Museum Tower Owners Association
Newsletter
550 Front St  San Diego CA  92101
 
Feb 2007
Board Meeting - Next Board Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb 15 - open session at 6pm in the Recreation Lounge.
 
Committee Meeting - the first meeting of the new Committee is scheduled for Thursday, Feb 22 at 6pm in the Recreation Lounge.
 
Maintenance Reminders:
  • Dryer Vents - Very important to keep your dryer vents (the one in the wall as well as the one in your dryer) clean at all times.  For details on this see our website.
  • Smoke Detectors - Time to check on those batteries in your smoke detectors.  Yes - they DO use batteries and if you don't change them you run the risk of liability and damage in case of fire.  If you have heard an annoying chirping sound in your unit that means that you DEFINITELY need to change the batteries.
Lighting - Thanks to a subsidy program from SDG&E and improved technology it is now possible to enjoy exceptional lighting throughout the building and in your own unit at a fraction of the cost of incandescent lighting.  This is good news for two very important reasons:  Reducing the cost of our lighting bills (by 70% !!) and helping the environment by reducing the need for energy consumption.  I was skeptical at first until I installed the new lights throughout my own unit.  Not only is the light as good as and in some cases better than before - the light burns cooler and costs so much less.  The light bulbs themselves can be purchased in different wattage amounts for no more than 50 cents a light bulb.  The fact that some of us can afford to spend whatever we want on lighting is missing the whole point.  We can't afford to ignore rising costs of energy and the affects of energy abuse on our environment.  For me it is now a no-brainer.  And for those who are seeking a real bargain - SDG&E is GIVING AWAY FREE LIGHT BULBS !!!  The nearest opportunity for this give away is at the CORNER OF OREGON STREET AND HOWARD AVENUE; 10AM - 2PM. SATURDAY MARCH 17.  NORTH PARK RECREATION CENTER. 
For additional information visit:  http://www.sdge.com/residential/turninEvents.shtml
 
Scheduling appointments with legal team - Don't forget to contact the legal team and schedule an appointment for them to inspect your unit.  You should have received a notice in the mail a few weeks ago on this.
 
Garage Safety - near misses & injuries.  Do not place yourself in harms way by speeding in the garage.  There are numerous blind spots in the garage and the mirrors are intended to help you as you drive in the garage.   You must still exercise caution when making turns around corners etc.   The same caution applies to all of us when we are walking in the garage - we must all take responsibility for safety.  Never assume that no one will be in your path as you drive or walk in the garage.  The following email illustrates the point and still applies even with the new wheel stops on P2:

Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 12:23 PM
To: Rich Giondomenico
Subject: safety in the parking lot

Rich;

I want to put down in writing what we discussed today.  On my way to my car this morning (P2), as I passed by one vehicle, I was almost hit by a car (black/blue BMW) who had apparently come from P3.  Instead of going all the way around, he had seen open parking spots and was cutting through to save time.  He saw me at the last minute and I was able to stop and avoid getting hit. 

If this was any other day or like most other days, I would have had my kids with me.  At the ages of 4 and 2, they would have been way too small for him to see the kids.  He was able to see me at the last minute because my head goes over the car that was really blocking his view of me.  Had my kids been there, I am 100% sure he would have smacked into them...... 

I bring this up, because I can't control it by myself, and unfortunately nothing I can do will realistically be able to avoid this problem.  I may be at a disadvantage, since I am one of the few people in the building with children, but I think we can all see this is a disaster (and lawsuit) waiting to happen.

If you find out who it was, please let him know that he is the luckiest man alive today.  Had he hit one of my kids, I would have done a lot more than simply write this email. Please let the board know that I am willing to help in any way I can.

Balconies - NEVER use a hose or buckets of water to wash down your balcony.  The runoff from the drains will only cause damage to the units below you and you will incur a fine and in some cases be assessed for the cost of re-washing someone's windows.
 
Window - washing - As you know by now washing windows on a high-rise window is an expensive item in an HOA budget (approx $20,000 per wash).  Because the developer has been uncooperative and because it is winter it was determined to hold off on window washing for awhile longer.  Everyone is aware that the windows need washing periodically and it will be done so as soon as feasible.
 
