Category Archives: Uncategorized

Community Clean Up Day Saturday May 11

Good Morning Everyone! 

Our community clean up day – this coming Saturday between 10:00 and noon – is fast approaching!

We are asking all residents who are able/capable to come out and join your neighbors to help clean up the common areas on your street by pulling weeds and removing dead shrubs from all common areas. 

This day is also the opportunity to help your neighbor if for some reason they are not able to do areas around their own home.  The yard waste can be stored in reusable bins to be picked up by our landscape contractor on 3rd Tuesday of this month (May 21) .  Please note that they will not take whole shrubs, root balls, or any other material besides plant material. 

We would appreciate it if someone could take some photos of the participants on your respective street. These can be sent back to the office email address:  sphmboard@gmail.com

Looking forward to seeing everyone out on Saturday! 

Thank you everyone! 

Kelvin Mathuik

Director – Communications

SPHM LTD Board

Phone: 778-754-7929

Email: sphmboard@gmail.com

Block Watch & Safety and Security Committee Volunteers Needed

Block Watch Volunteers Needed:The Block Watch Program is still looking for a number of volunteers to be Block Watch Captains and/or Co-Captains for each street. Your involvement is needed to keep this valuable program going. 

We still require volunteers for Acacia Lane, Siringo, Solana Place, Sonoma Pines Drive (at least two hopefully four) and two for Talavera Place. The longer streets need at least two each. 

Block Watch is “A police and community organized awareness program that encourages neighbours to know each other and become familiar with the normal activity patterns within their neighbourhood.  This enables people to recognize suspicious activity within their neighbourhood and alert someone. 
The Block Watch Program is FREE and helps keep our community safe; provides information on safeguarding your home; may bring neighbours together; provides the Board with a point of contact within the RCMP (Block Watch Coordinator) and may provide a reduction in ones’ home insurance (depending upon your insurance company).
Information about Block Watch comes out periodically and provides valuable tips on community crime reduction.

Please contact Bob Scruton if you are interested:  b_scruton@telus.net or H-(250) 707-4677

C-(236) 970-9469.

Safety & Security Committee Volunteers Needed:

The Safety & Security Committee are down to four volunteers.  An additional 3/4 more volunteers are needed.  The Committee meets every second month to discuss related items within the community.

Please contact Bob Scruton if you are interested:  b_scruton@telus.net or H-(250) 707-4677

C-(236) 970-9469.Thank-you on Behalf of the 

Chair of the SPHM Safety & Security Committee

Important Message: Trees, Landscaping & Irrigation

Trees within Sonoma Pines 

Trees are a valuable asset within Sonoma Pines.  Not only do trees enhance the beauty of Sonoma Pines but they are also required for a healthy environment.  Unfortunately we have some trees that are causing structural damage to our sidewalk and curb infrastructure.  Other trees are simply no longer healthy or have died due to limited space where they have been planted or they simply have not had the  appropriate pruning of the larger branches which has put them at risk of splitting.  As a result in the near future you will see a contractor on site to remove some of the trees which are dead/unhealthy or have damaged our infrastructure. This will be followed with the removal and replacement of several sections of the sidewalks along Sonoma Pines Drive as a result of the damage caused by the trees. 

Landscape Regulations 

Under the Sonoma Pines Bylaw – Section B Landscaping – tree growth may not exceed a height or width that will interfere with views, grow over driveways, roads, across walkways, block vision to roads (at intersections), interfere with infrastructure, reach the roof height and/or are touching a building. The landscaping committee in partnership with the new tree committee will be reviewing our tree assets across the community and will be moving forward to address any issues. Single family home owners are asked to undertake a similar review/action.   

Sonoma Pines Tree Committee 

Two different companies have been brought into Sonoma Pines in the past to assess our trees –  Bartlett Tree Experts in 2015 and KHS Landscape Professionals in September 2019.  Our trees need to be managed given the issues emerging with damage to infrastructure and overall health.  In order to proactively address, the Board has approved the formation of a “tree committee”.  This committee will be responsible to assess all the trees in Sonoma Pines and to prepare a road map for a one, three, five year + plan on the overall management of our tree assets.  

