Dover Shores News - August
Dover Shores News, August 1, 2025
Summer is in full swing for Dover Shores including our beach BBQs. Here is the latest news...
Save the Date - October 21 - Dover Shores Annual Meeting
The Dover Shores Annual Meeting will be October 21, 6PM at the Blue Water Grill. This is a great opportunity to meet your Board and your neighbors.
Social Committee
We've had two great BBQs so far and have two more remaining:
- August 5 - Lucille's BBQ
- August 19 - Fiesta Party
All food will be served from 5-7pm.
Beach Committee
It’s the middle of summer already, and it’s great to see so many people using our beaches.
Even though everything is usually smooth-running, every now and then there are a few glitches. Hopefully, it may be people who aren’t familiar with some of our beach policies. So sorry to be repetitive, BUT just a few reminders:
- NO DOGS ON THE BEACH - EVER. Dogs do leave a mess sometimes, just their nature, but this creates a health hazard particularly for young children playing in the sand. Also, you may have noticed the doggie waste bags have been moved to the fence next to Larry’s Bulletin Board. We ask that if you use one you do not try to throw it over the fence to “basket” your bag into one of our trash cans - those misses attract insects and are very smelly for everyone.
- NO BEACHING OF WATERCRAFT ON THE SAND. Someone actually beached a small outboard motorboat this past weekend at Larry’s Beach. Although they left before we were able to find out if they were residents or trespassers, please remember - to keep everyone safe, no boats or watercraft allowed on the sand, whether motorized or not.
- TRASH - Please be sure to throw all your trash away before you leave. It sure makes the beach look a lot better particularly over a busy weekend. Our beach cleaners come twice a week so if it gets messy in the meantime, we depend on our residents to help keep it clean. If the small can is full, there are additional cans against the wall by the storage room. Please roll one over. We also try to leave an extra can by the BBQ area too. And there are big plastic trash bags under the BBQ counter. Please help yourself if you need one. Also, in case you are wondering, someone from Artistic Landscaping takes the regulation trash cans from all 3 beaches to the curb every Monday morning and brings them back in. If you notice something is not being done with the trash service, please let us know.
THANK YOU!! And if you have any beach questions or concerns, please let us know by replying to this newsletter or emailing board@dovershoreshoa.org and we will forward your concerns to Beach Co-chairs Emily Leach and Sherry Bilbeisi who will get in touch with you directly.
On a positive note, it’s great to see so many young families and children enjoying our beaches this summer. Our beaches are Dover Shores’ most important amenity and are there for all our residents to enjoy. It’s a wonderful way to meet the neighbors too.
A Message from BHE Management Corporation:
Happy August!
As we enter into the heart of “fire season”, please be mindful of the importance of “home hardening” to protect yourself and your neighbors! The most basic items include cleaning out your rain gutters, removing any dry plant material from around your home, and trimming trees to contain their growth. The Newport Beach Fire Department also recommends that you strongly consider fine mesh screens for your vents, since fire can frequently start from embers! For more information about home hardening for Fires, go to Home Hardening.
Petition Received Against Slide installation
The Board wanted to make everyone aware that just prior to the last board meeting, the Association received a petition from a group of homeowners who have concerns regarding the slide proposed for Larry’s Beach. The Board notes that the petition was circulated containing substantial misinformation, and while they have spent many hours discussing the petition and how best to respond, they are still in the process of generating the appropriate response. The slide is temporarily on hold during that process.
BHE Management Corporation
www.BHEManagement.com (949)363-1963
Lisa Parra, Community Manager, LParra@BHEManagement.com
Melissa Mora, Architectural Assistant, AP@BHEManagement.com
Marla Hemmel, Managing Agent, MarlaH@bhemanagement.com
Contacting the Board
The Dover Shores HOA Board is composed of nine of your neighbors working very hard as unpaid volunteers to make Dover Shores a neighborhood we can all enjoy and be proud to live in. And they want to hear from you and need your participation. So if you would like to make your opinions heard by the Board, here are the best helpful, positive ways you can raise your concerns about anything on the Board’s Agenda and contribute to the betterment of Dover Shores:
- BHE – we pay BHE to be the first line of contact for homeowner concerns that need immediate attention. You can contact BHE by phone, (949)363-1963, by email LParra@BHEManagement.com or after hours at (949)922-6779. BHE is better equipped to provide a fast response than calling or emailing board members. If you think BHE is not being responsive or have more general concerns, please let us know via one of the other methods below.
