President’s Corner
Yogi Berra, who was as famous for his zany
quotes as he was for his baseball skills, was speeding down a highway when his
pal said, “Yogi, I think we’re lost.”
Yogi responded, “Yeah, I know. But we’re making great time!”
Sometimes board meetings feel like that—until
someone asks, “Does this support our plan?” That brings us back to earth and
steers us in the right direction: focusing on activities that will help us
achieve our 2019 goals.
Yes, you cynics, we have a plan!
The board began working on its new goals early
on, starting with input from last fall’s opinion survey about Stratford
Manor. Several owners said we need to
do a better job of enforcing our rules and regulations consistently; we need to
work toward a sense of community among residents; and we need to build greater
trust among owners/residents, the board, and AAMG.
These became part of SMA’s 2019 goals, as
adopted by the board on April 4. We discussed and analyzed numerous other
suggestions, and rejected many that were either too expensive or impractical.
When the dust settled we had 13 goals for the
year, many of which reflect work we are already doing. For instance, we created a new report that
gives all board members frequent updates on violations cases, which allows us to
make sure that each violation is being handled in a consistent and fair
way.
We have been brutally honest in our reporting
in this newsletter and other communications for quite some time, which we feel
is essential to achieving greater trust among all parties. But we
recognize it will take time.
The goal of building a sense of community
is a long-term, multi-faceted goal that each one of us has a responsibility to
work toward. The newly announced block party on May 18 (see separate article)
is our first SMA-sponsored social event in quite some time, and we hope
everyone makes it a point to come out and mingle with their neighbors.
Social and welcome committee chairperson Katie
Johnston is spearheading that project, as well as managing another important goal
for 2019: to provide a better welcome for new residents. She calls on new owners soon after they move
in, bringing official greetings from board members as well as a nice gift
basket of Virginia-made products.
Another one of our 2019 goals reaffirms our
commitment to continue beautifying the common areas in our community.
Last year’s beautification of the islands on Kenilworth was a big step toward
that goal, and we will be on the lookout for affordable projects in 2019.
Specific projects round out the list of 2019
goals, including: updating our rules and regulations to present a broader
spectrum of residents; getting the re-paving project under way; lighting the
two remaining unlit Stratford Manor signs; and developing a comprehensive
policy for rental activities.
Underpinning all of the objectives is the first
item on our goals list: Avoid the need to raise assessments by
staying within our annual budget.
That is our hope.
And with your support, we think we can avoid
getting lost.
- John Gullett, President
Block part planned – save the date!
The Stratford Manor Association is throwing a
neighborhood block party, and all Stratford Manor owners and residents are
invited!
The outdoor event will take place on Saturday
afternoon, May 18, at the back section of Wellesley Drive. Social and welcome
committee chair Katie Johnston said the SMA will provide hamburgers, hot dogs,
and some light snacks.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their own
beverages, lawn chairs and lawn games.
Ms. Johnston said the hours of the outing will
be 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. If the party is called because of bad weather, a new date
will be set.
“It’s been awhile since the association has
sponsored a block party,” said Ms. Johnston, “and we hope all of our residents
take advantage of this low-key opportunity to meet some of their new
neighbors.”
The best part? It’s free to the families living
in Stratford Manor!
There is one requirement, however.
To help plan for the proper amount of food, Ms. Johnston asks that you
RSVP your attendance and the number in your party to her at
kjohnston813@gmail.com, or by phone at 703-477-2243, no later than May 13.
A cautionary tale?
Why Exterior Work Needs
Approval—A play in Five Acts
Act I: A Stratford Manor owner
decides to launch a major project to repair or replace a part of their
townhouse exterior. But this owner is in
a hurry and doesn’t stop to think about our community’s rules and regulations
requiring pre-approval before doing any such work.
Act II: The work is done. It was expensive, and the owner is proud.
Act III: A board member spots the work but doesn’t
remember hearing about it from the Architectural Committee. The Committee chair has no record of it; the
property management firm knows nothing. The owner is contacted and swears that
not getting approval was an innocent oversight. She now faces the possibility
of having to remove the unauthorized work and start all over.
Act IV: An investigation ensues,
and the Architectural Committee concludes that the work, while not authorized,
does comply with SMA standards.
Act V: Homeowner is contacted and
told that no action will be taken, but is asked to complete an architectural
review form (available on the SMA blog site) for the record. She is relieved.
( End of play)
So it’s not a cautionary tale after all — the
violator did not come to an unpleasant fate—but it is a cautionary reminder to
us all. You may be confident that you
know what you are doing, but why risk having to spend hundreds or thousands of
dollars to correct the one big mistake you ever made!
Get pre-approved, and you are likely to be
protected from any cost, criticism or complaints. That includes exterior
painting (information about our approved paint colors is available at
Sherwin-Williams at Oyster Point Road
and Warwick Blvd.).
