Category Archives: Board Meeting

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Wheelwright Cluster Board Meeting Minutes – May 2022

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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. 
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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. 
  5. 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
  6. 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

Wheelwright Cluster Board Meeting Minutes – April 2022

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Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 7 pm via Zoom

Community updates

Design updates

  1. Doors/Decks/AC unit DRB’s
    • Updates on DRB submission?
  2. Architect for garbage enclosures
    • On hold until doors and decks are completed – garbage enclosures are on the agenda for the May meeting with Erin at RA so we should plan to meet with Satish before then so we can have a full discussion.  She has not yet confirmed that she can make the May meeting.
  3. Speed bumps
    • Quote for 1 ($223) or 2 ($447)
    • From Kayleen:  Below is the link for the speed bump I have been looking at. It is the 7ft option which is a 6ft with two end caps. I wasn’t able to find any videos or instructions for removal. Through the installation manual it looks like the concrete options have screws/bolts that you drill a hole for and put anchors in. Then the bolts secure the speed bump. For removal you would just take out the bolts. This would leave a hole where the anchor is. I’m not sure if we would be ok with having these holes in the ground when it may snow. And how they would hold being filled with snow and water after it melted.  
    • Sandy looked further into this – she couldn’t find much regarding damage to the asphalt – most folks use the bolts rather than the spikes and then plug holes with silicone plugs to prevent water grit and dirt from getting in there.  She found another product – if you get it at 2.5 inch height, the weight of it will hold it down up to 10 miles/hour.  It’s a rubber product – heavy so may be hard to remove every season but it won’t damage asphalt but it can be bolted down if we find that it starts to move around.  Cost?  This product is for 36 inches in length – $134 so 6 ft would be $270 plus shipping.  Right in line with cost for product that Kayleen found.  35 lbs per piece and they lock together.  Kayleen can look at this product and weigh in on how she thinks it compares to the other product.  https://rubberform.com/product/speedbump
    • Kelly brought up that it could use extra markings on it to make it more visible.  Tape might be an option.
    • https://unimattraffic-us.com/products/speed-bump-hump/heavy-duty-economy-speed-bump.html

Parking Lot

  • On hold for the moment.  Keeping an eye on fuel prices and Asphalt base index per VDOT.
  • Patch work to be done during the cluster clean up.

Reserve Study

  • Update Kelly to send out quotes for the reserve studies that she has obtained so far.  She is rethinking which company to go with – the one she was leaning towards was the company who did our reserve study many years ago but they have become very automated.  The lawyers recommended Mason and Mason, they are the ones that the lawyer recommended and that is the company Kelly is leaning towards at this point.  
  • Sandy brought up the point that perhaps the company that did our reserve study initially might be willing to shave a bit off the price of a full reserve study since we completed one with them already.  But Kelly thinks that since it is 13 years old, and a lot has changes in 13 years, it probably isn’t worth it.

RA’s next meet and greet

  • Meet & Greet to Cover Site Lighting – Meeting date has changed from April 11 to Monday, May 9th – 
  • The impact of Fairfax County’s new zoning  ordinance modification on site lighting in Reston
  • Dominion Energy’s initiative to convert to LED light sources
  • Reston’s Design Guideline for site lighting in clusters
  • The design review process for site lighting installation and replacement on cluster common ground, to include review of the ‘photometric plan’ requirement stipulated by the applicable site lighting Design Guideline
  • Cyndi and Kristina plan to attend

Electric Car Charging

  • Updates? No updates yet but Cyndi will delve into this more soon.

Tree work

  • Anything new? Kerry’s tree – temporary fix (Mike’s renter used strapping to hold it in place – he used his own equipment to hold the tree but he needs the equipment back) – Sandy told Kerry to give us a price to replace the equipment.

Landscaping – Sandy

  • Updates?  Did their first mowing – cut the grass very low.  But no one has complained yet.  Hazardous waste pickup on Saturday.  Plants by 2251 – they were looking a little bit unhealthy but could still be in their dormancy stage – will keep posted.  Mulch and coir for cluster cleanup on order.  All set for supplies needed for landscaping for cluster clean up.  Price for annuals for front entrance – red and white vinca between $110 and $150.  Board approved up to $150.

Concrete

  • Updates?  Next week Cyndi will try to schedule a walk through with Juan.

Getting the neighborhood into parking compliance

  • Sunday, May 1st is the deadline for people registering their cars with the cluster.
  • Newsletter – delivered to houses on Wednesday – the vehicles we have on file for everyone were included in each homeowner’s newsletter – if their information is incomplete or incorrect, they have been instructed to fill out the form on the newsletter and return to the LFL box.  
  • After May 1st, go around parking lot looking for cars that are not on our list and putting notices on them.

Cluster Clean – Up – Saturday April 30th

  • Roll off dumpster – should we park in a couple of lower cluster parking spaces?  Confirm with Kayleen that it has been scheduled as well as voucher.  Still waiting for Bates to confirm delivery of roll off dumpster but should be fine since we are still 2 weeks out.  We will do our best to get parking spaces cleared out – the 4 spaces on the lower side of the lower cluster island and then we’ll work with Bates to see if they can fit the dumpster in those parking spots.  Send out email saying not to park in those parking spots and blocking spaces with traffic cones.  Dumpster signs to let people know what can and can’t be dumped in the dumpster – Sandy will make.
  • Hazardous waste pickup – Saturday April 16th?
  • Donation pickup – plan is to rent U-haul van and deliver items to Green drop on Saturday, April 23rd.  Picking up a 9 am from Lake Anne on Saturday – renting for 6 hours.  May need to make a couple trips over to Green Drop.  Park by Little Free Library.  Elli and Cyndi to man the donation van.  Cluster sign advertising at top of cluster.  Make a sign for the van.  Kristina will do another email push next week to advertise it again.
  • Projects – 
    • The following was ordered for the clean-up.  These plants will be ready to be picked up on Saturday, April 23rd.  Tim has offered to do a pickup or 2 but we could use one more person to help pick up with their own car.  Kelly has offered to go with Tim to pick up plants.
    • Patching asphalt Sandy still working on which product to use for patching.  The Aquaphalt will be too expensive for the size of the patching this time – still needs to do more research.  Cody will be volunteering to help with this project as well.
    • Double checking the stairs to see if there are additional boards that need to be replaced?  Double check the stairs – if anything looks like a safety hazard, we’ll replace boards if needed, but no major overhaul right now.
    • Painting garbage enclosure?
    • Painting the garbage enclosure could be easily done since we are going to be working on landscaping in that area anyway.  But getting plants in the ground is the utmost priority – everything else second.
    • Mulching area across from tot lot and next to 2249 will get done down the road – trees arriving from Arbor Day Foundation will get planted there and we can think about mulching then.  This area is on our radar as it needs to get tidied up.
    • Cluster cookout?
      • Shopping for food/supplies Sandy will pick up food.  Cyndi has fridge and freezer space available for food.  We already have water and soda leftover from last time.  Kristina will provide list and Cyndi will fill in what we still have leftover from last time especially paper products.

