Congratulations on becoming a resident of the Hiddenbrooke Community in Vallejo, California. This page is intended to answer the most-frequently-asked questions from new residents as well as answers to questions that you might have not thought to ask yet.
City Governance. Hiddenbrooke is legally considered to be within District 1 of the City of Vallejo in Solano County. Property taxes are due to Solano County in December and April. The total property tax amount varies by subdivision but all must pay a line-item for the Hiddenbrooke Maintenance District which covers the landscape maintenance of common areas and contract for the private guards who serve in the entrance building with routine vehicle patrols. This entrance building is often referred to as the Welcome Center because when the development was new the sales people located there would refer visitors to the subdivisions where newly-built homes were for sale. Learn more about your property tax obligations by searching for your address at https://ca-solano.publicaccessnow.com/TaxCollector/TaxSearch.aspx and learn more about City governance at https://www.cityofvallejo.net/ .
Builder Subdivisions. The Hiddenbrooke community of over 1,200 properties was developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s by several builders so each subdivision varies in home style and construction, property tax obligation, and homeowner association governance. To learn which subdivision you live in, consult the street listing at https://hiddenbrookeonline.org/hb-developments-and-street-names/.
Homeowner Association Governance. All Hiddenbrooke property owners (including vacant lots) are requred by law to become members of the Hiddenbrooke Property Owners Association (HPOA). Dues are $103.50 for the 2024-2025 budget year and may be adjusted annually. The HPOA is governed by a five-member volunteer Board of Directors which meets publicly online most months. The Board contracts with the Real Manage association management firm to handle dues and fine collection and other administrative duties. The board also hires individuals to administer its Hiddenbrooke Architectural Review Committee (HARC) and https://hiddenbrookeonline.org/ website, and supports volunteers who change the lettering on the entrance sign and refill the dog waste bag dispensers. The HARC must approve almost all changes to a home’s landscaping, fencing and exterior, including the repainting of a home even if it is to remain the same color. Those with a secondary HOA (see below) may need approval from both the HARC and secondary HOA for these items. Learn more about the HPOA at https://hiddenbrookeonline.org/homeowners-assoc/ and the HARC at https://hiddenbrookeonline.org/harc/, and consider contacting Real Manage at https://hiddenbrookeonline.org/management/ to be sure they have your current contact information to communicate with you for emergency and administrative matters. Some subdivisions mandate membership in a second homeowner association. See the secondary HOA organization list at https://hiddenbrookeonline.org/homeowners-assoc/ and, if appropriate, consider contacting your secondary HOA to be sure they also have your current contact information to communicate with you for emergency and administrative matters.
Special Taxes. All Hiddenbrooke residential property owners were billed $611 in fiscal years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 for the “Hiddenbrooke Maintenance Assessment District” (HMD) which was a reduction from the $695 charged in past years. The reduction happened because the HPOA’s HMD Advisory Committee was successful in convincing the City that the over $3 million of budget surplus in the account was a sufficient cushion. These fees contribute a total of $721,000 to the annual City budget. The biggest HMD expenditures in 2022-2023 were: $231,000 for Welcome Center security guard staffing, about $120,000 for landscape maintenance contract, $100,000 for utilities (primarily water), and $152,000 for City administrative staff overhead.
Another special tax line item on all property tax bills is for “Vallejo USD CFD No. 2” which is $1,190.32 annually. This assessment technically has no limit to how long the School District may tax property owners for the school that was never built in Hiddenbrooke. However, the District has told the tax administrator in the past that it plans to end the assessment in 2026. To learn more about your specific property tax obligations, call the phone numbers that appear next to each line item on your property tax bill.
But wait, there’s more. The largest special tax line item you may see on your annual property tax bill is a Hiddenbrooke Improvement District (HID) #1998-1 assessment. The short version is that most property owners are billed $1,200 to $1,800 annually until the end of 2026 to pay down bonds that the City issued in 1998 to fund the initial municipal capital infrastructure improvements in the valley, such as streets, streetlights, water, sewer, etc. The most recent expenditure from this fund was for a landscape upgrade to the Hiddenbrooke Parkway. Read more about the upgrade at https://neighborexchange.org/parkway/. The longer version on this topic is that some of the subdivision builders pre-paid the assessment so property owners in those areas pay no annual assessment. There is an option for individual property owners to payoff this assessment earlier but there’s no financial incentive to do so. To learn more about HID, visit https://hiddenbrookeonline.org/hid/.
Public Safety. Call 911 if you have or observe an urgent safety matter, but for lost pets or other non-emergencies, consider calling the entrance building staff-on-duty at 707-694-1530. The HPOA pays to monitor vehicle license plate cameras directed into and out of the main entrance. The information is monitored by an HPOA volunteer and shared with the City of Vallejo Police Department. Hiddenbrooke is not considered to be a gated community (except The Village subdivision) and the entrance building staff have no law enforcement authority. To report a non-emergency problem such as a street light outage or abandoned vehicle, the City prefers that you use SeeClickFix at https://seeclickfix.com/vallejo. Be prepared to share the exact location and nature of the problem so the City may better assist you.
Utilities
- Water service is provided by City of Vallejo and is billed directly every two months. Details at https://www.cityofvallejo.net/our_city/departments_divisions/water_department/water_billing.
- Wastewater (i.e., Sewer line) service is provided by Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District and is billed annually through your property tax bill. Details at https://www.vallejowastewater.org/
- Electricity and gas line service is provided by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Details at https://www.pge.com/en/account/service-requests/start-stop-transfer-service.html. Marin Clean Energy is the default not-for-profit renewable electricity provider for Vallejo unless you specifically choose to have PG&E provide your electric power. Details at https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/. Either way, you will receive a single monthly bill from PG&E for electricity and gas line service as well as the energy commodities.
