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Broadlands Town Hall Meeting Tuesday, December 11

Discussion in 'Local Area Events' started by The Broadlands Community, Dec 5, 2018.

  1. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    Thought I'd provide a little background on this issue.
    For those of you who don'r know me, I serve on the Broadlands HOA Board and represent the Broad Run District on the Loudoun County Planning Commission.
    As a normal course of business, applicants who have items scheduled for Planning Commission hearings will reach out to Commissioners to discuss their applications. Van Metre reached out to me to discuss this one.
    Their original intent was to have these units included in the HOA for the multi-family units east of Mooreview Parkway. There will be a clubhouse/swimming pool over there.
    I had some concerns with that. When you look at this section there are Broadlands residential units to the east, west, and north of this land. When these residents want to: use a tot lot, go for walks, use a tennis court, use a basketball court, etc., where do you think they will go? They are surrounded by Broadlands, so they will cross the street and use our amenities, whether they pay for them or not. The only things we can exclude them from are the community buildings and the swimming pools.
    My comment to Van Metre was that they either needed to provide more onsite amenities on this parcel or work with the HOA for inclusion into Broadlands.

    Also, for those that want to paint Van Metre as the "bad guy" in this, our governing documents allow them to annex property within one mile of Broadlands into the Association as their right as the Developer. The HOA has no say. Van Metre knew that action would be controversial and chose not to do it.

    Some data regarding this application:
    The HOA does not get to determine whether or not this gets approved. The HOA is just deciding if they would allow these additional units to be annexed into the HOA.
    At the county level, there is a Planning Commission work session on this application this Thursday. When the Planning Commission finishes the review, it will send its recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. They will have a public hearing on this, so anyone with concerns about this application can raise them. The final decision on this rests with the Board of Supervisors. I'm guessing their Public Hearing will be in January.

    My opinion on this as an HOA Board member:
    I don't have any problems with additional residential units being added to Broadlands. It has happened before in the community.
    As mentioned above, I think these residents will be using a lot of our amenities even if they are not part of our HOA.
    Sunstoner did a good job of outlying the financial advantage to the HOA, with the price per unit fee and the monthly Association fees that would be collected.
    The additional trails would be of benefit as well...particularly the connection between Fieldthorn Terrace and Demott. This is something that has been requested many times by residents. Yes, it would have been nice if the Developer built them oringinally, but they weren't required to and they didn't.
    As far as the pools go, we sell around 250 outside family memberships each year. If the pools were to start getting crowded, we could terminate that practice. Our pools have plenty of capacity, and I'm always amazed at how little the Community Center pool actually gets used.

    Some comments about specific items address by others on this forum.
    This ground was never "open space" or "green space". It was originally designated as commercial property. Then it was given to George Mason University for a campus. Now it is being proposed for these residential units and a school site.
    As far as paths, Van Metre would be required to put a path on the east side of Demott only, along the new development. The HOA has asked them to extend this path to the north and east to connect with the Greenway overpass and connect to Broadlands Station to the east. A path on the west side of Demott from the Broadlands Apartments to the Harris Teeter will be build, as well as the connecting path to Fieldthorn Terrace. These paths will also be lit similarly to the other lit trails in the community.
    I agree with others that the community should have been kept better informed on this and input sought sooner.

    Hope some of this helps.
     
  2. Excelsior

    Excelsior Southern Walk||IMPERIUM IN IMPERIO||

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    Thanks for circling back with us, VaCliff. Couple of things, the balancing of pool memberships and scaling back or eliminating outside pool memberships would be a good quantitative (on paper) way to handle it, but lots of Broadlands HOA members have friends who are outside members, and those families attend the pools together, and enjoy the beautiful sunshine on those coveted summer days. I would think that would also alter the chemistry of at least one of the swim teams. Some outside members have been involved for years.... just saying. There's a human side to this tradeoff as well.

    There's nothing wrong with the value proposition of having an annexation and the way we're handling this. Communication is tricky and there's often not a lot of detail before-hand because there's nothing official to communicate, so in the abscence of that, there is just speculation.

