SO DAY THREE OF THE RAMP THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. WHILE THEY NEVER CAME OUT, I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS LETTER. I CHANGED A FEW THINGS BUT OVERALL THOUGHT IT WAS THE PERFECT WAY TO COMMUNICATE MY INTENTIONS WITH MY BACKYARD RAMP.
To my neighbors,
First off, I would like to introduce myself as your new neighbor who lives on Fairway Drive! If I haven’t met you yet, my name is Curtis Nemetz and I recently purchased a house in this beautiful neighborhood. I am a first-time homeowner and have been working hard to reach this goal for many years. I’m 30 years old, have a beautiful wife and three boys under the age of 4, a part time stay at home dad, have a Masters Degree in School Counseling from CSUB, and own my own video production company (www.curtisnemetz.com). So, I’m a pretty busy guy! I don’t party and view myself as a responsible, respectful, and mature person.
You may be wondering, why am I getting this letter?
As a lifelong skateboarder who has dedicated himself to the sport, a few friends and I recently built a mini-ramp at my house. I took into consideration the proximity of the neighbors in relation to a potential ramp location as well as the overall lot size when we made our decision to purchase this house. I saw the concrete pad, with the alley behind, and the large amount of space between each neighbor on either side of us. I have been in communication with two of the neighbors and have been willing to listen and compromise. However, recently the police were called out during the middle of the day on a noise complaint about my skating.
While I believe I am fully in my rights afforded to me as a property owner and that I am in compliance with Kern County, California-Code of Ordinances 8.36.020 which states that one is permitted to make noise from construction between the hours of 6 am and 9 pm on weekdays and 8 am and 9 pm on weekends, it is still of prime importance to me that I am a good neighbor and am respectful of others that have lived for many years in this neighborhood. (There are no noise ordinances specifically stating sporting activities such as basketball, backyard pools, baseball, or other activities like skateboarding. So I am referencing the construction noise ordinance since skating the ramp is no louder than someone sawing or hammering in their backyard which is very prevalent in this neighborhood due to all the recent remodels)
The peace and serenity of this neighborhood is part of what attracted me to it. And so, I wanted to outline some of the self-imposed rules I have established so you can be assured that the peace and serenity will be kept.
It is my hope these rules will help you eliminate your anxiety about my skating activities.
Rules:
1. Skating will not only follow the 6am-9pm guidelines for noise established under Municipal Code Section 8.36.020, skating will not be done on the ramp prior to 10am and will never be done past 8pm.
2.
I will not skate on Sundays.
3. Skating will not be done after dark.
4. Skating will last no longer than 90 minutes.
5. I will not skate more than once per day.
6. While I skate I will be cognizant of those around us. This is in no way going to be a party ramp. It is, and will remain, secured and locked at all times. My sport is skateboarding, and I am in it for that end only. Not the party lifestyle it is so often stereotyped with.
7. Special circumstances (sickness, backyard parties etc…) will always be respectfully considered.
So, in summary: if you hear us skating it will only happen once per day and will not exceed 90 minutes. (Most times though we do not skate for more than 1 hour)
Further, I wanted to hand out my contact information in case we were skating and you had a problem. I promise I am a nice guy and do not fit the typical stereotype of skateboarders as aggressive or unruly. I will respond promptly and courteously when contacted.
Feel free to call or text me on my cell phone with any issues at 805-XXX-XXXX. My cell phone will be with me every time I am skating. Or you can send me an email at curtis@curtisnemetz.com.
If you still do not feel comfortable communicating with me through any of these channels and if you still wish to call the police, please give the dispatcher my number! As a cousin of a CHP officer, and a citizen of this county, I know how valuable a police officer’s time is in this economy and I would hate to have to take up the time and resources of a patrol car when a simple phone call will do the job.
I hope that these rules and communications channels I have established will not only afford me the freedoms guaranteed me as a property owner, but will also help me to be a good neighbor and remain respectful of your rights as well. I am hopeful that in partnership we can make sure to accommodate each other.
Thank you for your time and for reading this! Again, please, please, please contact me at any time. And if you’re in the area and wish to stop by and say hello please feel free to do so. Thanks!
Your neighbor,
Curtis Nemetz
