WE LOVE OUR GREENBELT!

One of the great attractions of living in Goldcrest is the beautiful, undeveloped greenbelt that runs throughout the development and behind many of the homes. The Goldcrest Homeowners Association enjoys a preferential tax category from Thurston County in return for maintaining the integrity of the greenbelt, and, because of that, no development of any sort is allowed within the greenbelt. The Board Members of the Homeowners Association are committed to defending that status so that, among other things, the burden of a property tax on the greenbelt does not fall on the shoulders of the homeowners – a burden that could amount to several hundred dollars per year for each homeowner.

Since we are pledged to keep the greenbelt in a native state, we ask that no residents place anything in the greenbelt, including fencing, décor, firewood, furniture, lighting, etc. Additionally, there should be no removal or cutting of any vegetation in the greenbelt, nor any planting or placement of any vegetation in the greenbelt. Homeowners are also not allowed to dispose of any waste, including yard waste, in the greenbelt.

As we on the Board are made aware of greenbelt concerns, we will be contacting the homeowners for resolution. We have had three incidents of improper greenbelt use this year, all of which were resolved, although we did have our attorney involved in one of these situations, which resulted in a cash settlement that we will use to replant the greenbelt.

The Board is also considering the feasibility of attempting to remove noxious plants such as Scotch Broom, Himalayan Blackberry, Bamboo, and Ivy from the greenbelt, and replanting with native plants. This would be an ongoing project since these invasive plants are notoriously hard to kill. The removal of these plants would not only be beneficial for the greenbelt, but for homeowners, since most of these non-native plants tend to spread, and could spread into yards.

We hope that you understand the importance of maintaining the greenbelt in a natural, undeveloped state, for both the beauty and livability of our neighborhood and for avoiding atax burden for all homeowners. If you have any questions or concerns about the greenbelt,please email goldcresthoa@gmail.com.