President's Note

Hi Neighbors,

I wanted to take this opportunity to share what our board has been discussing as it relates to the entrance of Kent Woodlands. 

In a previous newsletter, we shared our interest in the County's longer-term plan to improve the 5-part intersection of Woodland & College, possibly with a roundabout, in order to improve traffic flow and to improve safety for drivers, bikers, and walkers. 

This intersection also involves a relatively large corner property owned by the KWPOA for all of us to use and enjoy. It includes the Acorn parking lot and adjoining hillside and shrubs. Unfortunately, in its current state the lot is unattractive, unusable, and overgrown with vegetation including flammable brush, poison oak, and diseased trees. 

During our June board meeting, the board voted to retain our neighborhood's own Erin Werner Design to help initially reimagine our entrance with a goal to create a low-impact attractive entrance to Kent Woodlands, with the added benefit of being a nice place to await carpools, gather in small groups, and utilize during our community events. This would be a multi-functional space landscaped with California natives, wood elements, and even a modest and attractive Kent Woodlands sign. Below you will find a first pass at what this could look like (College Avenue running from North to South is on the right side).

Of course, in proceeding along this path, the Board is cognizant of fiscal and budgetary limitations and is focused on creating a low-maintenance, but imminently useful and attractive, solution to our common entrance – inuring to the benefit of all members. 

Feel free to attend any of our future KWPOA board meetings should you have any feedback and please email me if you'd like to be included in any private donation communication. 

Sincerely,



Jeff Leh, President

(CLICK HERE FOR A LARGER VERSION OF DRAWING)

2024 Board Election Information

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION AND NOMINATION DEADLINE:

Four of the seven KWPOA board seats are up for election in January 2024, and we encourage any interested and qualified member to consider serving our community by volunteering as a director. Nominations for candidates must be received by 5:00pm on October 31, 2023 and may be submitted in the following ways:

• Mail to KWPOA Election, PO Box 404, Kentfield, CA 94914
• Email to info@kwpoa.com
• In person at the KWPOA Board Meeting on October 23rd at 6:00pm 

If, at the close of the time period for making nominations, there are the same number or fewer qualified candidates as there are board positions to be filled, then the board of directors may, after voting to do so, seat the qualified candidates by acclamation without balloting.

For more information about the nomination or election process, please contact us at 415-721-7429 or by email at info@kwpoa.com. The rules governing KWPOA’s elections may be found on our web site at www.kwpoa.com/voting-policy.

A Word from the Chair

For members overwhelmed by the continued news from our warming world, you’re not alone. As individual households, we have the power today to eliminate the burning of fossil fuels from our cars, electricity generation and home heating/cooling, cooking and clothes drying. KWCN is committed to being the supportive net behind individual resident decisions to eliminate fossil fuel use for their homes and cars. Most residents might be under the impression that we produce less carbon emissions than other communities, given the progressive nature of its residents. However, the opposite is actually true. An important first step is to participate in our Annual Energy Survey below which is the foundation for our project. We believe in the treasure that is Kent Woodlands and by elevating the conversation around fossil fuels, we hope to change the trajectory of the most pressing issue of our time, together! We hope to see you at our fall events!

Warmly, Julie Johnson, Chair

KWCN Energy Survey

Thank you to Jorge Camargo for organizing our first annual Energy Survey! Please click here to take the survey, one per household! www.surveymonkey.com/r/FHMYR6S. The annual survey will become the foundation for the Kent Woodlands Carbon Neutral project, as we officially launch our neighborhood into this unique and challenging endeavor! This survey is completely anonymous and an important first step in understanding what members are already doing to save energy and lower their emissions. This data will be compiled and results shared with membership this Fall. Please help us establish a community weigh-in for home carbon emissions!

KWCN Fall Programs: Mark Your Calendars!

KENT WOODLANDS EV CAR SHOW – Sunday, September 24^th 11am – 2pm

Thank you to Pete Johnson, for organizing our 1st annual EV Car Show in the Acorn Lot! You may be surprised to hear that less than 6% of homes in Marin County have an EV or Hybrid Vehicle (not enough!) A variety of EVs will be on display from KW Members and local dealers. Talk to owners about their experiences and learn about charging, incentives and rebates. Bring the family — we will have a pizza truck featuring pies by pizza chef James Lechocki. Hope to see you there!

KENT WOODLANDS RESILIENT NEIGHBORHOOD’S CLASS!

Please join your neighbors and co-hosts Lisa Whitescarver and Aghaghia Rahimzadeh for our first annual KW Resilient Neighborhoods Class! RN is an organization that has been teaching Marin communities how to lower their carbon emissions with actions big and small. Think of it as a book club committed to lowering carbon! By bringing neighbors together, we create resilient neighborhoods that are connected and more resilient to extreme weather events. The class meets weekly online over the course of 6 weeks. We hope you can join us for this fun and engaging class! Learn more at www.resilientneighborhoods.org.  

KENT WOODLANDS KIDS “S’MORES & LEMONADE STAND” - Saturday, August 26th 11-2pm

Thank you to Courtenay Dill Glander for organizing our neighborhood 'littles' to get involved in our Carbon Neutral Mission! Please reach out to Courtenaydill@gmail.com if your child wants to join in on the fun. We are looking for kids willing to make & bring a Solar Oven to the event! We will supply lemonade and s’mores fixings for kids to cook up and share with the community. The event is organized to encourage members to fill out the Energy Survey. Who can say no to the kids?!

Attention Families with Young Kids!

In prior newsletters we have mentioned there is a large group of young families in Kent Woodlands who had their first meet-up this year and are planning more to come. If you're interested in being a part of this group and/or helping organize, please contact Michelle Varney at mlgezo@gmail.com. 

Attention sitters or parents of sitters! This same group is looking to compile a database of Kent Woodlands- based teens that would be accessible only to this group of Kent Woodlands families with young children. Please contact Michelle with your name, email, phone number, and street to request being added to this  database and/or to help organize.

How to file a complaint about possible CC&R violations:

If you think a member is violating the CC&Rs and that the Board should take action, we have a complaint process.

Step 1: Verify that this is a CC&R violation by consulting the CC&Rs HERE

Step 2: Try to work it out with them. Mention what you noticed and how it’s a violation of the CC&Rs. Ask them to fix it.

Step 3: If you’re unable to come to a satisfactory conclusion, submit a complaint to the Board using the “Complaint Form” HERE.

Rest assured that the Board pays very serious attention to complaints about CC&R violations filed in this way.

For property owners interested in replacing their bamboo, especially along the main emergency access roads, there are some wonderful alternatives for privacy screening. For a less flammable alternative, flowering hedges can provide privacy while also attracting birds and pollinators. My personal favorite is ceanothus, because it blooms into stunning colors. Other California natives would incline a toyon or western redbud. For nonnatives, try wax leaf privet, olive trees or wax myrtle. I would avoid manzanita, bay and everything in the cypress family. Take a look at these links for more ideas:

www.treehugger.com/best-privacy-trees-and-shrubs-5206776

www.firesafemarin.org/create-a-fire-smart-yard/plants/fire-smart-plants

— Heather Hill, Hazard Mitigation Specialist

Please direct any Architectural Committee inquiries to the Kristin Tiernan at AC@kwpoa.com.