School and Boundary Changes Update Schedule for Laurel Hill

L H el Hill Laur Laurel Hill Letter August 2006 In addition, there are two other ideas/proposals that have been floated to avoid or delay either the two choices above: 3) Take the funding currently planned to build the Laurel Hill Elementary School and instead use it to build a new 6th-7th8th grade South County Middle School. In this scenario, Laurel Hill elementary school students would attend either Silverbrook or Halley Elementary Schools for grades K5, and then attend the new South County Middle School (6-7-8) and High School (9-12). 4) Sell the Laurel Hill Elementary School Site to developers and use the profits, plus the money that had been planned for the Laurel Hill Elementary School, to pay for building a new 6th7th-8th grade South County Middle School. Laurel Hill elementary school students would attend either Silverbrook or Halley Elementary Schools for grades K- 5, and then attend South County Middle School (6-7-8) and High School (9-12). In this scenario, it is unlikely that an elementary school would be built in the vicinity of Laurel Hill because the land dedicated for its use would no longer be available. There was much discussion among those attending the continued on page 2 A bi-monthly publication for the Laurel Hill Community • Written by Residents for Residents Volume 3, Issue 3 School and Boundary Changes Update Tom Husband, Chair, Regional Affairs Committee n June 29, the Laurel Hill Community Association’s Regional Affairs Committee held a meeting to update residents on the latest information and potential changes related to schools in the South County region. The meeting, which was announced by flyers to each home, was fairly well attended by more than 30 of our residents. Also in attendance was our School Board Member, Dan Storck. The meeting’s agenda centered around the South County Secondary School boundary/capacity study that will take place this fall. The study will identify ways to relieve overcrowding at the school. The results of this study may not just affect where our children attend middle school, it very well may have implications for the planned Laurel Hill Elementary School. That’s why these issues are very important to all Laurel Hill residents, not just those with school-age children. There are two likely outcomes from this fall’s boundary/capacity study: 1) A normal boundary study process would redraw the current SCSS boundary to fit the school’s capacity; or 2) South County Secondary School could be changed to a High School only, and all Middle School students would be bussed to either Hayfield or Lake Braddock Secondary Schools. O 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Back Cover INSIDE THIS ISSUE List of Advertisers Swim Teams Create a Sense of Community Laurel Hill Triton Winter Swim Front Yard Friendly The Connection Community Corner Fairfax Medical Reserve Corps Needs Volunteers Lawn and Gardens Contact Numbers Important Dates Schedule for Laurel Hill Adaptive Reuse Plan Adjusted Reformatory – Penitentiary Request For Proposal Is Later Than Planned Tim Sargeant I t was supposed to be distributed during the first week in July. However, the Request For Proposal (RFP) for the adaptive reuse of the Reformatory and Penitentiary at Laurel Hill won’t be ready for distribution until late July or early August. During their July 17 meeting, members of the Laurel Hill Project Advisory Citizens Oversight Committee were informed about the delayed distribution of the RFP due to the County’s internal review process. Chris Caperton, the County’s project coordinator for the Laurel Hill site, noted that the County’s continued on page 3 www.laurel-hill.org http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LaurelHill/ Volume 3, Issue 3 LAUREL HILL LETTER www.laurel-hill.org 2 L H el Hill Laur The Laurel Hill Letter is brought to you by many hardworking individuals Update on School and Boundary Changes continued from page 1 meeting about these four options. The Regional Affairs Committee, as well as School Board Member Dan Storck heard this from the residents in attendance: • There is very strong support for continuing to aggressively pursue the goal of building a South County Middle School as the only real long-term solution to the boundary/ capacity issues. • There is virtually no support for the interim (or longterm) solution of sending middle schoolers back to Hayfield or Lake Braddock. • There is some willingness to consider using the Laurel Hill Elementary School funding to build a 6-7-8 grade middle school BUT there were also many who clearly preferred building the elementary school first. Jeff Schrum, Editor jeffschrum@yahoo.com Christine Morin, Editor ccmorin@aol.com Contributors Suzie Celentano Hannah Cox Peter Dickinson Denise Gemma Tom Gemma Laura Griffith Phyllis Martin Simmy Yau • There was strong opposition to selling the Laurel Hill Elementary