Equestrian Update

Our trainer Hayden Clarke Sport Horses and many of our Equestrian Center boarders are excited to start competing again after a long layoff over Spring and early summer. This will be their first show with the new COVID-19 protocols and best practices in place. Starting next week, the two week Blenheim Summer Classic takes place at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano. This is a prestigious United States Equestrian Federation event for the top competing classes.

Trail Closure – Portion of Oso Mustang Oso Trail

The trail between Mustang and Buckskin (Oso Mustang Trail) will be closed to thru access from June 29th to July 3rd for trail grading. The accompanying map shows the closed section of the trail in RED.

Announcing the Tuesday, May 12th First Phase Re-Opening of the Nellie Gail Ranch Tennis and Swim Center

We are excited to announce the first phase of our re-opening of the Nellie Gail Ranch Tennis and Swim Centers with revised hours and temporary use rules.  Please review this entire message and all of the attachments prior to visiting for the first time.  The Temporary Recreation Center Use Rules are intended to make the Nellie Gail Ranch Recreation Center accessible to the membership while promoting good hygiene and proper physical distancing. 
 
Hours of Operation:

  • Swim Center – Open to homeowners only from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for lap swimming only.  
  • Tennis Center – 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Pickleball – 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

The following link is to our Temporary Recreation Center Use Rules providing guidance on how the tennis, pickleball, and swim facilities may be used starting Tuesday, May 12th.

TEMPORARY RECREATION CENTER USE RULES

Due to construction in our parking lot and building exterior, access to the parking lot will be via one entry lane as noted by the red arrow and one exit lane also noted by a red arrow.  Access to enter the Swim and Tennis Centers are noted by the yellow arrow.

All homeowners and club members must check-in at the reception desk prior to the use of the facilities. The following waiver is required to be completed prior to the use of the recreation center. Please complete prior to arriving to streamline your check-in.

LIABILITY WAIVER AND RELEASE

Reservations are required for use of the Tennis and Pickleball courts. You may reserve a court via the following link:

Kourts App

Swim lanes are first come first serve. Access to the swimming pool is restricted to lap swimming for homeowners only. With this first phase of re-opening no non-homeowner club members or swim team members may use the pool pending a revision to the state guidelines prohibiting public pool use. We are hopeful of welcoming the rest of you back soon!
 
Please be aware of the following:

  • No person may access the recreation center that is sick, that has a fever or a confirmed case of Covid-19. Any person visiting a facility should wash their hands regularly and/or use sanitizer.
  • Access to the Tennis and Pickleball courts is restricted to residents and Club members only. No guest use is permitted at this time.
  • All residents and Club members accessing the recreation center are required to bring either disposable sanitary wipes or similar cleaning materials for personal sanitary purposes. 

Restroom / Shower Facilities:

  • Restrooms access will be limited to one person at a time (or a parent and child as may be necessary).
  • Showers inside restrooms will be closed.
  • Additional janitorial hours have been approved to implement heightened sanitation of contact surfaces. Janitorial will be in place for all hours of operation.

Sunbathing Use

  • Not permitted at this time.

Spa Use

  • Not permitted at this time. 

Membership Fees:
We will begin invoicing our Tennis and Pickleball Club Members for membership fees again with a pro-rated May invoice. If you paid your March fees prior to our March 17th closing, you will receive a credit for that portion of the month we were closed. For our Club Members who may not be ready to integrate back into activity, you may request we suspend your dues through June 30th, or earlier depending upon your comfort level to return to activity.
 
For those who are anxious to start activities that remain restricted, we will continue to model the local authorities’ guidelines and phase in further openings.

Meanwhile, WELCOME BACK!! We have been looking forward to this first phase of re-opening for a long time and look forward to seeing you soon!

Equestrian Neighbors Helping Neighbors

The Moulton Ranch community has several planters at Bridlewood and Oso they have been trying to beautify. They recently installed Agave in a planter to fill in a bare area. However, some of our equestrians who use the nearby horse crossing expressed concern regarding the sharp thorns in proximity to the trail and crossing. Moulton Ranch quickly accommodated removing the plants. Now it is our turn to be good neighbors as they prepare to replant with something that will both complement the aesthetics of the monument and their community entry and not be a concern to our equestrians. Please take care when riding or hiking to stay on the trail and avoid short-cutting across planter areas to access the sidewalk or street. While we are highlighting this for our Moulton Ranch neighbors, it is equally important in our own community at our many trailheads.

