Surfside Residents' Association Newsletter
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www.surfsideassociation.com
info@surfsideassociation.com
Asociación de la
Urbanización de Surfside (S.U.R.F.)
Apdo. 78-5111 – Surfside,
Pl. Potrero, Sta. Cruz,
Guanacaste, C.R.
Play Your Part!
Our theme for
this newsletter is “Play Your Part” as we believe that absolutely
everyone can contribute something to help make our community among
the best in the world. Whether you can contribute time, materials,
expertise or just your membership to Surfside Association AND our
Security Initiative, you can “play an important part”
24 June, 2007
Dear Surfside Property Owner,
Local development is changing our landscape weekly and, as a result,
Surfside’s population continues to grow at an increasing rate. With
growth, however, come responsibilities and needs. Our association goals
are to nurture these exciting changes while we continue to identify and
address our current and future Surfside needs and responsibilities.
Some of our key topics this year include road maintenance and
improvement, our bountiful local water supply and the protection of this
invaluable resource from exploitation and contamination, community
service and contributions, security/safety, and Surfside Association
membership benefits.
Our association is young and
rapidly becoming more useful and effective. Our board of directors
meets every week with the intention of moving SURF forward as
efficiently and effectively as possible. This year has been productive
though sluggish as our aspirations rely heavily on efforts that take up
time and energy from our contributing individuals. Among our goals as a
Board of Directors is to motivate our residents into donating some of
their time and energy into our community efforts. Please keep this in
mind that your participation in any of our endeavors will be rewarding
for you and for our community as well.
ROADS
SURF has a primary local role in
clearing the roads of litter and debris. We have streamlined our
working relations with our water board in an effort to help them and to
receive their assistance where possible and fruitful. The water board
has the primary community role of grading and maintaining the roads and
drainage routes. Currently, the water board and SURF are working
closely together on a project to facilitate the paving of the federal
road passing through our community.
WATER SUPPLY
Our Surfside water supply is
outstanding in both quality and quantity. Surfside sits directly atop
this incredible natural resource. The water board has done an exemplary
job in identifying our current and future needs and it is up to us to
support their efforts and protect ourselves from jeopardizing this
critical resource. Some areas of Costa Rica such as Tamarindo and
Playas Del Coco have run into major problems with their water supplies
including fecal contamination and physical and outright shortages. In
order to insure our future, we must address these issues now, today,
right now………
Our water supply in Surfside
originates less than a meter below the surface of the ground. It is
logical that this has inherent risks in that contamination from Septic
seepage, oil and black water runoff can easily enter and pollute our
water supply. The high density community zoning of surfside will likely
become a significant contamination risk as we approach just 40% density
or lot occupancy. With the building boom that has accelerated over that
past four years, we must take this topic seriously now.
A very good option in helping to
protect our water supply is the installation of a septic aeration
system. An example can be viewed at http://www.asapotrero.com/Wastewater
Treatment.htm This system, and similar options, release 95%+
pure water as the by-product and thus is imperative for most if not all
of our houses in Surfside. The system may be retrofit to an existing
home and should definitely be planned into any new construction
project. The cost difference for the installation of this particular
product in place of a standard septic tank system is approximately an
additional $2,000.00. This cost is offset over a short amount of time
as the water that is produced by the system may be reclaimed and used
for irrigation and other purposes.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Our newest push this year is for
our direct and more significant role in promoting and leading community
service efforts. We have identified many needy factions and have
narrowed our immediate goals to aiding the Potrero public school. The
Potrero public school has approximately 180 students with the capacity
for a maximum of 100 students. Further shortcomings include physical
assets such as basic supplies and inadequate building space for the
current and future prospects of the school. We are in the process of
organizing a major fundraising activity to benefit the school while we
are working with local community to explore the best options for
immediate relief and longer term operational perspectives.
SECURITY
Among the immediate potential
means of impacting our area security and safety is our current effort to
identify and install street lighting at strategic locations.
Additionally, and most significantly with respect to a cohesive and
effective effort among some of our active community leaders is our
security program that has now been in operation for three months.