School site to pay for a middle school. Many felt this would negatively impact not only Laurel Hill, but also the overall South County community. School Board Member Dan Storck made clear to the community that he, and the entire School Board and School Administration, would never support selling the middle school and elementary school sites unless there was sufficient capacity. This issue is of utmost importance to our community, and it is vital that we have broad community support. While a turnout of 30 people is impressive, this issue impacts far more than 30 households in our community. This was only our first community meeting and represents only a sample of opinions. We are planning further informational forums over the summer to educate Laurel Hill residents and determine what position our community would like to take in this process. Please keep an eye out for future meetings either on the Laurel Hill Yahoo Group, the laurel-hill.org website, and flyers distributed by community residents. Board of Directors Peter Dickinson, President 703-690-8323 peteaba@cox.net Christine Morin, Vice President 703-495-9664 ccmorin@aol.com Tom Husband, Secretary 703-690-6916 tljohusband@msn.com Bill Brown, Treasurer 703-495-8206 ew3@netzero.net Gib Godwin, Member-at-Large 703-690-4686 jbgodwin@hughes.net LIST OF ADVERTISERS Back in Motion Physical Therapy ............4 Dinner My Way ........................................9 Fairfax Station Chiropractic ....................2 First Command ........................................9 Fitness Solutions for Women ................3 Good Hair Day Salon ................................9 House Doctor............................................2 JMC Painting ............................................8 Music Together ........................................5 New York Carpet & Rug, Inc. ..................8 ReMax-Jeri Sellman ................................9 ReMax-Tamara Inzunza ........................6-7 State Farm-Craig E. Griffith ....................3 Sydensticker United Methodist Church ..9 Tariq Sharfi, CPA ......................................4 Vacuum Zone ............................................9 www.laurel-hill.org LAUREL HILL LETTER Volume 3, Issue 2 Schedule for Laurel Hill Adaptive Reuse Plan …continued from page 1 Department of Purchasing and Supply Management was still reviewing the document. The Oversight Committee recommended that County department heads involved in the RFP process develop a written understanding that confirms the time frame for completion and distribution of the document. The RFP reflects the recommendations of the Laurel Hill Adaptive Reuse Citizens Task Force, as accepted by the Board of Supervisors in December 2004 and incorporated in the Laurel Hill Comprehensive Plan on May 1, 2006. As a result of the revised schedule, it is anticipated that responses to the RFP would be due in late October 2006. Following the internal review process, there will be discussions between County staff and the Oversight Committee about the proposals the County has received. The Oversight Committee and County staff are tentatively scheduled to make their separate recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding selection of a development team in February 2007. The Oversight Committee is in the process of developing a set of principles or criteria for reviewing responses to the RFP. The committee will use the Laurel Hill Task Force recommendations and the updated Laurel Hill Comprehensive Plan as the guiding documents for its review process. The next meeting of the Laurel Hill Project Advisory Citizens Oversight Committee is scheduled for late August. Information about the committee’s meeting schedule and links to its electronic newsletters are available at: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/laurelhill/projectadvisory.htm Tim Sargeant is chairman of the Laurel Hill Project Advisory Citizens Oversight Committee which was established by the Board of Supervisors to monitor the Reformatory-Penitentiary reuse project. Swim Teams Create a Sense of Community Scott Babcock 3 T here is more to a community than just houses. A community involves a group of people working and living together to create a place they can call home. I have to admit that I was worried when I moved to Laurel Hill in early October last year. The neighborhood I left wasn’t just a neighborhood, it our home and a community. Everybody knew everybody. I had grown up in this neighborhood and participated on the local swim team, with the same kids since the age of seven. I was afraid that my new neighborhood wouldn't be able to provide me with the same sense of community. Until late spring my assumption was correct. Things started to seem brighter when I found out that there would be a swim team at my new pool, the Laurel Hill swim club. I knew that from the swim team the building blocks of a community and home would be formed. As