LRMHA Winter Newsletter
March 2021
ANNUAL MEETING RESULTS
The Little River Mews Homeowners Association achieved a quorum with proxies for our Annual Meeting November 4, 2020, conducted remotely. Thank you to all who participated! As reported, due to current economic hardships, quarterly assessments will not be increased for 2021. Your elected and continuing officers are:
BOARD MEETINGS
Board meetings are scheduled for April 7, May 4 <CORRECTION, June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7 and October 5, 2021. This year’s Annual Meeting will take place November 2, 2021. All meetings take place at 7:00 p.m., by conference call/Zoom unless otherwise stated. Homeowners are invited to listen to all but executive sessions and confidential matters without participating. Contact Northern Virginia Management (NVM) to be sent the connection info.
If you have an issue for the Board, contact NVM and it will be put on the agenda for the next meeting. Always check the LRMHA.org website to confirm meeting dates and view any announcements and the latest guidance documents.
FINANCES AND RESERVE STUDY
We approved and received a reserve study that ensures we anticipate and will have adequate reserve funds for any major projects over the next five to ten years. The study provides a basis for planning parking lot repairs and replacements, other long-term expenses, and some unanticipated maintenance due to storms and other natural disasters.
The Board is being careful stewards of the HOA operating and reserve funds. We ended 2020 just slightly under budget. We have increased our annual contribution to reserves as recommended, and are on track with expenses for 2021.
PARKING HANGTAGS
All homeowners should have received one 2021 parking hangtag per household; those whose HOA dues are paid in full will receive an additional two. They must be displayed by April 1, 2021. Any cars not properly displaying a valid tag will be subject to towing between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m.
DRAG RACE DANGER
Be careful walking or driving on Little River Turnpike late at night – there are reports of cars drag racing nearby on weekends. It is difficult to anticipate when and where this illegal activity may be happening.
ARB GUIDELINES
The Architectural Review Board (ARB) Guidelines are revised, updated, finalized and posted to LRMHA.org. A hard copy was mailed to all owners. The guidelines are easier to navigate, easier to read, and cover more situations more clearly.
If you plan to make changes or updates to the exterior of your houses or yard, plan to install anything in your backyard that exceeds the height of your rear (or side) fence, please check with the ARB before proceeding and submit a completed exterior modification application for approval if requested. Pay special attention to the paint color rules as these are the most common violations for which you may be cited. Due to many homes not currently adhering to guidelines, no repainting or deck staining can be done—even if it is the same color as existing--without submitting your paint colors and what you propose to paint to the ARB for review and approval.
Thanks to ARB Chair Pamela Rinehart and ARB members Julie Soininen, Kristin Newett, Karyn Selko and Pam Broberg for their many hours of hard work to craft and finalize this useful document.
SNOW REMOVAL
We have budgeted adequately for salting, sanding, and snow removal for this winter, and so far things have gone as planned. Please see that your walkways and the sidewalk in front of your unit are cleared within 8 hours of snow stopping. Be courteous! If someone has shoveled out a parking space, let them have it. If you need help with snow removal, feel free to ask your neighbors for assistance and recommendations for paid shovelers. See LRMHA.org for additional info.
SIGNS
Dominion Towing has cleaned and straightened their signs. We procured new signs to replace those that were worn.
CURB PAINTING
We are contracting to have our fire lane curbs repainted yellow. With luck, this will deter parking in prohibited areas, especially along our frontage with the service road.
LANDSCAPING PROGRESS
Most trees with damaged limbs and dangerous overhangs, including those by power lines, have been trimmed, although there are a few outstanding tree pruning tasks that we contracted for that remain to be completed. Stumps have been removed and roots ground down where they may pose a hazard. Additional landscape improvements will be made later in the spring.
We will be replacing the gate latches between 4519 and 4521 and between 4529 and 4531. This should deter non-residents from cutting through our property and make it easier for residents on the east side to gain access to and from their backyards.
A terraced framework has been completed behind homes on the Terrace Townhomes side to contain mulch, enabling those from 4509 to 4519 to walk behind their fences without sinking into mud. Additional drainage work has been completed and revised behind 4502-4519 and adjacent to 4538, and improvements were made to clear swale areas behind other homes to avoid swampiness and drainage clogs throughout the neighborhood.
The more complex drainage problems in the front of the neighborhood behind 4501-4507 are being studied to figure out possible solutions. Installation of any landscape screening near the property line and other improvements are delayed pending relocation of Terrace Townhomes’ trash bin that is more than 50% over our property line.
