Croson Lane Build Out

It looks like Croson lane will be a 4 lane divided highway. Will Van Metre or the HOA be putting up a fence along the Broadlands side now? Or screening plantings?

 

Croson is definitely going to be a 4 land divided highway. Eventually it will feed into Moorefield Station. (If you go to www.moorefieldstation.com and look at some of the site plans, you'll see where all of the future roads will be going)

Having lived in Quail Pond for 3+ years without Croson being completely paved, we're excited that Pulte is going to pave the remaining part!

 

I wonder if there are plans to eventually put up a light at the intersection of Claiborne and Croson Lane then.

 

I would bet that a light would be needed sooner rather than later. But another issue is the fact that a four lane divided highway is going to be 20 feet from the Southern Walk home owners. Van Metre said they would put a fence up if it ever got to be 4 lanes.

 

Spartan-a correction. Unless I'm mistaken, Van Metre has never had any intention of putting up a fence along Croson.
The HOA received a request from a resident a year or so ago about putting up a 6 foot privacy fence along the road on their property. The response they received was that the Modification Subcommittee generally approved these fences along roads that were, at a minimum, 4-lane divided roads. At the time, the county plans for the road did not show it as a 4-lane divided, so the request was refused.

 

FWIW .... I was on the Committee at that time, and that was the rationale. However, now that the County road plan shows it as 4 lanes, I would hope the homeowner board members can put some pressure on VM to install perimeter fencing along that road.

That said, I suspect that VM will come back with the usual 'County only requires a buffer' argument. I don't remember what the buffer size is there between the sidewalk (if any) on Crozan, and the start of the homeowner's/HOA owned land, but if nothing else, if I was still there in Broadlands, I would rather see a staggered line of evergreens creating a natural fence, then a mish-mash of homeowner fences being put up as was seen along Broadlands Blvd in O.P.

 

The trouble is, VM only puts up those horrible red cedars that are cheap ($20 per tree) and sparse. They do not provide an effective screen. Cliff, would the HOA support the residents in trying to get VM to build a fence?

 

I would not personally support the building of a fence on HOA property that the HOA would then have maintenance responsibility for. If they want to put it on residents private property, I would not have a problem with it (assuming that Croson IS going to be a 4 lane divided highway.

 

Cliff,

But would the HOA support the building of a fence by VM? FYI, the distance between the resident property lines and Croason Lane is on average 20 feet. This is by far the shortest distance between a property line and a 4 lane road in all of Broadlands. In addition, since ( the last time I checked when I paid my contractual openband and HOA fees) those people are residents of Broadlands, shouldn't those residents be afforded the same buffer zone and screening as all of the other residents in Broadlands? Do those residents who have a VM/HOA provided privacy fence have to maintain said fence? Why should the residents along Croson Lane be held to a different standard?

 

There are no "guaranteed buffers" anywhere in Broadlands. Different degrees of buffer, landscaping, fencing, etc. is used throughout the community. The HOA had nothing to do with determining what type of buffering, landscaping, lot distances from streets, etc. ANYWHERE in Broadlands.
The privacy fences you see along Claiborne/Waxpool were installed by the developer on HOA property. The HOA is responsible for maintaining these fences. The developer stopped using fencing in favor of landscaping due to the maintenance requirements of fences.
The HOA has no involvement between a homeowner who buys a lot and then wants the builder to do something later. It is NOT an HOA issue.

I would support Van Metre building privacy fences on the resident's property along Croson Lane. That way, you get the fence built and the HOA does not have to pay to maintain it. But as I stated, the HOA has no say in this issue.

 

Whoops ... I opened a can of worms.

As I mentioned above, I'd rather see a staggered line of evergreens creating a natural barrier than a blank, six foot high fence. It would add to the beauty, and provide a (IMHO) a better visual and sound screen.

 

Four lanes of traffic connecting Belmont Ridge Road to Claiborne to Ryan Road. Of course there are not guarantees, however, if I test drive a car and everything looks fine and works well, but I just want a different color, I should not expect to then receive that different colored car without a front bumper. All residents in that area purchased a home with the understanding that the home was part of Broadlands and that the same level of quality would be provided. If you go back to Croson, you would not think that you are looking at the Broadlands community.

 

You actually believed the salesman !!??!!

 

I didn't think I was buying a used car. Next time I'll know better I suppose.

 

Hehe...according to our salesman at NV Homes when we bought our home in Quail Pond, Croson was going to be paved "within a year"....we've been there for over 3 years now.....

 

Took a bike ride down Croson yesterday. It is obviously a 4-lane divided road. If any residents are interested in putting up a privacy fence along Croson, it would be considered by the Modification Subcommittee.

 

I would love to put up a privacy fence, but the reality is with the way my lot is situated I only have about 10-15 feet actually ON Croson (we have a large side yard and minimal backyard). Unless my neighbors decide to do the same, my little 10-15 feet of privacy fence along Croson will do absolutely no good for security, privacy, or asthetics. This, among many other reasons, is why VM should be true to their word and put up the fence for the entire length of the Southern Walk community that backs up to Croson (a total of 12 homes).

In truth, when you rode your bike down Croson and looked at how this edge of Broadlands was planned and landscaped, did it look like "Broadlands" to you? This portion of the community has been neglected by VM with a lack of landscaping and lack of attention to the basics -- like watering and cutting the grass. No where else in Broadlands have I seen such neglect of the areas around common paved walkways.

 

Why would they bother ... they've got all those lots sold, no need to 'dress up' the area now !!

 

I noted that there is actually very little common area between the backyards and the street. What is there is a mess. I'm told that there will be landscaping done along there, I think this Fall. I don't know how much they'll fit in there.
I wonder if when it was decided to widen Croson from two lanes to four, some of the common area that would have been on the Broadlands side got reduced for the road.
The area across Croson looks like the lunar surface.

 

The road was there prior to any of the lots being built, and has been there for quite a while.