Here We Go Again

Almost ten months ago to the day, this exact window was etched by one of Santa Ana's "scratchitti artists". Today, this window once again became the target our newest enemy.

Being that our Association has taken a lax position on glass etching removal, and the city of Santa Ana offers no solutions by way of removal assistance, this problem will only continue to get worse.

There is fine line where graffiti could be considered art, but this recent act of vandalism holds no artistic merit and pisses me off.

During next month's Association meeting, I'm going to move that our Association give homeowners the option of replacing the window pane within three days, or to have the Association pay for someone to buff out the glass–a solution that yields questionable results, but at least removes the eyesore.

Association Meeting Thursday (07/17) @ 6PM

When: July 17/6:00PM
Where: Santiago Street Loft Sales Office

Landscaping, lighting and window washing to be discussed.
I'm hoping that Lennar will make a graceful exit once they've completed the final phase with a courtesy window washing.

Can't make the meeting but have an issue with our Association?
Go ahead and leave a comment on this thread or the community Google Group and it will be addressed.

Trash Talk

Many residents struggle to fit their two 96-gallon trash/recycling bins into their garages here at the Santiago Street Lofts. Although Association rules state that the bins need to be stored within the garage on non-trash pick-up days, for one reason or another, some folks just can't make space for the two large bins.

If by trash day your 96-gallon bin is only half way full, you might want to consider downsizing to a 64 or 32 35-gallon receptacle.

To do so, contact Waste Management of Orange County's customer service at (714) 558-7761. On trash day, your bins will be swapped out for your chosen size.

Holiday Schedule
Waste collection does not occur on the following days:

• New Year's Day
• Memorial Day
• 4th of July
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

Our normal trash collection day is Friday, but during the week of the listed holidays, collection is on Saturday (unless the holiday falls on a Saturday).

Trash (maroon) Bin
Items that can be placed in trash containers:

• Disposable diapers
• Drinking glasses
• Pet-soiled paper
• Window glass
• Pet waste
• Auto glass
• Soiled/greasy paper plates or pizza boxes
• Mirrors
• Napkins
• Paint cans (empty)
• Waxed and coated paper
• Oil cans (empty)
• Aluminum foil
• Rubber/latex items
• Microwave dinner trays
• Plastic bags (grocery or dry cleaner)
• Butter tubs
• Taggers
• Potting containers
• Clothing
• Styrofoam
• Foam padding
• Toys
• Carpeting
• Steel items
• Ceramics
• Palm fronds

Recycling (gray) Bin
Items that can be placed in recycling containers:

• Glass bottles/jars (all colors)
• Cardboard
• Mixed papers
• Junk mail/magazines
• Newspapers
• Plastic bottles/jars (CRV# 1 & 2)
• Plastic milk containers
• Metal cans
• Plastic beverage bottles (CRV# 1-7)
• Frozen food boxes
• Cereal boxes (with plastic liner removed)
• Empty paper towel and bath tissue rolls

Items that should NOT be placed in recycling containers:

• Paper towels and tissues
• Plates and napkins
• Styrofoam
• Plastic/paper cups
• Aluminum foil
• Pizza boxes
• Cardboard milk containers

For more information, download this flyer or visit the Waste Management website here.

04/17 Association Meeting

In case you missed the notice in your last HOA statement, there's an association meeting tonight at 6PM in the loft sales office.

UPDATE: Meeting Notes

Parking
The abuse of guest parking was addressed.
Painting the curb to read "Visitor Only" is the first step to deter residents from using those spots.

The next step (if needed) will be to tow vehicles as stated by Lester Tucker (OBAMF) of Lennar.

Landscaping
Although during the last meeting it was stated that Villa Park was "out", they've shown some improvement and OBAMF is willing to give them another 60 days.
Villa Park will also be spraying the bamboo trees for those little fruit flies(?) that invade your house when you open your windows.

I asked if the gardeners can let the bamboo and wall-climbing vines grow a little and not butcher them like a Marine's haircut when they do trim them--
(Gary from Villa Park told me this morning that they keep the bamboo short being that it was a requirement by the fire dept. and the vines short cause his guys can't reach if they get too tall...hmm).

Signs and Banners
The SSL banner on DiRienzo's building and the one missing in front of 704 Santiago are to be repaired/replaced immediately as stated by OBAMF.

Stucco and Paint Damage
The red building facing Civic Center Dr. has had stucco damage for quite some time now.
Eddie "The Man" Cano should be looking into this soon.

I believe that covers the gist of it.

