LRMHA Winter Newsletter
March 2023
OFFICERS ELECTED
A virtual Annual Members Meeting was held November 9, 2022. The following Board members were elected or reelected.
President:
Pamela Rinehart
Vice President:
Karyn Selko
Secretary:
Pam Broberg (reelected)
Members at Large:
Bob Estadt
Jessica Miller (newly elected)
Our management company is Northern Virginia Management, 4306 Evergreen Lane, Suite 101, Annandale 22003. For any issues, please email [email protected]. Urgent matters may be handled by email within the Board when warranted, but most matters are put on the agenda of the next monthly Board meeting.
Owners may listen in on LRMHA Board meetings (except for Executive sessions where sensitive matters or privacy exclusions apply) but may not participate unless specifically asked to do so. Contact Northern Virginia Management for call-in information. Board meetings are announced on LRMHA.org and take place at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
2023 LRMHA Board meetings will be held on March 21, April 10, May 15, June 12, July 17, August 14, September 13, October 23, and December 18. The Annual Meeting of members will be held November 13.
LRMHA FINANCES
Coupon books were sent out in December. Assessments are due quarterly. Please use the coupons and envelopes provided to ensure you are properly credited. If you did not receive any, contact Northern Virginia Management. Any amount of unpaid assessments will result in only one parking pass being provided until the assessments have been paid in full.
The costs to provide required services have increased, and although the Bylaws would have permitted an increase in line with the annual Consumer Price Index, the Board decided to limit the assessment increase to only 3% in 2023.
NEW GARBAGE SERVICE
We have contracted with Champion Services Inc. for garbage hauling and recycling. Because American Disposal had so many problems, we were able to break our contract with only 30 days’ notice. Champion began service on February 1. Garbage is picked up on Mondays and Thursdays, and recycling pickup is on Wednesdays. Detailed information is available on LRMHA.org, including how to obtain special pickups for large items through a hauling partner.
Please use heavy duty black bags (3 mil) and/or garbage cans for your trash to discourage animals from tearing into and scattering garbage.
Champion will be providing recycling bins (are on backorder), but you may use any sturdy plastic bin or cardboard boxes to contain your recycling. Use of plastic bags is prohibited because the recycling equipment cannot handle them. Plastic bags and glass will not be recycled by Champion.
You may recycle plastic bags at most grocery stores that collect them. Glass is no longer permitted in recycling bins due to breakage and risk of injury to recyclers. Glass may be deposited in the purple container at the back corner of the Mason District Government Center parking lot at 6507 Columbia Pike.
Garbage cans and recycling bins may be stored in front yards ONLY if properly concealed behind bushes.
PARKING
Parking Regulations were revised to be clearer and distributed to all homeowners and residents this past year. They are also available on LRMHA.org.
A rule regarding towing without warning of cars that park over the curb and obstruct manholes, kill grass, impeding grounds maintenance, or prevent access for emergency repairs has been suspended pending a revision. Please be considerate and keep your front (and rear) bumper off of the curb, verge and sidewalks. We made parking spaces longer in the paving project so that there should be no need for any noncommercial vehicles to park over a curb in order to fit within a parking space. The rule will be revised to include a requirement to attempt to locate the car owner/driver before towing if a vehicle is obstructing maintenance work or access to manholes for servicing. Members will be notified before a revised rule is implemented.
Vehicles that are too big to fit within the lines of the marked spaces (extending into the roadway or on/over a line obstructing the use of a neighboring parking space) and commercial vehicles are not permitted in our parking lot during towing hours unless on an emergency service call. At no time may a taxi be parked unattended without a covering to conceal all commercial insignia and indicia.
New parking passes will go out in February to owners who are current on homeowner association assessments. Those owing any amount will only receive one hangtag until paid in full, at which time the additional two hangtags will be given. Renters who have not received parking hangtags should contact the owner(s). Questions about balances may be sent to [email protected]. New hangtags must be displayed by March 1 to avoid towing for expired or missing hangtags.
SOLAR COMES TO THE MEWS
We have had our first installation of solar panels in the Mews. The language for an update to the Architectural Review Board (ARB) guidelines is being finalized to expand solar panel permission to include the installation of attractive panels on front roofs. We also will be publishing a rule change to permit vinyl and other suitable materials (in comparable colors and styles to existing siding) as an alternative to aluminum siding in response to the difficulty in acquiring aluminum siding and installation services. Gutters and downspouts continue to be readily available in aluminum and there is no shortage of qualified installers so we will not be permitting vinyl gutters or downspouts. All requests for solar panels, siding and gutters/downspouts must be reviewed and approved by the ARB, along with any other work on the exterior of a home, deck or fence, including replacing hardware or painting.
LANDSCAPING, ETC.
