Governor's Grove Homeowner Association
January 2013
Dog Park Announcement
Dear Governor's Grove Residents,
Well folks, as many now know, the Governor's Grove Dog Park is open!! It was approved last Spring and construction completed in late November. I want to personally thank all those who helped support this effort. It was well worth it when you see all the dogs having fun, playing and chasing tennis balls! The dog park area is located along the grass area between the pond and the retaining wall - just below the tot-lot. It is constructed with a 4-foot high vinyl coated chain link fence approximately 100 x 20 feet - plenty of space for dogs to run! It also features a trash bin for waste as well as a bag dispenser should you run out of dog poop bags. We encourage folks to restock this dispenser with their plastic newspaper bags or plastic shopping bags.
Dog Park rules and guidelines have been posted by the entry gate to the dog
park. We ask dog owners to please adhere to those rules so that everyone can
all enjoy a safe environment. A key point to remember is to please clean-up after your dog(s). This applies not just to the dog park area but all around our
neighborhood. Many residents have noticed and reported dog waste found
around the common areas and in people's yards/garden. It's a Fairfax County
law to pick up after your dogs. Violators will be reported and fined. Homeowners,
please inform your tenants who have dogs of this law. On another note, we recently had an unfortunate incident reported by a homeowner. Apparently a large amount of thumb-tacks were found scattered along the fencing of the dog park a couple week ago. The homeowner discovered this after finding a tack in her dogs paw. She immediately picked up all the tacks she could find and notified other dog owners to be cautious. After learning about this incident, I swept the area with a large magnet and thankfully didn't find any more tacks. Hopefully this was an isolated incident as nothing like this has occurred since. Either way, we ask that all dog owners check the area out first to ensure no injuries happen again. We'd like to ask that folks please report any suspicious activity to the Fairfax County Police Non-Emergency
Number at 703-691-2131.
Happy 2013!
Sharon Voss-Northrop
5637 GPC
HOA Board Volunteer - LARC and Community
September 18, 2011
Greeting Governors Grove Residents,
We would like to introduce ourselves - I, Andrew Northrop, and my wife Sharon and are leading the Neighborhood Watch effort. As many folks may now know, over the Labor Day weekend there were a couple attempted break-ins and one actual break-in.
Since then, we have contacted and spoken with a Fairfax County Police Department detective as well as the crime unit officer. We have been informed that the report of these incidents is not ready for release yet. Here are the details:
As best as we can surmise, the burglar/perpetrator was seen leaving an end unit by the homeowner and one other resident. The resident reported the perpetrator to be a young (late teens to early twenties) African-American male, about 5'10", 150 lbs, with sender build. It was noted that this unit had the garage open and the residents were in and around the home. The police were immediately called and officers responded along with a K-9 unit and a helicopter. During all this, a home alarm in another end unit had gone off, also alerting the police. It appears that the perpetrator had attempted to break into this end unit through the back gate and damaged the sliding glass door. He did not get into the home (deterred by the alarm). It then appears that the perpetrator saw or was alerted to the end unit with the open garage, ran in, attempted to conduct a snatch and grab, and left out the back door.
A resident also saw a young female on a bicycle ride behind their row of townhouses just before this break-in activity happened. Later, the police helicopter noted a girl on the bike with a guy running beside her - heading down Burgundy Road, the neighborhood behind the open field across from the tennis courts. It appears that she may have been acting as a “spotter.” We also have had reports from several residents of seeing young adults riding bikes through our community and who appeared to be scouting the neighborhood.
In addition to this, on different dates, we have had several occurrences of young adults/teenagers hanging out in the tot-lot area. Residents have asked them to leave and on one occasion the police were called and they removed the group from the area.
Helpful Tips and Practices:
- Criminals are clearly getting more daring and brazen. As we live near the beltway and the metro and we are an affluent neighborhood, we are prime targets.
- Lock your homes and close your garages no matter how short of a period of time you leave your home.
- Keep vigilant, stay aware of your surroundings. If you observe suspicious people, and you are comfortable doing so, challenge them – ask them their purpose or if they live here. Ask them if they are a Governor's’ Grove resident or politely ask them to show proof. Otherwise, or if in doubt, call the FCPD non-emergency number at 703-691-2131.
- Make sure windows and doors are locked.
- Carry cell phones with you when walking around the neighborhood. Also it’s advisable to carry a flashlight.
- Exterior lighting – make sure all exterior lights work and are on at night – these include porch and stair lights. End units in particular, due to the dark common areas and ease of access as a Thru-way, should have their exterior lights functioning and even use additional motion sensor flood lighting along the side and back areas.
