chilly on observing nights in lighter vein. Recommendation: A committee of interested and knowledgeable Sea Ranchers appointed by the Board should examine these service ideas further and recommend a plan of action. R. C. Vasavada, Anne Long
Historical Documents, Materials, Structures and Sites Since inception, respect for environment has been well integrated into all our activities at TSR. Our continuing interest in preserving important historic elements of our heritage is consistent with this philosophy. As a part of this process, we have taken some steps to maintain or preserve major structures of historical interest at The Sea Ranch such as the Barn, Del Mar School House, and Cypress Hedgerows. We have also made some progress in recognizing the need for archiving documents that describe or portray history and development of The Sea Ranch. Much more remains to be done. This report briefly describes many of these efforts and recommends areas where more could be accomplished. Preservation of Historically Significant Documents: As a result of an initiative from a group of TSR residents, the Board voted to hire an intern and establish an Archive in 1996. The Sea Ranch Association Archive Collection Policy was adopted in 1998. However, potential donors of such historically significant materials and documents have not been assured that materials will be processed and stored according to the standards of the Society of American Archivists. To start with, we need an archival (safe, fireproof, rodent-proof, etc.) facility to house these documents and materials and an organizational structure (volunteer based?) to provide controlled access to those interested. The project deserves a high priority if we want to benefit from the donation of invaluable collection of such documents by some of our earliest sea ranchers. Major libraries would go after such a collection. Housing and preserving this collection here at TSR would provide an invaluable link to our past for generations to come and serve as an educational resource for new sea ranchers. An existing group of dedicated sea ranchers have offered to help following approval by the Board. It has been suggested that such an archival facility could be housed in a location where photographs depicting the earliest stages of development and many aspects of the life at the Sea Ranch would be displayed for all to see. Recommendation: Develop and implement a plan, within the next year, to display history of the Sea Ranch and many aspects of life here including an archival facility to store historically significant documents. Maintenance and/or Preservation of Historic Structures: a. The Barn Complex The barn complex includes the Barn, Equipment Shed, Scale House, Hay Barn, and Cypress Tree. The entire 4.38 acre parcel has been zoned HD (Historic District) by Sonoma County. All of the buildings are listed as contributors to the Knipp and Stengel Ranch Barn Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1994, TSRA has implemented many of the recommendations made by Susan M Clark, Consulting Historian. These recommendations focused on preventing further deterioration of the structures. Ms Clark (Letter to Bill Chapman, dated September 26, 1994) did not make any recommendations regarding stabilization, preservation or rehabilitation of these structures at that time. The proposed maintenance phase has been completed and the Barn has become a popular site for many social and cultural activities such as Christmas Party, Opera at the Barn and staged plays by the Thespians. The issues of long-term preservation and continuing maintenance still remain to be addressed and point to a need for constant oversight and planning. Recommendation: Develop and implement a plan for long-term preservation and continuing maintenance. b. Del Mar School House In view of the advanced stage of deterioration, it has been decided to maintain the existing building without major repairs. Recommendation: none c. Cypress Hedgerows Twenty Monterey Cypress hedgerows were planted beginning in 1916 by Walter Frick to provide wind protection for livestock at what was then called Del Mar Ranch. They are now signature hedgerows and in view of their age, in need of rehabilitation. Recent article by Jim Platt in the Sea Ranch Soundings (Fall 2000) describes their history, issues related to hedgerow integrity, and Rehabilitation Project Plan. Recommendation: Continue the implementation of the plan on schedule. Historical Sites and Accessibility: In addition to the Barn Complex and the Del Mar School House, there are several other historically interesting sites scattered across the Sea Ranch. Which of these sites is worth preserving? Should all or some of these sites be identified with a marker or a plaque? Should we identify them on our trail maps and TSR maps? Have these sites been catalogued? It would appear that these questions should be answered in the affirmative. These steps may yield rich dividends in the future as generations pass and we mature as a community. Recommendation: Develop and implement a plan incorporating the ideas described above. R. C. Vasavada
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 Last Updated: 03/19/07 |
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