Thursday, July 14th, 2022 at 7 pm via Zoom

Community updates

1. Design updates
   • Decks – Waiting on Kristina’s signature and then the application can be sent
   • Garbage Bin enclosures – Schedule a walkthrough for Sunday with Satish
   • Door colors/styles – Will be part of next DRB update
   • A/C Units – Waiting on Kristina’s signature and then the application can be sent
   • House numbers – Waiting on Kristina’s signature and then the application can be sent
   • Stucco update:
     • (Addendum to last meeting’s notes) The Board has applied to Reston to remove the cement siding stipulation in the cluster guidelines that states “that stucco panels not be attached to concrete blocks”. This will allow end units to use cement siding stucco panels on their third side.
     • Will be decided on the July 19th Reston DRB meeting

2. Repaving parking lots – asphalt alternatives – Kristina reached out to get a quote and answers about TrueGrid Paving System
   • Would still need to contract with a paving company – the company would mill the old lot (all layers to my understanding) and truegrid would go down on top of the milled surface.  Angular clean wash gravel would fill the holes in the grid.  
   • The grid can be snow plowed using a rubber tip blade or keeping the plow slightly above the surface
   • Electrical infrastructure could be put into place with TrueGrid
     • Run utilities with concrete footers and cut grid to fit or put right against.
   • Cost is less clear.  Truegrid gives you an estimate of what the grid costs – for us, it would be roughly $15,630.62.  Milling?  Gravel?  Installation?  The website says the cost is comparable to laying asphalt.
     • Currently inquiring about companies in our area that are familiar with installing TrueGrid.
     • Do they have companies that they work with or that they recommend?
   • Damage to any square of the grid could be replaced (because they come in interlocking squares)
   • 20-30 year longevity listed on website

3. Reserve Study
   • Mason and Mason – updates?
     • Kelly filled out a questionnaire they provided

4. Speed bumps
   • Ami Pape, lawyer, emailed back replying that there are no regulations that require us to put up any special signage for speed bumps.
   • Kayleen obtained cost:  The street measures about 23 feet across. Depending on how much we want to cover, with a cost of $134 for a 36 inch segment the cost are as followed:
     • 21 feet (7 segments) = $938
     • 18 feet (6 segments) = $804
     • 15 feet (5 segments) = $670
   • Go with 21 feet so that it covers enough of the road
   • Speed bumps will be placed near the front of the neighborhood by the island near 2218 to start. Will move as needed to find the best spot.
   • 

5. Concrete
   • Cyndi obtained updated quote including upper cluster sidewalk by 2228 – cost?  
     • Top of the cluster near the bus stop needs to be done
     • Spot near 2226 and 2228
     • Cost is $3895
       • For one square by 2226. Want to verify it would stay that way if two needed to be  replaced
   • Vote
     • Approved

6. Trees
   • Tree committee – date for walkthrough?
     • Cyndi will send email to the Tree Committee to set up date
     • Need to look at tree behind Karen and Sandy’s house since it was struck by lightning
   • Current tabulation of trees for inspection
     • Large oak in front of 2254
     • Elm tree in front of 2248
     • Tree with heavy low branches behind 2258
   • Trees to plant:
     • Red maple in front of 2230?
     • Eastern Redbud in front of 2261
   • Reaching out to other companies for pruning/trimming of smaller trees – after walkthrough

7. Landscaping
   • Issues?
     • Emailed Chris to find out when weeds between cracks will be sprayed
     • Sandy will be reaching out for grass treatment
     • After the landscaping company puts down pesticide treatment they then send an email hours afterwards. Would prefer earlier notice so we know to stay off while it dries
   • Lower cluster mulch island
     • Sent picture to Chris
     • All kinds of plants and weeds are taking over
8. Erosion
   • Area behind 2243-2251
   • Some grass is growing but it is still muddy

9. Parking compliance
   • Updates on walkthrough
     • Most cars have been accounted for at this point including some question marks that were on our list from the last walkthrough
   • Still need to address the ones that we haven’t been able to figure out.
   • At the annual meeting we will ask if people are having regular parking issues
   • If it is an issue then we can add it the guidelines and have more leverage over making sure people don’t take up too many spaces

