The Grove at Huntley Meadows

Annual Meeting Message

As a reminder, the annual HOA meeting is this Tuesday at 7pm, with registration beginning at 6:30pm at the Mount Vernon Government Center located at 2511 Parkers Lane, near Inova Hospital. Please note, this is not the same location as last year's annual meeting, but where we hold our monthly meetings.

The following is a message from the board of directors:

Grove at Huntley Meadows Residents,

Our community has thrived, thanks to dedicated volunteers. As board members, working with our committees, we've done our best to maintain the beauty that attracted us here in the first place. We've worked to keep you informed, both online and in print, and to continue the social programs that bring our residents together. Finally, we carry on in our efforts to maintain and improve our facilities and landscape, all on your behalf. We believe we've been successful in these endeavors, but it takes time from the few of us who take these things on.

You've seen the pleas from us in the newsletter, and heard them at the Board meetings. We now have two openings on the Board of Directors as terms expire. The chair of our Social Committee has stepped down. Our Landscape Committee has disbanded. We don't even have a Pool Committee, a Budget Committee and a Parking and Safety Committee. Besides picking up those duties, the Board has assumed the duties of the Architectural Review Committee as we rewrite the ARC Standards.

Our concern, as we look forward, is that we will overwork the people who remain on our Board and our current committees, because the amount of work won't change just because our volunteers decrease. We will soon be facing bigger challenges – landscaping improvements will be necessary and budget decisions will become even more critical now that we're off bond; common area property will begin to decline as time passes; and our opportunities to gather together in social functions will cease.

Our Board probably puts in 4-5 hours per month, which includes the two-hour meeting. That's roughly the same as our committee volunteers, though that depends on what they have going on that month. We aren't asking for a lot of time, given the needs of the association. But, to be blunt, we are desperate for any time at all. Please consider running for the Board; if that doesn't sound good, please think of something that you're concerned about and help us by volunteering for a committee.

We on the Board have discussed the situation here in the Grove. We may be wrong, but one explanation is that people are generally happy with how things are going. We generally don't hear from residents unless they have something they're concerned about. If this is true, we must be doing something right, and we're glad you approve of the job we've done.

It all comes down to what you want. You can see more decisions hired out, or you can be a part of the effort that provides the opportunity to get to know your neighbors and that helps to keep this community beautiful. This also offers the benefit of learning what is entailed in running a community. Let's not allow this neighborhood to slowly degenerate into "just another place" when all it takes is a few hours each month. It's up to you!

Hope to see you at the annual meeting.