- Vehicles – Lock your cars. Remove all valuables from your car. Items include, but not limited to, GPS’s, Satellite radios, phones, laptops, briefcases, jewelry, etc.
- Security Systems – place the security system signs around the home. We recommend having glass breaking sensors and/or motion sensor installed in the home.
Going Out of Town?
- Suspend newspaper delivery and mail, or have someone pick it up.
- Have someone collect any package deliveries.
- Use timer lighting throughout the home to give the appearance of at home presence.
- Do NOT share on FACEBOOK (or any other social network sites), with dog walkers, or your house cleaning service your out of town plans.
If residents observe or become aware of any other type of incidents in the neighborhood, please contact us, as we, the GG Neighbor Watch group, are interested in knowing and tracking this information. It helps us keep the community informed. Please email us at svoss215@yahoo.com
Thank you,
Andrew and Sharon Northrop
February 7, 2010
Dear Residents,
I received the following email from Mike O'Shea to pass on to residents considering conversion from Cox Cable to FIOS.
Has anyone else experienced a similar problem? Or, had a positive experience? Email me at SHEILAH227@aol.com
Thank you,
Sheilah Harrison
Thank you, Mike for sharing this valuable information
______________________________________________________________________________
The O'Sheas of 5666 Governors Pond Circle and the Schmidli's of 5664 Governors Pond Circle have both had miserable experiences with Verizon FIOS installation within the past two weeks.
If any of our neighbors decide to switch to FIOS-- THEY WILL HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE INSTALLATION AS WELL WILL NEED TO MAKE REPEATED CALLS TO VERIZON CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND TECH SUPPORT.
It might be beneficial for neighbors to report their experiences to a common site.. so that the community can be made aware of what is involved when attempting to utilize/convert to FIOS.
After about 10 hrs with customer service and tech support with Verizon this week- I have finally found a competent, humane Verizon representative (Kimberly). If any of our other neighbors have similar problems with Verizon- it would be very wise to contact Kimberly directly, with Verizon customer service, in Norfolk, at 804-235-8315 for immediate results.
Perhaps, if we are fortunate, someone in the community works for Verizon- and they can forward our e-mails/reviews of Verizon's services directly to executives at Verizon.
Mike O'Shea
May
20, 2009
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!
Governor’s Grove Annual Community Garage Sale
Saturday, June 20, 2009
8:00 a.m. – Noon (shoppers will arrive early!)
The Annual Community Garage Sale will once again be held on the same date as Governor’s Hill (across the street) so we expect another great turnout. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation to make this event successful especially regarding parking. Many of the garage sale participants will have to move their cars to the guest parking areas for needed driveway space. This leaves no spots for “shoppers.” Please be patient with shoppers parking on the street and moving quickly from place to place. The rush will pass in short order.
Please email Sheilah Harrison at SHEILAH227@aol.com if you plan to participate.
Please spread the word to your neighbors. I do not have everyone's email address.
Signs will be posted soon.
Thank you,
Sheilah Harrison
Community
Garage Sale Coordinator
SHEILAH227@aol.com
February
2, 2008
Greetings Governorís Grove Residents,
Happy 2008! On behalf of the Governors Grove HOA, we hope
you have a happy and healthy New Year at Governorís Grove.
Thank you for providing your email address to ensure that
you are kept informed about new developments and issues at Governorís
Grove. Please contact Sheilah
Harrison at SHEILAH227@aol.com if your
email address or phone number changes or if you move.
2007 HOA Accomplishments
In addition to the annual maintenance of the grounds and
pond, the Governorís Grove Board of Directors accomplished the following in
2007 to help enhance and protect the community.
- Contracted removal of five
dead trees from various sections of common areas that were in potential
danger of falling and damaging several town homes.
- Contracted to replace damaged
water sprinkler heads and repair work at both entrances.
- Contracted to remove
overgrowth of bushes and shrubs from the Tot Lot to allow better
visibility for security and safety.
- Contracted to remove dirt,
debris, and sand left after the winter snow from all community streets and
parking spaces.
- Installed Visitor Parking
Only signs at various locations throughout the community.
- Installed two additional
trash receptacles at tennis court and west entrance pathway.
- Contracted to replace light
fixtures and electrical work at both west and east entrances.
- Common area trees were
watered twice a week during the drought in August and September at a cost
of $3,000. It was suggested
that water bags be paced around the common trees, and homeowners ìadoptî a
tree to be responsible for keeping water bags filled.
- Contracted to have mailboxes
throughout community painted.
- Arranged for a group discount
to have lamp posts and Beazer light fixtures painted for homeowners.
- Contracted to have Fire Lane
signs removed throughout community and to be replaced with one sign at
both the West / East entrances.