Petty thievery has always been a
problem but, last year a series of armed home invasions made it very
clear that the service of a private security company was necessary.
Thanks to the persistent efforts of some of your neighbors, we now have
nightly motorcycle patrols through Surfside by two officials between
6:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. at a cost of $3,000 per month.
Community support for this program
has been good. Businesses pay $100 per month, homes and condos pay $30
per month and lot owners are encouraged to contribute $10 per month.
These payments are needed in a timely manner in order to keep this great
program running on this tight budget. Please consider joining our
efforts if you are not yet involved. Payments made quarterly for three
months of service at a time greatly help our program efficiency.
For those concerned with the value
of this program, please consider that we have had the project in
operation for 3 months and have had only one report of an incident
during the operational hours of our security patrol. Keep in mind that
this is quite promising when you consider that two motorcycles are
patrolling 800+ surfside lots on several kilometers of roads. This is
an exceptional result to this point and we all hope that this continues
in the same manner.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
As a paying member of the Surfside
Residents Association you will benefit from SURF and SURF will benefit
from you. Among the activities performed by SURF are general area
watchdog activities such as monitoring the property of members while
they are away. In Fact, SURF was the driving force behind the lengthy,
costly, and completed process of removing an expanding squatter problem
from our neighborhood. This story was published in the local paper
accessible at
www.thebeachtimes.com under a search for squatters.
Surfside Association also provides the
following services or intends to provide the following services with the
cooperation of additional volunteers or hired providers:
Welcome information for new and
existing members to include local issues and other pertinent
information.
Quarterly general meetings to
facilitate productive interaction and recruiting from the community
Existing and increasing community
service involvement
Area maintenance and cleanup
Green Zone management and oversight
Security oversight and implementation
Discounts to local merchants (in
process – El Castillo 10% locals discount card available immediately)
Local Nuisance consultations
Active neighborhood betterment efforts
including efforts to take back the beaches from Quads
Three key ingredients for Surfside property owners to protect their
property:9
·
Survey and fence your
lot(s);
·
Pay your municipal
taxes; and
·
Pay your S.U.R.F.
owners’ dues (form included).
As Surfside has become more developed, it has come to light that the
original map contained some discrepancies which have had a significant
impact on some properties. Some lots have shrunk and some have
disappeared entirely. It is important to survey your property and to
keep it fenced in order to protect your investment.
Each year the Municipality of Santa
Cruz “finds” many Surfside properties with outstanding tax obligations.
Many people believe that you don’t have to pay taxes until you have
built a house on your property. Property taxes are minimal, but they
are due every year whether you have built on you lot or not. Pay your
taxes; they’re not much—often between $25 and $30 per lot per year.
Your S.U.R.F. membership dues make a
difference. Surfside association is a growing entity that has growing
expenses. Every dollar spent is on behalf of the community so your
membership dues are an investment in yourself and your community.
You can read about all-of-the-above on
the S.U.R.F. website,
www.surfsideassociation.com Owners are encouraged to keep up to
date on Surfside current events by checking this website from time to
time. Feel free to add your name, etc. to the Surfside directory and
contribute your ideas and thoughts to the Forum.
It costs money to accomplish all that
the Association is doing, and would like to do, to keep Surfside a
wonderful place to spend time. Those of us who pay our dues are bearing
the total financial burden for the upkeep of a community of which your
property is a part. If you have not already done so, please pay your
dues now. Fill out the form below and send it, along with your check,
to the address indicated. If you have a Banco de Costa Rica account and
would prefer to pay by bank transfer, the S.U.R.F. savings (ahorros)
account number is 325-2009-5. Please help us keep
our area safe and the place where we want to be.
Surfside Property Owners’ Association
P.S. ....and big thank-you to those of
you who have already paid!!!!
Asociación de la Urbanización de Surfside (S.U.R.F.)
Apdo. 78 - 5111 – Supermercado Surfside, Pl.
Potrero, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste
Costa Rica |
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