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

  • Next meeting on May 12th?
  • Shed enclosures and size and design. Schedule for May
  • Sandy also asked Erin to throw out some dates that she could be available for a homeowners meeting with covenants advisor.

Financials

Next meeting Thursday, May 12th

Wheelwright Cluster Board Meeting Minutes – March 2022

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Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 7 pm via Zoom

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

Community updates

Design updates

  1. Doors/Decks/AC unit DRB’s
    • Updates on DRB submission? No Updates
  2. Architect for garbage enclosures
    • Satish – walk through?  Updates? Working to send in doors and decks DRB to RA first and then will start this process.
  3. Speed bumps – Kayleen
    • Quote for 1 or 2? To have speed bumps in one location it will be $223 plus shipping. For two locations it will be $447 plus shipping. Will follow up with the company to get instructions on how the speed bumps are removed to make sure it won’t be destroying the parking lot. 
  4. Parking Lot
    • Oil prices:  It appears that asphalt base index for January 2022 was $525/liquid ton.  Currently $745/liquid ton.  Probably cost us an extra ~$15,000 if we were to repave right now.  This will likely go up.
    • Here is oil price outlook according to Car and Driver
      • GasBuddy released a statement about this weekend’s milestone saying that, while international sanctions that are crippling Russia’s crude oil exports are one cause of the price spike, that’s not the only reason GasBuddy expects fuel prices to continue to rise.
      • “Seasonal factors including increased demand for gas, refinery maintenance and the switch to summer blend gas, on top of current geopolitical tensions, could propel prices upward of $4.25 per gallon by Memorial Day,” the group wrote in a statement. On the bright side, the company’s 2022 Fuel Outlook predicts prices will start to slope downward after that, with a national average all the way down to $3.78 by December 2022. That number used to seem high, but it’s all relative.
      • The patch work from Fall cleanup seems to be holding up well. We can use that to fix some spots or the normal cold patch for bigger areas. Hopefully this will hold us over until prices go down.
  5. Pavement Design, LLC:  what is included in parking lot assessment:
    • Condition survey and evaluation of pavement
      • Pavement condition index rated as per US Army Corp of Engineers
    • Obtain inventory information
      • Information relevant to pavement sections gathered based on the construction of the property
      • Involves meeting with maintenance staff as well as observing traffic conditions/patterns
      • Reports including analysis and pictures
        • Inventory report
        • Aerial image report
        • Pavement condition index report
        • Network maintenance report
        • Network summary report
        • Maintenance and repair report
        • Recommendations
        • Inspection schedule report
        • Budget planning report
      • Review of final assessment with client
    • Will take time looking through and deciding. Since we are holding off on the parking lot we have some time.
  6. Reserve Study
    • Update
    • Reserve study to help determine timeline for parking lot (i.e. can we eke another year out of it?)
    • Asphalt is a big part of the studies. The study in 2007 had a significant portion for asphalt. Holding off on proceeding with the parking lot makes sense until the reserve study is done.
    • All of the proposals look about the same. One more has been thrown into the mix but we are seeking a proposal from the company that did our 2007 study. We would lean towards choosing them if their range is in line with other proposals.
    • After all proposals are received they will be sent to the Board to review so a decision can be made. 
  7. RA’s next meet and greet
    • April 11 Meet & Greet to Cover Site Lighting
    • The impact of Fairfax County’s new zoning  ordinance modification on site lighting in Reston
    • Dominion Energy’s initiative to convert to LED light sources
    • Reston’s Design Guideline for site lighting in clusters
    • The design review process for site lighting installation and replacement on cluster common ground, to include review of the ‘photometric plan’ requirement stipulated by the applicable site lighting Design Guideline
    • Cyndi plans to attend. Kristina will try to attend.
  8. Electric Car Charging
    • Any updates? Some inquiries have been sent out. There are a lot of options out there which could be good from a competitive standpoint. Cyndi is also working on gathering information to see which do residential versus just business areas. 
  9. Tree work – Cyndi
    • The 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 JL to handle it?
    • Nothing is impeding the path, so it may not be worth the cost but it will be mentioned during the next walkthrough
    • Kerry mentioned a tree that is overhanging his deck. It may have tipped over from the ice storm. It is significantly hanging over. He talked to JL and they said they need to take a rope and try to stand it back up. He will need to talk with the tree committee to determine what needs to be done and to get a bid. 
  10. Landscaping – Sandy
    • Bus path – done!  (still some wood chips left – ideas?)
    • Updates?
      • We plan to spread them where they are. It is such a muddy area that a deeper and wider path may be better. 
      • Emailed Chris – they ran out of mulch and they are coming back 3/11 to finish. 
  11. Getting the neighborhood into parking compliance
    • Sent an email directly to everyone who has not registered with the cluster.  Only one person has responded so far.
    • Next step is to put flyers on doors. We could also put flyers on cars parked in neighborhood that aren’t in our database.
  12. Cluster Clean – Up – Saturday April 30th
    • Roll away dumpster – need to schedule with Bates – should we park in a couple of lower cluster parking spaces? 
    • Hazardous waste pickup – 2 weeks before?  Saturday April 16th?
    • Donation pickup – ideas?  When? Should we go with Green Drop again or look into other options.
    • We could Rent a Uhaul van and load it up and then drop it off at the Green Drop at Fox Mill. However, we would need to communicate with Green Drop to make sure they can accommodate what we bring.
    • Project ideas?
      • Planting natives on slopes to help with erosion?
      • Reston Association is having a native plant sale and pickup is Saturday April 23rd. Reston Association Native Plant Sale
      • Board will look through to see which ones they think will look nice and would work in the area. We should move fast so that inventory doesn’t run out. 
    • Other ideas?
      • Rebuild the benches throughout the cluster
      • Paint or stain the trash bin that was built (Oxford Brown)
      • Patching asphalt
      • Double checking the stairs to see if there are additional boards that need to be replaced
    • Cluster cookout?
      • Shopping for food/supplies
  13.  Erin Gable (Wheelwright Covenants Advisor) has offered to attend a board meeting
    • Did we nail down a time and topic? 
      • Shed enclosures and size and design. Schedule for May
      • Non-Board Meeting with an open forum to ask questions. Send out a newsletter seeing if there is interest

Other

Traffic Cones

  • approval to order 6 traffic sticks for $120

Concrete 

  • Trying to schedule a walkthrough in the next month 
  • Near Jill’s house, the sidewalk in front is starting to lift up and form a lip. It’s about an inch taller than the pad next to it.

