Columbine Lake News

In this issue: Events, Ash Disposal, Zebra Mussels, Snow Mobile Reminders, Snow Removal Regulations, January Boat Lottery Reminder, Tree Mitigation Update

'TIS THE SEASON

NO MATTER WHAT HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE, WE'D LIKE TO WISH YOU A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND A PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

As we look back on the past year, we want to recognize the many generous people who have donated their time to make CLCC events possible. Hope to see you again next year.

Sincerely,

CLCC Management and Board Of Directors

Events You Don't Want To Miss

CLCC Holiday Lights & Decoration Contest

December 1st - 31st

It's time to untangle those lights. Show your Holiday Spirit by decorating your home for the season! Homeowners will vote and prizes will be awarded for the top 3 houses!

Holiday Open House At The Clubhouse! December 10th

3:00pm - 5:00pm

Come enjoy cookies, hot cocoa, and cider as we ring in the Holiday Season! Feel free to bring baked goods to share!

Main Street Grand Lake Lights Up!

Friday, November 25th, 2022 The Day After Thanksgiving

Join us for a festive celebration of the season at Grand Lake’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The festivities will be held in Town Park beginning at 6:30 pm. Sing carols, warm up around the fire, with cocoa and cookies, visit with Santa and enjoy other holiday surprises at this special community event.

More GL Events

Special Thank You!

A special shout out to John Kohler and Chris Ryan for their tremendous help to our staff in chipping CL slash!

We appreciate the time and resources Brian Owens, Past President of CLCC, is giving to update our website!

Your kind generosity is a true commitment to our community.

Home Owner Tips On Preventing Ice Dams

Click Photo for Article

Snow Berms Are An Unavoidable Bah Humbug!

Our community obtains its beauty in great part due to its location. We are in the Rocky Mountains at roughly 9000ft elevation. We expect to get far more snow in winter months, and usually we do. Keeping the roads clear is a constant challenge. It can seem annoying to have to clear a driveway entry several times, yet there is no other way. Snow plows leave a berm behind. It's just the way it is. So keep a shovel handy, and be understanding. Nothing can be done differently, and thank mother nature, we do live in ski country.

Snowmobile Regulations...

Obey The Rules, Enjoy The Ride

Operatiors must comply with all posted signage, including speed limits of 15MPH!
Joy riding within the neighborhood and circling the lake is prohibited.
The use of OHV's on the lake in winter months is at operator risk.

Click link below for a full list of OHV regulations

OHV Regulations

Proper Ash Disposal

It's that time of year when we all enjoy the crackling and warmth of a wood fire in our living room. According to the NFPA, almost 10,000 fires are caused yearly due to improperly removing and discarding ashes. Hot coals, hidden in a pile of ashes and thus well insulated, can stay hot for up to four days because the ash acts as an insulator that keeps the coals from burning out. So be sure to use a lidded metal container when removing ash. Our metal cans for ash collection are located to the right of the trash area. These are maintained by staff on a regular basis. Never assume your ash is safe enough for the dumpster.

Section 14.02

Any snow that you or your contractor moves, must be kept on your property and not placed or pushed across community or county roads or right of ways. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to inform your contractor of these rules. Class 5 Violation

End Of Driveway Parking Could Be Hazardous!

Remember when parking in our driveways this winter season, we need to leave at least four to five feet back from the road edge to insure proper snow removal. In reality parking at the very end of your driveway causes our plow drivers to cut in, avoiding your vehicle but making a much narrower road for drivers and especially emergency vehicles. The average fire truck is roughly ten feet wide and forty feet long. They require at least a twenty foot wide area to navigate any turn, and thirty feet wide on 45 degree turns. We need to insure that emergency services have safe access. Let's keep our roads safe for everyone.

No Sledding or Tubing On Roads!

Please stay safe this winter. Sledding and tubing on our public roads are prohibited. Pulling sleds, tubes, skiers, and snowboarders behind vehicles is also prohibited. The Grand Lake Nordic Center offers a free tubing hill to enjoy. Don't let a good time end in tragedy.

TREE MITIGATION UPDATE

Thank you to the over 40% of our owners that removed dead trees, shrubs and slash from their property this year in the Tree Mitigation Project that kicked off July 9, 2022 before Slash and Trash. Owners were sent 3 communications letting them know the deadline for removal. The process was compliant with the new Colorado HOA law requiring posting notice on the property and sending notice via email and certified letter with 30 additional days for removal.

Owners had a total of 5 months to remove trees and slash. For many this was challenging as they were unaware of dead trees on their property or had not tended to downed, dead trees previous to the notice. Some owners had only 2-4 dead trees while others had up to 40 dead trees on their property. There were 40 properties that had not removed their dead trees by November 3rd and were sent certified letters. The HOA will re-review those properties after December 4, 2022 before assessing fines.

It is the owner’s responsibility to continually mitigate their property. (See Section 23.01 Trees in Owners Regulations.) As difficult as that may be for some owners, we owe it to each other to keep our community safe by clearing all dead trees and slash annually.

Zebra Mussels Are A Colorado Problem too.

Have your boats and other watercraft been used in other lakes and streams? If so, you need to be aware that they may have been contaminated with Zebra Mussels and need to be cleaned before using them in Columbine Lake.

Recently, Zebra Mussels were found in Colorado and have been found in the Great Lakes and many other water systems as well. One female can produce over a million eggs per year. Because of their rapid reproduction zebra mussels can clog intakes and runoff infrastructures. They are believed to be the source of Avian Botulism, which has killed tens of thousands of birds in the Great Lakes. We need everyone’s help so we can we keep these aquatic intruders out of Columbine Lake.

Give Our Snow Removal Staff Space

In order to effectively clear snow from roadways, it is often necessary to operate plow trucks at higher speeds than posted. Heavy, wet snow cannot be moved without sufficient momentum. Operating at higher speeds also tends to lessen the wear and tear on our equipment. Since momentum is necessary for pushing heavy loads, be advised that plow trucks can not always stop at a stop sign. And remember, driving too closely behind plow trucks is extremely dangerous. Please give our plow truck operators the space needed to complete their service.

Lake Ice Thickness Varies!

Lake surfaces freeze at uneven rates. Water is more dense than ice, that's why it always floats on the surface. Variations in depth, and water for from intakes and runoffs slow the freezing process. Use of ice surface is at your own risk. Exercise extreme caution!

Under 15MPH For Everyone's Safety

Using caution in the neighborhood is always important. Remember, winter road conditions may limit your ability to control your vehicle's performance. As a driver, keep it slow. While walking the roads please be aware of your surroundings. And remember sledding on Columbine roads is prohibited. Below is a link to some great sledding opportunities for the whole family.

Sledding In GL