1. Art and Diseño

Old Town
Village Crier
February
Old Town Village, Alexandria, Virginia
2015
From the OTVOA Board of Directors
Tom Lane, OTVOA Vice President
emanating from our own Governing Documents. These PRGs,
along with the Rules for Use of Common Facilities and much additional information, are available for review on our townhome
website.
In recent months, the Townhome Board made progress improving
financial relations with the Condominium Board. The suit before
the Fair Housing Office was withdrawn by the resident filing it. And
four townhome residents appeared before the Alexandria Planning
Commission expressing their concerns and recommendations on
the West Parc Project.
hawaiidermatology.com
As
I begin my term on the Board, I anticipate enjoying the interest and cooperation among our helpful and generous
volunteers, our neighbors at the condominiums, and our support
from Legum & Norman. I admire Old Town Village for its location,
buildings, and pleasant living environment and enjoy the facilities
and activities we share.
In pursuit of our participatory governance process, mentioned by
Gary Jacobs last month, we are looking forward to a training/information sharing process on February 5th with L&N, in which we will
review requirements from the State of Virginia on Property Owners
Associations, as well as our Policies, Rules and Guidelines (PRG)
Community Outreach Activities
Priscilla Hardiman, Activities Committee Outreach
Carpenter’s Shelter
In February we will collect cereal for the Carpenter’s Shelter. Please leave your donations
in the box in the Roundhouse. Thanks.
Community Lodgings
Community Lodgings is accepting small household kitchen
items (glasses, cookware, dishes and food storage containers) only. Please leave your items in the designated box in the
Roundhouse. Thanks for helping.
Committees have also been diligent in repairs and maintenance
of the common facilities, such as the Roundhouse, pool and patio
furniture, roads and grounds, with special attention to our lovely
trees. For 2015, the Board liaison contacts for our committees are
as follows:
• President Gary Jacobs
ARB, Communications, Activities, Young Families
•
Vice President Tom Lane
Management, Safety, Welcome
•
Secretary / Treasurer Steve Lindblom
Finance, Grounds & Services, and Hardscape.
I find all of this encouraging and now wish only that we could do
something about the weather!
Townhome Welcome
Jerri Ginman, Committee Chair
In December, we welcomed new Old
Town Village residents Becky and Kevin
Rust to their new home at 426 S. Fayette
Street. As Becky and Kevin have moved
from Old Town Alexandria to Old Town Village, they haven’t relocated from very far
away and we hope they will really enjoy our
great location and convenience to all that
Old Town Alexandria offers!
Jerri, Lisa, Janie, Freda, Connie, Joan, Debby, Patty
NO FEBRUARY MEETING of the
TOWNHOME BOARD!
February 2015
The Village Crier Social Activities
Dani Lane & Betsy McCormick, Committee Co-Chairs
After a deserved respite in
January, the Activities Committee
will be meeting
on
Tuesday,
February 10th.
We hope to see
some new faces there
at the Roundhouse at 7 pm.
Come help plan the St.
Patrick’s Day Party, scheduled for
March 15th.
The party is always
a fun-filled and
much
anticipated
event each year!
Safety & Security
Steve Cragg, Committee Chair
Crime – Over the holidays, several parcels were stolen in Old
Town Village. Specifically, in the alleys behind Duke and Henry, these thefts seem to be occurring because of the two “cutthroughs’” between townhouses in this area. To stop this unwanted foot traffic, we are planning to install
motion-activated lighting and to plant
fire-thorn (pyracantha), which has
been recommended by the police to
prevent pedestrian access but not
access by the police or fire department. Unfortunately, parcels were
also stolen over the holidays in front
of townhomes where delivery services
have left them. The committee still recommends that residents ask UPS, FedEx, & USPS to deliver in
the rear because pedestrians traversing Old Town Village stay
mainly on the main streets.
Lighting – Is much improved. Many residents have requested
and received free lights for their below-deck alley way fixtures.