- Board email – the email board@dovershoreshoa.org is monitored by Communications Committee Chairman Jim Gula. For easy questions, Jim will answer directly. For more complicated questions or concerns, Jim will forward your email to the board member best equipped to address the issue, usually a committee chair or BHE and they will reply directly to you. If the concern is sufficiently broad, we will reply that we are adding it to the agenda for the next board meeting.
- Attend a board meeting – All board meetings open with our homeowner forum. If you think we are screwing up in ways big or small, stand up and tell it to us face to face, in front of the whole community. We promise to listen respectfully. If your views are convincing, we will mend our ways, and you will have done a service to the community. If not, at least you have made your views known and potentially encouraged others to speak out.
- Attend social event – If you would like to speak to us in a less formal setting, many board members attend the BBQs and our annual meeting. If you don’t recognize us, ask a regular to point us out. We are happy to chat.
- Volunteer for a committee – much of the Association’s work is done in our committees. You don’t have to be a board member to join a committee and some committees are in need of help! Just ask to join and the board will vote on whether to approve your membership. You do have to work with the other committee members in a respectful, cooperative fashion.
- Run for the Board – If you have strong opinions about our Association, attend some meetings to learn the ropes, and then run for a board seat in 2026, preferably stating your views in your candidate statement. Board seats are not vanity positions. To be useful to the community, be prepared to work. Board members are expected to join one or more committees and commit several hours per month. Many of us put in many more hours than that, volunteer hours, offered for the good of the community.
Next Dover Shores HOA Board Meeting: September 16, 5:00 PM
The board is continuing to offer Zoom access to board meetings. All meetings will use the same credentials listed below. The general session for homeowner participation for these meetings begins at 5PM.
Join Zoom Meeting with your browser
Meeting ID: 880 4927 2107
Passcode: 940601
One tap mobile: (669)900-6833
For the foreseeable future, those wishing to attend in person can attend at the principal office of the Association which has been designated by the Board as the place of business of BHE Management, located at 30011 Ivy Glen Dr., Ste.118, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. BHE Management will be present.
Board meetings occur bimonthly on the 3rd Tuesday. The remaining meetings for 2025:
- September 16
- November 18
Architecture Committee
Are you planning to add or replace solar panels? This home improvement requires submittal of a Level 3 Architectural Request Application with approval by the Architectural committee before you start work. You will need to inform your neighbors and have them sign the neighbor awareness form as part of the application. The Architectural Guidelines contains more information.
We would also like to remind owners about the requirements for maintaining the street, sidewalk and parkway areas in front of your property. These areas must be kept clear of any construction rubbish or building material during your project. If you require a heavy commercial dumpster please place wood blocks or plywood beneath the feet or rollers to avoid damaging the street. The guidelines include this rule:
The Homeowner agrees to maintain the street, sidewalk and parkway area in front of the property clear of any construction rubbish or building material. Demolition rubbish shall be placed immediately in a dumpster and not on the ground in front of the property and building material shall be placed in the garage or behind the screened off construction area. A dumpster may not remain parked on or in front of the property longer than sixty (60) calendar days. Further, the Homeowners are responsible for the cleaning and removal of any and all stains left on the street which were caused by their contractors and respective sub-contractors as a result of any type of construction work.
Please be a good neighbor and remain aware of the street appearance of your property during your home improvement project. Your attention will help maintain the visual beauty of Dover Shores for the enjoyment of all.
Finance
We have created an early draft of the FY26-27 budget. The current plan includes a modest increase in dues to cover inflation-related increases in most expenses. We are currently estimating a 10% increase in insurance expenses but that could increase further as we get more information. We are making one structural change to shift part of the Landscape reserve allocation to an operating expense so we can better plan and budget landscape renovations.
CERT / Neighborhood Watch Updates
Prevent Water Leaks
A few years ago one of the flexible feed lines to a toilet broke and the repairs cost us several thousand dollars even though it was "covered" by insurance. Save yourself the expense and grief through the following methods:
- Regular maintenance. Opinions vary on how often flexible feed lines should be replaced but every 10 years is an often quoted number. The Fluidmaster PRO Series, for example, comes with a 10-year warranty.
