Yosemite West Property & Homeowners, Inc.

YWPHI Projects & Activities

Fire Safety

• Go to the Fire Safety page for details about activities and projects since 2004.


Activities and projects prior to 2004 included:


• Ladder Fuel Reduction
  In fall 2002 and winter 2002-2003, the National Park Service (NPS) spent approximately $100,000 to reduce ladder fuels adjacent to Yosemite West's southeastern boundaries, upslope from Henness Circle. The NPS fuels management program planned and provided the funding for this work. Clearing began after YWPHI's Fire Safety Chair (Harry Hagan) requested that the NPS proceed with their plans. Tom Nickels and Dan Buckley of the NPS presented an excellent explanation of this program at the 2002 YWPHI annual meeting.



• Volunteer Fire Department In 2000, Ken Wall (Fire Safety Chair) spent a lot of time planning and designing a firehouse for Yosemite West that could be installed near the mailboxes on county property. At the time, Mariposa County had an available fire truck for our protection, but it could not be transferred to Yosemite West unless a standard firehouse and a local volunteer fire brigade were in place. Attempts to establish a fire brigade were abandoned in 2001 due to lack of sufficient volunteers. Ken Wall proposed the possibility of setting up a community fire brigade that would not be required to meet the stringent county firefighter standards.



• YWPHI Fire Safety Committee Chairs (Pete Ulyatt and Ken Wall) and board member Joan Ulyatt conducted a fire safety survey of Yosemite West lots and homes to provide fire safety information to the Mariposa County Fire Department. The type of data gathered included proximity of fire hydrants, amount of brush clearance, type of home construction and roof materials, and other fire safety related items. The goal of the survey was to provide the fire department with information to develop a fire protection plan for Yosemite West.



• Training to Open Fire Hydrants
  YWPHI held a meeting and practice session in Yosemite West on May 29, 1999 concerning proper procedures for opening fire hydrants. Because of differential pressure zones within the community, improper use of fire hydrants could severely damage the water system. The fire hydrant orientation was organized by Ken Wall and Pete Ulyatt, and was presented by fire chief Blaine Shultz and county staff.



• Emergency Fire Equipment
  YWPHI spent $1,500 to furnish three fire emergency barrels containers with 200 feet of fire hose, a nozzle, and a wrench for emergency fire use in the community. YWPHI purchased this emergency fire equipment in 1993 for use on any community fire as a line of first defense until the responding fire agency arrives. Ken Wall organized this effort and keeps the barrels with the fire equipment available outside his residence on Henness Circle. In 2000, YWPHI spent $2,767 to update fire safety equipment for the fire emergency barrels, which was recommended by the county fire department.

Water & Sewer

In 2002, YWPHI contacted Supervisor Patti Reilly and expressed support for the establishment of a water/sewer flow control ordinance to protect the right of all lot owners to build a residence in Yosemite West. The ordinance was drafted and approved by the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors on May 15, 2002. Should Yosemite West's water and sewer system become compromised in the future, residents will be subject to a rationing system based upon their EDU assessment.

Emergency Telephone Tree

YWPHI first compiled an emergency information telephone listing of residents to be used in case of accident, medical emergency or fire, in 2000. This work was organized by the YWPHI Community Relations Chair Kay Pitts along with Joan and Pete Ulyatt. In addition, YWPHI created the first Yosemite West Emergency Telephone Tree of homeowners' telephone numbers to be used in case of emergency. The telephone tree was most recently updated in March 2006 and distributed to homeowners. Please send an email to telephonetree@yosemitewest.org to inform us of any changes to your contact information, to request a copy of the telephone tree, or to remove your name from the tree for any reason.

Refer to a listing of emergency contact information.

Information Station

YWPHI supported construction of a community information station in 1998. Located at the junction of Henness Circle and Henness Ridge Road, the station consists of a wooden signboard with a neighborhood map and a box containing fliers about lodging facilities in the community. Neal Misener installed the information station.

The goal of making fliers available to guests is to decrease the number of times guests bother residents asking about lodging information. The cost of the information station was paid for by the lodging operators listed on the fliers.

Public Pay Telephone

Pacific Bell removed a public pay telephone from its housing near the mailboxes in 1999. YWPHI worked to re-establish the pay telephone service at this location.

Mailboxes

YWPHI sponsored the installation of secure (locked) mailboxes for the community. The cluster mailbox system was installed in 1999. It consists of a concrete pad and roofed shelter with a community bulletin board. The old mailboxes were relocated adjacent to the new shelter.

Ken Wall designed, selected and purchased the materials for the shelter, and organized the volunteer effort to build it. Kay Pitts selected and ordered the mailboxes. A total of 167 hours of volunteer labor were donated to this project by Ken Wall, Marilyn Wall, Pete Ulyatt, Joan Ulyatt, Kirk Robinson, Neal Misener, Robert Kroon and John Bathker.

YWPHI paid $1,527 to cover the cost of the foundation. The cost of the cluster mailboxes ($4,000) was paid for by the residents who purchased a mailbox.

Guidelines for Yosemite West Residents & Guests

YWPHI prepared the first "Guidelines for Yosemite West" in 1999 for distribution to the community. The list is designed to be used as a guide to lodging operators for improving neighborhood relations, as suggested conduct for the Yosemite West community, and as recommendations to the Yosemite West Planning Advisory Committee (YWPAC). Please print out the revised "Guidelines for Yosemite West Residents & Guests" and make it available to your guests.

Community Evacuation Plan

At the 2000 YWPHI annual meeting, Supervisor Patti Reilly challenged Yosemite West to develop a community evacuation plan. Since the telephone tree was complete, it can be used to notify residents and guests in the event an evacuation is necessary. In the future, an evacuation plan will be developed as part of the Draft Yosemite West Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which we hope to complete in 2006.

Additionally, Pete Ulyatt and Joan Ulyatt worked with Dana Hertfelder of the Mariposa County Public Works Department to erect "Exit to Highway" signs at strategic locations throughout Yosemite West. The signs were supplied by the county and installed in 2001. Since there is only one usable way out of Yosemite West, the signs should help motorists to leave.

Site Map Copyright text © Yosemite West Property & Homeowners, Inc. 2003-2012, Copyright photographs © John Mock 2004-2012. All rights reserved. Unauthorized redistribution of this document is prohibited. Updated April 1, 2012.