2022 Wheelwright Cluster Annual HOA Meeting

Monday Dec 5th at 7pm via zoom

Attendees

• Fairbank – 2213
• Myers – 2226
• Hartman-Newland – 2231
• Chin – 2224
• Mark and Rhea Mohler – 2250
• Sandy Mohler – 2209
• Dominiak – 2235
• Beasley – 2243
• Reese – 2207
• Bhide – 2259
• Zambrana – 2274
• Jenkins – 2254
• Miranda Salva – 2205
• Antonella – 2261
• Perez and Lucas – 2228
• Gustavvson and Meacham – 2251
• Wingell -2219 
• Charles – 2220
• Wiley – 2230
• Bill and Nina – 2246
• Conrad – 2262

2022 In Review

• Inflation – increase in prices for services and supplies
• Erosion 
  • Cluster clean up – installed erosion netting and native green and gold on slope next to 2231/tot lot.
• Concrete
  • Upper cluster areas – focus has been to address areas that pose the greatest risk of tripping hazards
  • Curved sidewalk next to Wheelwright entrance/small area of sidewalk in front of 2226/2228.
• Landscaping/Grounds Maintenance
  • Rebuild of lower cluster stairs by resident volunteers
  • Native plants around the cluster – many in areas around trees,                                     slope by 2241, little free library – by resident volunteers
  • 2 replacement trees in prominent areas.
  • Continuation of grass rejuvenation around common cluster areas
• Tree Committee (Michael Pendleton, Jeffrey Cai, Kerry Wingell)
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• Removable speed bump installed – community feedback?
• Ongoing: Community compost bin – community feedback?

Design Updates

• What has been approved by Reston
  • Siding
    • Cement Siding “Stucco” Panels may now be attached to concrete block structure.
  • A/C Unit Location
    • HVAC units may be located in front within trash enclosures or in rear of property.
  • House Numbers
    • Serif or sans serif individual numbers not to exceed 6 inches in height. Numbers may be plastic or metal; black, dark brown, brass, or silver in color. Number color should contrast with the house siding color. 
  • Decks and Patios
    • Composite decking colors that are wood grained in pattern, in light wood, gray, or dark brown.
    • The only “painted style” composite decking color permitted should coordinate with our Oxford Brown Trim.
    • No manufacturer specified, but approved colors of Trex and TimberTech are listed for comparison of requested material’s color compatibility. 
  • Deck Color
    • Visible wood elements on a deck or patio with composite decking may be stained to match the composite decking.
  • Railings
    • Metal or composite railing with a square baluster in either all black or brown.
    • Homeowners have the option of having a “leaf-sweep space” below the bottom rail. 
    • Clear, untextured, tempered glass panel inserts may replace the balusters in the railing system.
    • Cocktail Rail Cap may be composite to match decking.
  • Deck Stairs
    • Stairs connecting elevated decks and balconies to ground level may be incorporated into deck projects; all stairs must be contained within property lines.
  • Deck Size
    • Elevated decks may extend out from the primary house rear wall as permitted by building codes; not to exceed 15’ or property lines.
  • Under Deck Guttering and Covers
    • TimberTech Dryspace guttering system in White or Bone
    • Trex RainEscape guttering system in Black or Brown
    • Any of the manufacturer colors are acceptable, provided that the associated guttering troughs and downspouts are in brown to match the existing gutters on the house.
    • Any changes to drainage patterns caused by the addition of a below-deck protector must not adversely affect adjoining properties or cluster common ground.
• What is pending approval by Reston
  • Deck Color – Wood
    • Decks with composite decking may stain wood elements to match decking. Requested adding the option for properties with all wood decks to be permitted to stain them to match the colors that would be allowed with composite decking.
    • Reestablishing the language for wood decks to be clear sealed. Reston confirmed this has been corrected.
  • Doors
    • Adding options for door materials in fiberglass or wood
    • Adding options for simple square panels
    • Adding option for panel to be glass
    • Adding options for glass to be clear, frosted privacy, or specified decorative design
    • Creating a new and broader color palette for door colors that coordinate with the new house color palette – 18 colors and a dark wood tone
• 2023 Design Updates
  • Storm Doors
    • Wheelwright Cluster’s current design guidelines only permit two options for the design of storm doors; full glass and glass divided by a support bar. Many houses within the cluster do not have either of these styles of storm doors. Adding this widely used style to the design standards would increase the number of houses in design compliance for this element.
      • Recommend adding another design option that permits a solid panel on the lower third of the door.
  • Fences
    • Currently, Wheelwright Cluster is only approved for rear fences and privacy fences to be painted or stained Olympic Oxford Brown.
      • Would we want to add the color options of “clear-sealed” or “allowed to weather naturally”
        • There are worries that the “weather naturally” option will lead to people not doing the proper upkeep.
        • Some people like the brown on the fence and think it makes it look cleaner
    • Post Caps
      • Wheelwright Cluster’s design guidelines specifically forbid metal caps on the tops of fence posts. Post caps reduce rain incursion to the end of fence posts, thus reducing rot and extending the life of the fence post.
        • Add the option of a simple square metal or composite fence post cap to match the color of the fence.
  • Porch and Storage Area Roofs and Garbage Enclosures
    • We will be reaching out to an architect to draw up designs and blueprints to address the desired features discussed last year. One of the newer members of Reston’s Design Review Board is an architect interested in providing pro bono work to clusters that are updating their guidelines. The board will contact him to see if this project is within the scope of his assistance.
    • Design Features that will be addressed
      • Cover integrated above entrance and garbage bin
      • Appropriate drainage and guttering created for cover
      • Adequate air circulation provided for modern HVAC unit sizes
      • Resize enclosures to fit current trash and recycling bins
      • Optional additional lighting within garbage enclosures for safety
      • Blueprints provided to homeowners to assist contractors in building appropriate and compliant garbage enclosures and porch roofs
  • Deck Enclosures
    • The board will move forward on pursuing options with Reston to address mosquito issues, lack of rain protection, and privacy concerns that negatively impact homeowners in 3-level houses when they are using their rear deck area. 
    • Requested options
      • Wheelwright at one time was approved for retractable awning covers; homeowners have requested more permanent structures for rain protection on elevated decks
      • Allowing some sort of side privacy option for decks
      • If more permanent structures are permitted, allowing those structures to be screened to prevent mosquito incursion
  • Exterior Light Fixtures
    • Currently, Wheelwright has three approved exterior lights; the original square lucite lamps, and two globe lights from Seagull Lighting. Only one of these three are still being manufactured. 
    • We have had many requests for new fixture options for both the front and rear house lights
      • Some complaints have been:
        • Existing fixtures look outdated and too plain for a front entrance
        • Style of enclosures makes LED bulbs difficult to find
    • The Board is looking to add a couple of new light fixture options for Wheelwright homeowners
      • We will be working with Reston in 2023 to determine exactly which options would be best for our cluster; but some of the features we will be taking into consideration will be:
        • Fixtures will be reasonably priced and readily available
        • Style will be able to accommodate LED bulbs
        • Lightbulb brightness and color of light will be evaluated for safety and visibility as well as the impact of light-bleed on neighboring properties
        • Timeless designs that both match our architecture and resists being discontinued

