Pacific Tower April Newsletter 2021

SPRING FEVER!

Yes, it finally happened. Spring has sprung. The sun is shining. The flowers are blooming. Daylight saving is here, so we sprang forward an hour. So 5 PM became 6 PM and it’s still sunny after returning from work! Yay!

 

For seniors, our endless year of Covid quarantine is finito. Most of us Oldies-But-Goodies in the building have gotten our super-duper vaccinations and are now free to get back out there and resume living our active lives, hugging grandchildren, dining out, roller skating and of course Twerk dancing. There are several new restaurants in the area to discover - all offering outdoor seating. However, the CDC reminds us to still wear our masks, practice social distancing and wash our hands, but we can probably stop worrying about the damn thing (or the future mystery virus) killing us (at least for now).

 

ALL NEW WORKOUT

 

Did you gain the Terrible 10 Pandemic pounds while you were vegging on your couch watching endless hours of Netflix? Who didn’t? But it’s not a problem: Join the club and by that I mean pop on down and test out our new and improved gym equipment in the gym/rec room. We finally sprung for a new treadmill! That old dog wasn’t going anywhere so we bid it adios!

 

And we didn’t stop there - we also bought a new Elliptical Trainer. If you have never tried one of these contraptions – you are in for a treat, albeit a sweaty one because you will be moving everything all at once.  

A reminder: For those who cannot be separated from your phones, we offer free WiFi in the gym. 

Until further notice, the common areas of the building like the gym still require masks.

 

LOWER GARAGE BLUES

 

People who park in the lower garage are now eligible to swap out their old remote entry clicker for a new and improved remote entry clicker. See our Building Manager Joseph.

 

Friendly reminder: Please do not store stuff in your parking place. Motorcycles are ok if there is space. But surfboards, packing boxes, baby paraphernalia, windows, plastic storage bins, oil drain cans etc. are NOT okay. Other people see your stuff and they assume it’s OK to store their stuff and the next thing you know; it’s a mess down there. Park your bike in the bike rack or if you have wall space behind your car, Building Manager Joseph will put up wall-mount bike rack for your bike. Thank you.

 

CARDBOARD, CARDBOARD EVERYWHERE

 

Dear Boardie:

Q. What do I do with the box my new 70” TV came in?

A. Please do NOT leave it in the laundry room – that’s for pizza boxes and things the janitorial staff can handle. Massive boxes with massive packing materials require contacting Building Manager Joseph. Call or text 619.339.3490

MAKING GOOD CENSUS

 

To: Owners and Renters.

The Lobby Office needs to be able to contact everyone in case of an emergency. If you haven’t given Joseph your cell number and your email, please do. During the pandemic, a number of people had their girlfriend/boyfriend move in or got engaged or even married. Congratulations. Could we have their info please?

 

Newsletter Written by Karyl Miller and Edited by Trish Mylet

 

Covid Updates and Rules

As of this writing (3.10.20), no one in the building has caught Covid. Yay!

Everyone must wear still a mask in the common areas – lobbies, elevators, stairwells, guy/rec room and pool area of the building. Please. Practice Social Distancing. Try to ride the elevator alone, if you are worried about catching Covid.

Only 10 people allowed in the pool area at a time and NO GUESTS allowed.

Only 2 people allowed in the gym at a time and they must wear masks (as in all common areas of the building).

 CONTACT INFO

On-Site Maintenance Cell Phone (Joseph Arellano) 619.339.3490 – Call or Text

On-Site Maintenance Office Land Line - 858.272.0860

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC) - 619.229.0044 After Hours Emergencies 619.430.0695

Community Association Manager – Keisha Kendall 619.229.0044 ext.16 email: keisha@phoac.com

PHOAC Accounts Receivable - payments@phoac.com                                                                                       

 

 

                                                                             

 

                         

 

 

Newsletter February 2021

 THE SECURITY OF SECURITY CAMERAS

Car break-ins are happening all over the North Pacific Beach according to NextDoor.com and Pacific Tower is no exception. Speed freaks AKA tweakers are all over the beach neighborhoods, stealing anything they can find to sell to fuel their nasty habits. 

 Q. Dear Boardie, my car got broken into. What can be done about it?

              A. I need more details. Q. Did they break a window?    

A. No. I might have forgotten to lock the doors just this one time! Was that dumb?

              A. Yes. What was stolen?

A.  Just a gym bag with dirty socks in it! Q. Why would they take that?

              A. They’ll take anything in sight with the hopes there’s diamonds inside. Did you just                           learn not to leave ANYTHING on your car seats?

