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Eagle Ranch Messenger Page 1 January 2010
The Official Newsletter of the Eagle Ranch Property Owners Association
A Covenant Controlled Community
Eagle Ranch Property Owners Association
5000 Nolan Road, Box A-11
Pueblo, CO 81004
January 2010 —Issue 13
Presidents Message:
It was originally intended that this newsletter be issued in late October, 2009 coincident with the
anticipated completion of bridge repairs. However, those repairs were delayed due to weather,
schedule conflicts, and contract and contractor employee problems. The repairs are now in the
final stage of completion. In the Road and Bridge Report elsewhere in this newsletter, Alan Lucas
will explain in more detail what was done.
Monitoring of the bridge repair process necessitated numerous Board meetings, including many
that were impromptu. For this I would like to thank the Board members for their time, diligence
and sacrifice.
Sincerely, Tom Ossner
Advertisements: The Board of Director’s approved the use of Business Card size advertisements, in order to
supplement the cost of publication of this newsletter. A business card size ad will be $15 per issue or $40 per year (3 issues).
Please have any interested business contact the Newsletter Editor, Debby Graham, at 719-676-2964 or news@erhoa.org
Paid advertisements accepted to offset the cost of newsletter production and should not be construed as endorsements. The
mention of a product or service herein is solely for information to our readers.
Annual Meeting:
The annual meeting held June 27, 2009 had poor attendance. There were not a sufficient number of
property owners for a quorum; therefore no official business could be conducted. Since the 2010 meeting
will include election of officers, we urge you to participate either by attending the meeting or returning
your proxy, which will be included in a forthcoming newsletter.
Eagle Ranch Messenger Page 2 January 2010
See treasurer's Financial Report in Newsletter attachment.
Eagle Ranch Messenger Page 3 January 2010
Road and Bridge Report – by Alan Lucas
A national subcontractor was selected that deals specifically with railroad car bridges. They
came out and examined the bridges. The subcontractor then proceeded with a visual inspection
citing his concerns. A week later E.R.P.O.A. Board members received a packet with what was
discussed including colored diagrams and pictures. These can be seen on the website.
( www.erhoa.org )
The diagrams help illustrate how each bridge is comprised of two separate auto transport cars.
The cars are supposed to be retrofitted to accommodate vehicular traffic as a bridge. Scrap
metal such as brake lines are taken off, ramps properly removed, and places with thin gauge or
no metal on the deck are plated with metal to cover holes in the decking. Then each car is
welded together to form one uniform structure.
It was determined that each bridge suffered from three major issues of varying degrees. The
first issue was the fact that the auto transport cars were not welded together to form one unified
structure as described above. This left them more susceptible to damage when heavier
loads traveled across them such as concrete trucks. Kaitlyn Bridge was most affected by this
with its longer span.
Secondly, it appeared that several holes on the deck of each car had not been plated. At the time
of the initial inspection the road base hid the majority of the holes. The severity would later be
determined with the removal of the road base as evidenced by Nolan and Reba bridge.
Lastly, erosion to the abutments was taking place. The Reba Bridge abutment was actually being
undermined. Continued erosion would have lead to the failure of the abutment and the eventual
failure of the bridge.
Each bridge was stripped of what road base it had, followed by an unbelievable layer of dirt.
Then the deck of each bridge was power washed clearly exposing the metal decking. Closer inspection
revealed that little care was taken in the initial installation of the bridges. Coupler
mounds and wheel wells were not plated. The center guide rails were mashed down instead of
properly being removed. Other non-essential items on the underside of the bridges were left in
place. Scrap metal appeared to be tacked arbitrarily to the deck. Many of these welds were
cracked and had failed. Sharp metal protruded from the deck. The surface looked absolutely
appalling as those who have driven over the bridges can attest to.
To address these problems the bridges had several pieces of 1/2 inch angle iron welded to their
underneath from car to car. Then1/2 inch plate metal was welded down the middle of the deck,
tying the cars securely together. This ensures that the bridges will work as one, essentially making
them much safer than they previously were while increasing their load capacity.
At the same time, holes in the bridge decking were covered with the same plate metal, eliminating
any potential hazardous issues with vehicular traffic. A number of metal protrusions were
torched off.
Additionally, a concrete wing wall was tied into the east abutment of the Reba Bridge at the
recommendation of a structural engineer. Its purpose is to stabilize erosion while adding to the
support of the abutment that was beginning to be undermined.
A considerable amount of time and involvement has been spent on our bridges. The bridges are
now structurally safer than they once were. The repairs have added extra safety margins to the
capacity of our bridges. Their current life span has increased for years to come.
Eagle Ranch Messenger Page 4 January 2010
If you have an inquiry concerning activity at Eagle Ranch, please contact any member of the
Board of Directors, or through The Eagle Ranch Property Owners Association Website at:
Board of Directors
Correspondence to board members, annual dues payments and change of address notices
should be addressed to:
Eagle Ranch POA Tom Ossner, President
5000 Nolan Road, Box A-11 719-568-3107 or pres@erhoa.org
Pueblo, CO 81004
Alan Lucas, Vice President Horst Armbrust, Secretary
719-252-7871 or mal@erhoa.org 719-676-2641 or secretary@erhoa.org
Cathi Scriven, Treasurer Tom Atchley, Member-at-Large
719-676-3199 or cathi@erhoa.org 719-676-3232 or mal@erhoa.org
Newsletter Editor: Debby Graham
719-676-2964 or news@erhoa.org
ERPOA Board Meetings: Property owners can attend ERPOA Board Meetings; however, only board
members participate in decision making. Should you wish to introduce a topic at an upcoming board
meeting, you must contact a board member prior to the meeting to be included on the agenda.
Meetings have historically been held at the home of a board member. If a large number of property
owners wish to attend board meetings, we may have to make other arrangements so that all can participate.
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