Your Home Town Bulletin • November 2023
NW Landing office closed November 10, 23 & 24
The Northwest Landing office will be closed on Friday, November 10, in observance of Veterans Day. The office will also be closed November 23 and 24 for Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day.
Information for new residents
Are you new to Northwest Landing? Whether you are an owner or renter, there is information for you on the Northwest Landing website. A New Residents webpage includes common topics our office gets questions about. Governing documents for the association are also available without logging into the members’ portal.
Old Fort Lake planning
For more than a year, the City of DuPont Community Development Office has been working on a new plan for more than 650 acres in the vicinity of The Home Course, north of McNeil Street. Called Old Fort Lake Subarea Plan Update, the planning process has involved the city’s Planning Commission, public meetings, and contracting with architectural and land-use planners. Information about the process, public meetings, and timelines are here.
From 1906 to the mid-1970s, the area was home to an explosives factory owned and operated by DuPont de Nemours Inc. Contaminant cleanup took several years, so The Home Course could be built. The area is also where the first Fort Nisqually was built in 1833 and 27-acre Old Fort Lake, which will eventually have walking trails to allow public access to the lake. Today most of the land is owned by members of the Northwest Landing Commercial Owners Association (COA). New zoning will also include single-family and multi-family homes (apartments). Both the COA and ROA are engaged in the planning process.
If you are interested in getting involved or following the Old Fort Lake Subarea Plan Update process, email to be added to the interested parties list.
Wildlife refuge in your backyard
One of the things that many of us were attracted to in Northwest Landing is that wildlife is often seen in and around our homes. What you may not know is that much of the property along the ridge above Puget Sound is part of either the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge or a land conservation trust. The homes on Ridge View Drive and Sinclair Drive back onto a trail that is bordered by federal land or land trust.
A few months ago, new signs went up in the woods behind homes on Hoffman Hill, reading: National Wildlife Refuge – Unauthorized Entry Prohibited. So, does that mean you can’t walk on the trails near these signs? No, it means that you can walk the trails but not through the woods on either side of the trail. It also means that you cannot treat the woodlands as an extension of your property. No dumping yard waste or holiday trees, and definitely no camping or campfires.
So why are signs going up now? Several months ago, a very elaborate tree house was discovered on the Ridge View Trail. The builder was found and agreed to remove it. There were also several reports of yard waste dumped on the property, which is a federal offense. To find what areas are part of the wildlife refuge visit the Pierce County property map.
A side note: the “cement boat” on the Nisqually delta is also part of the wildlife refuge, as is the hillside above the boat. It’s illegal to climb down the hillside and cross the railroad tracks which is the main freight line of BNSF Railroad. The U.S. Department of the Interior (which owns the wildlife refuge) does monitor the area but will not prohibit people from walking down the beach from Sequalitchew Creek Trail during low tide. Don’t bring dogs. Do pack out your trash, and report graffiti or destructive behavior if you see it.
We all need to do our part to protect this national treasure that is literally in our backyard. To report destruction or dumping on federal property in DuPont, call 360-753-9467.
Sounds of the Season features South Puget Sound New Horizons Band. This is a family-friendly (age 5 and older, not appropriate for young children) event at Eagle’s Pride Golf Course. Enjoy an afternoon of holiday favorites, seasonal appetizers and a hot cocoa bar. Ring in the season with family and friends and reserve today, as space is limited. We can’t wait to celebrate the season with you!
City of DuPont Events
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You can sign up for city email lists on a variety of topics including parks and recreation, public works, and city council news. Sign up for City of DuPont newsletters and alerts here.
“Letters from Baghdad” Reading and Book Signing • Monday • November 6 • 7 p.m.
DuPont Historical Museum • 207 Barksdale Ave.
Letters from Baghdad Vol. 1 chronicles Col. (Ret) Mike Courts’s first year in Baghdad 2006-07. Come hear selected readings and consider purchasing a signed copy to benefit the museum.
Board Game Day at the DuPont Historical Museum • Sunday • November 19 • 1-4 p.m.
All ages welcome! Those 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Games and snacks provided or bring your games to share.
Tickets are $18 plus tax per person. Children 2 years and younger are free. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Santa has a special place for DuPont in his heart! He makes sure to stop by every year for some yummy pancakes at the Home Course, pictures with all the good boys and girls and, of course, to listen to their wish list. Get your tickets today, they sell fast!
Dear ROA,
Dear ROA, I am writing about my neighbors’ fence between their property and mine, which is in extreme disrepair. This fence is a massive safety issue! I have contacted the property management company (the property is a rental) and they have refused to replace this fence. The panels are rotten wood and chunks of it are constantly falling off. If that was not bad enough, individual boards pop out all of the time leaving us to have to put up support slats. Last winter the wind blew over panels and they put up the same rotted wood back up. ROA staff tell me that you cannot make the owner replace the fence.
– Frustrated in Hoffman Hill Village
Dear Frustrated,
Our experience is this is a chronic issue with shared driveways and fences in Northwest Landing. In your case, the shared fence (called “shared party fence” in our rules), is just that. Each neighbor is responsible for repair and replacement of the shared fence. Probably the most efficient way to handle this situation would be to get a couple of estimates from fence companies to replace the shared fence, then write a letter to the owner (not the property management company) with what it will cost to replace. If you send ROA staff the letter, we can send it to the last known address for the property owner with our own notice citing ROA rules regarding shared elements.
NOTE TO ALL: Now is the time to assess whether your property fence needs repair and/or replacement. If it is more than 15 years old, it’s time. Getting estimates from contractors now helps get the construction scheduled for spring.
Autumn leaves are falling
We have a lot of trees in Northwest Landing and most of them are dropping leaves. Homeowners are responsible for removing
leaves from their lawns – but not into city streets where they will end up clogging stormwater drains and cause street flooding.
Please do not blow leaves and other yard debris into the street. If you don’t have a lawn waste container, you can order one from LeMay-Pierce County Refuse. If you have a large quantity of leaves or other yard waste such as branches, Thurston County’s Waste and Recovery Center (Exit 111 on I-5) accepts yard waste for $10- 20.
A neighbor found a creative way to collect fall leaves. >
Check rooftops and siding for moss and algae
“Darkember” is here – shorter daylight hours and overcast skies are perfect conditions for moss to bloom on rooftops and algae growth on siding. Spring and summer are usually the best seasons to remove moss and algae. However, now is the time to inspect for growth to plan ahead. Our compliance officer is reporting roof moss and siding that needs to be cleaned. You may receive a notice from the ROA office and will be given some time to take care of the problem areas. Please call the ROA office with questions and concerns: 253-964-1289. Tips for preventing and treating moss can be found here: Oregon State University Extension Service and Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides.
Don’t forget to fertilize lawns!
For best quality lawns, apply 1 lb. nitrogen per 1000 square feet in the fall. For western Washington, make this application between mid-November and December 7. This is from the WSU Home Lawns publication, which can be downloaded
What to do with old jack-o’-lanterns
Let’s start with what NOT to do: don’t toss them in the woods for wildlife to eat where they are more likely to rot. Pumpkins can be disposed in yard waste or added to compost. They also make colorful temporary bird feeders. Here are some tips from Audubon Society – Pumpkin Bird Feeder Makes Happy Harvest for Birds.
If you have suggestions about plants and plant care for the bulletin, email