VILLAS UPDATE Newsletter of the Villas Community in Falls Run, Fredericksburg, Va. MAY 2012

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DOG BERT THE REAL ESTATE AGE NT

WHEN IT RAI NS, THE SEWER BACKS UP AND COVERS THE DRIVEWAY.

EVERY SPRI NG, RABID SQUIRRELS RIP OFF HUGE CHUNKS OF THE ROOF TO. LOOK FOR FOOD.

THE DRY BRUSH BEHIND THE HOUSE IS A FIRE HAZARD.

) SEASONAL SKYLIGHT .

POTENTIAL. FIRE. .. PLACE. .

Courtesy of The Free Lance-Star

LandPlan has 3 proposals and seeks more, so join up

The LandPlan committee has been busy assisting residents who wish to contribute to the Villa landscaping ef­forts. In the past month, three Villa owners have submitted proposals for flower and plant beds in the Villa com­munity and all have been approved by the Board.

One of these contributions will sup­port the installation of a foundation flower bed, and the other two will sup­port the installation of free-standing plants.

The Board would like to thank all our neighbors who are interested in the long term beauty and value of our com­munity.

As a reminder, all landscape propos­als must be submitted directly to the LandPlan Committee by the first of the month to be considered at that month's meeting.

A proposal must meet the require­ments as spelled out in the Plan and should include details about what you would like to plant, where the plants!plant bed will be located, and a plan for maintenance and watering once the plants have been put into place.

The full cost of the plants and instal-

lation must be covered by the contribu­tion, and the Association will incur no additional expense to implement the proposal.

All proposed plantings must meet the defined FRCA design guidelines which have been incorporated into, and are a part of, the approved Landscape Beau­tification Plan.

Please review the details of the orig­inal plan and revised procedures online http://www.fallsrun.org/villas _docs! landplanllandplan.html. A paper copy of the approved Landscape Beau­tification Plan also can be found in the LandPlan binder in the Center.

The LandPlan committee meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 4 p.m . in the Center. Our next meet­ing is scheduled for May 9 and we en­courage all interested residents to join us and share ideas.

Are you considering making a con­tribution to the Villa Landscaping ef­forts? Look for shrubs that can outlast the summer heat. Some to consider in­clude the Abel ia, Bigleaf Hydrangea, Crepe Myrtle, and even some shrub Roses (like the Knock Out).

Elaine Diepenbrock

Irrigation system gets an upgrade

Valley Crest Landscape Mainte­nance, our grounds maintenance con­tractor, was hired last Fall to maintain our lawn sprinkler system for 2012. Valley Crest has a separate division with expertise in and responsibility for irrigation systems.

The system was turned on recently after various repairs and upgrades were made. Among the repairs was replace­ment of conventional electrical wire nuts used in the original installation with proper DBR connectors to make the spl ices waterproof and minimize the potential for shorts.

Also, previously missing grounding rods were installed to protect the sys­tem from damage caused by lightning strikes. A pressure regulator was in­stalled to reduce the number of sprin­kler heads that were reported to have failed or blown out.

In addition to the measures taken to protect the system, the controller was replaced with a Weather Based Con­troller to better regulate water usage. The new controller, also known as an Evapotranspiration Controller, meas­ures soil moisture and determines how much water needs to be applied.

There will not be a set schedule for watering; only that watering, when needed, will occur between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. It is possible that the system would run dai ly but for much shorter run times or that it not run for several

Continued on Paze Two

Important Contact Names & Numbers

VILLAS MANAGEMENT Landmarc Real Estate 3715 Latimers Knoll Court Fredericksburg, Va. 22408 Community Manager: Ryan Fernett Phone: 371 -3406, Ext. 213 email: rfemett@e-landmarc.com Fax: 373-2913 Emergency: 372-1726 FRCA MANAGEMENT

Armstrong Management, Inc. 3949 Pender Drive, Suite 205 Fairfax, Va. 22030 General Manager: Ted Wessel Phone: 899-9958, Fax: 371-0809 email: twessel@armstrong.net FALLS RUN CENTER

