February 2015 — N 1502
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Next HOA Meeting
The next HOA meeting will be the first Tuesday of April 2015 (4/7/15) at 7:00PM at the Depot (at Pass and Katherine Rds.)
Emergency Preparedness
The HOA was contacted by the Park District about emergency preparedness. There is a location at the old Fire Station 43 that they would be willing to turn over to the Knolls residents for emergency supplies. Is anyone interested in pursuing this? We are looking for volunteers to check into what it would take. The folks in Oak Park have emergency supplies for their neighborhood. We can talk with them and see how they did it for their neighborhood.
If you are interested in participating please send an email to susanaknollshoa@roadrunner.com
Lot across from old Station 43 –
what’s happening?
We have received a lot of inquiries about what is happening on the lot across from the former Fire Station. There are 2 houses being built - a larger house with 11 bedrooms and a smaller guest house. The large house is intended to be used as a non-medical residential care facility for 6 or fewer elderly people that need on-site assistance. Caregivers are not counted toward the maximum number of residents. This type of housing is considered single family and is allowed within the Ventura County Planning rules. If the owner wants to have more than 6 elderly residents a Conditional Use Permit would be required. If anyone has additional information please send to the HOA at susanaknollshoa@roadrunner.com
Zoning Change –
Smith Rd and Kuehner Dr.
At a recent Simi Valley City Council meeting a developer was given the ok to proceed with plans for an apartment complex on the corner of Smith Rd and Kuehner Dr. This was NOT an approval of plan, but rather an approval to proceed with plan. As noted by the Mayor there is no guarantee of approval. While the Council gave the green light to proceed with planning it was mentioned that the project may be too large for that area. This was the first of many meetings to come. Stay tuned.
The Susana Knolls remembers
Bart Mangia
The Knolls says a heartfelt farewell to Bart Mangia who passed away in late January. Bart was a long-time Knolls resident, and an involved homeowner for many years.
Bart was an active member of both the Elks and the Moose Lodges. His niece says he was a kind-hearted man and enjoyed good times with family and friends. He liked to give out his cards and $2 bills. He also enjoyed dancing. He had one sister and one brother and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bart was one of the longest sitting board members of the Susana Knolls HOA. Bart made a hand drawn map of the Knolls that he would hand out to those new to the Knolls. He will be missed!
Living with the Wild
Look up in the sky! It's a hawk! It's an eagle! It's a plane! No, it's nature's professional cleaner, the Turkey Vulture!
Closely related to California Condors, the Turkey Vulture, whose scientific name is Cathartes Aura (Latin for cleansing breeze), is a large carrion-eating bird with a beak powerful enough to tear though cowhide, but incapable of actually killing for its meal. Its bright red head is bald so that its meal does not adhere to the bird. Its huge wingspan enables it to soar on the thermals and look out for roadkill, leftover coyote meals, and anything else that needs cleaning up.
Often seen in Knolls on telephone poles and trees or soaring overhead, the Turkey Vulture is a wonderful resident of our diverse ecosystem. These gentle giants can smell carrion from a mile away, helping to keep our neighborhood clean.
So the next time you see a "wake" of perched vultures on your tree or telephone pole, or a "kettle" of spiraling vultures soaring upwards to gain altitude, be happy that the Knolls is home to such a diverse and wonderful ecosystem!
This newsletter is a production of the Santa Susana Knolls Homeowners Association (SSKHA). If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please let us know. Please share this newsletter with your neighbors. You do not have to be a member of the SSKHA to be on our email list. To subscribe to this newsletter click here. If you are a member of the HOA we really do not want you to unsubscribe but if you must, you can use this link: unsubscribe. The newsletter is produced from the spacious Santa Susana Knolls town center offices at 1409 Kuehner, No. 5, Santa Susana, CA 93063.