If you don’t feel comfortable installing these lights yourself,
Safety Committee members will install them for you. Call Steve
Cragg at 703-535-1123 or email him at [email protected].
These lights are “Dusk-to-Dawn”, turning on automatically in
the evening and going off in the morning. They are very inexpensive to operate. You just leave your light switch in the “on”
position.
Light fixtures will be installed at both ends of the alley behind
the Wilkes Street townhomes, between Fayette and Payne.
The alleys currently are not well illuminated.
Vehicle Registration, Parking Decals, Guest Passes, &
Gate Remotes - Currently, the database containing vehicle
ownership information is out of date. To correct this situation, forms will be distributed to all Townhome residents which
must be filled out with current vehicle information. Once this is
completed, all residents will receive new car decals and guest
passes. We thank you for your patience and cooperation in
this undertaking.
2
Architectural Review Board
Todd Moorman, Committee Chair
Who are those people?
The Architectural Review Board (ARB) has a unique set of responsibilities that are spelled out in our association covenant. Here is
the language outlining the four main ARB duties:
“…regulate the external design, appearance and location of improvements to:
1. Preserve and enhance the value of the property,
2. Avoid activities deleterious to the aesthetic or property values,
3. Maintain a harmonious relationship among the structures and
the natural vegetation, and
4. Promote the general welfare and safety of the Owners, etc.”
In practice, this means the ARB reviews applications for modifying
existing aspects of your home or adding new features. Usually
this involves owners simply replacing (often upgrading) the original
construction. We consider the potential for any new benefit, as
well as any negative impact, before making a determination. This
is why you won’t see any chain-link fencing, outdoor fire pits, or 20foot flagpoles popping up in OTV. But you may see synthetic decking material replace old pressure-treated floor boards, for example.
The covenant also requires the ARB to be vigilant and proactive
in looking for any problems that could hurt property values or create an unsafe situation. So you will see us occasionally walking
around inspecting doors, windows, roofs, fences, and decks to
see how well we are doing as a community. And over the years
many of you will have heard from the ARB
with regard to maintenance issues that
need your eventual (or immediate)
attention. A missing address number over the garage is obviously
minor, but a missing piece of siding
from your dormer window is a major
violation – not to mention an invitation to
serious moisture damage.
Lastly, the ARB conducts a pre-sale inspection prior to closing to ensure that any townhome for sale complies with the OTV covenant. The Legum & Norman Community
Manager initiates the request for this verification and is first to receive the inspection results. If you, as a seller, prefer
to know if your home is in compliance,
please forward a request for verification
blogs.msdn.com
to the chair of the ARB Chair, Todd Moorman. This will help avoid any unwanted surprises in the selling
process.
We are glad to report, in general, OTV looks very well and our
neighborhood continues to be a beautiful place to live.
For more OTVOA Townhome news & information, visit the community web site:
oldtownvillage.org
February 2015
The Village Crier Communications
Grounds & Services
The 2015 OTV Residents’ Directory
is here! The 2015 directory includes
townhome residents and owners and
condominium residents; a townhome
street map; OTVOA and OTVCUOA
contacts; and local and Virginia important contacts. Ann Lindblom and
Janie Smith began distribution of the
directories at January’s Townhome
Board meeting. Distribution is also
planned for when the new parking
passes are distributed and also at the March Townhome Board
meeting. If you would like to pick up a directory, send an email
to Ann Lindblom.
All Townhome bushes have been
trimmed and the garden beds have
been cleaned. The Crepe Myrtle trees
have all been trimmed, as well. All other trees are scheduled to be trimmed
by the beginning of February.
Pat Street, Committee Chair
Recent postings on the Townhome website include:
•
Board:
»» Oct. 12 Board Minutes (Approved)
»» Nov. Annual Meeting Minutes (Draft)
»» Dec. 15 Board Meeting Agenda
»» Dec. 15 Board Minutes
•
Book Club: updated with 2015 reading list and meeting
dates on the Calendar
•
Communications:
»» Jan. 6 Meeting Minutes
»» Board process for submitting Crier articles (also posted on Newsletters page)
»» Communications Committee process to collect Crier
articles, publish, and distribution (also posted on the
Newsletters web page)
»» Committee chairs are encouraged to review both of
the above processes before submitting their Crier articles – thank you!