- Water leak alarms - to alert you when a leak happens. You need at least one alarm in every room with a flexible water pipe including hoses to a washing machine in the laundry. Basic water sensors such as the Zircon emit a loud screech on a wet floor - but only if they are right-side up! These won't do much good if you are not home. More sophisticated ones like the YoLink squeal and send an alert to your phone if you are not at home. But you will need to contact a family member or neighbor who knows how to turn off your water. We installed these and sure enough, the alarm went off right when we got to the airport. Our son lives nearby and soon determined that our dog had decided the cute, white sensors looked delicious to chew on. We sprayed all sensors with bitter apple spray and haven't had any repeat chewing.
- Automatic water shutoff device. These are installed on your main water line coming from the city and will automatically turn off the water if the device detects a leak, potentially including a burst sprinkler line. Some insurance companies are offering these devices for "free" - you still have to pay $500 for installation. The Phyn Plus offered by Nationwide gets bad reviews for poor tech support and inappropriate shutoffs. Consumer Reports rated the Moen Flo Smart as the best such device. We have not installed one of these yet.
Fall CERT Classes
We dodged a bullet when Wednesday's Tsunami fizzled out. In a real emergency, would you know how to help your family? CERT classes from the NBFD give you the training you need. Fall classes start October 7. Sign up now as classes fill up quickly. More information is available on the City web site here.
Summer Vehicle Security Reminders from the NBPD
It’s common for us to see an uptick in vehicle break-ins during the summer months. As we know, summer is the time for getting outside to surf, hike, bike, run or play your favorite sport. When participating in outdoor recreation, people often leave their valuables in their car.
Here is where the problem lies: because this is a common habit, burglars know that the parking areas for these activities can be a gold mine for unsecured property. Even if you lock your car (which you definitely should), burglars don’t mind breaking a window or tampering with a lock to get into a car if they know there’s something they want in there. With that in mind, please plan ahead when you are getting ready to enjoy your outdoor activities. Here are four things you should do:
- Pack light. Leave anything at home that you don’t absolutely need and that you don’t want to carry with you.
- Utilize zipper pockets or a fanny pack for essentials. Take small items that you don’t want to leave at home with you if possible – for example: keys, cell phone, ID or credit cards.
- Hide valuables before you get to your destination. If you must leave something in your car, place that item in your trunk (where it is not visible) prior to arriving at the parking area. You never know if a burglar is hanging out in that area watching for victims to make it obvious exactly where they stored their valuables.
- Lock your car. An unlocked car is an easy target for burglars who are looking for convenient opportunities. Keeping your car locked is one of the best ways to avoid having it rummaged through.
Board Officers and Committees:
| Name | Office |
|---|---|
| Tim Hawke | President |
| Emily Leach | Vice President |
| Jim Gula | Treasurer |
| Sherry Bilbeisi | Secretary |
The Board Committees are:
| Committee | Chairs and members |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Tim Hawke (Chair), Peggy Pugh, David George |
| Landscape | Gwen Feiner (Chair), Anne Michaelsen Yahn, Sharon Wright |
| Beach | Sherry Bilbeisi (Co-chair), Emily Leach (Co-chair), Jodi Cassutt, Dan Converse |
| Welcome | Tim Hawke(Co-chair), Emily Leach (Co-chair) |
| CERT | Jim Gula (Chair), Dan Converse and others |
| Finance | Jim Gula (Chair), Ross Nelson |
| Communication | Jim Gula (Chair), Sherry Bilbeisi, Esther Fine, Emily Leach |
| Dredging | Tim Hawke (Chair) |
| Social | Sherry Bilbeisi (Co-chair), Emily Leach (Co-chair) |
| Airport | Rob Brauchli (Newly appointed Chair) |
If you would like to participate in any of these committees, please email us at: board@dovershoreshoa.org. We could use more help!
Finally
If you would like to submit an article for publication in the Newsletter that you think might be of interest to Dover Shores, please let us know by responding to this Newsletter by email.
Please let your neighbors know how to contact us at board@dovershoreshoa.org if they are not part of our email list and would like to join. Or please forward this email to them. Our goal is to reach every Dover Shores neighbor.
Note that past newsletters are always available at our archives.