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Leewood Homeowners Association
September 2003 Newsletter
Fence Replacement Discounts Available
As many of you may remember, we tried to put together a group discount for individual fence replacements last year. The attempt was unsuccessful. In trying to set up another program this year, I talked with the vendor currently working on replacing some of the common area fences in Leewood.
As he indicated, the problem with group fence replacements is coordinating the efforts. Any savings to be achieved are gained by the vendor being able to come out and do the estimates for a number of units at the same time. And other chances for savings include replacing fences that are adjacent to each other and doing multiple replacements on the same day to reduce travel time.
In order to determine if any group discounts would be possible, we need to determine if there are any homeowners interested in fence replacement.
If you are interested, please contact Leona Taylor at (703) 354-6932 or at Leona_taylor@hotmail.com. You may also want to check with your immediate neighbor(s) to see if they are interested in the replacement opportunity as well, especially if the fence to be replaced includes the portion separating you from your neighbor.
Lights Mean Illumination, Safety (by Chris Taylor)
Turn on your lights at night. Both the front and rear porch lights should be on at night.
It means illumination, since there are no street lights in the development. It also means an extra measure of safety for those who may not find a parking spot in proximity of their townhouse.
The LHOA Board has indicated it intends to look at the possibility and costs of street lights at one or more intersections in the development. But even if that idea becomes a reality, a good 60-watt lit bulb on each doorstep safety for pedestrians returning home or visiting residents.
And if we get inclement weather, it’s particularly helpful on sidewalks and steps. So, considering doing your part...not just for yourself, but your neighbors too.
Rights and Responsibilities: (By Ron Filadelfo with help from QUORUM Magazine Aug 2003)
NCAA) there was considerable discussion about efforts to create community, a sense of belonging, which seemed so natural in the past. The key seems to be balance. It is time to recognize the need for balance in community associations. It is time to appreciate the benefits that balancing different interests can produce. In short, it is time for Rights and Responsibilities. That is the relationship between members and boards. They are a set of principles, suggested by an NCCA task force for both members and their leaders. There are 42 of them and over the next several months we’ll take a look at them. However, they seemed to fall into two basic areas. First, homeowners have the right to live in a community where the property is maintained according to established standards...and...homeowners have the responsibility to maintain their property according to established standards. Perhaps this restates the obvious, but often we need to be reminded of the fundamental expectations of being part of a community.
In the same way, community leaders have rights and responsibilities. For example, community leaders have the right to expect residents to know and comply with rules and regulations of the community and community leaders have the responsibility to understand association governing documents and to be educated in state and local laws to manage the community accordingly. More in future newsletters.
Assessments and New Directory Underway (by Leona Taylor)
There were problems during June and July with getting access to the association post office box. Therefore, mail received at the end of June and the beginning of July was not accessible until the week of July 14th. At that time, we were able to pick up over 150 assessment checks that were sent to the post office box. So for all of you who paid, we thank you and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
In other news, with all of the home sales this year, we will be producing a new directory. If you have not already responded to the request to update your directory information, please drop your changes off with Leona Taylor at 5268 Leestone Court or e-mail your changes to Leona_Taylor@hotmail.com. You can also mail your changes to the association post office box. Remember that if there are no changes to the directory information, you do not need to do anything. If you do have changes and it is past the one-week deadline, send them in. It will take a bit of time to process all the changes and format the directory.
Parking in the Wrong Place Will Mean Ticket, Tow (by Chris Taylor)
Parking in the wrong place will mean a ticket and possibly a tow...at the owner’s expense. A discussion at the LHOA September board meeting confirmed that increased ticketing will occur to those parking illegally. Those who park in “no parking” areas, whether marked as such or curbside across from fire hydrants, face the probability of seeing white tickets on the windshield.
The board reaffirmed that parking is to be in reserved or common marked areas. There have been recent incidents of vehicles parking in “no parking” areas overnight. Some have already been tagged and others face a similar fate. The tickets have indicated towing will happen with the next occurrence.
Any vehicle, whether owned by a resident, renter, visitor or just someone seeking a safe harbor is liable. There is no definitive data base of which vehicles belong to residents. Hopefully soon. Consequently, every vehicle is “fair game” if parked illegally. Parking is at a premium with an increased number of renters, but there are enough spaces to accommodate everyone. However, if your reserved space is occupied, you may need to park in another section of the development
UVA Outreach Lectures Available….
The Engaging the Mind free public lecture series hosts top UVA faculty scholars and teachers in local communities across the state. The series aims to create opportunities for university faculty to engage with citizens of Virginia and to extend the intellectual life of a nationally-ranked research university to the public.
On Friday, September 19, UVA professor Mr. Ed Freeman will deliver a talk entitled “The Ethics Crisis in America.” Professor Freeman will examine ethical issues in law, medicine, business, religion, and other facets of American life and suggests there is a theme running through these debates. Mr. Freeman will offer an alternative that places ethics and ethical reasoning at the center of the culture. The lecture will be held 7-9p in the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.
Free and open to the public, with limited seating, reservations are being taken at 1-866-UVA-OUTREACH (1866-882-6887) or visit Engaging the Mind at the UVA website
Dogs Have Good Time in Leewood, But Need Your Help….
For those who’ve ventured by the common area east of Bragden Court, behind the Leestone Circle, or the common area east of lower Leestone Street, late afternoons this summer have looked like a doggy happy hour. Several residents have seized the moment to enjoy time together and allow their dogs the opportunity to run and interact.
All regularly walk their pets under leash, but say these times together have been special for the dogs and them. The outtings include chasing balls, frizbees, begging for treats and running after one another.
The group, which wishes to remain anonymous, says other dogs are welcome, but also has asked the community for help. Their concern is two-fold. First, some dogs walked in Leewood, are not on leashes. Additionally, they are concerned about common courtesy, specifically those owners who don’t pick up after their pets. Dogs not on leashes and those droppings left on neighborhood lawns is not good citizenship
Input Solicited….
The Leewood Times would appreciate your input. If you have some items of interest, concerns, complaints, advertisements, announcements, issues you’d like to see addressed, topics you’d like presented to the LHOA board, ideas for improvement to the development or anything else, we’d like to hear from you and share those things with the community as a whole. You can send your items by email or snail mail to the address above or simply drop them by 7037 Leestone Street.
The Stricklands, who have moved from Leestone Court to the District of Columbia, wish to say thanks for the memories Leewood.
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