•
OTV Owners’ Association: NEW WEB PAGES!
»» 1997 Cost Sharing Agreement + 2003 Amendment
»» Board / Committee Oversight designations for 2015
•
Management Committee: Dec. 3 Meeting Minutes
REMINDERS!!
OTV events and activities are continually posted on the
Website’s Calendar.
Under the Website’s Marketplace tab, you can sell items,
post something that you lost or found, or just share information – e-mail Pat Street.
Getting ready for Spring clean-up? Don’t forget to check
out OTV’s Handyman List under the website’s Resource
Center tab.
3
Peter Cuviello, Committee Chair
REMINDER
Please remember to bring in trash cans by close of business the
day of pick-up. If going out of town, either (1) wait to put trash/
recycling out until returning or (2) have a neighbor put containers
away. Trash/recycle bins in some cases have sat out for days.
Management
Jim Larocco, Committee Chair
While most residents’ thoughts this time of year turn to snow and
cold, the Management Committee has primarily focused on getting
everything ready for the pool, patio and spa season. Key projects include sanding and repainting the patio furniture, purchasing
new pool deck chaise lounges and chairs, purchasing umbrellas for
both the pool and patio area, fixing the outdoor shower and putting
in place all new fixtures for the shower, repairing the leaks in the
spa room and fixing broken tiles, adding a new light inside the spa
itself and ensuring that moisture levels in that spa
room are at an appropriate level.
Everything is on schedule for the opening
of the pool, just a few months away. Time
to start thinking about buying that new
swim suit you put off buying last year. In
2014, we had record attendance at the pool,
and we look forward to a wonderful season of sun
and fun in and around the pool in 2015. Doesn’t it make you feel
warmer just thinking about it?
At the same time, we have systematically been working room by
room to bring the Roundhouse to a better state. You can breathe
deep with full confidence now that all the air vents have been thoroughly cleaned and enjoy our fireplace on a cold February evening
as that also has been cleaned. Stay warm with no drafts whatsoever as our new windows throughout the Roundhouse keep everything toasty. You will also notice it’s cooler in the summer as these
new windows block out the heat much more effectively than the
old ones.
Jim Larocco (Chair), [email protected] (Townhomes)
Andy Caldwell, [email protected] (Condominiums)
Bruce Goldhirsch, [email protected] (Townhomes)
Priscilla Hardiman, [email protected] (Townhomes)
Jerry Lipson, [email protected] (Condominiums)
John Prevar, [email protected] (Condominiums)
For more OTVOA Townhome news & information, visit the community web site:
oldtownvillage.org
February 2015
The Village Crier OTVOA Townhome 2015 Board of Directors
President
Gary Jacobs
703-717-9541
[email protected]
Vice President
Book Club
George Bartman & Heidi Plott, Club Co-Chairs
January’s book was The Short and
Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant
Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy
League by Jeff Hobbs. A heartfelt, and
riveting biography of the short life of a
talented young African-American man
who escapes the slums of Newark for
Yale University only to succumb to the
dangers of the streets—and of one’s
own nature—when he returns home.
The author, Robert’s Yale roommate for
four years, methodically reconstructs
each of the worlds that made his friend.
Tom Lane
703-549-7676
[email protected]
Secretary/Treasurer
Steve Lindblom
703-395-9392
[email protected]
Committee Chairpersons
Activities
Dani Lane, Co-Chair
703-549-7676
[email protected]
Betsy Aitken, Co-Chair
703-739-6738
[email protected]
Architectural
Review Board
Todd Moorman
703-836-7760
[email protected]
Communications
Pat Street
703-888-0381
[email protected]
Safety & Security
Steve Cragg
703-535-1123
[email protected]
Finance
4
We met at the home of Susan Blackman who led the discussion.