Goals/Ideas for 2023

• EV Car Charging
  • Charge Up Fairfax Pilot Program
    • Designed to help HOA communities install public use EV charging stations
    • Pilot program where 2 or 3 clusters in Reston will be the “guinea pigs” for this program from January through March of 2023.  
    • Full roll-out of program after July 2023 in which all HOA’s in Fairfax county will be eligible.
    • HOA Exploration phase – it will be incumbent upon the HOA to review governing documents – Identify Possible Charging Locations – Survey residents – review funding options – submit predevelopment worksheet.
    • If selected, Charge Up Fairfax will begin the Engagement phase including engineering site evaluation (paid for by county).
    • If feasible, then HOA would go into implementation phase – select general contractor and build.  Charge Up Fairfax would rebate up to ⅓ of cost or up to $5,000.
    • Since public funds would be used for installation of chargers, the stations would need to be open to the public, not just residents.  Restrictions and heavy fees for outsiders could be set up.
    • Engineering considerations – where are transformers in neighborhood.  Proximity to charging space is ideal.
    • Estimates are ~$10-30,000 for EV charging station.
    • Do we have enough parking spaces?
    • RA also looking into installing stations on some RA spaces throughout Reston – probably Walker Nature Center.
    • County is also putting a lot of charging stations in public lots all around county.
    • Right to Charge Act passed by the Virginia Assembly in 2020
      • Because our parking spaces are all on common property (our cluster owns every inch of the parking lot), individual residents could install their own chargers on their reserved parking spot but:
      • Would need to submit the application as co-applicants with the resident and board
      • May need to get clarification from lawyer on who has ownership
      • Cluster and resident must come up with maintenance agreement
      • Legal guidance needed on a path forward
    • Community Input
      • How would you differentiate between who lives in the neighborhood and who doesn’t
        • The charger knows how to recognize whose car it is
        • They can also be programmed to have a password
      • Concerns about having random people coming into the neighborhood to charge their car. Fine to have a cluster specific charger but don’t want it to be open to the public
      • How much destruction will be required to install the stations?
        • One thing to consider is that the parking lot will be redone soon. So ideally we could time the parking lot replacement when we are able to at least put in some infrastructure 
      • Would like to put together an EV Committee
      • Is it something that we could possibly make money on at some point to lower dues
      • With the way technology is progressing and how laws are being written we are going to have to deal with this sooner rather than later. Especially with a new parking lot that will last us 20-30 years
      • Would not be a huge concern as a public charging area because when people look for chargers you look to see what the charge is. If we have a dual tier fee structure the likelihood of getting outsiders is small. Especially as charging options expand
      • In Maryland and in DC, the Solar Power installation with solar panels is free if you give the utility company the roof space to install the solar power. This program may be implemented in Virginia as well . Some time ago there was an idea to cover the existing parking area with a roof and solar panels installed over it to generate free electricity. Let’s wait for a few months to do anything regarding the installation of charging stations in our parking areas.
• Repaving of Parking Lot
  • Why didn’t this get done in 2022?
    • Price of oil affected the Asphalt Price Adjustment Indices – since last January.
      • Finally starting to come back down again
    • Reserve study dedicated a large portion to parking lot assessment
  • Will it get completed in 2023?
    • That depends.  Reserve study needs to be discussed with Mason and Mason.
  • If it does not get completed, it will definitely need to be crack sealed.
  • EV charging stations will play into the decision as well.
• Parking in the Cluster
  • Only registered cars will be allowed to park in the cluster (unregistered guests of residents will always be allowed to temporarily park in the lot as well; however, long term guests or frequent guests should register their cars with the cluster)
  • All vehicles must have current tags
  • Ideally, 2 vehicles/household in parking lot.  Extra vehicles – Olde Crafts
  • Do we want to rethink parking lot – reserved parking spaces?  Open up new spaces?
