Building a Network of Neighbors

When a city or county government plans to build a landfill, widen a highway or close a playground, neighborhood associations swing into action. The reason: Maintain property values.

And that's also the reason that such groups impose strict rules about front door color or the permissible time to fly flags, sometimes to the annoyance of some residents or the derision of outsiders.

But well-run associations can have a role in upholding other values, too. "A neighborhood association is about connecting people in a society that is becoming highly fragmented," said Richard C. Harwood, president of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, a Bethesda nonprofit.

Under that guise, an association can plan an annual Halloween parade or a newcomer's welcome party, plant flowers each spring or testify before city or county government about parks, trails, schools or roads. For example, in the Bannockburn section of Bethesda, one of the neighborhood associations has sponsored an annual spring show since 1957. Residents ranging from 8 to more than 80 years old perform on the stage of the community's clubhouse.

That's a role these groups can fill whether membership is mandatory -- generally called a homeowners', condominium or community association -- or voluntary -- usually known as a civic or neighborhood association.

Associations "do whatever it takes to teach people that when they move there, they become part of the greater community, said Paul D. Grucza, president of the Community Associations Institute, an Alexandria nonprofit that serves association-governed communities.

And that, in turn, can help maintain property values.

"There's no question that property values are higher in a neighborhood with a center nucleus, where families can do things together and meet other people" than on a street in a more isolated area, said Diana Keeling, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Bethesda, and a performer in this year's Bannockburn spring show.

"The majority of families with young children are looking for and willing to pay extra for a neighborhood with a swimming pool, clubhouse or other place to go to meet other families. . . . To them it's almost priceless," she said.

Strong social networks among neighbors are not built by having "a few key leaders running the neighborhood association well," but rather by involving as many people as possible, said Thomas H. Sander, executive director of the Civic Engagement in America project at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

There is no magic formula for turning an inactive or ineffective neighborhood association into a more vibrant one. Still, experts say that with some effort, members can build a more effective association that promotes community ties. Here are some strategies:

• Cast a wide net when trying to get residents involved. Lack of involvement is the biggest problem facing neighborhood associations. Dan Wilhelm, president of the Montgomery County Civic Federation, a non-partisan organization composed primarily of civic associations, said: "Usually, about 1 percent of people are involved in the citizens association, if you're lucky, then 2 percent."

To attract more people, recruit uninvolved residents for the nominating committee, who then recruit other uninvolved people to serve on the board, said Dan Feer, president of the Chantilly Highlands Association, a homeowners association in Herndon. By recruiting people who haven't been involved before, "you get an infusion of fresh ideas and, with any luck, an infusion of enthusiasm," he said. Also, recruit the busiest people in the neighborhood, Feer advised. "They know how to manage their time," he said.

Don't rely on empty nesters or retirees to be the core of the volunteer effort, Feer added. "Doing so means constantly relying on the same people," who may burn out.