Where We Live
Piney Orchard, a Natural Choice
Ted Jones, one of the first residents to move into the Chestnut Gable condominiums, has lived in Piney Orchard since 1992. "Everything's here," he said, and most is accessible by motorized scooter. At left, a trail in the Nature Preserve.
(Photos By Mary Hensel Lehman For The Washington Post)
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Saturday, February 17, 2007
When Ted Jones moved to Piney Orchard in 1992, the things he liked the most were one-level living and the view just outside the first-floor condominium where he lives with his wife, Diane.
Deer and other wildlife, including an enormous groundhog that routinely feasted on his chrysanthemums, were regular visitors. He could watch Fort Meade's Fourth of July fireworks from his patio.
There are still deer, though fewer, and while he can no longer see the fireworks because of all the newer development, Jones said he still enjoys both the convenience and tranquillity of Piney Orchard, a planned community in Anne Arundel County.
Koren Development began building Piney Orchard in 1991. Today there are 3,740 units in 40 residential communities, including 37 single-family, townhouse and condominium developments, plus three rental apartment complexes.
Piney Orchard has an Odenton ZIP code, but it is a covenanted community with its own elected governing board and an annual budget of about $1 million to cover operation and maintenance of recreational facilities and upkeep of the common grounds. The grass-cutting budget alone is $250,000. Revenue comes mainly from the yearly assessment fee paid by residents based on their home's value.
In addition, there is a quarterly utilities surcharge for the water and sewer costs the developer incurred. For townhouse and condominium owners, there is a third fee covering snow removal and street repairs.
In 2005, governance of Piney Orchard was transferred from the developer to residents. The nine-member board makes policy decisions and sets fees. A private management company takes care of billing and collections.
Board member Pete Hanan, who lives in the Brookwood subdivision, said the transfer has gone smoothly for the most part, but there are still some "growing pains."
Hanan, an avid birder, hiker and cyclist, heads the Nature Preserve Committee. One challenge, he said, is to keep riders of all-terrain vehicles off the community's maintained paths, which are designed for walking and bicycling.
On a recent tour around Duck Cove Pond, Hanan pointed out the trail signs his committee advocated, maps showing the preserve's seven walking paths, and beaver and bird habitats, including the nesting area of some great blue herons.
As Hanan paused in front of a trail marker, Brien Aho, a resident of the Trout Run subdivision and a photojournalist for the U.S. Navy, approached with a gigantic camera lens on his shoulder. He comes to the preserve a few weekends a month to take wildlife pictures, he said. His most prized image is that of a heron, which he captured just as it was lifting itself from the pond in flight.
Piney Orchard's open spaces, amenities and access to Baltimore, Washington and Annapolis help sell the community, but most people agreed the real draw is the variety of housing.
