The Welcome Center and Golf Course will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Fitness Center will be staffed on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, but closed on Christmas Day. All facilities will reopen on Thursday, December 26th. Happy holidays, and safe travels!

The Welcome Center, Fitness Center, and Golf Course will all be closed on Thanksgiving day, Thursday, November 28th. The Fitness Center and Golf Course will re-open on Friday, November 29th, but the Welcome Center will remain closed until the following Monday, December 2nd.

SVCA has been working since Tuesday night to clear the roads and remove hazardous trees. At this time, all roads are open. Maintenance is currently evaluating trees that have been reported to Administration as potentially hazardous and removing them, if indicated. Once all hazard trees are removed, we will turn our attention to cleanup. SVCA’s Maintenance Team is being assisted by local tree removal companies so that we can quickly respond to emergency situations.

The amount of damage to Sudden Valley homes caused by Tuesday’s windstorm is astronomical. Unfortunately, it does not reach the threshold needed to get access to Federal or State emergency funds, such as FEMA. SVCA is working with Whatcom County and with national volunteer groups to get assistance for homeowners. To get help, please follow the directions given below.

A Tree is Threatening Your Property and it’s on SVCA Property

If a tree is threatening your property and you believe it is located on SVCA property, please fill out a Tree Trimming or Removal Request (available online) and send it to office@suddenvalley.com. Click HERE for the form. If you can’t print the form, we have paper copies available at the Welcome Center, 1850 Lake Whatcom Blvd, just inside Gate 2.

A Tree is Threatening Your Property and it’s on a Neighbor’s Property

Get in touch with your neighbor about the tree immediately. If they don’t live on the property, contact SVCA Administration for help finding their contact information.

Your Home was Damaged

If your home was damaged, please contact your insurance company immediately. Also contact SVCA Administration if the damage is severe and you need help. We can put you in touch with local assistance groups once we know what kind of help you need.

If You Need Help Clearing Debris

Beginning December 2^nd, SVCA will clear debris that is brought to the roadside, just as we do during Firewise. This time, however, we are not limiting the debris to 8” or less in diameter. We will clear all debris piled next to the road. If you need help getting debris to the roadside, please call Administration. We are working with a national group, Team Rubicon, to get onsite help for individual homeowners.

You can reach SVCA Administration at 360-734-6430. Phones are staffed between 8am and 5pm, but you can leave a message at any time.

There are many downed trees throughout the Association from Tuesday night’s windstorm. SVCA Maintenance teams worked through the night to be sure that first responders could reach the properties where emergencies had been reported. Maintenance and Turfcare staff have been working since the early morning to clear the roads. All primary and secondary roads are now passable and the remaining residential roads should be open by mid-afternoon today (Wednesday). Once all the roads are open, crews will start to remove leaning or downed trees from alongside the roadways.

If you are aware of trees on SVCA property that pose a threat, please report them to Administration as soon as possible. Phones are not working, but should be restored this afternoon. You can also email us at office@suddenvalley.com.

Many homes have been damaged by falling trees and limbs. Homeowners are responsible for clearing downed trees/limbs from their property. SVCA will work with Whatcom County to organize a project to remove debris. At this time, residents are advised to pile chippable debris less than 8″ in diameter at the roadside, being careful not to block the road or the drainage ditches. Debris that is more than 8″ in diameter should be piled separately.

Street sweeping will begin today, Monday, November 18, and continue for 3-4 days. During this time, Sudden Valley Maintenance will drive street sweepers through each gate and clear the roads of leaves and debris. Maintenance will start with Gates 2 and 5, followed by Gate 1, and then Gates 3, 5 and 13.

Please drive carefully!

Join your neighbors on Saturday, October 19th, between 3 and 5 PM for an informal Meet & Greet with the candidates running for office. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and get to know each candidate personally. The event will be held in the Dance Barn on the second floor of the Community Center at 8 Barn View Drive inside Gate 2. Light refreshments will be served. We hope you will join us!

SVCA’s Board of Directors approved the virtual participation of community members in meetings at the September 12th meeting. Members who would like to make a comment during the Homeowner Comment portion of the agenda can do so via Zoom. The attendee link can be found on the Board of Directors page on SuddenValley.com. The link is also given here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86704997445

Meetings will continue to be livestreamed on YouTube for those members who prefer to watch the meetings without participating. Members are also welcome to participate in person; beginning Thursday, September 26th, meetings of he Board will be held in Multipurpose Room A on the first floor of the Community Center (8 Barn View Court).

As we prepare for our upcoming Candidate Forums on October 2 and October 13, the Nominations and Elections Committee invites you to submit questions for the candidates. This is your opportunity to ask about the issues you care about.  “What concerns you in the Valley?  What do you want candidates to speak to?” 
 
Please note that not every question submitted may be asked, because of time constraints, or if several questions on the same topic need to be consolidated. We want to ensure a thoughtful and engaging forum that addresses a wide range of concerns.
 
Send your questions/topics/concerns to GailChiarello@comcast.net as soon as possible!  Thank you for your involvement in this important process!
 
Gail Chiarello
Forum Moderator

While working to restore a culvert on Monday morning, 9/9/24, Granite Construction hit an unmarked cable, cutting power to the SVCA Marina. No other customers have been affected. Association staff are working with PSE to restore power, but, until then, the bathrooms are closed and the card readers controlling access to the wet slip docks are not working. If you need access to your boat, please call SVCA Security at 360-319-8200. We apologize for the inconvenience and will do everything we can to ensure that power is restored as soon as possible.

The Nominations & Elections Committee met at 4:45 pm on Tuesday, September 3rd, to open the candidate applications for the 2024 election. There are five (5) candidates for the Board of Directors:

• Rick Asai
• Ray Meador
• Nancy Alyanak
• Taimi Van de Polder
• Tom Henning

There are two (2) candidates for the Architectural Control Committee:

• Allen Helvajian
• Daniel Vink

The dates for this year’s candidate forums will be announced later this week.