Items of interest

FIREWISE CHIPPING: We'll have two Firewise chipping events once again this year, courtesy of the CSFD.  The first will be during the week of 9-13 May and the second will occur the week of 10-14 October.  Don't forget, YOU MUST REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE AND YOU MUST SIGN UP FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL CHIPPING SESSION IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN BOTH.  Details on the Firewise chipping program can be found here. 

FIREWISE EDUCATION: The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) Firewise program presented an excellent education meeting from 7-8 PM on Thursday, 21 April. One of the requirements for participation in the Firewise chipping program is either a site evaluation of the fire danger to your property or attendance at a Firewise neighborhood education meeting within the past 5 years. Only 17 residents attended this year, but we intend to try to schedule another meeting in 2023.

DUMPSTER DAZE: Our spring cleanup event will occur the weekend of May 21-22, once again at 7143 and 7147 Wintery Loop. Details are available here.

EL PASO COUNTY 'CLEAN SWEEP" EVENT: Trying to get rid of old TV's, monitors and other electronic devices? How about that old mattress and box springs, tires, batteries and other items not normally accepted at the County Household Hazardous Waste Facility? This is your chance to "dump" them, but you must register online to do so. Mark your calendars! The next Clean Sweep event will be on Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 3255 Akers Dr, 80922 (El Paso County Household Hazardous Waste Facility).

LOCKING MAILBOXES: Based on the popularity of our locking mailbox program, your Board approved Phase V and we now have mailboxes in-house. However, as with most everything else, our purchase price increased significantly. The Board agreed at their April 2022 meeting to absorb a portion of the price increase to continue to be able to continue to offer locking mailboxes to our members at a substantial savings. Details are available here.

WATERING RESTRICTIONS: We remain under the Colorado Springs Utilities water conservation measures limiting the conditions and frequency of watering we may do on our lawns, shrubs and trees, and the rules will again be more restrictive starting 1 May. Details of the water conservation program can be found here.

CHANGE TO OUR DNA  PROGRAM: At their January meeting, your Board approved a trial change to our Discovery Neighborhood Assistance program for 2021. We are aware of situations in Discovery which could benefit from the program, including such things as home maintenance, landscaping, snow removal and just simple economic hardship. Those are the challenges that our voluntary contributions are intended to address. For whatever reason, we have had very few occasions in the recent past to help address those challenges. Therefore, your Board agreed to set aside DNA funds to encourage "neighbor-to-neighbor" inputs to help meet those challenges. If you are aware of a Discovery neighbor who could benefit from a little help from our DNA program, please go here for details and instructions. 

BURN RESTRICTIONS: We are still in "Severe drought condition" and Burn Restrictions enacted by the Colorado Springs Fire Department on Friday, April 17, 2020 are still in effect. A guide to provide clarity as to what is and is not allowed can be found here. These restrictions will reduce the threat of wildfires in Discovery and limit the exposure to the fire crews called upon to respond to a wildfire. 

FIRE PITS: We fielded a question earlier about whether fire pits are allowed in Discovery. The short answer is, "YES," but their use is restricted until the Colorado Springs Fire Department lifts the current Fire Restrictions (see above). Please access our FAQs for more detailed information. While Governor Polis lifted the statewide burn ban, OPEN FIRES ARE STILL NOT ALLOWED.  This means, if you want to enjoy your fire pit in the coming winter days, you MUST cover it with a screen or other means of controlling rising embers.

SPRING YARD MAINTENANCE TIPS: Now is the time to prepare your yard for a healthy summer. Catherine M. of Colorado Springs Utilities offers 5 tips for spring maintenance here. 

SIDEWALK OBSTRUCTIONS: As mentioned earlier, some of our mature shrubs (particularly junipers and pines!) extend over our sidewalks and thus interfere with clear passage. This is particularly a problem when they are weighed down with snow and ice. City Ordinance 3.4.103 requires: "Every owner and occupant of real property within the City shall keep the public sidewalks which abut or are adjacent to their real property, or public sidewalks located upon real property subject to a public easement or right of way, in a clean condition free from projections and obstructions across the surface, debris, litter, or dangerous conditions not involving the structural integrity of the sidewalk."  

In addition, our Covenants require that you maintain your trees and shrubs at intersections in a manner that ensures a clear sight line of oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, we have received a number of complaints. Please check your shrubs and trees and trim them back as necessary so you won't be surprised by communication from the Board that someone else has noticed your "obstruction" and complained. If you cannot trim them back for whatever reason, please contact our Administrator (Rick Midtbo, 719-964-4122) - we can help!

Sheds!

We are aware of the presence of a few storage sheds in Discovery. Some were approved…and some “magically appeared.”  No further violations of ARC Approval will be permitted. Any future sheds discovered to have been constructed without ARC approval will be subject to relocation or removal at the owner's expense.  Please review the information on sheds in our FAQ area before you decide if you need a shed in your yard.


Your Spring 2022 Newsletter is now available in the Documents area. We hope you find it both interesting and useful.