Where We Live: Behind the gates, a quiet escape

In the off-season, tranquillity rules. The only sounds heard one recent weekend were those of birds and an occasional barking dog. Ducks and swans glided past docks as dawn’s light broke through a fine mist. Streets were occupied mostly by joggers, dog walkers and a few cyclists. “Chipmunks and squirrels are our traffic,” said real estate agent and resident Pat Licata.

There seems to be no divide between full- and part-time residents. When Julia Strickland and her husband, Clark, were looking for a weekend place three years ago, Lake of the Woods met their main criterion: being close enough to their Fairfax home so they’d actually use it. “And we do,” she said, It’s also halfway between home and the University of Virginia, where their son is a student.

Personal Post

Graphic

Real estate trends over the past 10 years in the D.C. metropolitan area.

“Our first visits were met with baked goods from neighbors on both sides,” said Strickland. “We’ve felt just as welcomed ever since.”

Another part-timer, Columbia resident Donna Thomas, said neighbors keep her family informed of any problems, such as downed trees.

Round-the-clock security, ensuring that only residents and their guests have access to the community and lake, was important to Carey Young, who lives in Baileys Crossroads and recently bought a small cottage in a wooded setting: three bedrooms, two baths and a fireplace for less than $150,000. “It’s a gated community that doesn’t feel gated until you’re several hours away, and then you’re glad it is,” she said.

The homeowners association, composed of a seven-member board and 20 advisory committees, is responsible for operations within the gates. Earlier this year, state officials dropped a long-running demand for the homeowners to upgrade a spillway on an earthen dam along the main lake; the work was estimated to cost $6 million. The dam received a six-year unconditional operational certificate in March.

The homeowners association maintains a reserve fund to help with dam maintenance and to protect members from spikes in the annual assessments. This year’s assessment for all lots is $1,175 and covers services of the community’s volunteer fire department and salaries for a staff of more than 90 people who maintain the lake, streets and common property and tend to snow removal.

Use of the 18-hole golf course, swimming pools, boat slips or equestrian center entails additional fees. For example, a family pool membership costs an extra $170 per year.

Forty-four years after his purchase, Jeff Flynn says he still enjoys the community’s casual ambiance. “It’s not a country club atmosphere,” he said. “There’s a real sense of community here.”

Ann Cameron Siegal is a freelance writer.