Financials

Wheelwright Cluster Board Meeting Minutes – February 2022

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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

Wheelwright Cluster Board Meeting Minutes – January 2022

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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

  1. 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. 
  2. 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. 
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5.  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

    Wheelwright Cluster Board Meeting Minutes – December 2021

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    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.

    2021 Annual Meeting Minutes

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    Monday December 6th, 2021 at 7PM via Zoom

    Attendees: Mary Dominiak (2235),Sarah Keally (2233), Jill Jenkins (2254), Kristina Myers (2226), Kayleen Chin (2224), Roberto & MaryEllen Zambrana (2274), Miranda Salva (2205). Natalie Gustavsson (2251), Katie Jay (2237), Sandy Mohler (2209), Cyndi Hartman-Newland (2231), Scott Conrad (2262), Nathan Dreon (2273), Perez-Lucas (2228), Kelly Fairbank (2213), Oliver Goodridge and Jen Ren (2245), Mark and Rhea Mohler (2250), Kevin Wiley (2230), Karen (2207), Kerry Wingell (2219), Antonella 2261), Joy Charles (2258)

    2021 in review

    • Effects of ongoing pandemic  
      • Board Meetings still being presented over Zoom
      • Landscaping company – labor shortages
    • Erosion 
      • French drain installed behind houses 2243-49 to mitigate flooding/pooling of water
    • Concrete
      • Lower cluster areas – focus has been to address areas that pose the greatest risk of tripping hazards
      • Railing added to concrete stairs by 2245-2249
    • Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance
      • Swale plantings by 2251 as required by Reston Association
      • Wood chip path by 2231 to create easier access to rear of houses 2217-2231
      • Continuation of grass rejuvenation around common cluster areas
      • Invasive weeds and underbrush removed from wooded areas by cluster residents during Cluster Cleanup
      • Wooden stairs repaired between 2263 & 2265
      • Removed hornets nest behind mailboxes in lower cluster
      • Trash can enclosure built in Tot Lot – easier to empty roll-can installed
      • Benches in Tot Lot cleaned, sanded and sealed
      • Asphalt potholes patched in main roadway
    • Discussion on individual lawn care
      • Kristina: Elite Landscaping is doing a fairly good job with common area but there have been some issues with personal lawns
      • Roberto: Thinks the mowing of the lawn is great. Adding in personal responsibility for lawn care would be a lot of work
      • Sarah:  Now that they are renting they would require the renters to do it and she doesn’t see them doing that. If lawn care was removed they would just get rid of their grass and put in plants. May not be the best but it is better than nothing
      • Mary: When we first started having the contractors do the lawns the primary reason was because of people not maintaining yards and concern about how that detracted from all the properties in the cluster. For many houses the lawn is small and having a lawn mower doesn’t make sense. But doing it with a weed wacker doesn’t provide the most level lawn trimming. She favors having the contractors do the lawn because of the convenience
      • Jill – It would give the incentive to find a company that can help plan the yard, but also feel like if we go to private it would come down to some of us coming together to try to find a better rate to make it worth while for a company to come out and take care of a small area. She would be ok without but appreciates that we don’t have to deal with it. 
      • Kevin – As someone who doesn’t have a lawn he is in favor of keeping the personal lawn care. It makes it as easy as possible for people who are here. His bigger concern is about the need to even consider it because of people not taking care of their lawn. Some people are also not taking care of property as a whole. He believes there is a larger problem about taking care of peoples properties and wonder how we will address that.
      • Kristina – Kevin’s comment is something Kristina has seen on FB forums. There doesn’t seem to be a great way to enforce it. We rely a lot on RA and they have stopped doing their inspections and only do them when people buy and sell properties. It seems like the onus will be on the clusters themselves. We can possibly consider incentivizing  people to make their homes aesthetically pleasant
      • Jill – Is this something the lawyer can tell us about or answer? There was a conversation about this when she was on board but doesn’t know if the lawyer was ever asked. This topic seems to keep coming up a lot so it might be worth trying to get it answered.
      • Sandy – Her understanding of the guidelines and charters is that the cluster board doesn’t have a lot of authority to enforce what the guidelines are. Individual people can make complaints to RA. The most RA can do is put a lien on the property. That doesn’t go into effect until someone sells the property. She hopes that by updating the design guidelines and putting things in people’s heads and giving them options that it will encourage them to address things that haven’t been addressed or need to be addressed. People have been struggling with wanting to address issues but the guidelines need to be updated. For some issues maybe we can take a proactive approach during cluster cleanup and reach out and offer services during cluster cleanup. 
      • Kristina – A couple homeowners were waiting for updated siding colors to actually go ahead and repair their siding. We expect some improvements in siding in the next year and will continue to look into it and reach out to RA to ask for  some ideas for how we can achieve compliance in keeping properties looking nice in our cluster.
      • Kerry – He has been here 43 years and for half of them we had lawn service and the other half we didn’t. The years we didn’t could be very contentious because of some members who really let their lawn go. It makes things easier and why take 30 minutes to mow the lawn when they can do it in a minute and half. He is not always happy with how they do it, but the uniformity makes a difference.
      • Kristina- This is something  we want to throw out there and see how people feel about it. Is a topic that kept coming up
    • Tree Committee – Tree Work
      • Most notable includes September removal of large dead oak trees by
        • Bus path and Olde Crafts
        • Rear of 2207
        • Rear of 2267
      • To be completed December 6-7, 2021
        • Removal of large oak in front of 2230 – on peninsula
        • Additional pruning and small tree removals include
    • Perilous tree discovered to the rear of 2224 and 2226.   Roots on the creek side of this tree have become exposed and uprooted and left the tree leaning becoming a potential fall hazard.
    • Received 2 bids to remove the tree and the one that could do it more quickly with less obtrusive equipment and at less cost was the route the board decided to pursue.
    • Still put us over budget for trees for 2021.
    • Landscaping
      • Continuing to contract with Elite Lawn and Landscaping
      • Homeowner complaints largely involved individual yard carelessness.
        • Broken potters, broken or damaged lawn decor
        • Uneven or poorly cut grass
        • Poor edging
        • Using too heavy equipment on individual lawns
        • Blowing debris in lawns
      • Pros with this company
        • Owner is responsive and personally addresses homeowner concerns and complaints
        • Entrance landscaping was very well tended this year
        • Hazardous waste pickup and tree credit 
      • Going forward
        • Individual lawn care – onus on the cluster or homeowner?
        • Ending this service would save the cluster $4,180 in 2022

