By Tammi Marcoullier
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Living in LoCo is Tammi Marcoullier's blog devoted to all things interesting in Loudoun County. You can find it athttp://www.loudounextra.com. This column of highlights from the blog appears in this space every Sunday.
Our newest correspondent, Lansdowne's Dave Nemetz, reports from the community homeowners association's annual meeting:
The transition is complete. Residents elected the first resident-controlled board for Lansdowne on the Potomac on Wednesday night.
John Caron and Vivian Zoakos, highly regarded members of the community's Facilities and Grounds Committee, were elected with the two highest vote totals. The other three slots went to incumbents, President Jeff Brown and directors Raj Amin and John Whitbeck.
Feedback from some residents indicates that the election of Caron and Zoakos signals a more measured approach on the new board, as opposed to what some viewed as the intrusive and antagonistic governing style of the 2006-07 board.
The meeting was held at the Lansdowne Resort. But judging from the attendance, a phone booth might have been adequate. In a community with almost 2,200 homes, an estimated 100 residents attended.
A bit more encouraging was the 453 votes cast. Residents were able to vote either on the Lansdowne Web site, by proxy or in person at the meeting. And this election was ultimately a battle of proxies.
Some residents made the effort to go door-to-door to collect proxies, to a mixed response. George Pitiera, who lives in the River Oaks section of Lansdowne, said he encountered only a couple of hostile residents when he asked for their proxies. "What surprised me was that most people didn't even know there was an election, and some just didn't care," Pitiera said.
Another River Oaks resident, Fulvia DeBenedetto, also talked to neighbors who were unaware of the election and meeting. "The Lansdowne residents . . . I'm so disappointed in them," she told me. "They'll have no right to complain if something goes wrong."
What most probably won't change is the decision by the current board to notify home day-care providers in Lansdowne that they need to shut down their operations by mid-2008 or risk further action by the HOA, including foreclosure.
These residents, who say they purchased their homes with implied approval to operate home businesses, will be forced to either lose that income or sell their homes in a depressed real estate market. Families of the children under care will have to make alternative plans for child care.
We'll see how this new board responds to the challenges of the upcoming year. Whatever happens, we need more residents to be aware of what is going on in the community.
Brambleton Gives Verizon an EarfulCandy Murphy is our new correspondent in Brambleton. Some of you may know her from writings on the http://Brambletonian.net forums and her blog BrambleDirt. Here is her report from Tuesday night's Brambleton Community Association meeting:
In Brambleton, the hot topic was Verizon FiOS service. Generally, people are frustrated with the fiber optics plan that provides Internet, digital television and phone service. They like the TV quality but not the customer service and the hardware, and some are afraid that we're locked into another long-term, single-provider deal.
Brambleton was the first Verizon enhanced community, with each home wired with FTTP (fiber to the premises). Our association fees include FiOS Internet and TV, but each home pays separately for set-top box rental, DVR rental, premium channels, etc. Brambleton signed a 15-year contract with Verizon, which is examined annually for pricing and quality of service. Without this agreement, the fiber would never have been built out.
Unfortunately, Brambleton residents have had problems with Verizon, particularly with installations and customer service. We have had problems with installations since 2005, when we switched over to FiOS Internet. (Previously, the community had high-speed Internet through a Gatehouse Networks fiber product, which, incidentally, is still in the ground.)
Most recently, a new program guide has caused major issues with DVRs, including shows not recording, season passes disappearing and incorrect information about the amount of space available. (Brambleton has had FiOS TV service since last year). A subsequent software fix didn't solve all the problems, and some residents have given up altogether on the Verizon boxes, choosing instead to buy the new TiVO HD and renting CableCards from Verizon.
To respond to complaints, Verizon Enhanced Communities now has a Customer Advocacy Group, whose manager, Charles Collora, spoke at the meeting and answered a lot of questions from residents. Verizon knows there are problems, both technical and in customer service, and is working to improve its relationship with Brambleton, he said.
New firmware is coming that should help resolve the remaining DVR issues. The Customer Advocacy Group is randomly testing customer service channels to look for weak links. It is also keeping an eye on issues that residents have brought to the attention of homeowners association staff members.
Collora had some good news for us: Next year, we should see a Brambleton community channel, symmetrical data services (same upload/download speed), differential billing (you can order something other than the standard 15/2 data service), HD on demand and, by the end of the year, five times the number of HD channels.
I appreciated hearing from Verizon officials that they acknowledge our special relationship with them. Collora actually said at the meeting: "Brambleton is not a place on the map. Brambleton is not a series of phone numbers. Brambleton is people."
In other Brambleton news:
¿ By the end of the year, we will have more than 2,000 homes. Brambleton will be the largest community in Loudoun County, with nearly 9,000 homes, when all construction projects are completed.
¿ Freedom Fest will be on June 28, and there will be fireworks.
¿ Brambleton is still one of the best-selling communities in Loudoun County. The next phases to be built will include the Water Tower District, referred to as "edgy, industrial" townhouses by the water towers. The developer wants to build up the density around the Brambleton Town Center.
¿ Shame, shame. This year, there were 201 first notices about lawn violations, 84 second notices and 20 lawns that had to be mowed by contractors. There were 180 complaints from residents about other people's violations of the covenants.
A Safe Hangout for TeensOn Friday nights this month, local teenagers have been showing up at the Dulles Sportsplex in Sterling for an open gym session sponsored by the nonprofit group Loudoun Youth Inc.
Through word of mouth, the news spread that there was a safe, no-cost place for teens to hang out from 9 p.m. to midnight, snacks and drinks included. Organizer Carol Kost said that about 28 kids showed up on Nov. 2 and 32 on Nov. 9, a good indication of the need for something to do.
The program, called "After Dark," is the first phase of an initiative from the organization to combat gang activity. Loudoun Youth was recently awarded a $200,000 grant from the Justice Department to run programs that include after-school activities, after-sports parties and recreation center teen nights.
The teens have played soccer and dodge ball and were planning to try "handless volleyball" last week. Kost says the organization is looking for volunteers to help, including to officiate games. If you are interested, e-mail loudounyouth@aol.com.
And if you know any teens looking for something to do Friday night, send them to the Sportsplex. Each participant has to sign in, but you can't beat the price; it is free for all high school students.
More From the BlogHere are some other recent items you'll find online.
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¿ Virtual IDs meet reality.
¿ A moving tribute to veterans.
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