And that makes for a happy ending!
Get ready! Spring
inspections set for May 1
In case you need an added
incentive to get out and repair your gutter or paint your shutters this spring,
take note of Stratford Manor’s first 2019 architectural inspection date: May 1.
Robbi Henry, AAMG’s
association manager for Stratford Manor, and Satori Gregorakis, our
architectural compliance officer, will be conducting their spring inspections
on that day. They will be looking for missing mullions in your windows, loose
shingles on your roof, peeling paint on your shutters, a dirty shed, and a wide
range of other possible problems.
“Some residents don’t like
to see us coming,” said Gregorakis, “but they all know that keeping our
townhomes looking sharp and clean benefits all of us. And sometimes we point
out something they hadn’t even noticed, like rotting wood on a window.”
Homeowners who are written
up for one or more violations will be sent a letter asking them to correct the
problems within 30 days. Then another inspection is done 30 days later to
verify that all the repairs, etc. have been done.
A detailed list of items subject to inspection can be found under
“Architectural Compliance” here on our website.
Spring is here! Landscapers busy
The neighborhood is looking really good right
now, thanks to Mother Nature and Year Round Landscaping (YRL), Stratford
Manor’s landscaping firm.
Landscaping committee chair Nancy Allen said
the weeds have been sprayed, the crape myrtles trimmed, and fertilizer and weed
control applied to the grass. “You can see the crew out on the property,
cutting grass and mulching the flower beds,” said Ms. Allen, “and summer
flowers are about to be planted in key areas. Isn’t Stratford Manor beautiful
in the spring!”
The landscaping committee also received the board’s approval to bring in
a tree service to remove a large branch hanging high in a tree behind Sloan
Place. While they are here, the workers will also take down a dead tree and
clear a fallen tree. “Until we can get that hanging branch removed, people need
to be careful walking along the common area behind Sloane,” said Ms. Allen.
Land survey prompts
questions
A recent land survey along Stratford Manor’s
property line shared with Pinecroft Apartments caused at least one homeowner to
be concerned about what might be planned for the area—a reminder of the
importance of keeping residents well informed.
“We ordered the survey because the current
board could not find a record of the property line behind the units on that
part of Sloan Place,” said John Gullett, SMA’s president. “But we haven’t had
an opportunity to review the results yet.“
“Unfortunately, the sight of the surveyor’s
wooden stakes with flags on them to mark the property line didn’t go unnoticed
by residents,” he said. “We had a homeowner come to our last board meeting to
express concern about our plans to build a fence behind her property. When we
told her we have no plans to build a fence, she seemed relieved.”
Gullett said the board should have alerted
homeowners earlier about the survey’s purpose, and he apologized for any
confusion about it. “We want to be as transparent as possible,” he said, “and
this just illustrates that we need to try harder.”
Gullett also urged residents who have questions about Stratford Manor’s
operations to ask a member of the board or Robbi Henry, our association
manager.
2 leaky storm drains
repaired; more possible
Sinkholes around the edges of a storm drain
collection box are the first visible sign that there are leaks in the drainage
system. That’s bad news, because repairing them can be costly.
Stratford Manor suffered this problem at two
different storm drain boxes recently, both located in the rear section of Wellesley
Drive. According to Excel Paving, which repaired the breaks recently, the
sinkholes develop when dirt is sucked into the underground piping system over a
long period of time due to a break in the piping or its connection to the box.
It could take years before enough dirt has been
washed away by a small leak to cause a sinkhole.
One contractor who bid on the project said the
storm drains, which were installed in the 1980s, lasted longer than they
typically last today. He also suggested that we may experience more failures in
the future, but that there is no way to predict which ones or when.
Together, the two repairs cost several thousand
dollars. As a result, the board wants to include the storm drainage system in
the next reserves study. In the meantime, we will be monitoring the other storm
drain boxes for possible sinkholes. Our experience with this over the next
couple of years will help determine if the SMA needs to set aside reserves to
handle the cost in the future.
Trash Pickup Schedule
April 16—Trash, recycling
& bulk
April 23—Trash only
April 30—Trash, recycling &
bulk
May 7—Trash only
May 14—Trash, recycling & bulk
May 21—Trash only
May 29—Weds pick-up due to
Memorial Day holiday. Trash, recycling & bulk
June 4—Trash only
June 11—Trash, recycling & bulk
June 18—Trash only
June 25—Trash, recycling & bulk
July 2—Trash only
July 9—Trash, recycling & bulk
July 16—Trash only
July 23—Trash, recycling & bulk
July 30—Trash only
If
your container was missed during collection, call 757-933-2311.
Remember: Trash
receptacles should be curbside for collection no earlier than 3pm on Monday for
collection on Tuesday and removed from the street by 6pm on Wednesday.