    Design for our future

    • The guidelines haven’t been updated in a while and some materials became unavailable or hard to find
    • What has been approved by Reston
      • Siding
        • Exterior Paint Option added for siding and trim
        • 8” OC t1-11 Wood Siding Plywood Option
          • The change to the 8 inch board doesn’t have to be onthe whole house at once. You can do the entire front or back as needed.
      • Trim
        • Resilient trim board options
        • Vinyl aluminum trim wrap color now matches existing Oxford Brown paint color
          • Musket Brown is grandfathered in but future changes should be Oxford Brown
      • New Colors
        • New upper Siding House Color Palette
        • RA approved a 10 year upgrade from October 2021 to upgrade to new house colors. Put in clause that if you substantively repair, replace, or repaint you are required to update tp a new house color
        • No two adjacent houses may be the same color and the Wheelwright Cluster Board must sign off on any color changes. Color Choices are on a first come first serve basis. 
        • For houses that have vinyl, the colors are technically discontinued but several paint colors match existing products. For example if your house is  Arbor Blend, that matches the approved connected gray. 
        • Discussion
          • Mary: Since the vinyl is no longer approved, are there any vinyl options for homes in the cluster, or is only for wood?
          • Sandy: No vinyl options were added and for all of the vinyl options that exist, none of them match any color that was previously approved. It would be adding a new color to the color palette to get a vinyl color in there. Part of it is limited because the vertically aligned vinyl is limited in their color spectrum. There are a lot of whites and cream. No one seemed passionate to add a color in. 
          • Kristina: The current color is good for the life of the vinyl
          • Sandy: If anyone has any problems filling out the DRB reach out to the board for assistance. The new covenants advisor, Erin, is really on the ball and awesome and has been cognizant that things are done correctly and quickly. With first come first serve, RA requires that the project is started within 6 months of submission and completion in 18 months.
    • What is pending approval
      • 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
        • These are options. You do not have to change your door from what it is currently. 
          • Jill – Does this include the side light?
          • Sandy: The side light is not going away, but we have allowed for the sidelight to be clear or a privacy frosted glass
        • We are hoping for a February meeting with the RA DRB. We are ready for submission but we need to get on the schedule. If you want to look at the full presentation it is on the website on the new Design Updates tab
      • Decks
        • Adding options for composite deck material as decking and drink railing
        • Composite material colors to be allowed in wood-look tones that coordinate with existing wood color guidelines
        • Adding options for railings, balusters, and posts to be composite or metal in dark brown or black
        • Adding an option for infill glass panel to replace balusters
        • Increasing maximum allowed deck size
        • Adding optional stairs to access lower level patio
        • Adding an option for water channeling underneath deck to keep lower patios dry
        • We are looking at around the same timeline for completion as the doors, but the doors are farther along. 
    • A/C location
      • Add option for homeowners to move exterior A/C units from garbage bin enclosures to rear of house
        • Several homeowners have already done this individually, with Reston approval; the option is being added to the cluster standards
    • 2022 design updates
      • Guideline updates will address
        • Trim color
          • Currently, Wheelwright Cluster is only approved for Olympic Oxford Brown color trim. Some homeowners have requested white as an optional trim color for houses. According to our RA covenants advisor, there is nothing in RA’s guidance that prevents a community from adding this as an option. Other communities in Reston have made a cluster-wide switch or added other trim color options.
          • Adding White as an option can help save in renovation costs
            • White is frequently the base color offered on many items at the lowest price point
            • When replacing doors and windows, it costs homeowners extra to have the exterior side dipped brown to match the existing Oxford Brown trim
            • Light colors can help wood and trim resist wrapping, extending its life
          • Discussion
            • Roberto: The white looks great, but certain houses having white next to the brown looks like an eye sore.  If you go white would you have to change everything, including the windows and screen door?
            • Sandy: Unsure if RA would require windows to be changed. Since most are black or dark brown they may allow us to keep brown windows and at the time of replacement you would upgrade to white. We are in the  initial stages of determining how RA and the cluster feels about it. One requirement doesn’t mean the other will happen.
            • Roberto: It  just may look weird with the brown and white next to each other
            • Sandy – Some clusters have a couple different trim options and have a similar look to ours. 
            • Jade: It seems like we are putting everything on the table and there can be too many options. She votes for just one color throughout the neighborhood and to stick with Oxford Brown so it looks cohesive
            • Jill – Considering how much it costs for the size of the window, anything that makes the cost less she is in favor of. If we pick only one she would prefer white, especially since it is cheaper.
            • Sandy – We would either need agreement from the cluster or we just not do anything and leave it as Oxford Brown.
        • Porch and Storage Area Roofs and Garbage Enclosures
          • Homeowners have expressed concern about the front of Wheelwright houses due to the lack of coverage provided by the current design of the arbor boards that sit over the porches and garbage bin enclosures
          • Complaints raised about the existing design
            • No protection from inclement weather when entering or exiting houses
            • Items stored in garbage enclosures are also unprotected
            • Current guideline solution of mounting corrugated plastic underneath arbor boards which is not Reston Approved and, as the plastic ages, the warping and accumulated dirt becomes unsightly
            • Some homeowners have constructed more hidden systems of solid roofing; but these are not always Reston approved, can sometimes create draining issues for neighboring houses, and often impede the air flow required by newer A/C units
            • The way most garbage enclosure doors have been installed makes trash bin removal difficult
            • Discussion
              • Jill: Having gone through it, she is thrilled that we are looking at this. She knows hers isn’t Reston approved and they will make her tear it down, but it needs to be fixed. She went in circles with the contractor trying to get it to work and it didn’t make sense
              • Sarah : When she redid hers recently they had the same issues and tried to make the best of it but think it is time to reevaluate
              • Kerry: His experience is with replacing a heat pump. The one that he wanted to have was too large for the enclosure. It fit but didn’t have the needed air circulation. He had it installed next to the shed and it was allowed by RA as long as it couldn’t be seen from the curb. It is a messy issue and addressing something that was designed in the 70s
              • Sandy: Depending on how diligent the contractor is, it has made it so that the homeowner is okay but it then causes issue for the neighbor
              • Scott: He has seen a few sheds that have a screen like area that was cut into the side of the shed to help with air flow. Is that approved?
              • Sandy: It is approved but is not something that is added into our design regulations. There are several artifacts where something got approved but never added into the guidelines. 
              • Jill: She has a hole cut in her shed, and RA came through and said the hole was fine but the chicken wire screen had to be removed. 
              • Sandy: She wants a professional who will know what is required. This is still in early stages and we do not know what it will cost but think it is important to do it right.
            • Given the complexity of the redesign issues at hand, and the variety of how neighboring houses intersect, the Board is recommending that an architect be hired to ensure a code-compliant, neighbor-friendly, Reston-approved option for homeowners to use when rebuilding garbage enclosures and renovating front porch areas
            • Desired design features to be address
              • 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 complaint garbage enclosures and porch roofs
        • Deck enclosures and privacy
          • The board has fielded several complaints about 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. The Board would like to explore community feedback as to if Wheelwright should add standards to our design guidelines that address these issues
          • Options to Consider
            • Wheelwright at one time was approved for retractable awning covers; some homeowners have requested more permanent structures for rain protection
            • 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
          • Discussion
          • Joy: Those who face public park land may have an argument for approval because they look at the natural view and RA doesn’t consider screened in porches an option. She has had this issue in other areas
          • Kristina: She saw one on Generation that faces the trail. Was that not approved?
          • Joy – Some were grandfathered in and others lived in violation and problem occured when selling
      • Exterior light fixtures
        • 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 front and rear house lights
        • Some complaints have been
          • Existing fixtures look outdated and too plain for a front entrance
          • Style of enclosure 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 2022 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
          • Light Bulb brightness and color of light will be evaluated for safety and visibility as well as the impact of light-bleed on neighboring properties
          • Timeless design that both match our architecture and resist being discontinued
      • House Number Design
        • These are our current design guidelines regarding house numbers:
          • A choice of two types
            • Blue and white metal numbers in existence
            • Wooden numbers not to exceed 6 inches in height
            • The color of these numbers matches the existing house trim
            • Numbers may be painted or stained in earth colors to match the existing house colors or sealed in their natural state
        • Many homes have lost the original blue and white number plates and wooden letters are no longer readily available. Most homes have already switched or added the metal individual style numbers that are available in local hardware stores. 
        • The Board is proposing these new guidelines
          • House numbers shall be either:
            • Original-style blue and white square metal placard; located near front exterior light
            • Simply designed, individual numbers, without ornamentation
              • Numbers may not exceed 6 inches in height
              • Numbers may be plastic or metal material; black, dark brown, brass, or silver in color
              • Numbers should be easily visible from sidewalk and shall be located around front door or on garbage bin enclosure
            • Having both the placard and individual house numbers is also permitted