We explored how the enduring American conflicts of race, class,
drugs, community, imprisonment, education, family, friendship,
and love impacted the success and failures in Robert’s life. His
opportunities seemed boundless, but he failed to take advantage of any of them; making choices which seemed to squander his potential. Is “class-jumping” really possible; what sort of
support does a person need to accomplish it? These and other
questions we raised and examined.
The group rated the book 4 out of 5 stars.
Greg Street
703-888-0381
[email protected]
Grounds & Services
Peter Cuviello
703-684-0455
[email protected]
Hardscape
John Roe
703-837-0317
[email protected]
Management
Committee
Jim Larocco
703-684-1984
[email protected]
Welcome
Jerri Ginman
571-970-2275
[email protected]
Book Club
George Bartman, Co-Chair
703-683-8808
[email protected]
Heidi Plott, Co-Chair
703-836-1736
[email protected]
Young Families
Organization
Meredith Harris
meredith.a.harris@gmail
615-498-4040
Community Manager
Legum & Norman
Ron Purdy
703-970-8827
[email protected]
February’s book is the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner, The Gold
Finch by Donna Tartt and George Bartman will host and facilitate
the discussion on February 19.
Board / Committee Oversight for 2015
The purpose of the Townhome Board “oversight of committees” is to provide committee chairs with a board member
who serves as a quick reference point of contact - someone
who would be especially knowledgeable of current committee
needs, but not attempt to run the committee, not be a committee member nor routinely attend committee meetings.
The structure of oversight by board office is:
•
President - ARB, Communications, Activities, Young
Families Group
•
Vice President - Management, Safety,
Welcome
•
Secretary / Treasurer - Finance,
Grounds & Services, Hardscape
For more OTVOA Townhome news & information, visit the community web site:
oldtownvillage.org
The Village Crier New Interior
Paint Colors!
Committee
Chairs & Members
The 2015
Grounds Committee
Seasonal
Reminders
PAGE 5
PAGE 6
PAGE 6
PAGE 7
5
From the OTVCUOA Board of Directors
At
the opening of the January 20 Board of Directors
meeting, Captain Wemple of the Alexandria Police Department told those in attendance that there has
been no criminal activity in the immediate area.
Photo courtesy of Michelle Stark
Condominium Happenings
February 2015
Antonella DiLernia, Board Treasurer, gave a brief update
on the Association’s year-end financials, which she described as very favorable.
Board President Cheryl Van Coverden reported that the
interior painting of the building’s lobbies and hallways
was well underway; that painting in the South Payne
Street building had been completed; and that work is now
in progress on the South West Street building. Resident
feedback has been very favorable with many stating that
the painting and lighting upgrades will enhance the overall value of the property. If you get a chance, stop by
the South Payne Street Building and take a look at the
results.
The board also reported that the trimming, removal and
pruning of the trees on the property have been completed. This, too, has received numerous favorable comments.
The board and the association’s counsel are currently in
the final stages of approving the project specifications
for the repair and renovation of the wooden balconies.
Once approved, these specifications will be incorporated
into the project manual along with a Request For Proposal that will go out to potential bidders. It is expected
that the invitation to bid will be announced this month.
The board also discussed and approved a proposal to
clean all the gutters on each of the five buildings.
Also of note was the unanimous approval of two resolutions. The first resolution changed the scope of
the “Grounds and Services Committee” back to the
“Grounds Committee” only.
The second resolution is in line with the Virginia Property
Owners’ Association Act, and the Association’s Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions. This
resolution identifies a fee schedule to be used to cover
the costs of material and labor to provide copies of the
association’s books and/or records if requested by a resident. Click here to view this schedule on our website.
