WELCOME, NEW NEIGHBOR!
We trust you’ll enjoy living in Sandia Heights, with its beautiful landscapes, natural flora and fauna (lots of deer!), and friendly residents.
Here are a few things you might wish you knew sooner, rather than later:
ADDRESS UPDATING
Some people who move to Sandia Heights have an address on file that is actually their OLD address, the one they had when they bought their house here and/or signed up for utilities. All print materials pertinent to the neighborhood such as homeowners’ association notices and newsletters are likely still going to that old address. If you are not getting local notices, go to https://sandiahomeowners.org/account/request, update your address, and UNCHECK the box “Send All Physical Mail to a Different Address?” This will ensure local notices arrive at your Sandia Heights address.
TRASH
- Trash is picked up every week, but recycling only every other week. You can find the schedule at https://www.sandiaheightsservices.com/sanitation/recycle-holiday-and-event-calendar/
- If you put your trash out the night before, there is a nonzero chance your trash will be spilled all over the road, with bears still pawing through it, come morning. The recommended trash set-out time is before 7 am, but you’ll find out when the collectors come to your street, and you can then set the bin[s] out beforehand, leaving a healthy margin in case of slight changes in schedule.
- Lawn and Leaf recycling occurs quarterly and does not accept cactus.
HIKING
Even if a trodden path looks like a trail, you can’t use it if it goes through a private lot without the written permission of the owner. Maps of hiking trails are available under Resident Resources->Local Maps-> Nearby Public Lands section of the sandiahomeowners.org website.
HOUSE MODIFICATIONS
Any change to the exterior of a home in Sandia Heights needs to be approved by the Architectural Control committee. For most routine applications, the process is fast (typically under a week) and painless. Applications may be found here. If you are considering something that’s a major change, you will want to review what you are legally allowed to do, by virtue of the covenants that apply to your specific property. You may find your covenants here.
SANDIA HEIGHTS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION (SHHA)
Of greatest importance, please register as new residents and join the Sandia Heights Homeowners Association, which provides many opportunities and benefits, for only $15 each month (to be added to your Sandia Heights Services bill). The same link will also allow you to provide information for the Sandia Heights Directory and to receive neighborhood notices as well as The GRIT, our monthly newsletter.
Benefits for SHHA Members
A member of the SHHA is a property owner who pays monthly dues. Benefits available to members include all those afforded to non-member property owners and renters, plus the following:
- Discounted tram passes
- The right to submit covenant violation complaints and receive free enforcement support.
- Free Architectural Control application and assistance in changes to a property’s exterior.
- Free notary service
— Call or email the SHHA office to arrange a time on a Tuesday or Thursday to have documents notarized. Be sure the documents already include a signature block for the authorization. - Free, annual Resident Guide & Directory mailed to one’s home
— Request this option by calling or emailing the front office - Free hardcopy version of The GRIT newsletter delivered to one’s home
— This option can be selected inside "My Account," which can be reached via the main navigation menu. Alternatively, one can call or email the front office to set this option for you.
— Note that the mailed GRIT is in black and white, whereas the online version is in color. - Access to contractor evaluations
— Available on request at the SHHA office. At the moment, this is a physical binder of reviews written by fellow residents on the quality of the contractors they have used. There are plans in progress to digitize these.
— The form for submitting a contractor review can be found here. - The right to vote on SHHA matters
— The annual meeting is typically held on a Saturday in February; see the February GRIT for date, time, agenda, and biographies of candidates for office. Each household receives one vote. - The right to speak at SHHA Board Meetings (read Board of Directors Meeting Procedures; then submit "Request to Speak" form)
- The right to serve on the SHHA Board and on SHHA committees
— Contact office@sandiahomeowners.org with a Statement of Interest if you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors.
— Contact the relevant committee chair to offer to serve on a committee.
In addition to these benefits, you’ll also meet many new friends at our neighborhood gatherings – ice cream socials, pizza and pub nights, Easter egg hunts for the kids, holiday brunches, shredding events, and more!
We wish you a happy settling in, and we hope to see you soon at the SHHA Office and at our neighborhood events!
The Community Service and Membership Committee
Questions? Contact Cathy Yandell, ChairCSMC@sandiahomeowners.org