    Goals for 2022

    • Repaving of Parking Lot
      • Last December – discussion about parking lot rejuvenation
      • Obtained assessment and bids from 3  companies
      • The work will be done in 2022
      • Through the inspections it appears that the work probably wasn’t done properly in 2009. It is very uneven throughout the neighborhood
      • Discussion:
        • Jill : Do any provide a guarantee or a warranty over a certain period for quality of work?
        • Kristina – The guy from RA said at the most we may get a year or two guarantee
        • Jill : Have we looked at how long the companies have been in business or reviews?
        • Kristina: We used these companies as a launching point because they came recommended from RA and have been in business for a while. Interesting that you brought it up, Jay from RA said he has had really great parking lots and really bad parking lots by the same company. There have been issues with turnover and it is a problem with any paving company. He brought up one other company that he has good experience with. They are on our list to get another bid starting in the new year. 
        • Sandy – She knows that Dominion has been around a while and did our parking lot in the 90s. 
        • Mary – What they said then is in line with what they are saying now. They did it back in the 90s. Interim would be not grinding down as far but eventually would need to go in depth.
    • Speed bumps
      • Too many drivers speed down Wheelwright
        • Many kids/people walking dogs in the neighborhood
        • People trying to back out of their spots safely
      • Pros and Cons
        • Pros – slow down drivers
        • Pros – protect kids and pedestrians and other vehicles
        • Cons – irritating for drivers
        • Cons – expense?
        • Cons – wear and tear from snow plow
      • Alternatives to asphalt speed bumps?
        • Removable speed bumps
        • Other ideas?
      • Discussion
        • Jill – She is against it. She has not seen anything that makes them seem necessary
        • Cyndi – She disagrees. Delivery trucks are some of the worst offenders. They drive through the neighborhood way too fast and residents do as well
        • Roberto – We should consider the height of the speed bump or people will continue to speed through it. Additional signs might help that are also more visible
    • 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
    • Concrete
      • Patchwork maintenance of sidewalks on cluster property around the community
        • Limited budget
        • 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
    • 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
      • Tree Committee charter
      • Liability

