Hill across from "Sunoco"

why can't it simply be re-graded instead, to provide a good sledding section that does not dump out onto a main road?

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There would still be a liability issue.

 

Interesting idea, but who would pay for it?

 

You know, this hill thing has been dogging us Section 13'ers for years now. From my recollection, Van Metre offered it up to the HOA as a common area, but we refused to take it because of liability issues. Cliff had a meeting with us to ask what we would like done with the property if it turned over to the HOA. Everyone agreed that they wanted it left as a hill.

Now, they put up "No Trespassing" signs, one of which, in order to see it, you have to be standing in somebody's backyard, so unless you're a resident, you'd also be trespassing in a backyard first. Trust me, it's not a nice view to see a "No Trespassing" sign pointed at you every day. I know my neighbor complained to Broadlands Associates about it, so I guess their response now is, "Fine, you don't like the signs, then we're taking the whole hill down!"

I miss Terrabrook. Van Metre now has a reputation in my mind of being resident-unfriendly. I don't know how hard it can be to discourage inappropriate use of a common area. Van Metre's idea of putting up lights and a fence sounded utterly ridiculous. I understand it's their property, so they can do what they want with it, but there was a time that they wanted to work with their neighbors. If my neighbor put up a sign on the edge of his yard saying "No Trespassing" facing my back door, I'd be sure to assume that was an unfriendly neighbor. That's what we've got. Is there any way that's going to change?

Here's my call to action: all of you who know this hill, what would you want done with it to:
1) stop kids using it for sledding into the street
2) stop people from using it as a "hangout" for nefarious activities

I think it should be fully landscaped with trees. Big ones. But then people who fly kites or play football on it might get upset. Just one person's idea.

 

I agree. Landscape with trees. Good idea.

 

For the same reasons that the HOA has never wanted control of the hill. LIABILITY ISSUES!!

If the hill were regraded to allow sledding, even with signs that stated 'use at own risk', the HOA would be risking a lawsuit from someone involved in any accident.

I'm assuming that VM has finally figured out that they can't sell the lots on Waxpool that either would back onto the hill, or own part of it.

 

I think planting trees there would be great. Every time you turn around here more swaths of trees are being brought down. Every tree removed should cause a new one to be planted in another location...kind of like a year long Arbor day.

When my kids were younger and used their sleds, we were lucky enough to have a high berm in the common area between our square of townhouses, which was ideal. AS they got older, and we moved here, they would occasionally go to the hill in Ashburn to the right of the Greenway. I too used to sled down the street in my old neighborhood in Mclean,over the hill from Langley High school (Turkey Run Road). We young teens had a very long winding street that took forever to walk back up, but we never needed grown ups to look out for us. They all knew we were there, and nobody was fool enough to go out on the roads in heavy snow either. We rarely saw a plow for 2-3 days. It was heaven.

Good sledding now would most likely be going out to the country and getting some house on hilly land or a ski resort, but we don't get as much snow here as we used to, so that might not work. Moving into a PUD makes today's life not as easy going - like just rambling through the woods, etc. as it was when we were young, so you have to become inventive, but use common sense. It is healthy to have some fear, and foolish to be always fearless.

 

I'm fairly new to the neighborhood and for the most part have nothing but good things to say about the Broadlands, however, I'm absolutely floored to see the blatant disrespect so many residents have for someone elses property. If you want to blame anyone, blame Loudoun County as they're the ones who allowed this site to be graded this way. Better yet, why don't you all put your addresses on here so we can come to your property and use it as we please and then make suggestions as to how you can improve it so we get more enjoyment from it. Unbelieveable!

 

Brassy...what year did you graduate Langley?

 

Wow robvt. You may be new, but some of us old timers can remember the history of that lot and all the numerous changes its gone through. It's not even a real "hill". It's a dirt dump site that got graded at the top. It could have been sold as it was originally intended to be (I think it was a church site) but no one could afford the outrageous price. Quite frankly, I don't feel sorry for Van Metre at all at this point. This property was mismanaged for over 9 years and now they have decided to put the hammer down.

ps - my front yard is the hangout for the neighborhood kids and I like it!

 

agnesk,

Maybe you can enlighten me as to why the history of the site is relevant. When I see a NO TRESPASSING sign, I generally avoid these places. Silly me I guess.

The street over from me (Welby Terrace) has a couple of these "not real hills" between the rows of townhouses. I agree that it's not very attractive or even professional of the builder/developer to leave the lots graded this way but that's one reason I didn't move in over there.

Loudoun County approves the grading plans for these developments. If you are unhappy with the fake hills in the County, I would suggest contacting the Board of Supervisors to see if the ordinance can be amended to ban fake hills.

ps - When the neighborhood kids start asking you to landscape and re-grade your yard I'm sure you'll happily oblige.

Edited for spelling

 

Just for perspective...Last winter when we saw kids sledding on this hill, we joined in the fun. I NEVER saw a no trespassing sign and only found out that the hill was off limits from reading these forums. It always just seemed like a community sledding hill to us.