10. Summer events?
    • COVID is making an unfortunate comeback in our area and may want to wait for cluster sanctioned activities until fall (or when transmission falls again)

11. RA Board, Cluster, & Committee event –
    • invited chairs from each RA Board Committee, Advisory Committee, the Design Review Board, as well as one (1) representative from each RA Cluster or Condominium Association on Monday, July 18 from 6:30-8:30pm.  If the President of your Condo/Cluster Board cannot attend, they are welcome to designate an alternative representative to attend in place.
    • Kristina will attend
    • RA is asking for budget requests and suggestions:
    • 

Financials

Next meeting Thursday, August 11th

Thursday, June 9th, 2022 at 7 pm via Zoom

Community updates

1. Q&A with Erin Gable, covenants advisor, RA 
   • Garbage Enclosures
     • Highlights from last meeting with Erin
     • Ultimate goal should be to design a structure that would allow the most people in the neighborhood to be compliant with the design standard.
     • Erin’s concerns with the current design is the decorative screen at the top and front of the enclosure (the uncertainty of  materials being available for replacement long term as well as the style not really matching mid-century modern Reston may prove to be an uphill battle in getting approval – “any grid shaped design may work better than a lattice design”)
     • Door overhang cover
   • Decks
     • Currently, RA guidelines approve trex on floor and cocktail railing regardless of cluster guidelines.  Other options/colors would require a drb review.
     • Sandy is working on applications for decks, moving AC units, door colors, door styles, and house numbers.
     • The Board has applied to Reston to remove the cement siding stipulation in the cluster guidelines that states “that stucco panels not be attached to concrete blocks”. This will allow end units to use cement siding stucco panels on their third side.

2. Repaving parking lots – asphalt alternatives
   • While Erin had not heard of approval for asphalt alternatives for parking lots, she felt like more environmental, sustainable alternatives might be looked upon well by Reston. https://www.truegridpaver.com/parking-lot-alternatives/
   • The Board believes this is worth looking into more. More research is needed on 
     •  Are small patches needed to fix it? 
     • Would the cost be more? 
     • How does it work with snow plowing? 
     • Is there a recyclable material alternative?

2. Reserve Study
   • Mason and Mason vs. PM Plus
   • Mason and Mason – 
     • There is a possibility of needing special engineers
     • A visual evaluation of each street is put into a format that identifies names, quantities, cracks, full depth repairs, former quality of work, and other deficiencies.
   • Both seem like good companies. However, Mason and Mason came highly recommended by the lawyers. 
   • Kristina motions to choose Mason and Mason for reserve study with a cost up to $2700. Approved

3. Speed bumps
   • Additional things to consider:  https://emspm.com/speed-bump-regulations/#Everything_You_Need_to_Know_About_Speed_Bump_Regulations_on_Private_Property
     • Other things to consider
       • Possible slow down of emergency vehicle
       • Increased air pollution. You have to brake at the speed hump and then apply gas to get going again
       • Increased noise level
     • The speeds bumps we are looking at are temporary so if they don’t work out we can always remove them
   • Good to move forward with the option Sandy provided?  Cost?  Vote?
     • Kayleen to put together costs. Also need to hear back from lawyers to see if other signage is needed.
   • Email sent to lawyers

4. Concrete
   • Updated quote including sidewalk in front of 2228?
     • Have not been able to communicate with the contractor due to missing each other’s calls.
   • Emailed Jill about sidewalk in front of her house
     • Waiting to hear back

5. Trees
   • Check in with tree committee about scheduling walkthrough
     • There is not a walkthrough planned currently. 
     • We will need to look at the tree in front of Jill’s house. It is messing with the sidewalk and also dropping branches fairly consistently. 
   • Kelly Clark complained about the tree leaving sap on her car
     • Talked with Bill and Nina about the tree. They said it’s not terrible and the worst part is the birds. If the tree was replaced they would still have that issue. 
     • There is the option to possibly move the reserved parking space over. However, they may not solve the problem since they have two spots and tend to park in both spots. But they also don’t want to replace the tree because she likes it. 
     • There is also the option to potentially move Kelly’s reserved space away from the tree since the tree has caused issues with the paint on her car.
     • Also need to consider the future impact of the tree. It is an elm and they can grow to be very large so it may outgrow that space quicker than we would like. Even if we don’t remove it for the sap issue, we will be fighting the size of the tree at some point. 
     • What is the process of getting a healthy tree removed? If it is under 4 inches we don’t have to get approval. But we could also make the case that the tree isn’t fit for the space and will cause issues in the future. We will replace it with a tree better fit for the space. 
     • Is it possible to move the tree to a different location in the neighborhood?
     • Any tree we replace it with, to hold the aesthetic and shade, will need to be a 7-15 foot tree. 