    Budget review

    • Review of Profit and Loss Statement
    • Income – The Board has been putting effort into making sure everyone is paying and cleaning up delinquent accounts. Income this year looks really good. We are setting resale documents and started charging a transfer fee for new homeowners
    • Expenses – There are some things where the cost went up like insurance. Office supplies went over a little
    • Legal Fees
      • So far we are under budget, but expect an invoice this month for some services in November
    • Landscaping
      • We are slightly over, but will recover some of that as it is billed to homeowners
    • Trash and Recycling
      • We are over on the trash removal due to an increase in fees for the dumpster rentals
    • Concrete and Grounds Maintenance
      • We are slightly over in these categories for unforeseen repairs
    • Reserve Study
      • A reserve study is a long-range capital planning tool that helps anticipate and prepare for repairs/replacement of the community’s common areas
    • The Proposed Budget
      • For 2022, we have a budget with four options that we are asking the community to sign off on how we proceed
      • 4 options
        • 2 different income options and 2 different landscaping options
      • Parking Lot
        • We are planning the parking lot replacement in 2022 and plan to use reserves for this
      • Reserve Study
        • We have received three different studies with prices ranging from $2,000-$4,000
      • Other Expenses
        • We have reduced as much as we can for expenses and tried to keep them “true to actual”
    • Increasing Dues
      • Rising Costs
        • We are looking at cost increases for most of our services including landscaping, trash and recycling and others
      • Aging Neighborhood
        • As our neighborhood continues to age, the need for maintenance of property such as trees, parking lot and sidewalk increases
    • Discussion
      • Mary: There needs to be a dues increase. However, for all options the entire amount of the increase looks to be going towards operating expenses and none towards rebuilding capital reserve. We need to make sure we are putting a sufficient amount back into the reserves rather than everything be in operating
      • Kelly: When looking at everything there was a set that went towards operating, then a small amount that went towards capital. All increases since 2008 went towards capital, but operating revenue didn’t increase, so income wasn’t being allocated properly. She looked to figure out what was needed for capital and what was needed for operating. $35,000 gave us everything we needed for capital plus some. With the reserve study, everything might change for the allocation and we can reevaluate after the reserve study.
      • Sandy: Reserve studies are now required by law for HOAs in Virginia every 5 years, and boards need to review amongst themselves on an annual basis.
      • Mark: In 1998 we didn’t have a capital fund and to start one it was a significant amount per household. We need a process to make sure operating funds aren’t taken from the capital funds and we need to think of how to rebuild the fund for future residents.
    • Vote
      • Majority picked an increase of $25 per quarter, for a total of a $100 increase annually and to keep the landscaping option that we currently have

    Topics for discussion

    • Quick Reminders – community mailbox to rear of LFL
    • New Community composting bin located by the tot lot
    • Parking in the cluster
      • Only registered cars will be allowed to park in the cluster
      • All vehicles must have current tags
      • 2 vehicles per household in the parking lot. Extra vehicles – Olde Crafts
      • Parking Pads for lower cluster are for offloading of items only. No vehicle should be “parked” on parking pad
      • Parking Permits 
        • Discussion
          • Sarah: How would permits with renters work?
          • Kristina: We have renters on the email distribution list. If they aren’t please get them in touch with board and we can communicate that way
          • Cyndi: There have been comments made about people parking in our lot who do not live in our community. If you see that please let the board know. 
          • Karen: If we see this should we capture the license plate number? She has seen people park and leave the community
          • Sandy: If you are seeing cars park and then leave, take a quick snapshot of the license plate and we can check the plates against a database we have. We want to be diligent about everyone having enough space.
          • Scott: Has there been any more discussions about putting in charges for electric vehicles?
          • Kristina: We talked about it in the last annual meeting and not much has been done in 2021. There has been a lot of talk and updates in RA because there are lots of communities looking into it for their communities or individual homeowners. We need to stay on top of it and explore in 2022. 
          • Cyndi: As of last year’s meeting it wasn’t cost effective at the time. It would be something that would have to come out of pocket and would be an investment up front and more of a benefit than a money maker. We would lose money for some time/
          • Scott: He understands it would cost money, but he doesn’t know many communities that have it available and it would increase property values. It also would be convenient for those that want a Tesla but have nowhere to charge it.
          • Mary: She was looking at the cost and the big part on the front end would be having to trench through the parking lot. It is possible but minimal cost would be $25k to do the installation and it would be coming out of the capital reserve fund. In terms of allowing access to it we would probably contract with one of the network companies that offers EV charging services. They would handle the billing and maintenance on the units. The Cluster should look into it in the future because it will be a selling point for people who want to move here but have an electric vehicle that they want to charge overnight at their home. 
          • Sandy: This is definitely something to think about before paving the cluster parking lot. Adding whatever infrastructure is needed subsurface. 
    • Elections
      • Three board members are up for re-election. One member is up for election to fill Ruth’s position. Others in the community may put their in the hat as well
      • Vote
        • Majority voted for Cyndi, Sandy, Kristina for a new term
        • Majority voted for Kayleen to fill the remainder of Ruth’s term

    Wheelwright Cluster Board Meeting Minutes – November 2021

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    Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 7 pm via Zoom

    Attendees: Kelly, Kristina, Cyndi, Sandy, Kayleen

    Community updates

    Fall Cluster Clean up – how did it go?

    Around 14 houses were represented during the cleanup. It was a great turn out and we were able to be successful with the projects we wanted to complete. Thank you to everyone who helped out. 

    Erosion

    French drain and access path – completed.  Checking with Eddie/Jose on whether grass seed was put down or if that still needs to be done – he is putting down straw instead

    We may need to circle back in the Spring and see if anything else needs to be done with area and possibly plant grass or ivy. 

    Watch light updates?  2265 replacement and 2215 blinding lamp

    ***New work orders submitted 10/4. Keeping an eye on 2265. Update:  resident at 2269 sent email about blinking watchlight on his corner – may be the same lamp?

    There hasn’t been much success in getting Dominion to come out and look at the issues we are having. Or if they do the problem seems to come back shortly after. There is also still the issue of the lamp without panes. Kristina will reach out to Erin to see if the RA is able to assist.

    Deck renovations – materials and colors; Door colors and styles; new approved siding colors/trim capping

    Community outreach – sent out via hard copy Wheelwrighter, email, and updated tap on website

    DRB -Deck guidelines will be mentioned during the annual meeting, but we are not expecting to have a full discussion. Information materials have been sent out but no one has addressed any concerns with the proposed changes. 

    Tree work/Tree committee

    Steve Weissman has resigned from the Tree Committee. Mike Pendleton is thinking about signing on and acting as chair of the committee. Jeffrey Cai and Kerry Wingell will continue on as members of the committee

    Scheduled work with J&L on December 11th – will be coordinated and carried through by the tree committee members – Board will be available if needed

    The tree committee will be responsible only for the trees in the neighborhood that pose potential hazards to life and property – this may include removal of trees, topping trees or pruning back trees that are intrusive and potentially destructive to property.

    The board will be responsible for smaller trees in the neighborhood that require aesthetic pruning/trimming as these fall into the category of general landscaping.  If one of these smaller trees needs to be evaluated due to possible danger to life or property, it will then be referred to the tree committee.