Hazardous trees have been trimmed or removed as needed. We did extensive tree work over the past few years, so we expect few, if any, significant tree projects this year.
Remedial swale work throughout the development has been completed and is doing a much better job of drainage. Because the area behind 4501 - 4519 has no drain, we are looking at other solutions to mitigate the pooling that occurs in that area.
We were successful in getting Terrace Townhomes to remove their front trash enclosure encroaching on our property. No trespassing signs have been placed to discourage use of the area as a dog toilet and stop their landscaping contractors from using the area for staging and dumping. Under consideration are fencing and plantings between Terrace Townhomes and Little River Mews to discourage people cutting through our property and to keep debris from Terrace from collecting on our property.
We are investigating gradually replacing grass on the verges and on common areas not conducive to good grass growth with alternative ground covers. Alternative groundcovers could save on maintenance expenses and prevent hazardous runoff from reaching waterways in the Chesapeake Bay watershed bordering our neighborhood. Low-growing ground cover, such as white clover, red thyme, pachysandra and vinca require far less maintenance than grass. Selection of the right ground cover replenishes the soil and should do a better job at preventing erosion than many sparse patches of grass and moss that currently exist. Flowering groundcovers are also an important source of food for endangered pollinators.
NEW SIDEWALK AT ENTRANCE TO LITTLE RIVER MEWS
Sidewalk construction is slated for this section of Little River Turnpike so we will relocate our entry plantings to another area that is on LRMHA property. The distinctive leaning poles will be replaced by a single pole and the three former spaces on land owned by VDOT at the entrance [a “no parking area”] will be replaced by a sidewalk between Little River Run Drive and Hillbrook Drive, plantings and more attractive curbing. The County is targeting completion of all acquisition of land rights by the end of February and should be starting construction no later than August. We received and agreed to a request from Fairfax County for a minor extension of the existing easement near the drain behind 4504 that is related to this project.
The image to the left highlights the construction which will be occurring at our entrance, including access road resurfacing, replacing the 3 “no parking” spaces with a more attractive curb and planting area, a new wide pedestrian sidewalk and replacement of the distinctive but unsightly “sailboat” wooden light poles at our entrance with a single light pole. The new sidewalk crosses our entrance and egress lanes and guides pedestrians to the existing stretch of sidewalk along the access road.
You can read more about this project on the Fairfax County website. Search for Little River Turnpike sidewalk project – ours is for Hillwood Drive to Little River Run Drive.
A virtual Annual Members Meeting was held November 9, 2022. The following Board members were elected or reelected.
President:
Pamela Rinehart
Vice President:
Karyn Selko
Secretary:
Pam Broberg (reelected)
Members at Large:
Bob Estadt
Jessica Miller (newly elected)
Our management company is Northern Virginia Management, 4306 Evergreen Lane, Suite 101, Annandale 22003. For any issues, please email [email protected]. Urgent matters may be handled by email within the Board when warranted, but most matters are put on the agenda of the next monthly Board meeting.
Owners may listen in on LRMHA Board meetings (except for Executive sessions where sensitive matters or privacy exclusions apply) but may not participate unless specifically asked to do so. Contact Northern Virginia Management for call-in information. Board meetings are announced on LRMHA.org and take place at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
2023 LRMHA Board meetings will be held on March 21, April 10, May 15, June 12, July 17, August 14, September 13, October 23, and December 18. The Annual Meeting of members will be held November 13.
LRMHA FINANCES
Coupon books were sent out in December. Assessments are due quarterly. Please use the coupons and envelopes provided to ensure you are properly credited. If you did not receive any, contact Northern Virginia Management. Any amount of unpaid assessments will result in only one parking pass being provided until the assessments have been paid in full.
The costs to provide required services have increased, and although the Bylaws would have permitted an increase in line with the annual Consumer Price Index, the Board decided to limit the assessment increase to only 3% in 2023.
NEW GARBAGE SERVICE
We have contracted with Champion Services Inc. for garbage hauling and recycling. Because American Disposal had so many problems, we were able to break our contract with only 30 days’ notice. Champion began service on February 1. Garbage is picked up on Mondays and Thursdays, and recycling pickup is on Wednesdays. Detailed information is available on LRMHA.org, including how to obtain special pickups for large items through a hauling partner.
Please use heavy duty black bags (3 mil) and/or garbage cans for your trash to discourage animals from tearing into and scattering garbage.
Champion will be providing recycling bins (are on backorder), but you may use any sturdy plastic bin or cardboard boxes to contain your recycling. Use of plastic bags is prohibited because the recycling equipment cannot handle them. Plastic bags and glass will not be recycled by Champion.
You may recycle plastic bags at most grocery stores that collect them. Glass is no longer permitted in recycling bins due to breakage and risk of injury to recyclers. Glass may be deposited in the purple container at the back corner of the Mason District Government Center parking lot at 6507 Columbia Pike.
