Masons Passage News
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Board of Directors Position Open

In January, Krista Bassett resigned from the HOA Board of Directors. She has served the Board as its Secretary for several years and she will be missed. The Board needs to fill this opening as soon as possible. If you would be interested in serving on the Board (as interim Board member until the next full election in the fall) please contact us at masonspassagehoa@yahoo.com or via phone at 571-432-5408. We will be accepting nominations until March 1.

ARC Walkthrough

A walkthrough inspection of the community was conducted mid-January. Letters have been sent to homeowners where violations were observed. We will be conducting another walkthrough in the Spring when landscaping issues can be assessed and to follow up to see that violations were corrected. If you received a letter and have questions, please contact Tri-State Management/Koger at 571-432-5408.

Improving Mason's Passage

During our walkthrough, we also noted some areas of the common property that need attention.

The railing on the retaining wall behind the townhouses on Plaskett Forest needs painting or replacing
A tree near the gazebo needs replanting
Part of the fence rail on the outside of the property along Gunston needs repairing
A tree was in the street on Dogue Indian (has been removed)

By the time you receive this, these items will either be fixed or in process. We will also be conducting a walkthrough of the property with our engineer in the Spring. But all homeowners can help improve our community.

If you see common areas in need of repair or cleanup (or if trash is not being emptied at the gazebo or tot lot), please contact Tri-State Management/Koger at 571-432-5408. You may also contact the Board directly at masonspassagehoa@yahoo.com.

Also, if any of our homeowners can offer expertise or advice (for example in landscaping, engineering/ lighting, real estate) that may be of assistance to the HOA, the Board would love to hear from you.

Pets in Mason's Passage

During our last walkthrough of the property, we noticed some areas where proper "pooper scooper" etiquette is not being observed. Common grounds areas are not an appropriate place for your pets to leave deposits.

We have also received complaints about pets from some homeowners. All residents should know, that in Fairfax County, it is against the law to allow animals to trespass on, destroy or damage another person's property. Animals must not frequently and habitually make loud and objectionable noises or be kept in such a manner as to cause unsanitary conditions.

Specifically, the County Code states: "The owner or custodian of any dog shall be responsible for the removal of excreta deposited by such dog on the property of another, including public areas ("pooper scooper" regulation)." (County Code Section 41-1-2, Section 108-5-2 and Section 41-2-6)

As a courtesy, first remind your neighbor of their responsibilities as a dog owner in Fairfax County. If the problem continues, you can contact the Fairfax County Police Department's Animal Services Division at (703) 691-2131.

Holiday Decoration Reminder

Per the governing documents of the association, Holiday decorations must be down within 30 days of the holiday. All holiday decorations (lights, etc.) should be down when Tri-State Management/Koger conducts the next property walkthrough.

Parking Policy

Last fall the Board passed a new parking policy and has been awaiting the arrival of the printed passes and signage needed to put this policy in place. Each homeowner will receive a copy of this policy along with your Guest Parking Permit in the mail in the next couple of weeks.

We have also received complaints from neighbors of residents who are parking on their lawn, or on the sidewalk, or who are parking commercial vehicles on the property. This is a violation of HOA policy and also of County Zoning Ordinances. Additionally, we have received complaints that many of these parking problems are created because people are not using their garages as intended. Please remember that the governing documents of this association (to which you agreed when you purchased your home), state that garages are not to be used in a manner inconsistent with the parking of vehicles.

Cars parked in Guest Parking not displaying the Guest permit, as well as any other violations (commercial vehicles, cars parked on grass or sidewalk) will be subject to towing and/or fines. Please carefully review the parking policy when you receive it. It is also available on our Web site at www.masonspassage.org

Lights

One of the top priorities in our community (based on our survey of homeowners at the Annual meeting) is the issue of lighting in Mason's Passage. The Board has been making progress on the topic and we wanted to give you an update. We have surveyed the property to identify how many homes have some type of outdoor lighting. We have also met with electricians to get estimates on what would be involved in bringing light into some of the darker common areas and have plans to meet with a lighting designer. To date, all of these consultations have been arranged at no cost to the association.

In the next few months, we will be proposing a plan to the homeowners to address the lighting issue. This plan will be published to all homeowners and a public forum will be held prior to the implementation of any plan. Please watch this newsletter and our Web site (www.masonspassage.org) for more information. If you would like to be involved in the planning process, please contact the Board at masonspassagehoa@yahoo.com.

Board Meetings

Board meetings are held on a monthly basis (generally the 2nd Monday of each month) at 7:30pm. The full calendar is published and updated on our Web site: www.masonspassage.org

Homeowners are welcome to attend meetings and time is set aside for homeowner issues at the beginning of each meeting. If you have an issue to discuss, advance notice is appreciated so that the agenda may be adjusted for time. Please contact masonspassagehoa@yahoo.com for meeting location confirmation, to add a homeowner issue to the agenda or for any further information.

Upcoming Meetings: Monday, March 13 - Gunston School Cafeteria
Monday, April 10 - Lorton Community Library

Snow Plow Services

This year the Board selected a new snowplow service in an effort to reduce costs and improve services. We believe that our new service did a good job of clearing our roads during the recent snowstorm. If you know of any icy patches or specific problem spots on our neighborhood streets that may have needed extra attention, our snowplow service would like to know. Please provide this information to Tri-State Management/Koger at 571-432-5408.

Contact Us

Tri-State Management/Koger -- Rebecca Pumphrey Tel: # 571-432-5408
RPrumphrey@tri-statemgmt.com
HOA Board of Directors -- masonspassagehoa@yahoo.com , or via Tri-State Management/Koger above
For more frequent updates on what is going on in Mason's Passage, please visit our Web site:WWW.MASONSPASSAGE.ORG