swim team started my continued on page 5 Volume 3, Issue 3 4 Laurel Hill Triton Winter Swim Tom Gemma W e are continuing a Winter Swim program at South Run REC CENTER for Laurel Hill swimmers ages 7 to 18. This is a weekly swim clinic that runs from September through May on Sunday nights at South Run, 7:00pm to 8:00pm. It is a great way to keep the kids excited about swimming and working on their strokes during the colder months. We will be using the lanes in the deep section of the pool, so our swimmers must feel comfortable swimming the entire length in deep water. The fee from the REC Center is about $125 per child and would provide Laurel Hill swimmers a few lanes for 35 weeks! We only have room for 25 swimmers, so register early. To Register contact me at tgemma@cox.net www.laurel-hill.org LAUREL HILL LETTER Volume 3, Issue 2 Front Yard Friendly olorado Springs, Dayton, Seattle, Las Vegas and Lorton Virginia. What do these places have in common? The Robinsons have lived there. Chris, Leah, Savannah and Payne Robinson moved to Laurel Hill in February and they think it’s wonderful. “We think it’s wonderful,” they said recently. Chris, 34, is an Air Force Major with 12 years of service since his graduation from the Air Force Academy in 1994. For those who attended the recent Laurel Hill Luau, you will remember he was the guy who jumped in the pool. Chris enjoys playing golf, working out and spending time with his kids. Leah, 34, is a stay-at-home mother and former newspaper reporter (which accounts for the silly, newspapery-style of this Pulitzer prize-winning piece of journalism). Leah is a graduate of the University of North Carolina. She enjoys the community book club, bunco and playgroups. She did not jump in the pool at the Luau, but spends a lot of time there with her two children. Savannah, 7, will be a second-grader this fall at Silverbrook School. She is a proud member of the neighborhood swim team, the Laurel Hill Tritons. She wishes she could have a cat, but she is allergic, so she’s stuck with fish. Payne, 4, will attend preschool this fall. He enjoys any and all manner of weapons, including guns, swords, lightsabers, waterguns and cowboy guns. He is also a pirate aficionado, but will not be seeing the newest Disney pirate movie, saying, “It looks kinda scary . . . aarrgh!” The family hopes to be a part of the community for another 3 years, after which the Air Force will send them packing. To where? They can only hope for a place as warm and friendly as Laurel Hill. Swim Teams Create a Sense of Community continued from page 3 view of Laurel hill turned around. The kids in the area all were able to come together and begin to form friendships. The adults too were able to come together and form friendships through volunteering and coming together to cheer for the team at swim meets. Swimming is a sport for everybody. No matter a person’s size, shape or experience, they can still participate. While promoting team spirit, swimming also does much for the individual. Any individual improvement comes with a boost of confidence, not only in swimming but in attitude. All summer I have not only witnessed community building through swim team, but also the building of individuals. There is nothing better for a community than a swim team. I know that the friendships I formed this summer, while never able to replace those formed in my old neighborhood, will last a life time. 5 C Volume 3, Issue 3 LAUREL HILL LETTER www.laurel-hill.org 6 Book Club he Laurel Hill Book Club is going strong! We have read a wide variety of books and have enjoyed lively discussion. Past selections have included: DATE BOOK AUTHOR Nov 2005 Lipstick Jungle Candice Bushnell Jan 2006 The Great Gatsby F.Scott Fitzgerald Mar 2006 Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini May 2006 The Jane Austen Book Club Karen Jay Fowler Jul 2006 The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd T The Connection 2nd Annual Ice Cream Social P lease join your Laurel Hill neighbors at the community center on Labor Day, Monday September 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 pm. Last year’s event was a blast. Let’s celebrate and take a last dip into the pool before summer comes to and end. All families are welcome, but children under 18 MUST be accompanied by an adult. Please note that the pool may close 15 – 30 minutes early, as this is the last day of the season. So come early, swim and enjoy some ice cream. Volunteers are needed to help set up, clean up and serve ice cream. Please contact Laura Griffith at lauragriffith@hotmail.com if you can help. Our selection for September is Fall On Your Knees by AnnMarie MacDonald. Lisa Mullings will host this meeting on September 11 at 7:30 pm, 8731 Flowering Dogwood Lane (Centex Section). If you are interested in book club, please send an email me (simmy_yau@hotmail.com) and I will include you on the email distribution. 