6. Landscaping
   • Issues?
   • Lower cluster mulch island?
     • At a minimum weeding is needed. 
   • Weeds in cracks and curb debris?
     • Were they sprayed? There seems to be more weeds than usual. 
   • Trimming smaller trees in the neighborhood
     • The Tree committee needs to walk around and make sure everything looks healthy and good. Then we can figure out which one needs to be trimmed.
   • Planting new trees – area by 2230 and 2261
     • 2261 – Interested in getting an eastern red bud. It is the same tree that is in front of 2216 and is a good tree for small spaces
     • Need to look into replacing the tree that was taken out in front of 2228. A red maple is an option. 
     • We should wait until the fall to plant since they seem to survive better that way.

7. Parking compliance
   • Updates on walkthrough
     • There were some cars that the board was unable to determine which house they belonged to.
   • Next steps – letter on cars
     • We will leave a note for the cars that aren’t registered to let them know that if they aren’t part of this neighborhood they need to move their car or they will be towed.
     • There are still cases of cars parking in the lower cluster and walking to other neighborhoods.

8. Summer events?
   • Ideas?
     • Mid summer cookout?
     • Watermelon party?
     • Food truck?
     • Yard sale?
     • Pot luck
     • Kona food truck

Financials

Next meeting Thursday, July 14th

Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 7 pm via Zoom

Community updates

1. Q&A with Erin Gable, covenants advisor, RA
   • Garbage Bin enclosures 
     • Garbage Enclosures
       • Board – The garbage enclosures are too small for more modern units and for the proper circulation needed for them. We need to address changes that need to be made to the guidelines. 
       • Erin – Hiring an architect is a good idea if the board deems it necessary or if there is someone in the neighborhood that is willing to volunteer their time. This is a good idea because it will help to keep up the look of the house for something that is needed. 
       • Board – The goal would be to have the architect look around to see what design will get the most people in compliance as possible. For the HVAC we need to enlarge them for space but we still may also need them to be open for the proper airflow. The draft idea shows about 3 feet open at the top with a decoration.
       • Erin – There isn’t anything like this in Reston. That’s not to say it is not approvable., but there may be concerns about materials and upkeep and maintenance. Making it larger won’t be an issue. The only possible issue is the decorative screen. However, Wheelwright has a mid century contemporary architecture. So doing something outside of that could be detrimental to the character of the neighborhood. There are options to keep in the style and the feel of the architecture of the community. There can be decorative options, but it should match the style of the neighborhood. Any grid shaped design would probably fit better than a lattice design. 
     • Door Overhang Cover
       • Board – We would also ask the architect to come up with a plan to cover the door areas of houses. We want an option to cover the overhang that doesn’t include plastic being hung up under or over but also allows for proper drainage.
       • Erin – Reston has a couple of communities with the open board cover but not a lot of alternatives to that, such as the plastic on top or underneath. A permanent solution will require a full DRB with a panel review. 
     • Decks
       • Board – We have been working on options to update the decks to include Trex or other composite material. As well as options for staining the tails to match the natural weathered wood. What kind of options are there for that?
       • Erin – Based on the RA guidelines you are allowed to have composite boards on the floor and the cocktail rail of the deck regardless of the cluster guidelines. For the stain color there are multiple options that you can look to adopt. The standards could be written to say composite material is allowed for all elements so that no stain would be needed. Or it could be written that the deck can be composed of all wood or a combination of the two. Then add that decks must be constructed and stained to be one color, or give the option for composite decking and leave the wood to weather naturally. 
     • Design Guideline Compliance
       • Board – Have other clusters redesigned their exteriors, and if they have what would you suggest in terms of compliance? Would we say here is what we are approving and we need everyone to be compliant in a certain amount of time or that when you are making substantial updates that is when you need to make this change?
       • Erin – When you change your exterior design elements, the way that you enforce compliance is either by putting a deadline on it, or when you are at a stage where you need to redesign or when you sell you need to comply with the new design or if there is substantial repair and replacement of the structure. More flexibility is typically preferred. 

