Assessments were due 1 October!
New Polling Place
As part of the recent redistricting, we have become a new precinct called Leewood (how appropriate). The new precinct runs west of Backlick Road and south of Braddock Road running along Backlick Run. We will now be voting at Saint John’s United Methodist Church at 5312 Backlick Road (across from the funeral home). The good news is that this is a closer location for us and even within walking distance for many of us. Remember to vote on November 6th.
For more information you can call the Fairfax County Electoral Board at (703) 222-0776. You can also get further information on the internet at www.sbe.state.va.us or www.co.fairfax.va.us/gov/bos/md/homepage.htm.
President's Notes by Leona Taylor
The events of September 11th seem to overshadow even the smallest things. The Board meeting scheduled for that day was canceled so that we could concentrate on the bigger things. I know that a number of people in our community have been closely touched by the events of that day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone.
The rescheduled Board meeting was held on September 25th. The architectural review hearings, which were scheduled for September 11th, have been moved to the October 9th board meeting. Owners previously invited to the hearings have received either a notice to attend on the new date or a thank you letter for completing the work. Again, we thank everyone for their cooperation. The community is certainly looking good!
Assessment notices have gone out for the fourth quarter. We have six owners who are currently delinquent; paperwork for one of these owners has been sent to the attorney for collection. Thanks to those of you who have already paid and continue to pay on time. It saves a lot of extra work.
A lot of routine work was reviewed and performed at the last board meeting. The one major item of work was a review of the preliminary budget for 2002. There are still some questions to be answered before the budget can be finalized at the next meeting, such as:
- How much should be contributed to the reserve fund in 2002?
- Should we budget for stop signs to be put up in Leewood? (The fire marshall inspected our community over the past month and pointed out that a stop sign should be placed at the intersection of Leestone Court and Leebrad Street.)
- How much will it cost to replace the older portions of the perimeter fence?
- Should we have an outside firm perform a reserve analysis to verify the amounts to be contributed to reserves?
- Should we increase the insurance coverage for the association from its current $1 million to $2-3 million?
- What types of door prizes do we want to offer at the annual meeting?
- Have we identified all of the scheduled increases for the regular association contract services (trash, grounds maintenance, accounting, snow removal)?
Due to the number of open questions, we will not publish a preliminary budget at this time. If you have any comments or ideas regarding the 2002 budget, please give me call or send an e-mail.
Bond Referendum
The Fairfax County Citizens for 2001 School Bond has asked us to publish a fact sheet regarding the bond referendum scheduled for vote at the November 6th elections. According to the literature provided by this group, six different schools in the Mason District are slated to receive funding if this referendum passes. If you have any questions about the bond issue, you can contact George Waters at (703) 354-1133, the Mason District representative of the Fairfax County Citizens for 2001 School Bond. On the internet you can get additional information at www.fairfaxschoolbond.org.
Website has Survey Results by Judy Currier
The compilation of the answers and the comments to the year 2000 survey are now posted on the website. You may access them by going to the Library, Other Documents and then click on the file directly or read the index and follow a link there.
The survey makes interesting reading for all of Leewood, as you can see what your neighbors think are areas of concern for the community. There definitely isn’t one thing – some want more rules, others less – for example. True, there were no statements that we should increase the traffic around Leewood, so that is a unifying concept for all of us – i.e. Less Traffic!
Gutter Cleaning
A group rate for the cleaning of gutters will be available through the Association. The price will be from $30-35, depending on the extent of the work. Colbert’s is the company responsible for this venture. The service will be available on November 1st (Thursday), November 2nd (Friday), and November 3rd (Saturday). As you may remember, Colbert’s is the company that did the window cleaning in the early summer. (Incidentally, window cleaning will also be available again at a group rate). If you are interested, please contact Barbara Rolling at (703) 916-0279 for scheduling – I have an answering service available for messages.
Does your drinking water taste musty? News from FCWA
Posted on Leewood Website 9/28/2001 by Judith Currier
Have you noticed that the water is tasting musty? To my mind, it even stinks. I called the water authority about this and they are aware of the problem and working to fix it. The water is not dangerous, but off-tasting due to the high level of the reservoirs and all the run-off that has happened. They suggested letting the cold water on your tub run full force for about 5 minutes, and then to open up the other cold water faucets for a couple of minutes, and "that should help". If the problem doesn't go away in a few days they said to call again and they would flush out our hydrants. Be prepared for flooding of our streets! (Hey it is a good way to get them washed). By the way, I found that if I boiled the water, it helped to take out the odd taste.
Playground Update by Cathy Brent
The playground committee has been working very hard to research the possibility of a playground/tot lot in the Leewood community. This article provides an update on the research completed to date.
The committee has obtained cost estimates from various playground equipment dealers. These companies are all IPEMA (International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association) certified and offer products that are compliant with current United States Consumer Product Public Playground Safety Standards. The structures we are looking into are small plastic play-structures approximately 11 feet by 23 feet. A typical play-structure includes a set of steps leading to a platform with a roof, a climber, a slide, and various play panels (see picture below). These play-structures are designed for children 2 –12 years old. We have obtained cost estimates in the $15,000 range, which include the play-structure, ground cover, timber border, tax, freight, installation, ground preparation, and drainage system.
We are currently looking into location options in the community. The playground committee began the process by listing every possible location for a playground based only on the potential lot size. A representative from one of the playground dealers then came out to survey all the potential sites. The representative was helpful in eliminating certain proposed locations due to factors such as safety, cost, tree cover, and drainage issues. As a result of the review, suitable locations for a playground are currently identified as: (1) the area between the Backlick Road fence and Leestone Court (adjacent to the concrete circle); and (2) the open common area encircled by Leebrad Street, Leestone Court, and Leestone Street.
The Board has been updated on the efforts of the committee at each Board meeting. The association’s legal counsel has also been consulted to understand the process and any restrictions of constructing a playground/tot lot. According to the attorney, we first look to the governing documents of the association. The association’s governing documents do not prohibit the construction of additional amenities for the association. Therefore, the decision whether to construct or not construct a playground is made by the Board. As a result of the attorney’s advice, the Board has asked a series of preliminary questions to be addressed by the committee so that the Board can make an informed decision.
The committee is still researching and gathering information based on the Board’s preliminary comments and the newsletter survey results. For instance, the committee will be trying to obtain a more accurate count of children in our community that could directly benefit from a playground. Therefore, you may be contacted by a member of the committee if there is uncertainty about the number of children 12 years and under in your household. As more information is gathered, the committee will be reporting on the issues such as fencing, funding for playground, location options, yearly inspections, maintenance costs, etc. It is also expected that an additional survey will be conducted once the research has been completed and disseminated to homeowners and residents. Our goal on the playground committee is to keep Leewood homeowners and residents informed so that a well-educated decision can be made when the time comes.
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