1st Annual Laurel Hill Craft Show Upcoming Events OCTOBER 21 Diwali celebration 28 Kids Halloween Party NOVEMBER Laurel Hill Connection Showcase DECEMBER 9 17 Kids Christmas Party 10 -2 pm Hanukkah Party 28 T he First Annual Laurel Hill Craft Show was a great success! With 12 vendors participating, we had a good turnout of shoppers from neighboring communities as well as our own Laurel Hill residents. As a result of the positive feedback, we want to plan for a show at the end of November. We are calling our next event THE LAUREL HILL HOLIDAY SHOWCASE!! Please contact Susan Mosios for more information regarding the Holiday Showcase (703) 690-6283. We need volunteers to run and help out with these events. Please contact Laura Griffith at lauragriffith@hotmail.com if you are interested. www.laurel-hill.org LAUREL HILL LETTER Volume 3, Issue 2 COMMUNITY CORNER Notes from the Desk of the General Manager PARKING REGULATIONS AND ENFORCEMENTS POLICY: (Effective July 15, 2006) At the June meeting, the Board of Directors approved a Parking Regulations and Enforcement Policy for the community. The new policies follow the adopted due process guidelines and provide a basis for enforcement. The Parking Regulations Policy will be strictly enforced within the community. If you notice a vehicle in violation of the Parking Regulations and Enforcement Policy, contact Management with all pertinent information. 703-493-8961 or jshipman@armstrong.net ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD The Architectural Review Board (ARB) has been feverishly reviewing Architectural Modification Forms, discussing the current Design Guidelines, and making plans for a community baseline audit. Within the year, the Committee plans to have a baseline audit complete for the entire community. Often, homeowners are not aware that they must request permission from the Association for an exterior modification. This can be remedied by submitting an Architectural Modification Form. T he Laurel Hill Community Association Board of Directors and Committees has had a busy summer reviewing existing policies and modifying and creating new policies for the betterment of the community. Below you will find important information pertaining to every Laurel Hill resident. PET POLICY (effective July 1, 2006) Please remember it is against Fairfax County Law to leave animal excrement behind on the Common Area. Common Area includes sidewalks, trails, tot-lots and water retention ponds. Please keep pets on a dependable leash and do not allow them to run on public property, common area, or private property of others. If you have any issues, please contact a Fairfax County Animal Control Officer at the non-emergency dispatch number- 703-691-2131. The ARB will be hosting community meetings in the early fall to provide community members with an opportunity to make suggested additions, deletions and other changes to the Design Guidelines. Homeowners are also welcome to join the ARB at their regularly scheduled meetings at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month. DECK EXPANSION Thanks to the Pool and Facilities Committee (PFC), the pool deck was extended and fencing expanded into the grassy area next to the clubhouse. This area provides picnic tables, benches and a grill! In September, the PFC will begin researching and bidding for the 2007 Pool Management Company. 2007 BUDGET In late August, the Budget and Finance Advisory Committee will begin to review and develop the Laurel Hill Community Association Budget for next year. This process will include a review of all current contracts and changes will be taken into consideration. If you have any suggestions, please contact jshipman@armstrong.net continued on page 8 7 Volume 3, Issue 3 LAUREL HILL LETTER www.laurel-hill.org 8 Community Corner continued from page 7 LANDSCAPING Since the beginning of the landscape maintenance season, Management, the Board of Directors and the Association’s Landscape Maintenance Company, Shenandoah Landscape Services have been working to correct the landscape maintenance issues throughout the community. We realize that there may be common areas in the community that are not being maintained correctly and appreciate your feedback regarding this matter. Please contact me via email at jshipman@armstrong.net or in the office at 703-493-8961. All dead trees in the common areas are replaced two times a year -- fall and spring. If you know of any dead trees in the common areas around your home, please contact Jessica at jshipman@armstrong.net or 703-493-8961. *REMINDER: PICK UP YOUR TOWELS AND OTHER ITEMS LEFT AT THE POOL IN THE "LOST AND FOUND" BOX. NEW OFFICE HOURS Please note that the clubhouse office is open to assist residents on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Office hours are listed below. During these hours homeowners can contact the manager for general Association inquiries and receive copies of community forms. Monday 