    Precarious tree behind 2224/2226 – Awaiting call from Peter at J&L trees to ask some questions and get an official quote for bringing down the tree.  Tree Committee to get a second (and maybe 3rd opinion) from another company.

    One company quoted $2,700 and said they would be able to take down the tree immediately. 

    Parking lot

    Reached out to Jay from RA – have not yet heard back, probably a long shot

    Also waiting to hear back from Pavement Designs, LLC

    Landscaping 

    Issues?  There have been some issues with work being done on houses that didn’t request work to be done. 

    There have also been concerns about grass seed being laid and then the landscaping company coming and using the same space to stage materials, ruining the previous work that was done. 

    Swale installation has been completed.

    Garbage/Recycling

    Issues? 

    Annual Meeting – Monday, December 6th at 7 pm – via Zoom

    Accomplishments – 2021

    • New siding specifications and color, trim capping  expansion to all houses and color adjustment
    • Concrete sidewalk repair and addition of railing railing
    • Drainage control behind houses 2245 to 2249
    • Access path added for row of houses 2217-2231
    • Updating design standards for 
    • Front doors
    • Decks
    • A/C units

    Goals for 2022

    • Replacement of parking lot – speed bump? Speed bumps tend to get damaged during snow removal. Board will look into temporary options to see if there are any that can be removed when snow is expected. 
    • Erosion control perhaps behind houses 2256-2250
    • Reserve study
    • Front sheds
    • White trim options
    • Parking in the cluster – enforcement of:
    • Registered cars only in the parking lots
    • Up to date tags
    • Limit number of cars per household to 2 in parking lot – possibly have hanging parking permits
    • Parking on parking pads in lower cluster (remind those in lower cluster to report illegal parking)
    • Give people deadline (3-4 months)

    Financials

    • P&L
    • Customer balance sheet
    • 2022 budget
    • Reserve study

    HOA Meeting – November 2021

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    Thursday, November 11th at 7:00 pm

    Join Zoom Meeting

    https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85008312009?pwd=VDE2QTJSeFc2dFl6RTFUN3M3ckJVQT09

    Meeting ID: 850 0831 2009

    Passcode: 094247

    Please be sure to arrive early so that the moderator can let you in the virtual meeting. Once the meeting has started, it is difficult to see if someone is trying to join.

    If you are having trouble joining, email the board at
    wheelwright.cluster.assoc@gmail.com

    Wheelwright Cluster Board Meeting Minutes – October 2021

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    Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 7 pm via Zoom

    Community updates

    Cluster Clean up – Saturday, October 23rd

    Projects

    1. Cold patch repair on parking lot

    Jay from RA has a product he recommends that is superior to Coldpatch and much easier to use called Aquaphalt.

    Kristina will order the Aquaphalt from Ace Hardware as it is the best price.  Will take measurements to determine how much is needed for the potholes

    2. Pulling invasive weeds and cleaning up natural areas between rows 2241 and 2243 and the area to the right of 2249 as well as other unkempt areas around tot lot. 

    Mulch to be added.  Need to order.

    Talked about ordering mulch from the company that delivers in bags as opposed to our landscaper who will deliver in a large pile which makes it more difficult to haul.  (Update:  did not end up ordering mulch – decided to wait until Spring.

    1. Tot lot benches

    Cyndi to lead this effort – benches need to be sanded and stained.

    1. Moving sod from 2248 to the surrounding path by 2249 and 2251

    This may end up being a cluster clean up project

    1. Cookout

    KM put it into the last Wheelwrighter.  Thinks we are probably ok to go ahead and has been watching county COVID transmission rate, down from high to substantial.  Numbers are lower with a 3.31% positive rate.  Proposes still having the cookout since it’s outside.  Board agreed to start planning for it and cancel if transmission rates worsen.

    After everyone reviews the shopping list for cookout, Kristina will go to Costco to pick up items.

    Roles

    Kristina will man check-in table and have coffee available and go to work later in the morning.

    Will also direct people where they can do to help during clean up.

    Cyndi already has some of the items needed for coffee and a table.

    Sandy – in charge of asphalt patching

    Cyndi – in charge of benches

    Kelly and Kayleen to be in charge of weeds/invasives in the area by tot lot and between rows of houses between upper and lower cluster.

    Kyle and/or Tim to grill during cookout.

    Sandy to put out samples of siding and door colors and some decking information for people to view during the cleanup.  Sandy has some paint sample chips that folks can take for our approved siding colors.  If we don’t have enough, people can get more at Sherwin Williams.Erosion – 

    Erosion

    French drain – 2243, 45, 47, 49 and access path to right of 2231 application – this has been approved by RA but waiting on clarification on a couple of things.

    For the French drain Jose will be using 57 gravel and covering it with soil and grass seed making it invisible.  RA said to use river jack instead of 57 gravel for aesthetics but agreed if underground, 57 gravel should be ok.  They had also wanted a metal edging that will go along the access path to prevent wood chips from washing down the slope.  That metal edging is supposed to be 6 in. in height but RA said they don’t want it to be higher than 4 in.  (Part of this will be underground and not visible and in places where the grade of slope prevents the railing from “hiding” some of the railing, it is ok.  Sandy suggested that the stipulation likely is so that the railing does not exceed the height of the wood chips creating a tripping hazard.  We’ll try to ensure the chips are flush with the railing.

    Jose said he could probably come out to start the work after the 25th After the lines are marked by “Miss Utility” to get the lines marked.

    Kristina talked to Jose about him possibly using the wood chips from the stump of the tree in front of 2230’s house for the path.  (Update:  Jose will not use these chips – we will use for other projects – Sandy suggested using around the tot lot benches since it is muddy there)

    Haven’t yet gotten a quote from Chris for price to move mulch once the tree stump has been grinded by J and L.

    Concrete

    Completed.  Railing installed.  Everything looks great!

    Everything looks really good.  Railing is installed.  

    Kerry had a couple of concerns about the concrete surface being too rough and clean up being less than adequate.  We may want to monitor this going forward if we continue to use the same company but no one else has complained.  Things seem to have been completed well and on time.

    Watch light updates? 

    2265 replacement and 2215 blinding lamp

    ***New work orders submitted 10/4. Keeping an eye on 2265. Appears to be working, let me know if anyone notices otherwise. No feedback about the “searchlight” as yet.