2. Repaving parking lots – asphalt alternatives
   • Board – Has the RA ever considered asphalt alternatives?
   • https://www.truegridpaver.com/parking-lot-alternatives/
   • Erin – It is not currently on anyone’s radar but it could be good to get the environmental group on this. RA doesn’t own a lot of asphalt spaces other than small parking lots so this isn’t something that comes up very often. However, alternatives to asphalt and alternative parking materials is “Reston” sounding. Look into it but don’t spend the money on getting a bid. See if it looks practical and if it is meaningful to us as a cluster.
3. Reserve Study
   • Mason and Mason has a focus on the asphalt which is definitely a concern for our neighborhood. 
   • It is a 20 year prospectus vs a 30 year prospectus that the other 3 companies offer
   • PM Plus reserve even gives the option of a 50 year prospectus and would meet with you 3 times before charging extra.
   • For Mason and Mason, if they need to call an engineering specialist that is billable above what they are giving us as a proposal. Whereas the other 2 have specialists on staff and if they don’t it will be at their expense. 
   • Reserve advisor has other Reston clients and are familiar with the area
   • Mason and Mason didn’t include that but basically said our reserve doesn’t have anything to do with the other neighborhoods. 
   • Between Mason and Mason and PM+
   • What exactly is included in the asphalt report from Mason and Mason?
   • Landscaping and erosion may be an extra specialist which is a big issue in our neighborhood
   • Kelly to reach out to see how likely it is for mason and mason to have to go out and get specialist outside of the scope
4. Speed bumps
   • Good to move forward with the option Sandy provided. We have considered the possible noise impact on the new speed bumps but think it is important for safety. It is not a permanent speed bump so if it is too loud we can try to find a better place for it or remove it entirely if it is too much.
   • We will determine the cost and then will vote. Also recommend speed bump signs. May need to ask lawyers how much signage is needed and what regulations apply
5. RA’s last meet and greet
   • Meet & Greet – Site Lighting – this past Monday, May 9th.
     • It is a county change to have sky friendly lights that do not send light into the atmosphere. 
     • It doesn’t impact our cluster as much as it does other clusters that have shoebox lighting. Those are outdated and will need to change their entire fixture. We have the colonial style. The new fixture will not have panes.
     • Cyndi asked a question about how bright the light is for the community. No panes could be ok with  lower lumen light. 
6. Concrete
   • Walk through date?
     • Sidewalk by the bus stop that is sunken
     • Looked at the area in front of Jill’s house where the sidewalk has been humped by the root system of the tree. Tree root system will need to be worked on. Is it worth it to save that tree especially when we constantly have issues with the tree?
     • Look to add in the area by the light pole near Kristina’s house. There is a dip and it will pool with water
7. Pets
   1. There has been an increase in pet droppings not being picked up throughout the neighborhood. 
   2. It is within the Fairfax County Laws that all dogs need to be leashed at all times and also must be picked up after. 
   3. Violation of these rules can lead to impoundment of pets and incursion of fines. Neighbors also have the option to call animal control when these rules are not followed. 

Financials

Next meeting Thursday, June 9th

Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 7PM via Zoom

Attendees: Sandy, Cyndi, Kristina, Kayleen, Kelly, Antonella

Community updates

Design updates

1. Doors/Decks/AC unit DRB’s –
   • Where are we?  What is the goal?
   • No changes since last meeting. Work is still being done on the DRB. 
2. Deck enclosures, exterior light fixtures, house numbers
   • Where are we?  What is the goal?
   • Working to finish the Doors/decks/AC units and then will shift focus to these items.
3. Architect for garbage enclosures
   • Timeline? Satish sent a proposal and picture of what he was envisioning for the enclosures.. It has a translucent panel over the walkway and opens up the shed. There are possible concerns with snowfall weight and drainage. Also if the size needs to be increased to help with airflow.
   • Satish wants to get together with Sandy to walk around and look for free. Then he would charge $85/hr with an estimated hours of 40, the total would come to $3,400. 
4. Speed bumps – Kayleen
   • Received initial information package. Will get a quote for one and two speed bumps. If we just do one it would most likely be near the little free library. If we do 2, then one would also be added near the front of the neighborhood. 