ENTRY SIDEWALK
A new sidewalk is slated to be built by Fairfax County extending from the one on the service road beside 4501 to Hilltop Road at George Mason Regional Library. We will keep you posted as we learn when work will begin. This will affect our entrance and may eliminate the three VDOT parking spaces and dilapidated barrier fence at the entry, as well as the small planting area at the entrance. We plan to transfer the entry island plantings to around our sign.
One thing that has already happened is the decommissioning of the street light at our entry. We will be asking to have street lighting restored.
INDIAN RUN STREAM RESTORATION
Fairfax County’s restoration of the creek (Indian Run) that flows past Little River Mews has been completed. Approximately 1,600 linear feet of the main channel of Indian Run and about 300 linear feet of the tributary have been restored to counter erosion by stabilizing the stream banks. The work was also designed to restore the ecological function of the stream corridor (part of the Cameron Run watershed), improve water quality and improve wildlife habitat.
TERRACE TOWNHOMES PROBLEMS
The survey along our border with Terrace Townhomes is completed. We now have an accurate line by which to determine landscaping trespassing, and any future barrier fence if we wish to construct one.
Terrace Townhomes’ garbage enclosure closest to Little River Turnpike is infringing on our property by over 50%. They offered us a modest financial incentive to cover the next 10 years with automated renewal at no cost for our putting up with the unauthorized use of our property. We rejected their offer and demanded that they remove the garbage enclosure from our common ground. We have learned that Fairfax County has approved the relocation of the trespassing garbage enclosure from our property. We have joined with the Brentleigh development on the other side of the Terrace property in our complaint and they too have rejected Terrace’s offer. Both Little River Mews and Brentleigh representatives have been in contact with Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross and her office, along with legal representation. Legal deliberations are ongoing. We will keep you posted on any progress.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!
No littering! Secure your trash from wind and animals. Food waste should be in sealed plastic bags/containers inside your garbage bag(s) to keep the smell from attracting rats, feral cats, mice, foxes, coyotes and raccoons to our homes. Trash and garbage blowing around our neighborhood brings down our property values and spreads germs. This has been a recurring problem outside of 4521 and in the traffic circle.
Sealed garbage bags placed inside of lidded garbage cans may be placed out the evening before pickup; loose plastic garbage bags, since they can easily be torn up by animals, should ideally not be placed outside until early on the morning on a pickup day. If your bag is ransacked by animals or trash is loose, you are responsible for cleaning up the mess. Our trash handlers and land maintenance contracts do not handle spilth and litter. Trash truck arrivals vary: they seem to come as early as 6:30 a.m. and sometimes not until late afternoon.
Acceptable garbage disposal containers: garbage bags tied and placed inside garbage cans; heavy duty, securely tied heavy duty plastic garbage bags; securely tied double-bagged garbage bags.
Unacceptable garbage disposal containers: paper bags, grocery bags, shopping bags, single bagging for food waste and diapers, open or loose food containers.
Recycling Reminders: Only put out recycling on Thursdays and check the LRMHA.org website for detailed recycling information. Please consolidate boxes, ensure they do not contain bubble wrapping or plastic bags, and secure loose and lightweight items inside of boxes or paper bags so they do not fall out or blow around the neighborhood. It is helpful to rinse out plastic containers, throw away the lids, and crush larger items so they do not take up so much room. If recycling is put out on Monday the trash collectors will leave it.
Yard waste is no longer permitted in plastic bags in Fairfax County. Instead of clear plastic bags, please use paper contractor bags for leaf and other yard waste. Yard waste is picked up on Thursdays only from April through December.
Bulky items: If you have furniture, wood, appliances or other bulky items you MUST contact American Disposal in advance and arrange and pay for pickup.
Schedules: You can check for holiday and weather guidance, make arrangements for special pickups, and find more guidance about recycling and disposal of hazardous materials at AmericanDisposal.com.
________________________________________
Your LRMHA Board Members
Pamela Rinehart, President #4533
Karyn Selko, Vice President #4518
Pam Broberg, Secretary/Treasurer, #4521
Ted Gebreyes, At-Large, #4517
Bob Estadt, At-Large, #4548
Northern Virginia Management
Tim Kircher
4306 Evergreen Lane, Ste. 101
Annandale, VA 22003
703-941-9002
[email protected]
Contacting the Boards: Requests and inquiries directed to the Boards must be submitted by a homeowner member of the Association or be in response to an inquiry from a Board member. Requests submitted by residents who are nonmembers or by contractors on behalf of individual residents or homeowners will not be responded to as they are outside of the scope of the association Board members' responsibilities.
