Letter Regarding the Gate

Michelle has composed a letter and asked me to post it for the neighbors to read. It basically outlines the facts related to our gate. It will be sent to those who have a stake in Grand Firs (the banks, Mahan's team, Renaissance Homes, etc.). Jim asked to add a few comments at the end.

Hello everyone,

I am just writing to address a situation that happened in our community recently. Jim Ehnborn received a call the other day that someone was cutting the lock off the control box to our gate. By the time he got there, the lock had been cut and the control box was manipulated to have the gate open 24/7, and then a new lock was placed on the box.

For a little background on this situation...On January 11th, Jim Seldon sent me an email and agreed to let myself or Jim Ehnborn pick up the software to run the gate, with the stipulation that we kept a code for the realtors. Mandy and Chris Johnson agreed graciously to volunteer their time and effort to get our gate running again. Several homoewners came together and repaired the gate and purchased parts at their own cost to fix it. At that time, the only parties in this development were Michael Mastro, all the individual homeowners (Grand Firs Alliance), Winterwood Green and Washington Federal. We conducted several community meetings in which everyone was notified and invited to come. A vote was taken of those in attendance. We all wished to have the gates closed for our own protection. There was vandalism, car thefts, drug crimes, prostitution and drunk drivers coming through our neighborhood at all hours of the day, and we had had enough of it.

I think it is no secret that there is some disagreement within this community about when the gates should be open and who should be allowed to use them, however, this is a community wide decision. One person alone cannot make this decision, nor should anyone feel that one person has maintained control and not taken the consideration of others into mind, as everyone was given an opportunity to attend the meeting.

We will be conducting another meeting soon (notices will go out in accordance with the RCW's in place by the State of Washington). If you wish to have a say and a vote on what happens then show up, and we'll talk about it. Until that time, please leave the gates alone and know that the next time this happens authorities will be called.

This is a community full of hardworking individuals that are truly worried about their investments. We all came into Grand Firs being sold on the idea that we were going to have an upscale neighborhood and we bought into that. We are now faced with a changing neighborhood and people making decisions for us that are not in our best interest.

We need to be able to work together knowing that we need a safe place to live balanced with the need to sell and build homes. Let's not destroy our own community. Let's instead make it into a model community where people would be proud to live or purchase a home. The poor decisions made by one person have now inspired anger and hatred, and this will make this an even tougher fight to come together as a whole.

Thank you,
Michelle Spencer

Jim Ehnborn asked to add a few comments as well...

Jim Ehnborn has worked with the Tacoma Power electrical inspector over the past several months regarding the stealing of over 2 miles of the underground streetlight wiring in Phase 3. They had several on site meetings and exchanged numerous e-mails. The electrical inspector said that the thieves turn off the power at the circuit breakers before stealing the wiring and then turn the power back on. The thieves’ eventually stole the wire from the transformer to the circuit breaker box. The electrical inspector said that leaving the power on and locking the circuit breaker boxes may help control the problem. The inspector gave Jim Ehnborn the authority to lock the electrical circuit breaker boxes.

Did the man in the black Cadillac turn off the power in enable the thieves to steal more wire, rob houses on the dark streets or harm the residents?

It is a very arrogant, self centered individual that would trespass and break into a locked circuit breaker box by cutting the lock, turn off all of the power to the main gates and street lights on 231st and then install their own lock. The person did not turn on the power on the evenings for the street lights or gates on either April 19th or 20th to protect our community. The person has no concern about jeopardizing the safety and security of all of the residences of Grand Firs.

I have a zero tolerance for this type of behavior. I want the gates closed 24 x 7. I have filed a complaint with the Pierce County Sheriff.

Jim Ehnborn