Q. Yup. What about our Security Cameras? I’d like to get my gym socks back. I’m sentimentally              attached to them.

A. Our building manager Joseph can check the playback on the Security camera to see if we                           can see the criminal perpetrating the crime. BUT…

A WORD ABOUT SECUTITY CAMERAS

Security cameras have to be pointing in just the exactly right direction to catch even a glimpse of a bad guy. If it’s at night, there’s almost never enough light to get a clear view. We’re all spoiled watching TV dramas that show a thousand angles of every scene. But movies have thousand moveable cameras and almost as many lights pointing in the direction of the person they’re taping. We don’t. Why don’t we have more cameras? We already have lots of cameras.

Q.  Why not have a camera in the alley that would read a license plate?

A. The camera would have to be positioned directly behind the car – which would put that camera in the middle of the alley, plus spotlights. Let’s say we have a clear, perfect picture of the crime being committed in our upper garage. We would forward that video to the Northern Division PD. 

Q. Will there be manhunt for the perp?

 A. Not likely. Pacific Beach police are understaffed and do not pursue crimes of theft –  even grand theft ($950) is a stretch. Just remember lock your car, never to leave anything on your car seats. If you park in the lower garage, always take your automatic gate opener with you.

                                                                November  21,  2019

GOOD NEWS:

Between now and January 5 you may put holiday decorations

including lights on your balcony.

After that date, decorations and lights are NOT allowed.

BAD NEWS:

Amazon and other packages have recently been stolen from several unit doors. To ensure you get your packages, either require a signature or have them sent to a local Amazon or UPS pick-up location. If you get an email that your package has been delivered and it’s not at your front door, check the lobby. Seasonal delivery people have been known to dump and run.

MORE BAD NEWS:

An unlocked car was recently burglarized in our upper garage. Always lock your car and never have anything valuable showing on the seats.

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS:

Don’t you love watching hundreds of Santas running past our building? The famous Santa 5K and One Mile Run will be racing past us Saturday, December 14 around 9:15 AM.

Need more Christmas? The PB Holiday Parade begins at 1 PM starting on Haines and going west down Garnet, also December 14.

      

September 2019 

Everything You Wanted to Know about Pacific Tower 

But Were Afraid to Ask 

Even people who have lived here years don’t know everything about the building, so here’s a handy list of facts you can save, plus a few cool phone numbers and websites. Rules listed aren’t the ONLY rules, but these are the most frequently misunderstood. Vendors and tradesmen listed are some we use but you are always free to choose your own.

Please visit our blog http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org for a free digital copy of our Rules and Regulations as well as other forms and helpful articles about the building. Download all our forms. Please see, call or text on-site Building Manager Joseph Arellano, with any and all questions, no matter how trivial at 619.339.3490.

AFTER-HOURS BUILDING EMERGENCIES: Menas Realty Emergency line 619.744.9883

BALCONIES: No smoking, rugs, laundry/wetsuits, towels, storage, BBQs, decorative string lights or
plants without plastic plates underneath them.

CATWALK: No smoking, party-ing, loud yakking, running, noise, music, wet towels, wetsuits, rugs.

CONSTRUCTION: 8 AM to 5 PM Monday –Friday. Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM.

ELEVATOR RESERVATION FORM: Required for use of the elevator for delivery of furniture or removal of remodeling debris etc. $50 per day. Available on our blog, website or in the Lobby Office.

GARBAGE DISPOSALS: No Drano, celery, artichokes, etc. and please run lots of cold water while grinding.

HANDYMAN: West Coast Repairs (Doug Peters) 619.760.7975

KEYS: Your large square key opens the Front Lobby doors, the Dumpster Room, The Exterior stairway doors, Lower Garage Lobby Doors, Pool and Rec Room. You can get a second key for a deposit of $75.

LOWER GARAGE GATE REMOTES are $35, available in the Lobby Office by check or money order.

LAUNDRY: You can use the machines on any floor. Leave washer door open after using to prevent mold. Empty lint filter after using dryer. Do NOT prop open Laundry Room Doors by order of the Fire Department.

LOBBY OFFICE HOURS: 8 AM to 5 PM weekdays. Call or text 619.339.3490.

LOCKSMITHS: If the Lobby Office does NOT have your spare key you will need to call a locksmith. Never leave your spare key in your laundry room locker as they are easily broken into.

Dup-a-Key 858.750.2224 (local in PB), Mike Grizzly Keys 858.444.0437.

MAID/CLEANING SERVICES: Please tell maids not to throw boxes down the trash chute. (Boxes clog the chute.)