Garbage cans and recycling bins may be stored in front yards ONLY if properly concealed behind bushes.
PARKING
Parking Regulations were revised to be clearer and distributed to all homeowners and residents this past year. They are also available on LRMHA.org.
A rule regarding towing without warning of cars that park over the curb and obstruct manholes, kill grass, impeding grounds maintenance, or prevent access for emergency repairs has been suspended pending a revision. Please be considerate and keep your front (and rear) bumper off of the curb, verge and sidewalks. We made parking spaces longer in the paving project so that there should be no need for any noncommercial vehicles to park over a curb in order to fit within a parking space. The rule will be revised to include a requirement to attempt to locate the car owner/driver before towing if a vehicle is obstructing maintenance work or access to manholes for servicing. Members will be notified before a revised rule is implemented.
Vehicles that are too big to fit within the lines of the marked spaces (extending into the roadway or on/over a line obstructing the use of a neighboring parking space) and commercial vehicles are not permitted in our parking lot during towing hours unless on an emergency service call. At no time may a taxi be parked unattended without a covering to conceal all commercial insignia and indicia.
New parking passes will go out in February to owners who are current on homeowner association assessments. Those owing any amount will only receive one hangtag until paid in full, at which time the additional two hangtags will be given. Renters who have not received parking hangtags should contact the owner(s). Questions about balances may be sent to [email protected]. New hangtags must be displayed by March 1 to avoid towing for expired or missing hangtags.
SOLAR COMES TO THE MEWS
We have had our first installation of solar panels in the Mews. The language for an update to the Architectural Review Board (ARB) guidelines is being finalized to expand solar panel permission to include the installation of attractive panels on front roofs. We also will be publishing a rule change to permit vinyl and other suitable materials (in comparable colors and styles to existing siding) as an alternative to aluminum siding in response to the difficulty in acquiring aluminum siding and installation services. Gutters and downspouts continue to be readily available in aluminum and there is no shortage of qualified installers so we will not be permitting vinyl gutters or downspouts. All requests for solar panels, siding and gutters/downspouts must be reviewed and approved by the ARB, along with any other work on the exterior of a home, deck or fence, including replacing hardware or painting.
LANDSCAPING, ETC.
Hazardous trees have been trimmed or removed as needed. We did extensive tree work over the past few years, so we expect few, if any, significant tree projects this year.
Remedial swale work throughout the development has been completed and is doing a much better job of drainage. Because the area behind 4501 - 4519 has no drain, we are looking at other solutions to mitigate the pooling that occurs in that area.
We were successful in getting Terrace Townhomes to remove their front trash enclosure encroaching on our property. No trespassing signs have been placed to discourage use of the area as a dog toilet and stop their landscaping contractors from using the area for staging and dumping. Under consideration are fencing and plantings between Terrace Townhomes and Little River Mews to discourage people cutting through our property and to keep debris from Terrace from collecting on our property.
We are investigating gradually replacing grass on the verges and on common areas not conducive to good grass growth with alternative ground covers. Alternative groundcovers could save on maintenance expenses and prevent hazardous runoff from reaching waterways in the Chesapeake Bay watershed bordering our neighborhood. Low-growing ground cover, such as white clover, red thyme, pachysandra and vinca require far less maintenance than grass. Selection of the right ground cover replenishes the soil and should do a better job at preventing erosion than many sparse patches of grass and moss that currently exist. Flowering groundcovers are also an important source of food for endangered pollinators.
NEW SIDEWALK AT ENTRANCE TO LITTLE RIVER MEWS
Sidewalk construction is slated for this section of Little River Turnpike so we will relocate our entry plantings to another area that is on LRMHA property. The distinctive leaning poles will be replaced by a single pole and the three former spaces on land owned by VDOT at the entrance [a “no parking area”] will be replaced by a sidewalk between Little River Run Drive and Hillbrook Drive, plantings and more attractive curbing. The County is targeting completion of all acquisition of land rights by the end of February and should be starting construction no later than August. We received and agreed to a request from Fairfax County for a minor extension of the existing easement near the drain behind 4504 that is related to this project.
The image to the left highlights the construction which will be occurring at our entrance, including access road resurfacing, replacing the 3 “no parking” spaces with a more attractive curb and planting area, a new wide pedestrian sidewalk and replacement of the distinctive but unsightly “sailboat” wooden light poles at our entrance with a single light pole. The new sidewalk crosses our entrance and egress lanes and guides pedestrians to the existing stretch of sidewalk along the access road.
You can read more about this project on the Fairfax County website. Search for Little River Turnpike sidewalk project – ours is for Hillwood Drive to Little River Run Drive.
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