 

Oh I love it. Someone who just moved into the area lecturing me about the hill. I've been here almost 10 years. Those No Tresspassing signs are new just this year.

But since you asked...(and for what its worth, I bought my house before the fake hill exisited and it was never supposed to be there; it's basically a dump site), here is a brief history of the "hill".

This was originally a lot that was supposed to be a daycare or church site. It was a flat lot and priced so outrageously that no one bought it. It became a fill lot with a HUGE mound of rocks, dirt, and who knows what else, that had a big point at the top. No one went on it. At some point, it was graded and the top and grass was planted. At the time, Waxpool was still a small two lane road with a three way stop sign where the Sunoco is now. The hill became a sledding hill because Waxpool was a still a small road with very few cars on it, plus with the stop sign there people naturally went pretty slow. It was safe and fun to sled there. In fact, the Broadlands HOA newsletter even included pictures of kids sledding on that hill. (I kept a copy since my daughter was in one of the pictures.) At that time it was in NO WAY discouraged at that point by the developer or the HOA to stay off the hill.

As the neighborhood grew, and more traffic was on Waxpool there began to be some concern about the hill being dangerous for sledding. Trees were planted to act as obstacles to discourage it, but still there was no formal decree to stay off the hill. People still used it to sled and went to the top to fly kites, etc.

Now that the neighborhood is bigger, the kids are older and there is "activity" at the top of the hill, the developer is now deciding that there is liability and they want to keep kids off it. Fine. It's their property. But the No Tresspassing signs are new and since they've been there, my family has stayed away (but hey, thanks for the reminder).

My suggestion to Van Metre is to remove the hill. Quite frankly once they go to the expense of putting signs, fences and lighting up, they may as well remove it all together and either try to sell it again or perhaps make it a park type thing. If it was street level, I don't think some of the stuff that's going on there would continue because it would be easy to see.

And oh yes; the neighborhood kids don't have to ask me to regrade my yard. I never put a huge eyesore of dirt in the middle of it. But if I did, I'm pretty sure I'd be required to remove it by the county, developer or the HOA. At my expense by the way. In fact, we had a couple of small decorative ROCKS (nothing even resembling a hill) in our front yard that we had to remove back when the streets were turned over to VDOT. Everyone had to take down their landscaping near the street easements, even ivy, shrubs or signs on our mailboxes. Anyone remember that fiasco? Good times, good times.

 

Howdy new neighbor! Thanks for your interest in the hill behind my house. To explain a little more history (although this was already posted), the No Trespassing signs JUST WENT UP. We're talking a couple weeks ago. At least the one that I see behind my house, pointed at mine and my neighbors lots, where only we can see them, and not anyone coming from anywhere except someone who just trespassed through my neighbors or my yard (climbing over my fence, of course). I'll have to post a pic for you.

Also, the reason I asked for suggestions was I was hopeful that Van Metre was still interested in possibly giving the lot to the HOA if they were so motivated. Since when they were talking about doing that before, they held a meeting with the homeowners who neighbor the hill to ask for their suggestions. I think we'd probably have a lot of support for the HOA contributing part of the money to plant more trees there. (The HOA is the organization of homeowners in the community, which you are a member of if you are paying your monthly dues.) I even hold out hope that with all of the bad press Van Metre has been getting lately, that they might want to show a little good will by doing what the residents want in this case.

And in case it wasn't clear, I like the hill. I don't want it to go away. It is a buffer zone for my property and the alternative, where it goes away, means it's likely that it will turn into lots for sale as opposed to a buffer zone. Although I think I'd still rather it go away than have a fence and lights on it.

So, do you have a helpful suggestion?

 

Suggestions are fine and dandy but it is VM's property and we all know that VM will do with it pretty much as they please.

VM only took action with the fences and signs due to potential lawsuits.

 

I agree with you boxerluvr! It was a great place where little children could have some fun during the winter and a great place to watch fireworks. Where are kids going to now sled in the winter!? How sad...

 

No, the sad part was kids sledding into the street and parents actually trying to stop traffic so the kids could.

There is already enough risk of a minor injury when sledding, why throw in the possibilty of DEATH???

 

I'm a little disappointed in the "No Trespassing" signs - not because of sledding, but because going to the top of the hill was fun. It was a huge, open, flat space. Not something you see too much of around here. I took my Brownie troop up there to fly kites. I've seen people flying remote control airplanes. It's a really neat place.

 

The basic problem here is that almost ALL good sledding hills are off limits because of liability. We keep taking away the things that make being a kid fun and then complain about how they sit around & play video games.

I don;t know if the hil behind GWU is still "open", that looked like great fun!

 

there is a great hill in new Brunswick nj by johnsen and johnsen off rt 1 not far from the traffic circle which is not there anymore by rt 130 and the white lion bar also had great pizza. also there is great sledding in mammoth mountain ca



seriously go sledding this year like the little ones do on my hill in my front yard every year

 

That was a great sledding hill. Went sledding there the winter of 1993, when GWU was the only thing there. It was sooooooooo much fun, not to mention scary scary scary