During the meeting, the board also ratified four email
votes it had taken previously:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Management Committee members
Board of Director positions
Tree trimming contract with McFall & Berry
Approval of the colors (Gray Palette) for the lobbies
and hallways
5. Repair of a unit owners unit
The board announced that it had received a considerable
amount of interest from owners volunteering to chair and/
or be on one of the association’s committees. With that
Board of Directors Continued on next page
For more OTV Condominium news & information, visit the condominium web site:
oldtownvillagecondos.org
February 2015
The Village Crier Board of Directors Continued from previous page
6
Condominium Grounds
Pam Verick Committee Chair
in mind, the board announced the following appointments for
2015:
•
•
•
•
•
Management Committee: John Prevar, Jerry Lipson, Andy
Caldwell
Grounds Committee: Pam Verick (Chair), Marian Russell,
Carrie Ainsworth, Peg Wilson
Welcoming Committee: Alexis Zaloudek, Dana Williams,
Edna Johnson
Condominium Editor & Crier Layout: Janet Donahue
Website Master: Rene Shonerd
And finally, the board adopted a new policy
whereby residents and owners are encouraged to use the “Open Forum”
at each monthly board meeting to
enter into a dialogue with the board
on matters, which are complex and
policy-related in nature, rather than
through an email exchange with the
board. The board feels that this will
not only cut back on the number of
emails it receives, but will also ensure
that there is greater transparency on
the issues that are raised.
The next meeting of the board will be on Tuesday February 17.
Next OTVCUOA
Condominium Board
Meeting
With gratitude for collective achievements in enhancing the
“look, feel and value” of our OTVCUOA property, this year’s
committee -- comprised of new
members -- is specifically focused on our grounds, while
services will be handled by the
board in coordination with our
management company, GHA.
First order of business - a big
thank you for outdoor tree trimming (now complete) and interior hallway painting (now underway).
As chair, my plan is to align our activities with the board’s
objectives and the association’s budget in order to help meet
residents’ expectations about our grounds. The committee
will meet on a quarterly basis and will provide updates at
monthly board meetings and in monthly issues of the Crier.
While the committee is no longer responsible for “services,” we
understand that many residents were particularly concerned
over delayed snow removal and de-icing during the earlier
January snowfall. At the request of the board, GHA contacted
McFall & Berry to let them know that OTVC residents expect
better (and more timely) treatment of our grounds during winter storms. Our community’s need for pet-friendly de-icing
material was also reiterated.
The committee for 2015 appreciates all the work of the previous Grounds & Services Committee, as well as OTVC residents’ ideas and perspectives about our grounds. We look
forward to continued maintenance and enhancement of our
OTVC property. Please feel free to reach out with your suggestions. The date of our next meeting will be posted on the
condominium lobby bulletin boards.
Condominium Welcome
Alexis Zaloudek, Committee Chair
Tuesday, Feb. 17
7 pm
Roundhouse
Nice New Hallways!
Now that we are getting a new, fresh look to our lobbies and
hallways, let’s keep them looking spectacular. Please refrain
from using the hallway outside your door as a staging area for
discarded items, such as trash bags, empty boxes or shoes.
Thanks!
Hello. My name is Alexis Zaloudek, and I am excited to be the
new 2015 Chair for the OTVC Welcome Committee.
The new committee members and I are working to schedule
our first meeting sometime in the next few weeks. Once we’ve
set the date, it will be posted on the condominium lobby bulletin boards.
I encourage all members of the OTVC
community to contact me with any questions, comments, or suggestions at [email protected].
jarofjellybeanspls.blogspot
I’m looking forward to working with everyone this year!
For more OTV Condominium news & information, visit the condominium web site:
oldtownvillagecondos.org
February 2015
The Village Crier CONDOMINIUM
First Quarter
CHECKLIST
7
OTVCUOA Condominium
2015 Board of Directors
President
Cheryl Van Coverden
301-466-8881
[email protected]
Vice President
It may not look exactly like a
house, but it is your home. A
condominium requires regular
maintenance just like a house.
Here’s a handy checklist for the
first quarter of the year to help
you stay one step ahead of potential problems or breakdowns.
Bradley Russell
571-201-2363
[email protected]
Secretary
Michelle Stark
571-970-0241
[email protected]
Treasurer
Antonella DiLernia
301-249-4930
[email protected]
sprinterlife.com
if you’re a renter, this will help your landlord keep your home in
tip top condition.