Parking Lot

1. Resurface, Inc. – received bid

JW22-0023 Wheelwright Cluster HOA PROPOSAL 0222.pdf

2. From Burt at Pavement Design, LLC:

The cost for the pavement evaluation is $3,000, the cost for management is $2,500.  The management includes the bid package sent to contractors with specifications for the work as we found during the evaluation process.

After receiving the bid results back from the contractors we will send you the bid summary and discuss the results with you..  Once a contractor is selected we will meet with the contractor and yourself and representatives from your association for a pre-construction meeting at Wheelwright Cluster.  The work will be discussed, areas and boundaries identified and marked, dates and times for the work and answer any questions anyone may have.   A final inspection of the completed work with the contractor and yourself.

Also, regarding preparation for electric charging installations:

Yes we have installed many conduits under the asphalt pavement or concrete sidewalk or concrete curb and gutter for future use for both electric and irrigation systems.  We install them and cap them off, then mark the locations.

We work with Marriott International across the country and all the hotels are beginning to have electric stations, however the car manufacturers are the ones that are installing the parking stations, we assist in planning the location and if work is taking place and conduit is needed we have the paving contractor do the installation.

• They were recommended by another cluster. While it may seem like hand holding it helps to ensure that a capital expense this large is taken care of properly and will last. Kristina will get more information on what is included in the $3,000 evaluation cost. 

• When looking at quotes and evaluations for milling and paving the whole 4 inches,it seems as though doing the 2 inch mill is standard. The bottom 2 layers typically last longer than the top.

3.Reserve Study – parking lot inquiry? Will circle back next month

Reserve Study

Mason and Mason, Capital Reserve Analysts, Inc – company recommended by our law firm Kelly wants to take one more month to research before making a final decision

Electric Car Charging

1. Falcon group (advisors) – ~$5000

2. Cluster standards

3. Planning for the infrastructure when we redo parking lot

4. Tax incentives

5. RA – guidance packet for clusters

6. Who wants to field this? Cyndi

7. Reserve study

8. Is there an option to add spaces in the medians and cut out some of the space that is just mulch?

Tree work – Cyndi

Large oak in lower cluster removed and stump has been grinded

Trees whose branches have suffered from the weight of snow – Chris?

Trees near the path to the woods have some trees that are almost touching the ground. Is this something landscaping could take care of or would we need JLL to handle it?

Landscaping – Sandy

Bus path Chips have gotten blown away and need to be put down and plumped up. 

Getting the neighborhood into parking compliance

Last newsletter urged residents to become compliant

Next step – will send email directly to people who have not registered their cars with the cluster.

Dominion – watchlights – Cyndi

2233 light – has it been repaired? Been addressed

From Meghan:  

Unfortunately the upshot is that the conversation surrounding Dominion owned/operated site lighting installed on cluster common ground is still evolving. Specifically, the Zoning Ordinance modification that was adopted by the County’s Board of Supervisors last year directly impacts the type of fixtures and light sources that clusters can use and Dominion is in the process of converting many of Reston’s older watch light fixtures to more modern LED light sources, as you mentioned Kristina. Basically there are several major changes afoot and it is still unclear how Dominion needs to work with cluster associations to ensure that lights are repaired, installed and maintained in conformance with both Reston’s Design Guidelines and applicable County requirements.

That’s a very long winded way of saying that Staff doesn’t have a solution to the blinding replacement light problem right now. I can tell you that we are digging in and working on engaging all of the necessary players in order to get some answers as quickly as possible; please stay tuned for updates via outreach events (Zoom calls) and newsletter updates on this topic over the next few months. In the meantime, following are a few informational links that may be of assistance. Thanks for reaching out and we will be in touch!  Meagan

Dominion Outdoor Lighting Webpage

https://www.dominionenergy.com/virginia/products/lighting-fixtures,

Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance

Outdoor Lighting Standards | Planning Development (fairfaxcounty.gov)

Snow plowing -Kelly

Erin Gable (Wheelwright Covenants Advisor) has offered to attend a board meeting

When and What topic(s)

• Parking and electric parking could be a good topic. We could also do a board meeting that is light but is about tying up the ends that we need help with. 