    I want to go back to the projected net annual operating surplus that was presented in the plan attached to this announcement. If we are expecting ~$130,000 annual operating surplus, have we checked this number against other areas of HOA budget lines that are likely to be impacted. Administrative, common area (that is a huge budget line), events committee, First Service contract(s), legal, deliquincy projections, and ensured that the addition of 261 new homes (about 7% of the total existing number of residences) have been properly accounted for? Additionally, do we expect higher rates of delinqunicy, covenenant inspector overhead, legal associated with covenant duties as the townhomes transition to rental properties (they are right next door to the metro, you know they will turn into rentals)?
     
  3. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    I can probably speak to some of these items and management can probably answer the rest. No additional administrative personal anticipated. The yard maintenance will be similar to Southern Walk in that the HOA will provide it and their assessments will pay for it. This will reduce covenant issues quite a bit. There is very little additional common area in this section, so that will be minimal. Our delinquency rate is extremely low, but that percentage could be applied to this section. And we already have a lot of rental properties in Broadlands, so that would be nothing new. No impact to Events line. Not sure if First Service per unit fees were deducted from the calculations.
    But I thing I get what you are asking: What is the net profit after ALL associated administrative and other fees, delinquency rate, etc. are deducted from the revenue generated by the additional units.
     
    Mike-and-Kim and Excelsior like this.
  4. Excelsior

    Excelsior Southern Walk||IMPERIUM IN IMPERIO||

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    Yes, and after all is said and done, does it balance out, will it stay balanced, or will it eat into the $783,000 if something hasn't been accounted for?
     
  5. The Broadlands Community

    The Broadlands Community Well-Known Member

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    Sunstoner, a line by line budget has been prepared and will be reviewed at the meeting tomorrow. The net revenue takes into consideration all of the anticipated expenses and still predicts the excess.
     
  6. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Thank you to the board, Van Metre, and Ron M for making this happen. Even tho I found the time a bit difficult, I'm happy the parties involved are investing to at least give residents the potential to get informed and share any comments.

    Honestly to me, I think the school element has the bigger impact than the housing. The concessions from Van Metre seem favorable to the community in terms of offsetting the impact of the new housing units. The elements in 204 seem perplexing to me as almost a 'fragment' of a development vs what else is going on around it... but I assume the people spending the $$$ know more about it than I do in terms of it's long term future or how it fits with its neighbors.

    As raised in the discussion, I think it would help residents grasp this a bit better if the idea was contrasted with prior actions so people can understand the activity on a relative level to things they are already familiar with. When people don't know the day to day... line item budget things often can just create more tangent thoughts than they started with. Comparing with things people are familiar with, or have accepted (willingly or not) helps give some perspective without needing to support every point that lead to that conclusion.

    Comparing with the annexation of the units where the meeting was held is a good example... that activity didn't make the sky fall... and people got some benefits out of it. Same here.. or even cite older ones and compare how this one sizes up.

    And to reference some points made.. make sure people understand this is not about VM going forward with the project or not.. it's about making the best out of the project for our needs/concerns. Tho I would like to see a bit more transparency on being clear on how VM benefits from our choices. Not that it's nefarious, but just so people understand motivations.
     
  7. Excelsior

    Excelsior Southern Walk||IMPERIUM IN IMPERIO||

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    yes i was there and agree that the town hall was good and the VM folks and supervisor meyer added lots of good context. there's still time to gauge the impact, but it seems most potential loose ends have been accounted for. i helped me to know that this wasn't the first annexation and we've lived through it before and we've all survived.
     
  8. BarnesFamily

    BarnesFamily Member

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    Can anyone provide sparknotes for those unable to attend? Reading between the lines, it seems the high density housing is a go. What were the concessions? Will this development have its own pool? Was the future state of the Waxpool-Demott intersection discussed? Has the level of school (i.e. Elem, Middle, High) been decided yet?
     
  9. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    School will he decided by the county TBD. Vm is just giving the land. Ron Myers relayed the county is eager to add a middle school... so suggested it might favor that.