Association Meeting Tonight @ 6PM

For those of you that have a bone to pick with Keystone Property Management, now is the time to sharpen your pitchforks and light your torches.

When/Where: 6PM inside the loft sales office (2nd floor).

***UPDATE***For those of you that missed the meeting:

1. Villa Park Landscaping is on their way out after a year and a half of disappointing service


2. Power washing (which is already in the budget) of the walkways is scheduled for a minimum of twice a year


3. Semiannual (exterior) window cleaning will be looked into due to surplus in association funds


4. The removal of etched graffiti on glass windows is approaching enforcement (fines)


5. We all agree that (Lennar) Eddie is overworked and under appreciated


6. Graffiti clean-up by the company contracted by the association needs to happen quicker and actually completely cover it up


7. Lester Tucker, our new Association president seems to be on the ball


8. The security guards are not to be sleeping in their cars (duh)
   


9. Fines for not putting trash bins back in your garage are going to be assessed (they should have been already)
   


10. The monopoly as to who can make the metal business signs will be lifted
    

We had a great showing tonight. Thank you everyone who came!

In Case of Boredom, Break Glass

Saturday night (12/08) between the hours of 6PM and 8:45PM, another community-owned fire extinguisher was stolen near 702 N. Santiago Street.

A short while back, the fire extinguisher next to 904 Poinsettia Street was being stolen on a weekly basis. Eventually, the extinguisher was relocated to a spot where potential thieves could easily be targeted, then beaten.

Hopefully once the lot across the street is redeveloped, the folks on N. Santiago Street will have someone watching their backs (er, fronts).

A police report was filed, given a case number of #0747174.

Thanks goes out to El Diablo Blanco for the heads up on this one.

Come and Get It!

Last Monday (12/03), I sent an email to Keystone Pacific notifying them that all of the exterior lights on building 9 (facing Santa Ana Boulevard) have not been turning on when the sun goes down. Here is the response I received that same day:

"Thank you for the update on the lights. I’m sorry this is still outstanding. My Associate is on the phone with Sundown Lighting right now."

Thankfully, none of the windows have been etched while that building sits in the dark as a prime target, but we still have to make it through Sunday night, a popular night for graffiti in Santa Ana.

In my opinion, should something happen to this building before these lights are fixed, the homeowners shouldn’t be the ones responsible for the costs. I will be placing a call into Keystone tomorrow morning to once again address this issue.

The Cost of Living (on the street)

I contacted Kim Dean over at Keystone Pacific, our property management company, about what steps we as homeowners need to take in order to get the glass on the roll-up doors covered by the association. Here is her response:

"We would need to get legal counsel involved in order to make the glass an HOA responsibility. This probably would not happen until the community is built out and off the DRE Budget. The Association currently does not have the funds to cover this expense."

Unfortunately, the extra $60,000 spent to have a unit facing the street has yet to pay off, with the exception of a great view of people who constantly pick through the trashcans and the sidewalk's never-ending stroller traffic.

New Glass Etchings

It was only a matter of time until a glass-etching tagger made his way into our neighborhood, again. This time, it happened to "phase 2" units on the North side of Santa Ana Boulevard, Santiago Street, and Civic Center Drive.

Unfortunately, the glass on the first floor (with the exception of the front door) is not covered by our association. This translates into the etchings being more likely to stay up longer, as opposed to painted graffiti that can be easily cleaned/painted over, which in turn is an invitation to future or additional etchings.

Replacement of one window pane on the roll-up door(s) can run from $200-$300 dollars (installed). There are products available such as Vandal Shield available that act as a sacrificial layer. After the film has been etched, a new film will need to be reapplied.

Believe it or not, Santa Ana has a pretty decent graffiti clean-up program. The key is that it relies heavily on citizen participation to report incidents. Also, should you assist with the arresting of an individual who is defacing public/private property, the City of Santa Ana will mail you a check for $500! Just make sure you fill out the police report and you may also need to follow up to collect your check.

If you see graffiti happening, don't call 911. 911 can't help you and being dialed from a cell phone connects you to Highway Patrol.

Call Santa Ana Police @ (714) 834-4211.

Be ready with your location (cross streets and addresses help), a description of the person(s) committing the act including race, clothing type and color, and anything else such as spray paint color.

For immediate graffiti clean-up in Santa Ana, call 877-786-7824.

For graffiti found in unincorporated areas/County-owned and maintained property, call (714) 834-3400.

Read more about graffiti clean-up in Santa Ana here.

Read more about the Santa Ana Graffiti Reward Program here.