Member-at-Large
Dan Hawkins
703-548-4346
[email protected]
Committee Chairpersons
JANUARY
To keep refrigerator cooling efficiently,
clean condenser coils behind or beneath
the unit.
FEBRUARY
Inspect grout and caulk around sinks,
bathtubs and showers. Repair or replace.
MARCH
Replace batteries and test smoke and
carbon monoxide detectors in all areas
of the home.
Management
Committee
Jim Larocco
703-684-1984
[email protected]
Condominium Editor &
Crier Layout
Janet Donahue
703-548-7991
[email protected]
Website
Rene Shonerd
703-518-4475
[email protected]
Grounds
Pam Verick
703-299-8811
[email protected]
Welcome
Alexis Zaloudek
617-680-6549
[email protected]
And don’t forget to change the furnace filter monthly.
Thanks to condominium resident and realtor Janet Thomas for this
handy list! More in April...
Portfolio Manager
GHA / TMP Coordinator
OTVC Building Representatives
Building 1
305 S. Payne St.
Building 2
330 West St.
Building 3
1304 Roundhouse Ln.
Cheryl Van Coverden
301-466-8881
[email protected]
Next Meetings of
New Grounds & New
Welcome Committees
Gail Evans
[email protected]
Carolyn Ayers, #302
Sherri Pappas, #308
703-535-6918
[email protected]
Building 4
1404 Roundhouse Ln.
Janet Thomas
703-739-7779
[email protected]
Building 5
1405 Roundhouse Ln.
Bill Boylan
703-519-3826
Carolyn Cornwell
703-752-8300
[email protected]
Published monthly for the benefit of
owners & residents of Old Town Village
Townhomes & Condominiums and
available on the websites.
Send photos, articles, information
by the 20th of each month to:
Townhomes - Janie Smith at
[email protected]
Condominiums - Janet Donahue at
[email protected]
Layout: Janet Donahue
(703) 548-7991
[email protected]
Dates for the upcoming
meetings of the Grounds
Committee & the Welcome
Committee will be posted
on the bulletin boards in
the condominium building
lobbies as soon as they
are available.
For more OTV Condominium news & information, visit the condominium web site:
oldtownvillagecondos.org
February 2015
The Village Crier 8
END NOTES
’re !
You vited
in
Every Friday is a Great Friday in OTV!
Come join your neighbors every Friday
at the TGIF get-together.
7 pm in the Roundhouse.
Bring your own beverage and
a snack or sweet to share.
It’s great fun!
ALL OTV RESIDENTS
ARE INVITED!
All events are held in the
Roundhouse unless otherwise noted.
MONTHLY & *SPECIAL EVENTS!*
Day
Time
No Meeting
Event
Townhome Board Meeting
10
7:00 pm
Activities Committee
17
7:00 pm
Condominium Board Meeting
19
7:00 pm
Book Club
Host: Donna Tartt & George Bartman
WEEKLY EVENTS
Day
Time
Tues.
1:30 pm Mah Jong
Fri.!
7:00 pm TGIF!!
Event
UPCOMING EVENTS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Date
Event
Mar. 15
St. Partrick’s Day Party!
Mah Jong Club at the Roundhouse!
Even if you’ve never played before, we’ll be happy to teach
you the in’s and out’s. We’re very easy-going and enjoy chatting as we play, so don’t worry about a high-stress situation.
We play Tuesdays at 1:30 pm in the
Roundhouse. You can just show
up or if you have questions, email
Shannon Collins.
Hope to see you soon!
February 07, 2015
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
George Washington Masonic Memorial
101 Callahan Drive
This longest running annual designer warehouse sale
is celebrating it’s 10th Anniversary. It’s a fun, yet casual, once a year, shopping extravaganza featuring highend boutique merchandise Deal seekers will find the
very best from Alexandria’s finest boutiques on various
brands of clothing, shoes, jewelry, home furnishings
and more up to 70 or 80 percent off retail prices.
For more information, click here!