Neighborhood

The Ponderosa Community Club Neighborhood

What To Expect — Must Read for people not from around here.

Code of the West

The Ponderosa Community Club, Inc. History

The following history is for information purposes and is not intended to be a part of the Bylaws.

Preliminary approval of the plat of Hi-Valley Ranch (Primitive Park – Ponderosa Estates) was granted in 1962. In 1964 the Primitive Park Community Club, Inc was incorporated. The developer had in mind groupings of individually owned recreational lots separated by commonly owned greenbelts, and featuring a commonly owned clubhouse and swimming pool. By the late 1960’s, property was being offered for sale. Ponderosa Estates is now comprised of 582 lots, plus about 243 acres of greenbelts and clubhouse grounds.

In 1968 the Articles of Incorporation were amended, and the name was changed to Ponderosa Community Club, Inc. to pass responsibility for the community owned property from the developer to the lot owners. Membership is obtained by purchasing a lot within Ponderosa Estates, and with it comes the obligation for dues and assessments to pay the expenses of the Community Club and the obligation to become an informed voter. Membership rights include use of the Clubhouse (which can be reserved for private functions), the swimming pool, and other community-owned facilities.

From 1968 to the present, the Club has been governed by a board of five volunteer Trustees elected from the membership by the membership. The Board of Trustees elects the President, Vice-President, Director of Operations, Treasurer and Secretary. Governing documents are the Articles of Incorporation, the Bylaws, the Operating Procedures, and Rules & Regulations.

The Board of Trustees meet in the Clubhouse on the second Saturday of every month, except in January, in order to conduct the business of the Club, which ranges from setting the speed limits on our roads (which are private roads, not county roads) to replacement of our swimming pool (done in 1997) to the maintenance of our roads and privately owned water system.

At least once annually (Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend), and at other times as necessary, the Member’s Annual Meeting is held in the Clubhouse to provide information on subjects ranging from the Club’s operation and financial condition to voting on assessments and election of Trustees.

With the changes of technology, we have moved away from publishing the Needler Newsletter. The website now serves as the hub of our member communications in order to keep the membership informed on important events.

Our website is www.ponderosacommunityclub.com.

For more information, please email office@ponderosacommunityclub.org, or call the office at 509-763-0320.

Revised 6-2021

Ponderosa Rules

PONDEROSA COMMUNITY CLUB, INC. RULES GOVERNING USE OF ROADS AND MOTORIZED VEHICLES

  1. All traffic signs shall be obeyed.
  2. The speed limit on all Ponderosa roads is 15 m.p.h.
  3. Parking shall be prohibited on all Ponderosa roads and cul-de-sacs at all times. Vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense. Members can report a violation to the office.
  4. No motorized vehicles (including but not limited to snowmobiles) are allowed in greenbelts or park.
  5. Sledding of any king is prohibited on all roads and behind vehicles in the Ponderosa.
  6. Damage to road surfaces is prohibited. Members may report damage and fines may be imposed.
  7. All vehicles shall comply with Chelan County’s Noise Abatement regulations.
  8. All motorized vehicles must be equipped with appropriate headlight and tallights if operated between dusk and dawn.
  9. Helmets are required for the operators and riders of all motorcycles, ATVs, go-carts, and snowmobiles.
  10. There shall be no blowing, shoveling, pushing, or plowing of snow into or across the roadways at any time.
  11. Garbage Cans shall not be placed in the roadway at any time. Exception: for Cul-d-sacs/roads that Waste management will not travel on during the winter months, cans must be placed off to the side of the road and removed as soon as possible after they are emptied.
  1. Please keep these areas attractive by cleaning up after use. Walking, jogging, biking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing are allowed. Please pull knapweed if you know it, and dispose of properly.
  2. Hunting or discharge of firearms is prohibited.
  3. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on Greenbelts, except for emergency vehicles and those necessary for maintenance and security as specified by the board. No lot shall use greenbelt parcels for vehicular access. No driveways may encroach on Greenbelt parcels.
  4. Dumping of yard debris, garbage, ashes, household items or fixtures, vehicles or parts, industrial liquids, etc. is strictly prohibited.
  5. No construction on Greenbelt property. Alterations and/or modifications including: digging, addition of manmade materiel, graffiti, construction of Motor Cross trails, bicycle racing tracks, forts, etc. are prohibited. Trails may be allowed if approved by the Watershed committee.
  6. No person shall cut or remove trees, logs, brush or other natural growth without first obtaining written consent of the Watershed committee. Owners of property adjoining the Greenbelts are encouraged to maintain these Greenbelt areas. Prior review by the Watershed Committee is required so that sensitive plants are not removed or harmed. No construction or alteration of land contours will be allowed. No pesticides or herbicides are allowed. When property owners have approval from the Watershed committee for their maintenance plan, they will be asked to sign a form agreeing to maintain their piece of greenbelt for a designated time, and recognize that the greenbelt is Ponderosa Community Club property.
  7. No fires may be lit on Greenbelt property.
  8. Dogs must not be allowed to harass wildlife, other neighborhood dogs, or people enjoying the Greenbelt. Dogs must be under control. Dog poop is litter and must be picked up and disposed of properly.
  9. Property owners are not allowed to use the Greenbelt property for their own personal use, such as parking of vehicles, trailers, storage, woodpiles, dumping, construction materials, or commercial activities.
  10. Members are encouraged to have outdoor lighting that is downcast in order to minimize light pollution.
  11. Wildfires are a serious threat in the Ponderosa, as in any forested area, and our goal is to maintain a balance between retaining our beautiful forests and protecting homes and property. As a general rule, our policy is to remove only dead trees and to keep lower, dead branches pruned 6 feet above the ground for trees taller than 18 feet. Homeowners can take actions on their own property such as:
    • Creating a “survivable space” about 30 feet wide around the home.
    • Consider fire resistive building materials (roofing and siding) when remodeling or building in wildfire prone areas.
    • Keep your yard and gutters free of pine needles, leaves or other flammable debris. Remove dead branches or close, overhanging branches from the reach of your roof and 10 feet away from your chimney.
    • Keep stacked wood at least 30 feet from your home or other buildings, and keep vegetation cleared away from the woodpiles.