• Another option is to have a one on one type conversation with Erin and the cluster on questions they have

• Another option is to have Erin give input on design guideline changes and ways to apply them
• Board or whole community

Cluster Clean Up will be on April 30th. 

Financials

Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 7 pm via Zoom

Attendees: Kelly, Cyndi, Kayleen, Kristina, Sandy, Karen

Community updates

Board Responsibilities – assigning tasks for 2022

1. Snow Removal (Mike Peyton) – Kelly
2. Landscaping (Chris Hughes) – Sandy
3. Garbage Pickup (Theresa Cunningham) – Kayleen
4. Concrete (Juan) – Cyndi
5. Dominion (watchlights) -Cyndi
6. Legal (Chesapeake) – Kristina
7. Parking – Kristina
8. Tree Committee Liaison – contact with the tree committee (reports on tree trimming/removal updates) – Cyndi
   1. Tree committee members – Mike Pendleton, Jeffrey Cai, Kerry Wingell
9. Community outreach –
   1. E-news – Kristina
   2. Facebook updates – Kristina
   3. Website maintenance – Kayleen
   4. Sign – Kristina
10. Erosion – Kristina
11. Parking Lot – Kristina
12. Design updates – Sandy

Annual Meeting Review

1. The community overwhelmingly voted for an increase in dues of $25/quarter or $100/year.  Most homeowners also wanted to keep homeowner lawn care as is currently provided by our landscaping company.  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Myaun5dGGZbjxgrcF0b1YZJPswWA7GylCiXSfaMcVo4/edit#responses

2. Reviewed new siding colors with the community.  Since then, the board approved a new form that homeowners can submit when applying for a siding color change.  Wheelwright Cluster House Color Change DRB.pdf

The link has also been added to the Design Updates tab on the website

3. Doors/Decks/AC unit DRB’s There is no set time frame yet, but  doors and Ac units have priority. Decks will be worked after. 
4. Deck enclosures, exterior light fixtures, house numbers Sandy will get with Meghan and Erin to talk about these and what they think Reston will approve and determine if our plan needs to be adjusted and discussed with residents. 
5. Parking lot – next step is to get a quote from Resurface, Inc.
   • Also need to decide if we want to go the route of muddling through this on our own or hiring an outside company to contract with us to manage the process (i.e. Pavement Design, LLC)
   • Talked with Burt Hall. Seems like this company will be a good idea in helping us determine our needs. They charge $3k to do an assessment to see what your parking lot needs. They will also get quotes and give a 10-15 year plan.
   • It could be beneficial to have someone who has experience in parking lots instead of the board trying to run it when we don’t have the expertise. We want to make sure that we are getting our money’s worth and get quality work and that we have a subject matter expert
   • Could be a money saver in the long run if it ensures the work is done properly.
   • Doing the reserve study first may be beneficial in getting the estimate of aging and life of parking lot
6. Reserve study
   • How many companies have we received quotes from? 3
   • Do the services offered differ between companies? Haven’t done a comprehensive comparison but at a glance they all seem pretty much the same. Price wise they are in the 2k range, 3k range, 4k range
   • We should go with least expensive not only because of price but because it is the one Chesapeake (our cluster lawyers) recommended to us
   • Kelly to put together what service they provide in their study and reach out and ask about what is included with parking lots. Determine If it is a major part of study and if we can expect them to lay out a budget for us and do an assessment.
7.  Items that were discussed and also referred to in survey
   • Trim options – namely white because of cost and ease of use
     1. People aren’t interested at this point
   • Hiring architect for garbage enclosures
     1. Majority say yes, Sandy will reach out
   • Parking permits
     1. Not enough of a push to go the parking permit direction. However, parking will be on top in the next newsletter. We will give people a date to have cars registered with the cluster within the next 4 months.
   • Speed bumps
     1. Kayleen will look into removable speed bump options
   • Results of survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/191EX925Z4OyECiZLfiuvgWgZLd2GzePJrCxm8oLd7yQ/edit#responses

RA Meet and Greet

Monday 1/10 at 6:30 pm – Sandy attended meeting that touched largely on Electric car charging stations.