Special Meeting to Review Plan to Reopen Recreation Facilities

We have been monitoring the state and county press conferences regarding ongoing business closures and reopening discussions. We have also reviewed reports of local recreation facilities who are making moves to reopen their clubs. We are currently preparing our own plan for a phased reopening and are scheduling a Zoom video/conference call on Monday, May 11, 2020, at 6:00 pm to review a draft plan and schedule for reopening the recreation facilities. We want our homeowners, Tennis Members, Pickleball Members, and Swim Center Members to review our proposed plan for reopening and provide an opportunity for you to provide input. We know many people are ready to start participating in their sports of choice again, while others remain concerned about potential public exposure. We want to create a plan that addresses both perspectives and provides you with an opportunity to give input.

Please put the date of May 11, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. on your calendar. We will send a link to the meeting next week. Meanwhile, please safely enjoy our trails and open space and what looks to be a beautiful weekend.

Nellie Gail Ranch Facilities

While NGROA Parks remain open, the children’s playgrounds and equipment are closed. Please adhere to social distancing requirements when using the parks. No gatherings.

The status of NGROA Recreation Facilities are as follows:

  • NGROA Administrative Offices  – Closed
  • Tennis & Swim Club – Closed
  • Pickleball Courts – Closed
  • Park Grass Areas and Sidewalks – Open. Group gathering is prohibited. Comply with social distancing requirements
  • Trails – Open
  • Equestrian Center – Open
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to impact our world and all facets of life. The Nellie Gail Ranch Owners Association (NGROA) Board of Directors are committed to protecting public health and slowing the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Nellie Gail Ranch community. NGROA Management is closely monitoring the latest information from public health officials to assist the Board of Directors in determining appropriate actions for the community’s activities, administrative operations, and facilities. The above provides a summarized list of actions taken by the Board of Directors due to the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The actions taken are consistent with the recommendations and requirements from the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control, County of Orange, and the California Governor’s Office. These measures will be evaluated as needed, as the Coronavirus situation evolves and subsides.

Nellie Gail Ranch Operations In Response to State Executive Order

Consistent with the stay at home Executive Order we are prioritizing essential services.  The Nellie Gail Ranch Tennis and Swim Center and Association office have been closed and will re-open upon approval of the state.

The Executive Order may be viewed on the following link: https://covid19.ca.gov/img/N-33-20.pdf

We request you defer submittal of architectural improvement applications and Notices of Completion until we resume full operations.

Nellie Gail Ranch Equestrian Center staff are providing essential services in the care of our boarder’s horses and will continue to work. We will work with our Association vendors to provide service for urgent needs.  Anything that is not deadline sensitive, health and safety or property damage related will be deferred until normal operations resume.  The Executive Order did not provide an end date so we will be monitoring.

Many of our staff are performing critical time-sensitive functions from home and we are monitoring vendors to be sure that critical maintenance continues to be performed as needed. If you have any questions or concerns during our office closure you may reach me at bmitchell@nelliegailranch.org. If you have an urgent or emergency need you may reach General Manager Brian Mitchell by cell phone at 949-395-0742.

Equestrian Center Clubhouse

This week we completed the Equestrian Center Clubhouse reserve projects that replaced the patio cover and sliding glass door and expanded the deck to include a handicapped ramp for improved accessibility. The new three-panel pocket door provides 10 feet of access to the deck that has a solid alumawood cover.

The reserve funds used for these projects were funded by boarding fees with no assessment contribution.

We look forward to providing our Equestrian clients with a nice area to gather and socialize.

Cabot Arena

After some feedback regarding the Cabot Arena footing depth we have reduced it a bit and re-groomed.  Come on out and enjoy our freshly dragged Cabot Arena.

Memorial Tree

Hayden / Clarke and equestrian friends of Rose Schwary donated this Orchid tree to commemorate the recent passing of Lady, Rose’s horse who has boarded at our Equestrian Center for almost 20 years. This tree overlooks Lady’s home stall and the arena she enjoyed training in.