The Little River Mews Homeowners Association achieved a quorum with proxies for our Annual Meeting November 4, 2020, conducted remotely. Thank you to all who participated! As reported, due to current economic hardships, quarterly assessments will not be increased for 2021. Your elected and continuing officers are:
- President: Pamela Rinehart
- Vice President: Karyn Selko
- Secretary/Treasurer: Pamela “Pam” Broberg
- At Large: Teodros “Ted” Gebreyes, Robert “Bob” Estadt
BOARD MEETINGS
Board meetings are scheduled for April 7, May 4 <CORRECTION, June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7 and October 5, 2021. This year’s Annual Meeting will take place November 2, 2021. All meetings take place at 7:00 p.m., by conference call/Zoom unless otherwise stated. Homeowners are invited to listen to all but executive sessions and confidential matters without participating. Contact Northern Virginia Management (NVM) to be sent the connection info.
If you have an issue for the Board, contact NVM and it will be put on the agenda for the next meeting. Always check the LRMHA.org website to confirm meeting dates and view any announcements and the latest guidance documents.
FINANCES AND RESERVE STUDY
We approved and received a reserve study that ensures we anticipate and will have adequate reserve funds for any major projects over the next five to ten years. The study provides a basis for planning parking lot repairs and replacements, other long-term expenses, and some unanticipated maintenance due to storms and other natural disasters.
The Board is being careful stewards of the HOA operating and reserve funds. We ended 2020 just slightly under budget. We have increased our annual contribution to reserves as recommended, and are on track with expenses for 2021.
PARKING HANGTAGS
All homeowners should have received one 2021 parking hangtag per household; those whose HOA dues are paid in full will receive an additional two. They must be displayed by April 1, 2021. Any cars not properly displaying a valid tag will be subject to towing between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m.
DRAG RACE DANGER
Be careful walking or driving on Little River Turnpike late at night – there are reports of cars drag racing nearby on weekends. It is difficult to anticipate when and where this illegal activity may be happening.
ARB GUIDELINES
The Architectural Review Board (ARB) Guidelines are revised, updated, finalized and posted to LRMHA.org. A hard copy was mailed to all owners. The guidelines are easier to navigate, easier to read, and cover more situations more clearly.
If you plan to make changes or updates to the exterior of your houses or yard, plan to install anything in your backyard that exceeds the height of your rear (or side) fence, please check with the ARB before proceeding and submit a completed exterior modification application for approval if requested. Pay special attention to the paint color rules as these are the most common violations for which you may be cited. Due to many homes not currently adhering to guidelines, no repainting or deck staining can be done—even if it is the same color as existing--without submitting your paint colors and what you propose to paint to the ARB for review and approval.
Thanks to ARB Chair Pamela Rinehart and ARB members Julie Soininen, Kristin Newett, Karyn Selko and Pam Broberg for their many hours of hard work to craft and finalize this useful document.
SNOW REMOVAL
We have budgeted adequately for salting, sanding, and snow removal for this winter, and so far things have gone as planned. Please see that your walkways and the sidewalk in front of your unit are cleared within 8 hours of snow stopping. Be courteous! If someone has shoveled out a parking space, let them have it. If you need help with snow removal, feel free to ask your neighbors for assistance and recommendations for paid shovelers. See LRMHA.org for additional info.
SIGNS
Dominion Towing has cleaned and straightened their signs. We procured new signs to replace those that were worn.
CURB PAINTING
We are contracting to have our fire lane curbs repainted yellow. With luck, this will deter parking in prohibited areas, especially along our frontage with the service road.
LANDSCAPING PROGRESS
Most trees with damaged limbs and dangerous overhangs, including those by power lines, have been trimmed, although there are a few outstanding tree pruning tasks that we contracted for that remain to be completed. Stumps have been removed and roots ground down where they may pose a hazard. Additional landscape improvements will be made later in the spring.
We will be replacing the gate latches between 4519 and 4521 and between 4529 and 4531. This should deter non-residents from cutting through our property and make it easier for residents on the east side to gain access to and from their backyards.
A terraced framework has been completed behind homes on the Terrace Townhomes side to contain mulch, enabling those from 4509 to 4519 to walk behind their fences without sinking into mud. Additional drainage work has been completed and revised behind 4502-4519 and adjacent to 4538, and improvements were made to clear swale areas behind other homes to avoid swampiness and drainage clogs throughout the neighborhood.
The more complex drainage problems in the front of the neighborhood behind 4501-4507 are being studied to figure out possible solutions. Installation of any landscape screening near the property line and other improvements are delayed pending relocation of Terrace Townhomes’ trash bin that is more than 50% over our property line.