Vandalism - Sadly it was only a matter ot time.  Vandals have damaged some of the windows on the ground floor of our building on the commercial side.  Another form of vandalism over which we all have control is our own lack of respect for our home and environment.  Anyone caught throwing ANYTHING from their balconies will be subject to fines and possible lawsuits.  Not only is this a careless act it is also dangerous.  Cans and cigarettes are just some of the objects being tossed from balconies.  If you see someone doing this - report them.  This is a zero tolerance issue.
 
Business Machines - Due to the abuse and lack of good judgment on the part of some of the homeowners it has become necessary to discontinue the policy of allowing homeowners access to the business machines in our facility office.
 
Crime Prevention & Safety - If you are interested,  contact the San Diego Police Department to schedule a Crime Prevention - Personal Safety Training Session featuring San Diego Police Officer John Graham.  Officer Graham has taught personal safety and crime prevention techniques throughout San Diego for over 16 years.
 
Children's Museum - work is proceeding on the museum and the impact of our new neighbor remains to be seen.  Our HOA is working closely with the Museum to minimize problems and meet the challenges presented by this unique collaboration in downtown San Diego. If you have any constructive suggestions regarding this please be sure to share them with our board.
 
New Business opening -  Soon there will be a second business in our building - a bank.  Work is progressing on this newest neighbor in the Pinnacle Tower.
 
15th & IslandPinnacle International, LLC - Work is proceeding on the new construction project in East Village which is being done by the same developer who built our building.  Check it out on your next walk around town.  The new project is located at the corner of 15th & Island.
 
Pinnacle Development will be developing a mixed-use project consisting of approximately 620 condominium units, 20,000 square feet of commercial space, and 800 parking spaces in three levels of underground parking on an approximately 120,000 square foot "super-block" site bounded by Island Avenue and 14th, 15th, and J Streets. The development would create an approximately 57,000 square foot public park on the west half of the site, with the east half of the site being developed with two condominium towers of 31- and 39-stories (approximately 370 and 430 feet tall, respectively) above a 4-6 story base (45-80 feet tall). Construction is anticipated to commence in early 2007 and be completed in mid-2009.
 
Concierge Service - Don't miss out on all of the wonderful services that our concierge staff are trained to assist you with.  For details on what is available at no additional charge visit our website and also read the Concierge Newsletter.
 
Website - Our website continues to grow with information and is a great resource for all things downtown.  The contacts page has been streamlined to make it easier for you to locate what you are looking for.  And don't miss the Community page for information regarding life in the city.  And in case you didn't already know it our HOA site is password protected.  If you are a homeowner you can obtain the needed information by visiting our website at www.pinnacletower.org
 
Landscaping - Improvements are under evaluation.  Be patient - it WILL get better.
Lobby - Many thanks to Ken & Jose for generously sharing some decorator items in the Lobby until such time as we get the lobby finished out as it should be.
Pool area - Yes the paint around the pool rims are cracking and chipping.  This is being addressed.  Emergency Phones are now in place at the pool and in the Exercise Room.  Please be sure to turn out lights, tv and audio equipment and close doors when you are done in the Exercise room, Recreation Lounge, restrooms and sauna.  When you have finished using the whirlpool please turn off the jets by pressing the same button you used to turn them on.  All too often people are leaving the jets running when no one is in the pool.
 
More on Conservation - Water - waste not want not.  Water is a huge concern in a high-rise for several reasons - many of which we are all too familiar from past disasters.  That aside there is another reason that water is a huge concern - we are all paying for each others water usage.  Because we get ONE water bill for the building it is incumbent upon each of us as homeowners to use our water wisely.  All of the little things add up to a lot of wasted water and high water bills.  For example - leaving the water running while we brush our teeth accounts for a very large amount of wasted water.  Get in the habit of running the water ONLY to rinse off your brush or razor blade as the case may be.
 
Did you know - that you can access your HOA account on the Prescott Properties website?  Check it out.  Visit: http://avgarweb.prescottmgt.com/logon.aspx?ReturnUrl=/members.aspx
 
Quiet Zone - yes it is on the way.  Though you have not heard much about it lately the CCDC is "on track" to clearing the way for quieter nights.  Hang in there.  For more information on this contact the John Anderson at CCDC anderson@ccdc.com or visit their website http://www.ccdc.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/projects.quietzone
 
If you have pertinent information to share with your neighbors at the Pinnacle please send them to me pat@pinnacletower.org so I can include it in this newsletter.
 
That's it for this time around. 
See you at the Board Meeting.
Pat McArron, editor