The first major rain of the season is expected later this week and every person in the neighborhood has a responsibility for keeping the roads safe and open, so please review these important reminders.
1. Prepare now for the possibility of further landslides on our roads this winter.
Make sure you have sufficient food, water, medication, batteries, fuel, chargers, etc. in case the roads are closed for a few days.
If you aren't comfortable driving on certain roads, make a plan with a neighbor/friend/family member to get where you need to go or bring you things.
The Locust slide area, in particular, remains a significant risk. We have no way to predict if, when, or where but the Locust slide area is of greatest concern. We discussed this at our public meeting on October 26 and that we don't currently have enough money to finish clearing the material from last year's slides, conduct the geotechnical study, implement any of the mitigations needed to prevent future slides, and be able to pay to clear any slides that might happen this year. We removed the material on Aldercroft Heights Rd and along the downslope side of Locust based on the recommendation of the geologist, but the consensus of the Board and the community at the Oct. 26 meeting was to hold off on the study/mitigations until spring so we would have money to clear any new slides in the meantime.
2. Each property owner (usually) owns the portion of road adjacent to it and is responsible for maintaining that part of the road. We all have access to the road through mutual and reciprocal easements that extend 10ft. from the center point of the road. Each property owner should check their deed to see specific details about their parcel, but the entire road is owned by private owners rather than by North Aldercroft Association or Aldercroft Heights. Each owner is required to keep their part of the easement clear and passable.
NAA exists to make it easier to proportionally divvy up cost of road maintenance and coordinate maintenance projects, but does not own any portion of the road.
If there's something on your property that may cause the road to be blocked (ex. dead tree overhanging the road, clogged culvert, cracks, places where water could go over the side, etc), now is the time to get it repaired.
If you see a damage or an obstruction (cracks, landslide, downed tree, clogged culvert, etc) on your portion of the road, you are responsible for getting it cleared. NAA can help coordinate volunteers or if it's a big project that requires professional equipment or expertise, but the Board is only 6 non-expert community volunteers with other jobs, families, and commitments so it'll usually be faster for you to address the issue directly.
If you see an obstruction on a part of the road that you don't own, contact NAA via WhatsApp, at board@aldercroftheights.org, or through aldercroftheights.org as soon as possible. If you know who owns the property, we also recommend trying to contact them.
3. Please join the AH Emergency group on WhatsApp to receive alerts of any road closures or safety announcements. WhatsApp will be the primary--and in some cases only--source of information about safety issues affecting the roads. Please make sure all members of your household have WhatsApp installed on your mobile device and are in the AH Emergency group.
Click here to join the AH Emergency group on WhatsApp.
If you need help installing WhatsApp or accessing the AH Emergency group, please ask a neighbor, friend, or family member for help or contact NAA or Aldercroft Heights FireWise.
4. If you are able to help during an emergency, please join the new North Aldercroft Help group on WhatsApp. The NAA Board is only 6 non-expert community volunteers who all have full-time jobs, families, or other obligations. All of our budget and resources come from the North Aldercroft community; there is no city, county, state, or other government money or assistance of any kind. We need your help!
Projects could include anything from digging out a blocked culvert to sending an email, or anything in between.
We'll post requests for help in this group when needed.
It's up to all of us to keep our community safe. Thank you for your help!