ENTRY SIDEWALK
A new sidewalk is slated to be built by Fairfax County extending from the one on the service road beside 4501 to Hilltop Road at George Mason Regional Library. We will keep you posted as we learn when work will begin. This will affect our entrance and may eliminate the three VDOT parking spaces and dilapidated barrier fence at the entry, as well as the small planting area at the entrance. We plan to transfer the entry island plantings to around our sign.
One thing that has already happened is the decommissioning of the street light at our entry. We will be asking to have street lighting restored.
INDIAN RUN STREAM RESTORATION
Fairfax County’s restoration of the creek (Indian Run) that flows past Little River Mews has been completed. Approximately 1,600 linear feet of the main channel of Indian Run and about 300 linear feet of the tributary have been restored to counter erosion by stabilizing the stream banks. The work was also designed to restore the ecological function of the stream corridor (part of the Cameron Run watershed), improve water quality and improve wildlife habitat.
TERRACE TOWNHOMES PROBLEMS
The survey along our border with Terrace Townhomes is completed. We now have an accurate line by which to determine landscaping trespassing, and any future barrier fence if we wish to construct one.
Terrace Townhomes’ garbage enclosure closest to Little River Turnpike is infringing on our property by over 50%. They offered us a modest financial incentive to cover the next 10 years with automated renewal at no cost for our putting up with the unauthorized use of our property. We rejected their offer and demanded that they remove the garbage enclosure from our common ground. We have learned that Fairfax County has approved the relocation of the trespassing garbage enclosure from our property. We have joined with the Brentleigh development on the other side of the Terrace property in our complaint and they too have rejected Terrace’s offer. Both Little River Mews and Brentleigh representatives have been in contact with Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross and her office, along with legal representation. Legal deliberations are ongoing. We will keep you posted on any progress.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!
No littering! Secure your trash from wind and animals. Food waste should be in sealed plastic bags/containers inside your garbage bag(s) to keep the smell from attracting rats, feral cats, mice, foxes, coyotes and raccoons to our homes. Trash and garbage blowing around our neighborhood brings down our property values and spreads germs. This has been a recurring problem outside of 4521 and in the traffic circle.
Sealed garbage bags placed inside of lidded garbage cans may be placed out the evening before pickup; loose plastic garbage bags, since they can easily be torn up by animals, should ideally not be placed outside until early on the morning on a pickup day. If your bag is ransacked by animals or trash is loose, you are responsible for cleaning up the mess. Our trash handlers and land maintenance contracts do not handle spilth and litter. Trash truck arrivals vary: they seem to come as early as 6:30 a.m. and sometimes not until late afternoon.
Acceptable garbage disposal containers: garbage bags tied and placed inside garbage cans; heavy duty, securely tied heavy duty plastic garbage bags; securely tied double-bagged garbage bags.
Unacceptable garbage disposal containers: paper bags, grocery bags, shopping bags, single bagging for food waste and diapers, open or loose food containers.
Recycling Reminders: Only put out recycling on Thursdays and check the LRMHA.org website for detailed recycling information. Please consolidate boxes, ensure they do not contain bubble wrapping or plastic bags, and secure loose and lightweight items inside of boxes or paper bags so they do not fall out or blow around the neighborhood. It is helpful to rinse out plastic containers, throw away the lids, and crush larger items so they do not take up so much room. If recycling is put out on Monday the trash collectors will leave it.
Yard waste is no longer permitted in plastic bags in Fairfax County. Instead of clear plastic bags, please use paper contractor bags for leaf and other yard waste. Yard waste is picked up on Thursdays only from April through December.
Bulky items: If you have furniture, wood, appliances or other bulky items you MUST contact American Disposal in advance and arrange and pay for pickup.
Schedules: You can check for holiday and weather guidance, make arrangements for special pickups, and find more guidance about recycling and disposal of hazardous materials at AmericanDisposal.com.
________________________________________
Your LRMHA Board Members
Pamela Rinehart, President #4533
Karyn Selko, Vice President #4518
Pam Broberg, Secretary/Treasurer, #4521
Ted Gebreyes, At-Large, #4517
Bob Estadt, At-Large, #4548
Northern Virginia Management
Tim Kircher
4306 Evergreen Lane, Ste. 101
Annandale, VA 22003
703-941-9002
[email protected]
Contacting the Boards: Requests and inquiries directed to the Boards must be submitted by a homeowner member of the Association or be in response to an inquiry from a Board member. Requests submitted by residents who are nonmembers or by contractors on behalf of individual residents or homeowners will not be responded to as they are outside of the scope of the association Board members' responsibilities.