    Waxpool end was not a focus... but I thought Roy from vm said signals were planned for both ends of this stretch of demott. The mooreview side would trigger proffers moorefield has to implement the light at the 4 way stop.

    No pool at this site. They would use broadlands amenities

    Nothing is a ‘go’ yet. But the county plan calls for higher density housing than Ron Myers was pushing for. VM says they are still keeping it on the lower threshold for section 202 which is the section across from the existing apartments. The makeup of the units seems to be kept open for market conditions and whatever constraints they have to account for affordable units etc. they talk ranges and caps. Capped at 262 units.

    The development at mooreview tho is the multistory high density stuff. Roy from vm said they’d like to start with the building furthest west... which if memory serves he said would likely be 4 stories tall
     
  10. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Current explicit concessions (my recollection)... 8ft paths on both sides of demott full way... lit with led lights. Bridge and connecting path from west side path through existing cut through to townhome area off village.. giving those homes a more direct walking path to demott->[...]->metro. (Approx 3/4mile from bridge to metro). Cash payments. On county design, vm would build bus stops on each side of demott for circulator bus routes.

    Estimated income vs new expenses shows positive balance.

    This development would trigger the Traffic light at 4 way stop off greenway to get done

    Path to metro basically goes basically to exisiting firehouse, then behind it to metro stop.
     
  11. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    Correction on Demott path: west side of Demott would be from the entrance to the Broadlands Apts south to the Harris Teeter.
    For those that want to see where the bridge will be, it is next to the tot lot at the end of Fieldthorn Terrace. There is already a clearing to Demott through there were utilities were run.
     
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  12. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    The "Elevated Walkway" would be located where the red arrow is on the following image. The land is already cleared and would not require additional approvals from the Army Corps of Engineers from my understanding.

    upload_2018-12-12_19-14-57.png
     
  13. BarnesFamily

    BarnesFamily Member

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    Thank you both for the replies.
     
  14. The Broadlands Community

    The Broadlands Community Well-Known Member

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    Broadlands will be hosting another Town Hall meeting on Thursday, January 3rd
    The meeting will be 6:30-8:00PM and held at the Broadlands Clubhouse at 43360 Rickenbacker Sq

    Denise Harrover, Vice President of Planning and Entitlements of Van Metre Companies will provide a presentation on the proposed section 202 annexation into Broadlands, which includes 261 townhome and condominium units on the former George Mason University property on Demott Drive between Waxpool Road and Mooreview Parkway/LCPS school site. Presented information includes unit style, section parking/landscape/amenity plan, pedestrian bridge connecting Fieldthorn Terrace and Demott Drive providing access to the Harris Teeter shopping center complete with pathway lighting, and annexation fees. Broadlands Association will present benefits/impacts to the community.

    If you would like to submit questions in advance or have inquiries, contact Sarah Gerstein at 703-729-9704 or Sarah@broadlandshoa.com.
     
  15. BarnesFamily

    BarnesFamily Member

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  16. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    The units that will be part of Broadlands is much smaller. The vote is for the larger development, which includes the land on the other side of Mooreview Parkway, etc, and that amounts to a total of 843 units.
     
  17. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    ...as if 260 more units weren't enough - just awful.
     
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  18. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    This was always part of the discussion... just not the part associated with the hoa deal... as the other section was the mixed development which was across the road

    If this bothers you... I'm pretty sure you are in for a shock for what people plan for development around the metro stations.... high density
     
  19. BarnesFamily

    BarnesFamily Member

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    Do you have any more information on this? Drawings/articles, etc?
     
  20. Genco

    Genco Active Member

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    This area has been a great place to raise our kids, but when the last one graduates High School next year we are out of NOVA. While this area was always deemed to be the transitional area, I think it has gotten a little too crowded and waxpool is still a disaster in the morning and evening rush. I can't wait to put out the For Sale sign next year and I wish the next person as much enjoyment as we have had for the last 20 years. Broadlands has been a great community and will be moving forward, just getting in and out of the neighborhood will be a bigger pain in the butt.
     
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