XXIII. Bayside South Neighbors Address Unauthorized Tree Removal

Bayside South Condos members address major concerns with the unauthorized removal of nearly 40 trees on their private property. Read the letter below.

To: Bayside South Homeowners, Ralph Sletager, DBPOA Board, Design Review Board

Cc: Alix Millan, Sentry Management

From: Bayside South Neighbors, et al.

Date: October 9, 2025

Subject: Governance Failures and Unauthorized Tree Removal at Bayside South

We, a group of concerned homeowners in Bayside South, are deeply troubled by the manner in which the cottonwood trees at the corner of Guthrie Place and Lakeshore Drive were removed in August 2025.

As revealed in email communications, board discussions, and public transcripts, it is now clear that the Design Review Board (DRB) did not approve the cutting of these trees, and that the required process under the CC&Rs and City zoning ordinances was not followed.

Failure to Follow Required DRB Process

Evidence shows that the removal was driven by Alix Millan of Sentry Management, with the cooperation of certain DBPOA Board members, and with little to no oversight by the Bayside South Board, which did not challenge the directive issued by DBPOA.

The September 8, 2025, DBPOA Board meeting transcript includes explicit admissions:

• Board President Peter Anastassiou stated that “nothing was ever submitted to the DRB as it should have been.”

• Alix Millan acknowledged she proceeded because “the Board was over DRB.”

These statements confirm that tree removals occurred without required DRB filings, arborist reports, or approvals, in direct violation of CC&R §§4.3, 4.4, and 4.7, which identify trees as “improvements” that cannot be materially altered or removed without prior DRB review.

Improper Board Action and Lack of Authority

Records indicate that DBPOA Work Order #43 authorized the tree removals on private Bayside South property.

• There is no authority in the CC&Rs for the DBPOA Board to spend Association funds on private property without following prescribed due process.

• This action may have been ultra vires (beyond the Board’s legal authority) and usurped the DRB’s responsibility for landscape and tree oversight.

• The CC&Rs give the Board authority over DBPOA Common Areas only (§5.4).

• For private property within the PUD, authority rests with the DRB (§§4.3, 4.4, and Article 10).

Further, October 10, 2023, DBPOA meeting minutes reflect that the Board transferred DRB’s enforcement authority under Article 4.4 to a Landscape Committee. This was also beyond their authority under the CC&Rs and created the governance confusion evident in 2025.

Violations of City Zoning Ordinances

City of Dover Zoning Ordinance J(2) and J(3) require that:

• All high-density developments provide an effective buffer for adjoining uses.

• Existing vegetation shall be retained to serve required buffering wherever possible.

The cottonwoods were existing vegetation and a required buffer for Bayside residents. Their removal violated these buffering requirements and has a direct impact on property values, aesthetics, and quality of life at this prominent intersection.

Lack of Transparency and Denial of Records

When records were requested by homeowners, Sentry and/or the Board denied access, claiming they were “proprietary.” This claim is false under the CC&Rs and Idaho HOA law, which require transparency and allow member inspection of Association records.

Key documents such as arborist reports, contracts, and herbicide application records were withheld. This lack of disclosure prevented timely understanding and challenge of the removals and further undermines confidence in the Board and Sentry.

Community Impact

The removal of over 20 cottonwood trees has had an immediate and significant negative effect:

• Loss of natural screening, shade, and visual character.

• Exposure of unsightly power lines and increased noise from vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

• A degraded streetscape at one of the most visible intersections in Dover Bay.

• Uncertainty over replanting timelines and design, as no approved plan is currently in place.

As documented in community posts on Preserve Dover Bay, residents across Dover Bay have expressed frustration and concern over this “tree travesty.” These were not routine landscaping adjustments — this was a significant landscape change executed without legal authority or required process, followed by attempts to retroactively justify and paper over the decision.

Call to Action and Financial Responsibility

The removal of the trees and the application of herbicide were executed without proper DRB approval, without legal authority under the CC&Rs, and in violation of applicable zoning ordinances.

As such, the financial responsibility for the consequences should not fall on Bayside South homeowners or the broader DBPOA membership.

The parties who directed and facilitated these actions — specifically Sentry Management, Inc. and Alix Millan in her role as Sentry’s Division Vice President — should bear the financial burden of any fines, restoration costs, and replanting obligations arising from their failure to follow required procedures. Their actions exceeded their contractual authority, bypassed required approval processes, and directly resulted in the removal of up to 37 trees, exposing the community to potential fines of up to $370,000, environmental remediation costs, and long-term aesthetic impacts.

We request that DBPOA and DRB formally acknowledge this allocation of responsibility, and that Sentry Management be held financially accountable for restoring the affected landscape in accordance with the City of Dover zoning ordinance and the community’s CC&Rs

Conclusion

The DBPOA Board, Sentry Management, and the DRB are obligated to follow and enforce the CC&Rs and City ordinances — not bypass them. What occurred at Bayside South represents a breakdown of governance, transparency, and professional responsibility.

We urge all relevant parties — DBPOA, DRB, Sentry, and Bayside South Board — to acknowledge these failures, disclose all records, and immediately begin corrective measures, including restoration planning that respects existing ordinances and community design standards.

Please direct your questions and concerns to:

DBPOA:

Peter Anastassiou <anastassiou@sbcglobal.net>, Stina Johanson <stina_johanson@hotmail.com>, Guy Lothian <guylothian@sbcglobal.net>, Donna Cline <donnac494@verizon.net>, Phyllis Goodwin <pzaklan3@aol.com>, Dodie Glass <dglass.dbpoa@gmail.com>, Mark Young <myoung7@me.com>, 

DRB

Dover Bay Design Review Board <doverbaydesignreviewboard@gmail.com>

Sincerely,

Bayside South Neighbors, et al