HCA UNLOCKED CAR BURGLARIES CONTINUE

HCA Directors learned this week that two unlocked Member vehicles were ransacked last night, this time at the north end of Block 2 in the 1153x and 1159x Maple Ridge Rd. address areas.  They are the most recent of several nighttime car burglaries in all Blocks dating back more than a year that HCA Directors discussed with Members at the May 2016 Annual Meeting.  Fairfax County Police detained one suspected local car burglar in August:  " ... A resident reported two males looking into vehicles in the parking lot. ... One of the suspects was apprehended shortly thereafter. Property was recovered. ... "  The arrest mugshot shows the suspect wearing a hooded sweatshirt.  Coincidentally, a Block 2 Member captured 4:30 a.m. security camera images of a car burglar at work last Spring ... tall and wearing a hooded sweatshirt.  HCA Members should call FCPD at (703) 691-2131 to formally report items stolen from Hickory Cluster vehicles, and (703) 246-2786 to claim stolen items already reported that may have been recovered.  FCPD cannot identify or return recovered stolen items without a formal crime report.  More importantly:  LOCK YOUR VEHICLES AND REMOVE VALUABLES.  UPDATE ... FCPD reported November 1 that another Hickory Cluster vehicle was burglarized in the 15000 Maple Ridge Rd. area.

LAKE ANNE FELLOWSHIP HOUSE UPDATE

Although not publicly reported until today, affordable senior housing provider Fellowship Square Foundation (FSF) signed an agreement on September 1, 2016 with affordable housing developer Community Preservation and Development Corp. (CPDC) for a new facility to replace all 240 apartment units in two 1970s buildings now massed in the center of the site.  FSF says there is " ... sufficient excess land available on the site to allow construction of a new building.  Once the new building is completed, the tenants of the existing building will be able to move in. ... "  These statements indicate that, like the 2014 plan presented to RA DRB for comments, FSF may again propose to build along Baron Cameron Ave., Village Rd., North Shore Dr., and Hickory Cluster Block 1 property lines.  It also appears that such a plan may require removal of numerous mature trees that have provided a natural visual buffer to Block 1 homes for decades.  According to the original March 1964 Reston Deed of Dedication Book 2431 page 359 subdivison land survey, the Hickory Cluster Block 1 property line with the FSF parcel is 75.66 feet from the carriage house rear patio far edges.  Fairfax County Planned Residential Community (PRC) Commercial/Industrial zoning regulations and building setback requirements may also apply.  FSF and CPDC must still finalize architectural plans, obtain RA DRB approval, obtain required zoning and building permits, and secure construction financing.  More information is available in previous HCA website posts.

RELAC A/C 2016 SERVICE ENDS TODAY

From Reston RELAC LLC yesterday:  "The end of the 2016 Cooling Season is this Sunday, October 9.  We had a record number of over-90F days this summer without any major problems. ... During the next four weeks we will schedule work that had to wait until the end of the cooling season to be completed.  Many of you may need shutdown valves replaced on your systems.  While the water pipes are drained is the time for any maintenance on your units.  The water pipes will be empty from October 24 through November 23.  ... "  And remember to leave your system inside return valve open so Winter furnace-heated water or air between the supply and return valves can escape without expanding and rupturing your chilled water cooling coils.

HCA WINTER 2016-17 FORECAST: MORE STORMS

From AccuWeather today:  "Frequent storms across the northeastern U.S. this winter may lead to an above-normal season for snowfall.  "I think the Northeast is going to see more than just a few, maybe several, systems in the course of the season," AccuWeather Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.  Unlike last season, in which most of winter's snowfall came from a few heavy-hitting storms, this winter will last into the early or middle part of spring and will feature frequent snow events.  According to Pastelok, accumulation may be limited in areas south of New York City, such as Philadelphia, D.C. and Baltimore. These areas will see a handful of changeover systems, where falling snow transitions to rain and sleet.  "But still, Boston, Hartford, along the coastal areas up into Connecticut and southern New England, they can still have a fair amount of snow," he said.  Overall, it's predicted that the region will total a below-normal number of subzero days, though the temperature will average 3-5 degrees Fahrenheit lower than last year."

HCA RESIDENTS ONLY: FREE FIREWOOD

In response to an HCA request, the Stream Restoration team split and stacked firewood from removed trees for use only by Hickory Cluster residents in their wood-burning fireplaces or rear patio fire pits.  The firewood is stacked near the Block 1 swingset and is available now on a first-come-first-served basis.  It typically takes several months to dry before becoming fully burnable, so cover and protect this firewood from additional moisture when you take it home.  Please immediately report unauthorized removal by non-residents to an HCA Director or TWC.

