Below is a letter to the SHOA Board of Directors written before Michelle and I moved here in April 2021. This letter was given to me about a year ago by a concerned HOA member (not the author) after I began to wonder out loud why was our natural common area being damaged, bit by bit? I came to realize that I was not the only one concerned about our steady loss of wildlife habitat. So here is the letter which inspired this website:
“I recently lost my little piece of heaven that I have enjoyed for the last almost 7 years that I have lived in Staffordshire. The main reason I purchased this property rather than one of several others I viewed that were larger and in much better condition is because of the location near our little wetland area.
I have enjoyed being serenaded by the peep frogs each spring, usually starting around February 7, followed later by the songs of several species of birds. I especially loved to hear the distinctive, melodic song of the Red Winged Blackbirds who nested and sang in the reeds and cattails. I’ve enjoyed watching the ducks swimming and bathing in the pond, and watching the pairs with their broods of ducklings in the common area nearby. I have looked forward to seeing “Big Bird” – the Great Blue Heron- as she stood so tall and still watching intently for the next meal for her or her babies, sometimes while being bombarded by the Red Winged Blackbirds trying to scare her away from their nests in the tall grass. I will admit I was not crazy about the geese and the mess they created but they sometimes were comical to watch and it was amazing to see them all face the same direction and take flight simultaneously in that direction.
I ask WHY? What was the purpose of demolishing this little area of wetland? Was it an eyesore to some? Was it a noisy distraction when the frogs were performing their nightly concert? Was it a danger to our community? I doubt that since most wetland areas are protected by the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) and permits are usually required to disturb them even if located on private land.
Will the frogs, colorful dragonflies, birds, ducks, geese and the Great Blue Heron ever return for those of us who enjoy watching and listening to the calming effect of nature?
I am not usually a very outspoken person nor do I write letters but I do have a few more questions while I am at it!
How much of our SHOA dues were used for this destruction? It was not all done by volunteers! It involved several days of tractor use, fuel for dredging the pond area and multiple trips to the compost area with the material that was removed and even several days of work from our maintenance personnel. Was it budgeted for? Was a permit obtained from the DSL? Where is the transparency to let homeowners know about what is being done in/to our community?
I understand that the common areas are owned by the home owners and, to be sure, we elect board members we trust to manage our community the way it seems best for all, but there are many home owners that would like to know about projects beforehand so they could have a voice in ones that affect them.
Blackberries? Were they harmful to our community? They were plentiful and delicious! Many people enjoyed pies and other desserts annually!
Where were the people looking after the best interest of our community during the 2019 storm that left our roadways covered with several inches of snow for several days? At least one person said that if they hadn’t had a 4 wheel drive vehicle they would not have been able to get into Staffordshire!
Hopefully the newly formed Landscape Committee or Greenway Common Area Committee will allow for much more community input before projects take place , trees that are cut will be replaced so that habitat for wildlife is not impacted unfavorably, and if possible, trees will not be planted where they will block views that people enjoy.”
Anonymous
Below is a letter to the SHOA Board of Directors written before Michelle and I moved here in April 2021. This letter was given to me about a year ago by a concerned HOA member (not the author) after I began to wonder out loud why was our natural common area being damaged, bit by bit? I came to realize that I was not the only one concerned about our steady loss of wildlife habitat. So here is the letter which inspired this website:
“I recently lost my little piece of heaven that I have enjoyed for the last almost 7 years that I have lived in Staffordshire. The main reason I purchased this property rather than one of several others I viewed that were larger and in much better condition is because of the location near our little wetland area.
I have enjoyed being serenaded by the peep frogs each spring, usually starting around February 7, followed later by the songs of several species of birds. I especially loved to hear the distinctive, melodic song of the Red Winged Blackbirds who nested and sang in the reeds and cattails. I’ve enjoyed watching the ducks swimming and bathing in the pond, and watching the pairs with their broods of ducklings in the common area nearby. I have looked forward to seeing “Big Bird” – the Great Blue Heron- as she stood so tall and still watching intently for the next meal for her or her babies, sometimes while being bombarded by the Red Winged Blackbirds trying to scare her away from their nests in the tall grass. I will admit I was not crazy about the geese and the mess they created but they sometimes were comical to watch and it was amazing to see them all face the same direction and take flight simultaneously in that direction.
I ask WHY? What was the purpose of demolishing this little area of wetland? Was it an eyesore to some? Was it a noisy distraction when the frogs were performing their nightly concert? Was it a danger to our community? I doubt that since most wetland areas are protected by the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) and permits are usually required to disturb them even if located on private land.
Will the frogs, colorful dragonflies, birds, ducks, geese and the Great Blue Heron ever return for those of us who enjoy watching and listening to the calming effect of nature?
I am not usually a very outspoken person nor do I write letters but I do have a few more questions while I am at it!
How much of our SHOA dues were used for this destruction? It was not all done by volunteers! It involved several days of tractor use, fuel for dredging the pond area and multiple trips to the compost area with the material that was removed and even several days of work from our maintenance personnel. Was it budgeted for? Was a permit obtained from the DSL? Where is the transparency to let homeowners know about what is being done in/to our community?
I understand that the common areas are owned by the home owners and, to be sure, we elect board members we trust to manage our community the way it seems best for all, but there are many home owners that would like to know about projects beforehand so they could have a voice in ones that affect them.
Blackberries? Were they harmful to our community? They were plentiful and delicious! Many people enjoyed pies and other desserts annually!
Where were the people looking after the best interest of our community during the 2019 storm that left our roadways covered with several inches of snow for several days? At least one person said that if they hadn’t had a 4 wheel drive vehicle they would not have been able to get into Staffordshire!
Hopefully the newly formed Landscape Committee or Greenway Common Area Committee will allow for much more community input before projects take place , trees that are cut will be replaced so that habitat for wildlife is not impacted unfavorably, and if possible, trees will not be planted where they will block views that people enjoy.”
Anonymous
Feel free to comment on this article or share your thoughts on what you think this website could do to improve the health, welfare and safety of our community here in Staffordshire Estates.
Now, we learn that the prior Maintenance Director has been spreading an herbicide called Crossbow for years without informing the residents of Staffordshire. Crossbow is non-selective and continues to kill for a year.
Thank goodness our HOA president has put a stop to this. Thank you, Judy Kearkuff!
8/30/2023 Update: I gave my thanks too soon. Our prior HOA president was going to allow further Crossbow application until members objected and the Oregon State Pesticide Incident investigator arrived to interview the applicator, his supervisor and other community members who were affected by the pesticide incident. The investigation is ongoing, so I will withhold further comment until the lab results of soil samples are known.
Steve Short
This article only describes one instance of habitat destruction. One benefit of my efforts will be that this kind of complaint will never again be necessary in Staffordshire Estates.
Hi, this is Steve Short. This website is built to help anyone with a stake in Staffordshire to share their thoughts about any issues.
I created this website to help Staffordshire residents and homeowners protect their health, safety and welfare. Please support me as I ask the present boards of directors to answer some concerns about how Staffordshire Estates has been governed in the past.
Once the audits are completed and we have a factual understanding of the financial situation of Staffordshire , we can make informed decisions.
Resist the temptation to believe whatever is convenient and condemn those of us who seek the truth; these audits have the potential to reveal truths about how our past leadership behaved. I hope that all past leaders have acted with the best interests of Staffordshire in mind. The audits will either confirm or disprove what the past leadership has told the members.