Outdoor Burning Restriction is in effect June 1st through October 1st.
Visit: Lake Wenatchee Fire & Rescue

  • Burning yard waste, such as leaves, grass, brush and other yard trimmings are prohibited
  • Burning to clear land of trees, stumps, shrubbery, or other natural vegetation is prohibited
  • Residents may still have campfires so long as the fire is in an approved pit or area
  • Restricted open flame devices, meaning using devices liable to start a fire in moderate fire hazard areas
  • Portable fireplaces are allowed so long as they’re on noncombustible surfaces and burn only natural wood products
  • Moderate travel restrictions are also in effect, meaning motorists can’t operate vehicles off the roadway
  • Campfires in Compliant pits may be allowed during this time, check for current restrictions
  • Portable Propane Campfires are usually allowed under these restrictions but can still be dangerous depending on conditions
  • During a burn ban, fire danger in increased and burning brush, needles or yard waste is not allowed and will be extinguished

It is Prohibited in Washington State to burn the following materials:

Garbage, dead animals, asphalt, petroleum products, paints, rubber products, plastics, paper (other than what is necessary to start a fire), cardboard, treated wood, construction/demolition debris, metal, or any substance (other than natural vegetation) that normally releases toxic emissions, dense smoke, or obnoxious odors when burned.

Burn Barrels are illegal in Washington State.
RCW 70.94.6516 WASHINGTON CLEAN AIR ACT

Information on recreational fires:

Discharge of Fireworks is prohibited in Chelan County (This includes Snakes and Sparklers). CCC 7.44.

Ponderosa Community Center (Clubhouse)

The Community Center (Clubhouse) belongs to all members and may be reserved by Ponderosa committees or members in good standing (but not for fund-raising events). The Ponderosa Social Committee has reservation privileges, other reservations will be taken on a first come, first served basis. Reservations are made through the office. Reserving members or committees are required to sign a reservation form, provide a deposit and are responsible for the clubhouse during the event and cleanup afterwards. The swimming pool is NOT included in any reservation.

Smoking is not allowed in any Ponderosa Community Club owned buildings or vehicle. Smoking may take place outside of a building but not within 25 feet of entrances, exits, or windows that may be opened. This policy applies to Ponderosa Community Club employees, members, guests, outside contractors doing work for the Ponderosa, and all other visitors.

Ponderosa Community Club's Clubhouse
Ponderosa Community Club's Clubhouse

Ponderosa Swimming Pool

The Ponderosa pool is for members/long term renters and their accompanied guests only. This means the pool is not available to vacation rental and short term rental guests. Please see additional pool rules in the members only section and posted at the pool. No Lifeguard on Duty!

Pool Card Application

To gain access to the Ponderosa Community Pool, you need a “Pool Card.” A pool card is available to members in good standing and their accompanied guest. If you are a member in good standing and are in need of a pool card, or you need a replacement, please contact the office.

Ponderosa Playground, Baseball Field, Basketball Court

The playground and ball fields are located in the area adjacent to the Ponderosa Community Center (Club house). In addition to playground equipment, there is a basketball court, baseball field and volleyball net for use by family and accompanied guests of Ponderosa members.

Wenatchee River and Beaches

Behind the Ponderosa Community Center (Clubhouse) is a beach on the Wenatchee river suitable for swimming. Please be aware that the river is usually cold and can run very fast especially in the spring. IT CAN BE DANGEROUS!

Also it is very important that rocks are not moved around for any reason in this area. The Wenatchee is a designated wild river and it is prohibited to change the river in any way.

Fishing – Special Rules for Wenatchee River from mouth upstream to Wenatchee Lake CRC (674). All Species: CLOSED WATERS.