HCA ENTRANCE LANDSCAPE DISCUSSION @ WED SEP 21

As part of the September monthly meeting, HCA Directors will discuss proposals for landscaping changes to the Maple Ridge Road and Hickory Cluster street entrance Common Areas.  Directors presented initial proposals developed by Architect Ralph Youngren FAIA, former landscape professional Toni Della Ratta, and local artist Shirley Manning, to Members at the May 2016 Annual Meeting, and discussed related issues at the July 2016 monthly Board meeting.  Since July, Ralph, Toni, Shirley, and Director Blake Travis have collaborated with a professional landscape designer to further develop proposal details.  HCA encourages all Members to attend the September meeting and discussion of current version proposals at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 21, at the Reston Community Center Lake Anne.

HCA STREAMBED NATIVE PLANT RESCUE @ SEP 8-17

As part of the Stream Restoration project, numerous existing native plants may be destroyed unless relocated before construction begins.  To save them, Hickory Cluster gardeners are encouraged to find, remove, and relocate the following native plants recently identified by the Reston Garden Club within the HCA Blocks 1-2 streambed area, starting today through September 17:
FERNS:  New York, Christmas, Lady, Grape
GRASSES / SEDGES:  Deertongue, Luzula, Pennsylvania
SHRUBS / TREES:  Elderberry, Spicebush, Cornus Florida
VIBURNUM SHRUBS:  Mapleleaf, Dentatum
VINES:  Virginia Creeper, Grape

OTHERS:  Partridge Berry, Jewelweed, False Nettle, Jumpseed, Hog-Peanut, Asclepias Incarnata, Lobelia Cardinalis, Asters, Agrimony, Liriope
These native plants can be relocated to either (1) the Blocks 2-3 streambed Common Area not part of the restoration project, or (2) Hickory Cluster private gardens within private property lines, not nearby Common Areas.  To help save any remaining native plants not relocated by HCA Members, RA will host a public Native Plant Rescue on Saturday, September 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., within the streambed restoration area.  During this public event, participants may remove rescued native plants from Hickory Cluster.

RA RESTORED STREAM WALK @ SAT SEP 10

From RA Watershed Manager Nicki Bellezza this morning:  "Reston Association is hosting a stream walk of the restored Snakeden Branch and Glade stream valleys on Saturday, September 10 beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the Walker Nature Center located at 11450 Glade Drive.  Please join me in visiting the streams that were restored beginning in 2008 and completed in 2011 to the finished product years later.  ... We will walk the paved trails in a loop to visit Snakeden Branch near Lake Audubon and the Glade Stream Valley near Soapstone Drive and then back to the Nature Center via the nature trails.  Handouts with before (condition) pictures will be provided.  Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to RSVP ... nicki@reston.org ... ."

HCA STREAM PROJECT SITE WALK @ SAT AUG 20

Stream Restoration Project Manager Wetland Studies and Solutions Inc. Engineering Director Frank Graziano, and Ecosystem Restoration Manager John Connelly, walked the Block 1-2 construction site with interested HCA Directors and Members at 10:00 a.m., Saturday August 20, 2016, and answered questions about the previously-approved project activities and three month schedule.  During the week of August 15-19, WSSI also updated marking tapes on up to 94 HCA trees to be removed within the project area, less those already fallen or removed earlier for safety reasons.  RA Senior Director of Parks, Recreation, and Community Resources Larry Butler and RA Watershed Manager Nicki Bellezza also attended.  Updates will be posted here on the HCA website as necessary.  UPDATES ... WSSI will start work from the south end near the HCA pond, and no earlier than 7:00 a.m. and no later than 9:00 p.m. as allowed by Fairfax County noise rules.  Heavy equipment used during regular work hours will include a pump to move stream water around work areas that must remain dry.  WSSI will not include the Vantage Hills portion of the original plan in this effort.

HCA STREAM RESTORATION STARTS @ MON SEP 19

Reston Association announced earlier this week that the long-awaited $870,000 HCA Stream Restoration project between Blocks 1 and 2, including the custom Goodman-style footbridge designed by Block 3 resident Ralph P. Youngren FAIA, was finally funded and will begin next month.  Completion is planned for December 2016, earlier than as reported by RA, and should not impact use or possible Fall 2016 asphalt repaving of Maple Ridge Road.  HCA reported a tentative September 2016 start and related information in a December 2015 HCA website post.  RA funded and completed related HCA pond dredging last summer.  Project Manager Wetland Studies and Solutions Inc. will present a public information update to RA DRB at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at RA Headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr.  WSSI provided HCA with an advance copy of the August 16 RA DRB presentation, and is coordinating a construction site walk-and-talk with WSSI project leaders on either Saturday morning August 20 or 27 for HCA Directors and residents.  HCA encourages all interested residents to attend, and will post more information here when available.