Concierge desk: 371-4452 Activities Director: Doreen Barnes 371-4563 email:activitiesdirector@fallsrunorg FALLS RUN ASSOCIATION

President: Leonard Bogaev NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Director: Bill Arnst 374-5566 VILLAS ASSOCIATION

President: Sherri Burke Vice President: Emery Dilda SecretaJy: Sally Cooney Anderson Treasurer: Sanya Warren-Ham Member-at-large: Walt Martley UPDATE Editor: Hugh Muir email: muirhp@cox.net

BOBTHAVES

Courtesy of The Free Lancce Star

From the president

Springing forward The early Spring produced a great

deal of work- all at one time. Dur­ing April, there was a follow-up azalea walk, which disclosed myr­iad surprises for the community; a Buildings and Grounds survey of all buildings followed by a report from the VBG; a Covenants Committee Inspection (see Community Man­ager's Comer on Page Four); and the resunlption of the monthly walk with ValleyCrest to see how the landscaping throughout the Villas neighborhood is faring.

One of the projects under way is a review of the administrative reso­lutions (AR's), regulations and pro­cedural guides promulgated by the Boards since 2006. They have now been reviewed by our legal counsel and posted under the Document but­ton on the Villas home page and are open for comments until May 30th.

Two regulations were tweaked. Regulation 01 -06 was changed to allow two bird feeders and eliminate the authorization for a bird house. Regulation 03-06 was broadened to allow planting in the front of a unit in the mulch bed and to stress that nothing may be placed in tree rings. Administrative Regulation No. 2008-01 was amended to increase the late fee from $11.00 to $25.00. Administrative Resolutions No. 2012-01 and -02 are new.

Comments may be submitted to the Board through the button on the Villas web pages or to our Commu­nity Manager, rfemett@e-Iand­marc. com. Comments will be considered at the Board meeting scheduled for June 26th. Upon com­pletion of the process, a complete package of Board promulgated in­struments wi II be provided to each villas owner.

Another result of the review of the Villas instruments and discus­sion with legal counsel is the identi­fication of the Association's responsibility for replacement of entry doors, sliding glass doors, French/atrium doors, garage doors, and windows.

The Association is also responsi­ble for repairs/replacement of the limited common element which is the plumbing system located outside of a unit's boundaries. This would include pipes in the attic or in the space between the walls.

Our Community Manager has contacted Mason & Mason to dis­cuss an administrative upgrade to the 2011 Reserve study.

Sherri Burke The next Villas Board of Directors meeting will be on Tuesday, May 22, at 10:30 a.m. at the Center. Residents are encouraged to at­tend and participate.

Investment change ups bond ratio

The Villa investment purchasing ratio of CDs (Certificates of deposit) versus Bonds (Ginnie Mae CMOs) was 70-30. The Board (in conjunction with the Finance committee's review and recommendation) approved a 65-35 ratio of purchasing CDs versus Bonds.

Our fmancial advisor (John Farring­ton of Merrill Lynch) explained to us at an open forum meeting (on March 27) that Bonds offer a better return.

He also noted that a Bond can be liq­uidated within 72 hours. CDs have lim­ited liquidity, and are more su itable to holding until maturity.

CDs are time deposits and early withdrawals are not allowed except in limited instances. On the positive side, CDs achieve specific goals and objec­tives. They are secure investments.

CDs are FDIC insured up to a max­imum of $250,000 for botb. principal and interest, and Ginnie Maes are backed by the U.S. Government.

Sanya Warren-Ham Treasurer

Irrigation From Page One

days depending on moisture present in the soil. Better regulating our irri­gation water usage is expected to no­ticeably reduce water consumption and watering costs wh ich is one of our major budget items.

Two representatives from Valley Crest, Ryan Lehrter and Sam Wells, provided a PowerPoint presentation at our April 24 Villas Board meeting ex­plaining these irrigation system re­pairs and upgrades as well as weed treatment, mowing processes, and in­sect issues. Residents in attendance found the information very helpful.