Wenatchee River Beach

Member's Photo Gallery

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

Law Enforcement or Medical Emergency

RiverCom 911

Call : 9-1-1

Ponderosa Community Club Emergency

Primary Emergency #

(509) 860-6697

Comments About Admin & Finance Reports

  1. See board feedback.

Comments About Ponderosa Signs

  1. Too many signs. Just because you put them up doesnt mean people read them. They should be safety only.
  2. One way signs on COLT ROAD need to be clearer or increase number. I see too many people going the wrong way.  Speeding on COLT ROAD continues to be an issue.
  3. Clean and maintain walking shoulders of the roads.

Comments About The Swimming Pool

  1. Pool has been super cold this year a couple of different times and to the point where my kids (or myself) would not or could not go in or stay in. We pay for this amenity and the heat should be fixed or the heaters replaced to resolve. Other families have also had this issue.
  2. Provide a pool monitor to control garbage, reckless behavior etc.
  3. Pool was cold many times this summer and we could not use it. This is one of the reasons we purchased in the Pondo community and it impacted our summer.

Comments About President's Communication

  1. Mary Cox used to send out regular, and informative communication. She would talk about the weather forecasts, upcoming events, and actually make them sound like fun.
  2. I think there should be more push notifications that alert people to login to check on new items or posts. Can’t just login everyday to check on changes. Gets to be a pain.

Comments About the Playground

  1. I believe we could add more activities.

Comments About The Clubhouse

  1. We should add some non summer activities such as pool table, pingpong, indie games etc.
  2. Daily access for members with pool card access. Pool table, reading area etc. Winter time gathering area for coffee, conversation etc…

Comments About The Office

  1. The office should have a presence on the weekends – at the very least on Saturday. So many people need to communicate with the office on weekends and it isn’t open.
  2. Anytime I’ve dealt with the office, it’s not been a pleasant experience. I’m a resident here, I pay my dues and I’m not sure why we get treated like second class citizens. I have replied to a few emails that have come from the office but they’re ignored. I don’t get why.
  3. Improve Response time of email requests.

Comments About Board Communications

  1. I would like to see more updates and communications from the BOD.
  2. When asking for approvals to spend the money that is the budget (like $60k just asked for), I’d appreciate to see report on what options we considered.
    Example: Is the roof replacement based on just one quote or a few, and can we see those quotes? If not, why?
  3. Communication tends to be passive. This has been an ongoing issue for a number of years. The recent updates from the President have been a big improvement. Sometimes you have to reach out, via email updates for example, and not require members to hunt for info on the website.
    Also please continue to have the Board Meetings available on ZOOM. This has been a big help as well.

Comments About Snow Plowing & Sanding

  1. Why do they ALWAYS plow huge berms in front of our driveway, usually AFTER I have cleared it to get out! The other side of the street does NOT have traffic so why can’t they use some common sense and courtesy and plow to the other side?
  2. More sand on both up and down the hill.
  3. There is a way to get it done without it looking like a war zone. Also, you could be more courteous to residents by not putting huge berms in front of their driveways.
  4. The truck skips the corral road to the right of the mailboxes off stetson. We need it sanded regularly and especially when garbage pickup on Monday am. We had several times where we could not get garbage pickup in the winter last year. Also, we saw other cars and a tow truck get stuck but when sand was added it was resolved.
  5. Plow more frequently and lay salt so we don’t have and inch of ice on the roads all winter.
  6. The plowing makes a massive berm in front of all drives. Perhaps having someone come through and push the berm to one side of the drive would be helpful for those not able to knock the berm down prior to it freezing. In addition, we understand bus routes are the key, but services like garbage, have trouble accessing the hills during heavy snow fall. It would be nice to have the hills sanded and cared for after these larger snow falls ahead of garbage pickup.
  7. We had several instances of Corral not being sanded at our end and the garbage truck would not come to our houses despite being in the neighborhood. This led to garbage backup. Additionally, there is a treacherous, icy hill/corner on Corral as it turns onto the Shetland corner that was not sanded regularly. Finally, we saw other cars get stuck on our road due to icy conditions and once sand was spread, the car could travel on the road. We would like Corral/Shetland roads sanded regularly like all of the other roads and also priority on Monday AM for garbage pickup.

Comments About Road Surface & Quality

  1. Roads bread up fast, especially in the Winter time. It takes too long to fill them in and in the mean time, the potholes get so bad, they can cause traffic hazards.
  2. Loose gravel on stirrup could be fixed as it’s been a while.
  3. The amount of potholes, thinness of the chipseal layer exposed by them, was shocking this year. The base looked shabby as well. Whoever did the roadwork initially did a poor job; it should have lasted much longer before it strted falling apart. aaathe exeption would be the hill where there is ground water, although there should have been some mitigation completed on that so it doesnt reoccur.
  4. Pot holes on upper Bridle need to be filled in again.

Comments About Dust Control

  1. Oil and/or sweep the streets more than once a year. There are WAY too many needles on the roads which can be a fire hazard as well as causing too much dust on them.
  2. The street sweeper should rented or hired more than the once per year in the spring. Pin needles and other debris accumulate too and can be slippery, especially when walking. They can also mask holes or dips potentially causing falls.