Spanish: Por favor no tire cajas o bolletas por el ventedero dobasura.

French: Ne pas jeter de boîtes dans la goulotte.

Please don’t shake mops or beat rugs on the catwalk or balconies.

Spanish: No sacuda los trapeadores ni golpee las alfombras en la pasarela or balcones.

French: Veuillez ne pas secouer les vadrouilles ni battre les tapis sur les podiums ou les balcons

Don’t dump water on or over the balcony.

Spanish: No tirar el agua en el balcon.

French: Ne jetez pas d’eau sur le balcon.

MOVING IN, OUT OR LARGE DELIVERIES: Absolutely forbidden on weekends and evenings. The reason is because there is no staff here to unlock the lobby double doors or to lock down and pad the elevator. Violators may be fined $250, so please take a weekday off work for this purpose and always fill out an elevator reservation form. For last-minute deliveries, text the office at 619.339.3490.

PARKING: You can rent out or swap your parking place only temporarily. It is deeded to your unit.

PEST CONTROL: Dewey Pest 858.272.3611.

PETS: Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Anyone can download Pet Rules from http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org .

PLUMBERS: Report any plumbing question (sink, toilet, or water where it shouldn’t be) to the

Building Manger so he can see the problem before it gets worse.

JC Plumbing 619.477.5001, Emory 858.483.6880, THA 858.284.4753

POOL: Hours 8 AM to 10 PM. Don’t dive, smoke, shout, play loud music or have glass bottles or food.

RECYCLING BINS: For paper, plastic and washed and dried cans. No garbage or containers with food particles on them. Flatten all cardboard boxes. Really large boxes should be flattened and left in the upper garage next to the Dumpster Room doors.

REMODELING: Architectural Rules and forms are available in the Lobby Office and for download at http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org. Know the limits and get written permission from the Board before making revisions to your unit.

STREET PARKING: No parking 1St Wednesday of the month, Wilbur St. (North side) 10 AM to 2 PM and Cass Street (West side) 7 AM to 10 AM. No Parking, 1St Thursday of the month, Wilbur St, (South side) 10 AM to 2 PM Cass St. (East side) 7 AM to 10 AM.

TRASH CHUTE: No cardboard boxes of any kind, EVER! No glass. Put garbage in a sealed plastic bag.

TV/CABLE: Free basic cable plus SHOWTIME and INTERNET from Spectrum comes with your unit. If you want AT&T, premium channels or hi-speed, you will have to contact them and pay for it.

WIFI: In the gym/RecRoom.  Password is posted on the refrigerator so you can Tweet while you stay in shape.

CONTACT INFO: On-Site Maintenance Office, Joseph Arellano Cell 619.339.3490. Land. 858.272.0860 Joseph.PTCA@gmail.com

Menas Emergency After- Hours 619.744.9883. Menas Daytime Non-emergency 858.270.7870

Community Association Manager (at Menas) Aysen Erbil. Email aerbil@menas.com

Dead Christmas Tree?

                         Dear Boardie,

Q. Now that Christmas is over, what do I do with my dead Christmas tree?

A. Thanks for asking.  1. Please wrap your tree in an old sheet before you take it out of your unit to minimize the horror of a bazillion dry pine needles piling up in our hallways and elevator.  2. Drop it off at Kate Sessions Memorial Park (corner of Soledad and Loring), which is accepting old trees for disposal. 

Recycling Boxes

                          We hope Santa brought you everything you asked for and all those gift boxes are no longer a mystery. Recycling is good for everybody, but it’s not fair to our maintenance men if you just toss a box in the laundry room and walk away. Boxes need to be emptied of shipping peanuts and wrapping paper and then opened on both ends and flattened: this is the owner’s job. 

*Large boxes need to be collapsed and taken by you down to the engine room in the upper garage. Thanks in advance.

When is a Garage NOT a Garage?

Your parking space is for your car and not your stuff. Some spaces have room for a bike or motorcycle - and that’s permitted.

The details:

Q. Is it okay to store my surfboards? Beach chairs? A. No and No.

Q. Is it okay to store my inflatable bounce house? A. Are you kidding?

Q. Is it okay to store my Steel- Belted Radial tires (they're car related !) A. No!  

Parking Roulette

Can I sell my parking space? NO.

Can I rent my parking place? YES.

Can I swap my parking place with my friend in the building? YES, BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY.

What happens when I sell my condo? YOUR PARKINGS SPACE IS THE      ONE STATED ON YOUR DEED. PERIOD.