Emery Dilda

LEBRUN

Courtesy of The Washington Post

Termites swarm but prevention is under way

An unwelcome surprise this month was the swarming of termites in a bath­room in an inner unit in the Villas. Needless to say, the Board took action to hire a contractor, Dodson Pest Con­trol, to treat the entire building outside and the unit with the swarm inside.

They will also be checking the other units in the building and will treat in­side if necessary.

Questions and rumors started flying as more owners learned about the swann. Dodson Pest Control will be checking the entire Villas neighborhood to see if we have problem areas that need termite control.

It is probable that most unitsfbuild­ings do not, while some may require treatment. Dodson will make a report to the Community Manager regarding their findings. Once the Board has a total picture of the situation, it will de­cide the next move.

What we learned by word of mouth

is that some owners decided to have their villas treated without contacting our Community Manager. It is unfor­tunate that there are companies that will use scare tactics to get a sale. Just be­cause a termite is seen on the ground in the area, it is not cause for alarm.

For those owners who contracted for their own treatment, there will be no re­imbursement from the Association to cover costs incurred. Those owners have also violated provisions of the Declaration and Bylaws by allowing drilling into foundations without prior approval of the Board. No action will be taken by the Board at this time re­garding these violations.

If an owner believes they have a ter­m ite infestation, they shou Id contact Ryan Fernett, our Community Man­ager, and let him take control of the sit­uation. Do not contract to have treatment nor allow anyone to drill into the foundations. Sherri Burke

Courtesy of The New Yorker

"You're not going to put that there, are you?"

We have been playing a lot of catch-up, and, to our surprise, it has worked

We have had an interesting begin­ning to spring this year. The weather has been on our side during the winter. Grass is green everywhere in the com­munity, and our bushes have done as expected.

We have invested a large sum in re­furbishing our irrigation system dur­ing the winter, and the prospect of savings on our water costs during the summer should make us all smile.

This has come about through per­suasive efforts in negotiating the re­placement of Azaleas which were either dead or badly damaged, and by the knowledgeable work of our grounds maintenance contractor, Vall­eyCrest.

Just now, we are in the midst of replacing plants identified last year that have proven to be beyond revival, with substitution of other kinds more adaptable to our awkward irrigation system.

We have no solution to the inade­quate watering of our decorative plantings. Our irrigation system is purposefully adjusted so as not to splash the siding and windows of our villas, and as a consequence, they re­ceive only what nature allows, and this is not enough to assure healthy growth.

With all of that, our grounds look better than they have ever looked. It may not be obvious to most of us, who walk and drive the streets every day, but to two who were away for an ex­tended period during the winter, our grounds seem glorious. Driving through the Legend gate in early Apri I opened our eyes to the possibilities that we were not prepared for.

It looked great! Walt Martlev

PICKLES

Courtesy of The Free Lance-Star

Community Manager's Corner

Walkabout turns up a few concerns Members of the Covenants Commit­

tee and Management performed a re­view of all 199 condominium units on the morning of Thursday, April 19 to ensure compliance with the Associa­tion 's governing documents.

Regular reviews assist in maintaining a harmonious envirolUnent. Overall, the community had few compliance issues, with a few notable concerns, including: landscape lighting in front of the unit, items stored on patio/back concrete stoops, objects inappropriately secured to the buildings, and items placed in the common areas.

Unit owners with compl iance issues will receive a courtesy call to advise of the situation and the suggested correc­tive action. Follow-up inspections and further due process wi II be initiated as necessary. Please take the time to re­view your governing documents and to make certain there are no compliance concerns with your unit.

Contact me at 540-371-3406 ext. 213 or email: rfernett@e-Iandmarc.com with any questions. Ryan Fernett

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Leaving word This is a sample of a door hanger that will be left at a residence when an individual homeowner 's landscape issues have been re­solved, and inviting comment that

"It's ten o'dock. Do you know where your cat is?" will be passed on to ValleyCrest. ~----------~----~