  • Community Input
    • We have enough spaces for each house to have their registered spot and one extra spot. And 2 extra spots left. If we used that for EV parking it would take those. This would also be the time to consider modifying the median spaces to allow for more spaces. 
    • Do we want to codify something in the guidelines that specifies you can only have two vehicles in the neighborhood and any others need to be on Olde Crafts
      • To codify it takes away some of the neighborly arrangements
    • Where it does seem to become a problem is when residents have 5 cars. 
    • Most houses have 3 bedrooms and 3 baths. So those will multiple tenants in a house it is inconvenient for them to have to park on Olde Crafts
    • Suggested that those in the lower cluster could park extra vehicles in the spaces by the little free library and those in upper cluster park extra vehicles on Olde Crafts.
• Erosion
  • Continue to tackle erosion
  • Areas of concern 2250-2256 – rear of houses
  • Erosion control benefits the community in several ways:
  • improves drainage/ decreases sitting water and runoff into area streams and lakes
  • Repairs and prevents further wearing away of slopes
  • Stabilization of slopes can be achieved through planting of shade tolerant vegetation – specifically native plants as they have much longer roots that hold the soil in place
  • This area was a 2022 goal, but 2231 was addressed instead
  • Community project that could help us determine if stabilization of slopes can be addressed with ground cover plantings.
  • Results: we will have a better idea by spring/summer, but 2250-2256 may require more engineering to mitigate erosion of slopes from drainage pipes.
  • Whatever solution we come up with for the erosion behind 2250 – If possible we would like to look at the option of hiring someone to do the engineering and structures and then have the community doing some of the planting
• Concrete
  • Patchwork maintenance of sidewalks on cluster property around the community
  • Continue to address tripping hazards
  • Alternate years addressing problem areas in lower vs. upper cluster
  • Community input welcome regarding areas needing to be monitored for possible replacement 
• Landscaping
  • Continue with common areas for grass rejuvenation
  • Rebuild wooden benches throughout the cluster – (this was a goal for 2022 but we replaced the lower cluster stairs instead)
  • Designing a well thought out landscaped area for the lower cluster island and installing replacement tree
  • Hiring smaller tree company to prune small trees
• Tree Work
  • Tree Committee
  • Separate from the board/makes recommendations to the board who ultimately decide
  • Coordinates annual review of trees with arborist
  • Largely focuses on trees that are potential risks to life and property
  • Community members can reach out to board if they are interested in joining the tree committee
• Pet Waste Stations
  • Pet waste stations
  • 1 or 2 stations – one in lower, one in upper cluster?
  • Companies that will install and maintain the waste stations
  • Cost?
  • Community Input
    • Worried that those that don’t pick it up still won’t even if there are bags
    • It may help with kids who are walking the dogs and don’t think about it as much
    • Lots near our house in upper cluster
    • Near the little free library see a lot of kids that won’t pick up or when they do they will dump it in personal trash cans
    • Are these kids in our neighborhood? Maybe a note should go out to remind Cluster parents to talk to kids about this?
• Reserve Study
  • Completed at the end of November by Mason and Mason
  • Due to the delay in receiving the report, we are holding off on a formal discussion at this meeting.
  • Board will review and post the results.  Community members will have an opportunity to discuss and ask questions.

2022 Budget Review/2023 Budget Proposal

• 2022 Budget
  • There have been issues with the cluster laptop that have made it so that we are not able to view the current 2022 budget.
  • We had to make some adjustments to some budget items due to inflation.
  • There were some invoices that came out for the yard work. Multiple copies may have been sent
• 2023 Budget
  • We tend to budget a little over to give some wiggle room. There may be a larger increase than normal since prices have increased so much. 

Topics for Discussion

• Trash 
  • People putting their trash out outside of the guidelines times
  • Putting yard waste in plastic, which won’t get picked up by the county
  • Recycling sounds like it has a lot of glass in it
  • Plastic bags can’t be put in the recycling

Board Member Positions

• Jade Perez and Joy Charles were elected to the board.