- Organized a successful
Community Yard Sale in June.
Quarterly Homeowner Fee
Based on the budget for 2008 including money for the
reserve fund, it was necessary to raise the quarterly homeowner fee of $187.83
by 10% to $207 or $828 for the year. By now, you should have received your
payment coupon books from Armstrong Management, unless you have arranged
payment through the Direct Debit Program which we strongly encourage.
What ís New in
2008?
The Board approved the renewal of a one-year contract with
Armstrong Management (instead of the usual three year term). This satisfies the desire of the Board
to have plenty of time to develop an Request For Proposal (RFP) and solicit for
competitive bids from other management companies in the area.
Last December, Kevin Gahart took over as the new Governorís
Grove Property Manager from Armstrong Management. Kevin can be reached at (703) 385-1133 or by email at kgahart@armstrong.net
Governors Grove HOA Website
Many thanks to Thurmon Deloney, Vice President, HOA, for
developing a Governorís Grove Web site.
Please go to www.governorsgrovehoa.com
Minutes of the meetings, forms and news will be posted. Do you have any ideas for the Web
site and would like to help provide information? Please contact Thurmon at (703) 960-3096 #1616 or email tldeloney@cox.net
This site is in addition to the
information by Armstrong at http://armstrongconnect.net/governorsgrove/
ArmstrongConnect
requires a password because annual budget and your personal unit information are
accessible. If you need a user
name and Pin, please contact: Sandra Proffitt
Martseller: sproffitt@armstrong.net
2008 News from the Board
There
have been a few incidents of cars being robbed in the community. Residents
should make sure their cars are locked, no money is visible and that GPS
systems are removed. Please
contact Sharon Voss Northrop if you wish to participate in a neighborhood watch
program at geoengchic2@yahoo.com
Residents
are also reminded that parking in the visitorís lots is for visitors only, not
residents. This is especially
critical for the west side of the community which has very limited parking. Open
spaces are not for long-term storage of vehicles, so please be considerate of
your neighbors.
There have
also been incidents of graffiti on various retaining walls. Unauthorized solicitations by vendors
continue to be a problem. To post
complaints go to the Fairfax County Consumer Affairs Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer/complaints.htm
Crime reports have been filed
concerning graffiti and Fairfax County police have been on site to inspect the
graffiti sites. Please report any suspicious behavior to the police and Board. Please
call the NON-EMERGENCY Police number 703-691-2131 to report suspicious activity,
solicitations, or any crime that has occurred in the neighborhood.
Also, the ring on the windshield left by
the suction cup of a GPS is a clue for thieves that you may be storing it in
the glove box.
Four additional ìNo Trespassingî
signs will be purchased and distributed through out the community.
Last
December, a cab veered out of control on to our property damaging one of the
wooden railings as well as a tree. Armstrong has been in touch with insurance
adjustors for the cab company. There will be no charge to the Community for the repair.
The Reserve Fund Study has been completed and shows that
we are funding the reserves as required.
Dog Licenses – Deadline January 31st
All dogs four months of age or older must be licensed.
Licenses are good for one year and must be purchased by January 31st. License Fees: $5/spayed or neutered; $10/not spayed or
neutered. Go to http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dta/dog_licenses.htm
Landscaping and Architectural Committee
News
Sand barrels have been placed along Governorís Pond Circle
for residents to use during heavy snow and ice conditions.
Governorís Grove Individual Yard Maintenance Program through
Springfield Nursery
For the second year, Springfield Nursery will provide
individual lawn care services to Governorís Grove residents from April –
October in conjunction with common area contracted services. Cost: $200. If you did not receive a form in the mail please call (703)
914-1225 Ext. 10.
Many attempts have been made to encourage all owners of
Beazer homes to repaint their lamp posts black. Another form to provide painting services for railings and
lamp posts will be sent in the Spring.
Replacements are being researched for future replacement
of Carrhome lamp post light fixtures since many are no longer shiny brass. In
addition, we still have many homes with non-working lamp post lights that must
be fixed. Violation letters will be sent out to get these corrected soon.
Contact Sandye Blalock, Landscape & Architectural Review Committee (LARC)
Chair if yours is not working but you have scheduled electrical repairs or need
assistance finding an electrician. We may be able to get a group rate for
repairs to several at once.
Please remember you must submit a LARC application if you
wish to install storm doors, decks, landscaping that exceeds 2 feet from your
townhouse and retaining walls around flower beds, etc. Guidelines are on the
new website and you can send the completed forms to 2_Sandye@cox.net or call 703-960-4361 for questions.
Thank you again for making Governorís Grove your
home!
GOVERNOR’S GROVE HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION
July 23, 2007