10am-6pm (closed for lunch 1-2pm) Tuesday CLOSED Wednesday 10am-6pm (closed for lunch 1-2pm) Thursday 10am-2pm Friday 10am-2pm Saturday CLOSED Sunday CLOSED JAPANESE BEETLES The Japanese Beetle is a serious plant pest. Introduced from Japan in the early 1900's, the beetle is known to feed on over 300 plants in the Southeastern United States. The adult beetle is particularly found of plants with yellow and white flowers, especially roses, and plants with red or purple leaves. Beetles become active in early spring as the ground thaws, and begin feeding on grass root. The adult emerges from the soil from early June to July and begins feeding on plant material, usually through the end of August. (see full article at www.ext.vt.edu) How do we rid Laurel Hill of Japanese Beetles? By applying a Milky Spore application. You can treat and control the grubs in your yard, but if your neighbor has not treated their yard, the grubs will still hatch. Milky Spore is a naturally occurring bacterium that is fatal to grubs, but harmless to humans, pets and other important insects. The best way to control the Japanese Beetle population is for the community to ban together and treat their yards and common areas. http://www.milkyspore.com For this program to completely work, sixtyfive percent (65%) of homeowner's will need to participate by applying Milky Spore applications to their yards. Are you interested in this program? Then contact the Community Manager at 703493-8961 or jshipman@armstrong.net www.laurel-hill.org LAUREL HILL LETTER Volume 3, Issue 2 Fairfax Medical Reserve Corps Needs Volunteers What is the Fairfax Medical Reserve Corps? he Fairfax Medical Reserve Corps is made up of teams of volunteers from the community with medical and nonmedical backgrounds who in a public health emergency would staff sites that dispense medication or administer vaccines. The Fairfax County Health Department works with other Fairfax County government agencies and community physicians to plan the Fairfax MRC. 9 T The Fairfax MRC is part of the Virginia Citizens Corps, which comes under the umbrella of the USA Freedom Corps. The all-volunteer MRC is designed to augment the capacity of the public health system to respond to largescale events related to bioterrorism or natural, widespread epidemics. During a public health emergency, MRC volunteers would staff dispensing sites where vaccination or medication would be provided to county residents, usually at a local high school. To accomplish this 54 teams of 232 people per team are needed. Especially needed are seasoned, experienced managers to fill MRC leadership positions, including incident coordinator, branch director, volunteer coordinator and unit leader. All volunteers will receive the necessary training to fulfill their responsibilities. Wish to volunteer, register online at www.fairfaxmrc.org or by calling 703-246-2433, TTY 703-591-6435. IMPORTANT DATES Open to All Residents ARC Meeting August 15 7:00 pm Community Center HOA Meeting August 17 7:00 pm Community Center L H el Hill Laur PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Woodbridge, VA Permit No. 70 Laurel Hill 8380 Laurel Crest Dr. Lorton , VA 22079 Please Come and join us for either or both meetings we look forward to seeing you there. Mark your Calendar Lawn and Gardens Diane Hampel Contact Numbers Armstrong Management Customer Service for HOA Concerns Attn: Jessica Shipman 703-493-8961 Laurel Hill CommunitySwimming Pool 703-493-8671 (please use for emergencies only) EMERGENCY SERVICES NUMBERS Emergency 911 Non-Emergency Lorton Fire Station 19 7701 Armistead Road, Lorton, VA 22079 Hazardous Materials Dominion VA Power Verizon Fairfax County Water Washington Gas Smoke Alarm Installation AAA Trash COX Cable VDOT Road Maintenance Child Safety Seat Inspect. Dominion Towing Washington Post Washington Times 703-691-2131 703-339-5141 703-246-2126 UTILITIES 888-667-3000 703-954-6222 703-698-5800 703-750-1000 703-246-3801 703-818-8222 703-378-8422 800-367-ROAD MISCELLANEOUS 703-280-0559 703-730-1177 202-334-6100 202-636-6000 www.washingtonpost.com www.washingtontimes.com www.cox.com www.virginiadot.org Fall Events at Green Spring Gardens Park T here are lots of programs for adults and kids this fall at Green Spring Gardens Park, as well as get-a-way tours to other gardens. On September 16th check out the Fall Fling. There will be a workshop on monarch butterfly migration, as well as other related topics. The Virginia Native Plant Society will sell butterfly-loving and other native plants. For more visit: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp/ CORRECTION FROM JULY’S ARTICLE: You should only apply 1-2 inches of mulch in your landscape beds and around their trees, not 1-2’ as previously reported. Too much mulch applied can actually smother the plants and cause rotting in the winter. www.dom.com www.verizon.com www.fcwa.org www.washingtongas.com www.laurel-hill.org