    Cyndi submitted new work orders on 10/4.  They didn’t give feedback on turnaround time.  Iit seems they have come by and taken care of it.  No one has gotten back to her about the one in front of 2257.  She will follow up if she doesn’t hear back.

    Sandy mentioned the light in front of Cyndi’s house which appears to go on and off periodically as well.  Cyndi has only noticed an occasional flicker but will keep an eye on.

    Deck renovations -materials and colors, Door colors and styles

    Sandy working on slide-show to share with the Cluster.  Meaghan hoping to have some updates regarding decks by the end of the week.  Once we get feedback Sandy will finish DRB and send it off.  2263 submitted their DRB for deck and railings.  Sandy recommended clarification/changes  – square rails instead of round and railing holders underneath instead of on top – to their DRB before the Board signs off on it – she will address with 2263.

    Community outreach

    Feedback

    DRB

    Tree work

    The amount of tree work remaining will total $6247.50 as opposed to $8100 that would have included removal of shredded stump wood chips which we hope to use for our access path by Cyndi’s home.  However, we’ll need to factor in the cost of moving the chips from one location to another in the cluster – our landscaper, Chris has offered to do this for us but I don’t have an estimate yet.

    Tree planting – Jeffrey has proposed 2 trees for planting behind his home to replace the felled trees from a couple of years ago.

    Tulip Poplar (native)

    black sourgum tree (native)

    American sweetgum (native) (alternate)

    Jeffrey got prices on the Tulip Poplar trees from a nursery in Ashburn for $169.99 for a sizable baby tree (can’t remember exact size).  The sourgumm and sweetgum can also be found at the same nursery.  No price available for those yet.  The price of the trees will come out of the tree budget.  They are not covered by our tree credit.  Is everyone ok with spending the roughly $325 for the two trees behind Jeffrey’s house.

    Board agreed to the trees.  (Update:  Jeffrey went to the nursery and purchased 2 black gum trees – one of which was the price that was agreed upon, the other was significantly bigger and the price was significantly more.  Board will have to address.)

    Sandy proposed waiting on the cherry tree behind 2250 as agreed upon by the homeowners because when the cherry tree left, other trees filled in and now there is not a lot of light back there.  A small sapling won’t do well.  Also, many of those trees need to be considerably pruned.  Some of the remaining roots are actually sprouting and we may be able to use these offshoots to replant this cherry tree either there or other places in the cluster.

    Cyndi has talked with her neighbor about the very dead tree in her neighbor’s yard and has suggested that others help to cut down the tree.  Sandy offered to take her chain saw to it after we can confirm with the homeowner.

    Scope of work that the tree committee is responsible for and what the board is responsible for.

    The tree committee says that they only handle trees that potentially imperil life or property.  We didn’t realize that and assumed anything to do with trees fell under the purview of the tree committee.

    Board will take on the task of figuring out how to go forward with smaller tree work and potentially explore other companies for this.

    Parking lot

    Email regarding visit with Jay from RA

    Kristina met with Jay from RA about parking lots.  Biggest take away was that RA does not do any seal coating of their parking lots because it doesn’t add to the life of the parking lot.  Addressing cracks as soon as they appear is important.  He added we are potentially looking at a foundation problem with our parking lot and it might be wise to do the 4 inch mill & pave.  

    Discussion about only doing 4 in. mill & pave in the middle of the parking lot and 1.5 inches in the parking space.  Jay from RA thinks that’s a good idea.

    K will continue to gather information and will talk with the guy from Pavement Design LLC to answer her questions and determine cost.

    Also, determine if Jay from RA is available for a paid consultancy/project management.

    Email from Pavement design, LLC – consultants for repaving lots – proposal and sample report that was completed for Marriott recently. 

    Email from Pavement & Design LLC, a consultant who basically holds your hand through the process….they go through bids and put together a 10 – 15 year budget and tell you how to elongate the life of your parking lot.  However, Kristina had questions about a recent Marriott proposal that they had worked on & contradictory message about seal coating.

    Landscaping 

    Issues? 

    Aeration of Steve’s yard that was done even though he had not ordered it.  Sandy talking with Chris to address the problem.

    Progress on seeking other bids?

    Will likely need to continue using Chris for another year.  No one has time to look for new bids.  Might need to save money by only doing common areas.  This way there won’t be any more problems with individual lawns and will save money too.

    Will ask Chris for two proposals, 1) Common areas only, 2) common areas plus individual yards.

    Homeowner Fall lawn service update

    Swale installation update

    Maybe next week or the week after. (Update:  Chris says he will do week of October 25th.)

    Garbage/Recycling

    Rollaway dumpster has been ordered for Friday 10/22 to Monday 10/25. – Ordered

    Voucher to exempt us from dumping fees was actually processed and received and submitted to Bates already.  (Miracles can happen) – Done

    Issues? 

    None reported.

    Neighborhood donation pickup

    Cyndi has been working with Green Drop to get us a date for a community pickup of donated items for multiple families.  Email went out and we will hopefully get multiple homeowners to sign up

    ****scheduled for Wednesday 10/20 7am – 7pm – Done.

    Compost bin discussion. 

    Texted Lynn to ask if she’d keep an eye on it.  

    Cindy asked how to take care of it and offered to help maintain as well.

    Update:  Lynn has offered to keep an eye on it and communicate any issues to the board.

    Parking  

    Sandy suggested to start enforcing guidelines more strictly since pandemic restrictions are easing a little….two cars, tags up to date, inspections current, etc.

    Financials

    Financial outlook 

    2022 budget

    Dues increase

    Kelly & KM talked about dues increase and determined that $350 is where we want to be.  It is the average for other clusters in Reston are paying..  Talked about doing it incrementally, $25 this year, $25 next year.  Money in CDs will be needed for pavement mill & grind in 2022.

    CD’s

    Two CD’s listed in online banking totaling $95K.  Need to call the bank to talk about them and get details.

    P&L, dues

    Reserve study

    We have a CPA for tax prep.  KM reached out to an attorney via email but hasn’t heard back yet. Kelly will reach out to CPA to ask about reserve study.

    Next Meeting

    • Thursday, November 11th at 7pm
    • Annual Meeting Monday Dec. 6th, at 7pm
      • Still half virtual, half in person?

    Consensus is to have it virtual. KM will ask RA for a refund for the room.