The Board approved the 2020 Paint Committee Chairman’s establishment of working groups towards the potential painting late in 2020.
The Chairmen has issued a request for other volunteers to support the working groups. This is a major community project for the year 2020. There is a Masters House Painting Project section on our website that will contain information as available.
The Board discussed the operational plans for this summer/ fall period with many away from the Masters. Details included actions needed if severe storms or incidents take place, along with normal operations. Cambridge Management will be a focal point for reporting on hurricanes etc. to Board members. Emergency contacts are in place, as needed.
Residents are reminded that the Board plans to use our community website for updated communication for the many residents that are not in the Masters.
A backflow preventer is a device that’s installed on your home’s water pipes that allows water to flow in one direction but never in the opposite direction. Its sole job is to prevent drinking water from being contaminated due to backflow.
typical configuration of a backflow preventer
The backflow preventer is in front of the house near your driveway. It’s typically 12 feet from the road, with the pipe coming up from the ground in a u-shape; about 2 feet above ground with a mechanism in the middle.
LEE COUNTY ORDINANCE 95-21, states that the customers responsibility begins at the service connection with the public potable water system and includes all of the customers’ private water system. The customer shall protect the private water system against actual or potential cross connection or backflow as required by the Lee County Utilities Cross-Connection Control Policy, the Standard Plumbing Code and all other-applicable state or federal regulations.
Furthermore, the customer shall provide for routine testing of backflow prevention devices, maintain accurate records of tests and repairs made to the devices. However, Lee county Utilities does not require annual inspections or filing with their department. The owner is responsible for maintaining maintenance records in the event of an incident.
All costs incurred for device purchases, installations, maintenance, testing and repairs are to be paid by the customer.
As for possible service providers, we do not recommend any specific vendor since there are many available;
Neighbors who required and used a service provided the following:
The website committee is available to post information and send out blast emails to residents on our list. We do not create the content, but are willing to assist you with this.
Your submission will be edited for flow and clarity, and will then be sent back to you for sign-off prior to posting. Cut and paste is tricky for this website but we will do our best to clean things up with consistent formatting.
Please send an email to info@masters33928 using the format shown below.
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The 2020 painting project has been launched. This is an
exciting initiative as we are looking at introducing new house color schemes.
We will form two working groups; an aesthetics working group, responsible for color selection, approvals and homeowner sign-off; and an operations working group, responsible for preparing houses for painting, the bid process and painting through to the distribution of the leftover paint.
We are launching our project now to allow the working groups
ample time to prepare during the off-season and be ready to hit the road
running when the next season starts. It’s early, but we wanted to get a head
start on the significant effort required to be ready for the start of
painting in the fall of 2020.
The working teams will be guided and supported by the
Masters ARC Committee, with two Committee members serving as working group
leaders. The leaders are:
Aesthetics – Pat Becker with assistance
from Sue Plummer.
Operations – Ellen Hedlund with assistance
from Ric Ellis.
We need three or four volunteers for each working group. Please
let us know by May 1, 2019, if you are interested. Your participation is key to
our success.
The Aesthetics working group is expected to commence preliminary
investigations over the summer and by year-end having a good indication of
our new color palettes. Their work is anticipated to wind up by April 2020. If
you are interested in serving on this working group, please contact Pat at pabecker51@gmail.com
The Operations working group will also commence preliminary
investigations over the summer. We expect the busy period to be next year. Heather
Keel from Cambridge Property Management will assist the team. If you are
interested in serving on this working group, please contact Ellen at ellen.p.hedlund@gmail.com
Jean and Frank Lee have discovered that toilet paper is not considered a necessary item to be purchased with food stamps.
Those who are willing to contribute packages of toilet paper for distribution to the Interfaith Charity, may leave the packages at the Lee’s doorstep at: 21764 Masters Circle.
An NVR meeting is being called to vote on the most recent revisions to the ARC Guidelines and Procedures (attached) which were approved by the Board of Directors on February 14, 2019. This meeting is being called for Tuesday, April 9th at 2:30pm, just before the April Board Workshop.
I am polling the community to determine if you wish to approve these revisions.
Although the document is long the changes are detailed in red ink.
Article by Scotty Wood circulated by Estero Council of Community Leaders
DR/GR stands for Density Reduction / Groundwater Resource. It is a large area of land (over 80,000 acres) just east of Estero that was established jointly in 1990 by the State of Florida and Lee County with the specific purpose of protecting the principal water supply for most of Southwest Florida, including both Estero and Bonita Springs as well as Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and areas of Naples. The density reduction name refers to how land was to be developed in this precious natural area – only one home per 20 acres of land.
What is happening? For several years, the five person Lee County Board of County Commissioners has encouraged development of the DR/GR, alleging that development will not harm the groundwater resource property. Developers have successfully lobbied the Board and produced so-called scientific studies that support a pro-development position.
Studies done by several independent agencies, including FGCU, show just the opposite effect, predicting that development in the DR/GR could cause it to lose its ability to safely collect rainwater, leach it down to the main aquifers that store our water, and thereby permanently harm our water supply. Not to even mention the adverse effect on our wildlife habitat, of which the DR/GR is a principal part.
The Lee County Commissioners have quietly pursued development which has lacked transparency and now seek to eliminate something called MAP 14, which defines the area and restricts development. The effect of this would be to open lime rock mining and development in this precious area. Lime rock mining is one of the harshest forms of activity that a land area can experience. They allege that Lime Rock supplies are dwindling and new mines need to be opened. Again, independent studies note that there are adequate supplies of Lime Rock for at least 25 years.
Is the DR/GR area being developed? Yes, there are new developments under construction or pending that total 4,450 units that directly impact the DR/GR area. Pepperland Ranch plans 700 homes, The Place at Estero is already building 1,325 homes, and Wild Blue has started another 1,000 units. Verdana approval is pending for another 1,425 units. Drive seven miles east on Corkscrew Road past I-75 and see for yourself. The one home per 20 acres is being replaced by much denser construction, as many as 12 homes per acre. This does not include all impervious surfaces, roads, parking lots, etc. nor does it include the commercial, educational, and retail development that will be necessary to support all the residential construction.
Why should you care? Your water supply is at risk – traffic is at risk – public safety is at risk but, unfortunately, the Village of Estero has no authority to regulate this reckless development in unincorporated Lee County to our immediate east. Since Corkscrew Road is the principal access/egress, we are the victims, not the benefactors.
What can you do? Write the Lee County Commissioners and demand that they stop development of the DR/GR and maintain Map 14 development restrictions that preserve and protect our water supply. Attend their meetings and voice your concern. They meet at 9:30am on the first and third Tuesdays of each month in the Lee County Building in Downtown Fort Myers. There is always a public input opportunity required by law. The Commissioners and their contact info are:
The developers have very, very deep pockets, so a grass roots public campaign must occur – you are urged to share this information as widely as possible. Many Estero communities have launched efforts like this to inform the public and urge public action.
Don, Ben, and I thank you all for participating with your great spirit of friendly competition. We each got to know each a little better.
It was really nice as I went around after the playoffs yesterday to see that it didn’t matter if you were competing for first place or next to last place you still wanted to win during the game but afterwards win or lose you were happy and appreciative of your team and the other team.