A copy of the presentation can be found here.

The whole meeting was on electric car charging. Falcon Group came out and they are private contractors that act similar to parking lot advisors. They  help clusters navigate the evaluation of installing electric car chargers. There is a new VA law that allows a resident to put in a car charging unit and governing bodies can’t prohibit you from doing that. However, Reston has put into regulation what they consider appropriate charging stations. If a cluster doesn’t have set charging station standards then whoever is the first to put in a unit usually sets the standard. Even if we aren’t prepared to finance charging stations as a cluster, we should look into the available options and create cluster standards on what they need to look like. 

Reston has prohibited people from stretching cords across sidewalks and installing level 3 charging stations. They must have wheel bumper stops and balusters to protect the unit. There are also specific heights and other parameters. We can add additional requirements to the units that can be used. 

There needs to be guidelines for if someone wants to install something in their reserved space and possibly require them to carry insurance on it. If you are an independent homeowner putting a station in your spot, all the cost comes from you including egress issues for if a spot isn’t directly in front of the house. 

If we decide to tackle this as a cluster and what we need in the future, they recommend we put in place all of the conduits and infrastructure that needs to run underground when paving. Much of the expense in installing charging units comes from digging up roads and sidewalks and then repaving. Running inexpensive conduits for future electrical needs may save us money in the long run. Parking lots last 20-30 years and the reliance on electric vehicles may change drastically by then.  We may need to talk to an independent group who works with communities about how to navigate electrical charging and where the power supplies will come from. 

Falcon Group said their average budgeting cost for a feasibility study is $5k. There are some tax credits available and a $30k government tax credit that we could apply for. Dominion also offers some savings. Falcon Group estimates about $11k for getting the site ready and $4k for equipment. Some money has been put into the infrastructure bills coming down the pipeline which could help. There may also be solar options to address car charging and utilizing solar power for this. They said there are some commercial structures but not usually available for residential use.

There are lots of power and electrical line upgrades that will have to be considered and planned for; this will affect all levels of electrical infrastructure – individual, cluster wide, and on up. Existing power lines that are run throughout our community are not necessarily sized to handle all 65 homes in our cluster each having their own power charging station. This could also look cluttered and be more infrastructure and individual homeowner expense than we actually need as a cluster.

If we decide to pursue adding community chargers, we should go with one company for all charging devices. Having one company allows you to have a more integrated system. This can also lessen the overall power demand on electrical lines. We need to look at the rules we would set for communal car charging and guidelines about how long you can leave your car there. Also, how to get in contact with someone who has left their car there too long. Reston has said they are working on putting together a guidance packet for clusters. Included in this packet will be polling questions to ask residents about car charging; which should help get the conversation about electric car charging started.

The Supervisor for Fairfax County is looking into options for creating money for electric charging in Fairfax County.. 

Upcoming tree work

Work for Monday is the last of upcoming tree work. We will put out extra communication to get the word out to make sure cars are moved (update: this was rescheduled for Friday January 28th due to inclement weather)

Getting the neighborhood into parking compliance

Dominion – watchlights

Light by 2233 still going on and off

Have not heard back from Erin yet regarding Dominion’s watchlight new design without the glass panes – will check back in with her

Snow plowing

Were we going to inquire about common area sidewalk treating and shoveling for 2022? We did and are not able to contract to have the common sidewalks shoveled with our current contractor.

Financials

Thursday, December 9th, 2021 at 7PM via Zoom

Attendees : Kristina, Sandy, Kelly, Cyndi, Kayleen

Expedited DRB Form

RA no longer requires the DRB form for siding color changes. There is still value in including the board and to verify that changes are being made properly and following the guidelines. Sandy has set up a form that gets the main information required for color changes and also requires homeowners to sign off that they understand the guidelines and timelines for their project.

Forms can be approved by the President or Vice President. A time stamp will be used to verify the first come first serve basis of the form. A spreadsheet will also be created to help verify when forms were submitted and that no two adjacent houses are approved for the same color.