Accordingly, we are looking for three to five residents to form this committee.  Interested residents are asked to submit a brief summary expressing their interest in participating in this committee.  Summaries are to be put in a sealed envelop and marked “landscape committee” and dropped off at the office during business hours by COB on April 18th.

Red Stake Program

The Red Stake Program will be in effect again this year.  If you wish to participate in the program you must complete the “red stake form” and pick up the red stakes at the office during office hours before May 15, 2024. Please note that we extended the deadline by 1 month. 

 Irrigation/Watering  

We all have to play a role in water conservation.  We have confirmed with WFN Utilities that we are currently in STAGE 2 watering restrictions.  Since we are at STAGE 2 we will see lawns turning brown earlier than normal.  The irrigation and water conservation committee would like to recommend that all watering time per zone be limited to 20 minutes.  What does this mean? 

For all Single Family Homes: 

  • Even numbered addresses may only water on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
  • Odd numbered addresses may only water on Sundays and Wednesdays.
  • No watering is permitted between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. 
  • Hand watering is permitted. Hand watering means holding a hose that has a spray nozzle attached or using a watering can and is allowed for plant materials and vegetable plantings.  Lawns are excluded.
  • Properties with auto sprinkler systems may only water between 12 and 6 AM on permitted days.  
  • Washing vehicles is permitted. However, responsible use is expected. 
  • WFN Law Enforcement Officers will be issuing fines up to $300, to anyone watering outside of watering regulations. 

For all Multi-Family Homes and Common Areas:

  • Due to the irrigation piping systems for the multi-family and  common areas we can not always meet the requirements of the WFN watering restrictions. WFN  are aware of our situation and have asked us to adhere to the watering restrictions as much as possible. As a result the auto sprinkler systems will be set to 2 days a week but will not follow the even/odd scenarios like single family homes. All other bullets listed for single family homes will also apply 

Thanks everyone! 

Willie Riewe

Director- Landscaping, Irrigation and Tree Committees 

Sonoma Pines Board 

New Hours of Operation – SP Office

New hours of operation of our Sonoma Pines Office administration staff effective Monday, April 8, 2024:

Monday to Thursday – 9:00 to 12:00 (noon)

Friday: In-person assistance will not be available as the office will be closed.

For your information, the office contact number is 778-754-7929 or via email at sphmboard@gmail.com.  Please continue to contact the office for all of your general enquiries.

Please reach out to Sheila Cole or Linda Lutz for any of the following items if you cannot find the information on the Sonoma Pines website:

Alteration & Landscaping Applications

RV Lot Rentals

Homeowners Insurance

FOB and RFID Inquiries

John Highman – our Community Services Coordinator: 236-457-2790 or sonomapinescsc@gmail.com can be contacted for any of the following:

Landscaping & Irrigation

Home MaintenanceGarbage and Recycling Collection

Contractor IssuesGutters/Roofs

Snow Removal

Upper and Lower Gate Operations

SP Upcoming Town Halls and Annual General Meeting

Sonoma Pines Board Town Halls – April 17

Location : Club House Main Ballroom

Times: 2:00 – 4:00 PM  or 6:00-8:00 PM 

Purpose: These town hall sessions will cover a number of topics in advance of the Sonoma Pines Annual General Meeting such as the communities overall financial situation, insurance, and several other topics being worked on by the Board and its supporting committees.  An agenda to be shared prior to these town hall sessions.  

Sonoma Pines Annual General Meeting –  May 28

Location: Westbank Lions Community Centre, 2366 Main Street West Kelowna

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM  

Purpose : This Annual General Meeting is an important meeting for all owners within Sonoma Pines. Several items will be brought forward as voting items such as the 2024/2025 operating budget and the election of board members. An agenda to be shared prior to the meeting. 

Please do save the above dates in your calendars. More to be shared! So stay tuned!