- Trash pickup is provided by Recology Vallejo via a City of Vallejo contract and is billed quarterly. Recology Vallejo provides receptacles for trash, recyclables, and yard waste/compost of various sizes with pick-up every Wednesday. Recology’s service includes one free large item pick-up annually. Details at https://www.recology.com/recology-vallejo/.
- Internet Service Provider options abound so you may shop around. Read our post with neighbor expert advice at https://neighborexchange.org/internet/.
Golf Club. The Hiddenbrooke Golf Club is privately owned by McGrath Properties, the developer of Watson Ranch in American Canyon. Details at https://mcgrathproperties.com/portfolio/watson-ranch-napa-valley-ruins-gardens/. They hire Troon Golf to manage the golf course with the event venue space managed by Wedgewood Weddings. Troon offers golf-related services, including memberships, to the public. Details at https://www.hiddenbrookegolf.com/. Hiddenbrooke Hills by Wedgewood Weddings offers special event planning with catering to the public as well as pre-made sandwiches and beverages at the 19th Hole snack bar located adjacent to the golf pro shop. Details at https://www.wedgewoodweddings.com/hiddenbrookehills . The on-site pool, fitness center, and tennis courts have been closed to the public for several years. The property is not under the jurisdiction of the HPOA and the Golf Club has no contractual obligation to provide any services or consideration to Hiddenbrooke homeowners.
Hiddenbrooke Plaza and Local Businesses. The shopping plaza near the entrance consists of privately-owned businesses that are not under the jurisdiction of the HPOA and has no contractual obligation to provide any services or consideration to Hiddenbrooke homeowners.
Recreation. Hiddenbrooke Park is located at 7098 Adler Creek Road in the very back of the community in an area that City planners had initially earmarked for a school that was never built. Most of the 700 acres surrounding Hiddenbrooke are owned by the Solano Land Trust. Details at https://solanolandtrust.org/. Public hiking trails in the surrounding hills connect to Bay Ridge Trail, accessible adjacent to the Plaza, water tank and at a midpoint on the Hiddenbrooke Parkway. Details at https://ridgetrail.org/hiddenbrooke-trail/. Nearby outdoor recreation is also available at Lynch Canyon. Learn about their monthly birds of prey hike at https://neighborexchange.org/trust/ .
Communications Channels. The HPOA’s primary communications channels are its entrance sign, https://hiddenbrookeonline.org/ website, and occasional emails sent to those on the distribution list maintained by RealManage. Nextdoor at www.nextdoor.com is a free, for-profit, ad-supported social media service that has almost 2,000 Hiddenbrooke residents registered who post about 25-50 comments daily. Most of the content focuses on lost pets, suspicious people, speeding vehicles, and items for sale or giveaway. The information service is closely monitored by local residents who recommend to the corporate service operators when discussion topics should be showcased, limited, or deleted. Facebook and other social media platforms don’t have as much current content focused on just Hiddenbrooke, however Hiddenbrooke Neighbor Exchange at https://neighborexchange.org/ is a free, privately-owned website that accepts no paid advertising. The website is designed to to help Hiddenbrooke residents discover shared interests and connect with local businesses through articles written by Hiddenbrooke residents Ed Thomas and Tiger Adolf as well as guest authors. To learn more and view an archive of past newsletters, visit https://neighborexchange.org/about.
Interest Groups. Several social groups of Hiddenbrooke residents with shared interests exist. These include:
- Hiddenbrooke Food Project that collects donations for Solano County Food Bank,
- Bocce ball players who meet at the Hiddenbrooke Park,
- Several book clubs who meet in members’ homes,
- Whaleboat rowers who compete in local and regional competitions,
- Golfers who play together at the Hiddenbrooke course, and
- Neighborhood Watch group of local residents who coordinate with local police and entrance building guard staff but prefer to remain anonymous
There is no formal listing of these interest groups but information about them sometimes appears on the HPOA website, Nextdoor and Hiddenbrooke Neighbor Exchange. For example, one group that is actively seeking new participants is the Hiddenbrooke Food Bank Project. This group of volunteers led by local residents Nancy and Randy Foo collect food donations every two months from neighbors’ doorsteps and deliver it to the Solano Food Bank for distribution to needy families throughout the area. To participate in future Hiddenbrooke Food Project pick-ups, email your address and contact information to Nancy Foo at nfoo@sbcglobal.net. Learn more about this initiative at https://neighborexchange.org/fooddrive/ .
Post a comment below if you have additional information to share with Hiddenbrooke neighbors.
Brian Nakamoto added in a comment on nextdoor on June 24, 2024: Re: “Communication Channels” – Email hiddenbr@ciramail.com to join the HPOA email list. The HPOA’s annual meeting is this Wednesday, June 26 at the golf club and Zoom (no snacks online 😁); see https://hiddenbrookeonline.org
P.S. If you are new to Vallejo and/or have been apathetic about city government: City of Vallejo District 1, which includes Hiddenbrooke, is electing a new city council representative and the City of Vallejo is electing a new mayor on the general election ballot this November.
P.P.S. Please keep Nextdoor Community Guidelines in mind prior to posting any response to my P.S. 🙂 Maybe start a totally different thread… – https://help.nextdoor.com/s/article/Be-helpful-in-conversations?language=en_US#localnational
Leave a Reply