GOODMAN TRUST AUCTION @ DEC 7

Hickory Cluster Architect Charles M. Goodman, FAIA passed away on October 29, 1992 at the age of 85.  His widow, Dorothy S. Goodman, followed him on February 25, 2013. 

The Dorothy S. Goodman Trust will make approximately 60 lots of furniture and artwork from the Goodmans' personal collection available at a public auction starting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 7, 2013, at The Potomack Company, Alexandria, Virginia.  Items from other sources will also be available.  Registration is required to bid.  Each winning bid will incur a 17.5% fee in addition to 6% Virginia sales tax.

Pre-sale viewing is available on Saturday, November 23 starting at 10:00 a.m. and will continue through the morning of the auction.  At 2:00 p.m., John Burns of Hollin Hills and the U.S. National Parks Service will lead an informal presentation and discussion on Charles Goodman and his influence on local architecture.  At 3:30 p.m., Professor Oscar Fitzgerald will lead a discussion on the Goodman collection Danish Modern furniture.

This personal collection does not appear to include architectural drawings, photographs, and other material from the architect's professional practice.  Dorothy Goodman donated that collection, including more than 7,000 drawings and renderings covering more than 700 projects from the 1930s to the 1980s, to the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington, DC, as the Charles M. Goodman Archive in 2001 where it remains today.

However, it appears that some of the furniture and artwork to be auctioned did furnish The Charles M. Goodman House in Alexandria, and some are shown in 1957 Alcoa Care-Free Home promotional photos.  The Goodman-renovated farmhouse and glass pavilion addition were added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 2013.  A Hollin Hills Alcoa house is located at 7801 Elba Rd.

Note of caution to prospective buyers:  The auction company indicates that for at least one if not more of the Goodman Trust lots to be auctioned, " ... attribution ... is based on family oral history and we cannot provide additional documentation."  In addition, and according to the auction company Terms and Conditions of Sale, " ... Neither the Auctioneer nor The Potomack Company nor its representatives is responsible for the accuracy of any printed or verbal communications or descriptions. ... ."  So, if you want a document that certifies your item as Goodman-designed and/or Goodman-owned with perceived added value over and above the same generic item from your neighborhood yard sale or weekend flea market, such a key document is not available from either the auction company or the Trust.  Unfortunately, that makes proving specific Goodman provenance difficult now and in the future, and may decrease the market value of these items.

RA LAND SWAP MEETING NOV 21 MAY IMPACT HCA

Reston Association will hold the second of two hearings on a controversial land exchange proposed by the Lake Anne Development Partners LLC (LADP) as part of their proposed Lake Anne project.  The swap will enable LADP to develop currently-wooded land into a public parking facility to support Lake Anne Village Center businesses.  Background information, including maps and an extensive redevelopment project timeline, is available on the RA website.  The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. at RA Headquarters.

This land swap may impact Hickory Cluster because at least one alternative suggested by other concerned Lake Anne area residents is for LADP to build the commercial parking area, possibly a multi-level garage, on land near the government services Lake Anne Office Building with access to North Shore Drive directly across from Maple Ridge Road and Hickory Cluster.  This could increase already congested traffic and parking in the immediate residential area.

UPDATE ... During the November 21 RA Board of Directors meeting, LADP Manager David Peter stated that they evaluated almost a dozen LAVC retail parking options, but a possible site adjacent to the Lake Anne Office Building was not viable.  In addition, Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association (LARCA) President Rick Thompson indicated that LARCA also did not favor that option and instead supported the LADP plan as proposed.  After many public comments and much discussion, the RA Board voted to enter into a revised, non-binding Letter of Intent with LADP to exchange land as part of the proposed redevelopment project.

HCA NOV 20 MEETING @ RESTON MUSEUM

The HCA Board of Directors typically meets in November at the Reston Community Center Lake Anne. 

However, because the Rose Gallery was already booked for November 20, the meeting will take place instead at the Reston Museum in Lake Anne Village Center and is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

RELAC: CHECK INSIDE CUT-OFF VALVES IN NOVEMBER

From Reston RELAC President Mark Waddell recently:  "We will be draining down the system this month and doing repairs.  The system will be completely drained all of November.  This will allow homeowners to schedule work on their RELAC systems.

There are many homes where cut-off valves do not work.  Some are still original valves.  We recommend that you have these valves checked.  If you have an emergency these valves need to be able to close.  Please contact your HVAC service provider or call Reston RELAC Service Division at (703) 349-3301 or mark@restonrelac.com.  We can provide all RELAC repair services. 

Reston RELAC will provide updates on repairs and improvements to the RELAC system and a report on this year's operation before the end of the year."

When the RELAC system is de-pressurized and drained this month, homeowners can also drain their inside pipes and coils.  But as previously noted, and to avoid burst coils during winter months from furnace heat, always leave the return valve open.  Contact Reston RELAC for more information.

UPDATE ... RELAC system pipes will be refilled on December 15, 2013.  Homeowners should request and complete individual RELAC system repairs before that date.  Contact RELAC President Mark Waddell at (703) 349-3301 or mark@restonrelac.com for more information.

HCA HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN CONTEST TONIGHT

As recently announced on flyers distributed throughout Hickory Cluster, judging of the annual Pumpkin Carving Contest at your front door, balcony, or window is from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. tonight.  First Prize is $15, Second Prize is $10, and Third Prize is $5, funded by HCA.  Results will be published here on the official HCA website.

The NOAA National Weather Service forecast, as of 10:30 a.m. this morning for Fairfax County tonight, is for a 70 percent chance of rain, but mainly after midnight, with south winds from 15-25 mph, and lows in the mid-60F range.  So keep an eye on your masterpieces and try to illuminate and photograph them earlier rather than later this evening.  Good luck!

UPDATE ... Hickory Cluster residents put on a great show for trick-or-treaters, parents, friends, and neighbors, despite a chilly, rainy evening.

First Place was awarded to the Wolcott Family in Block 3 for pumpkins custom-carved and decorated as Minion characters from the popular Universal Studios animated comedy Despicable Me films.

Second Place was awarded to the Barnett Family in Block 1 for a custom-carved pumpkin perched high up on their second floor balcony.

Third Place was awarded to the Ikhide Family in Block 2 for a pumpkin cleverly disguised as a mummy character lurking in the shadows near their front door.

And there were lots of other well-carved and brightly-lit jack-o'-lanterns throughout the cluster to enjoy.

Thanks to all the 2013 creative pumpkin artists for their hard work, and especially to Bob Anderson and Lani Young for organizing the event again this year.

HCA OCTOBER MEETING UPDATE

The HCA Board of Directors meeting will be held as usual on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at TWC Association Management offices, 397 Herndon Parkway, Suite 100, Herndon, VA 20170.  Members can attend the meeting starting at 7:30 p.m., however effective with this meeting the Member Forum will be held at or about 8:30 p.m. rather than previously as the first agenda item.

RESTON STORY TO FILM HICKORY CLUSTER

Storycatcher Productions advised HCA recently that they hope to include video footage and still images of Hickory Cluster in their upcoming film entitled The Reston Story by local Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, and USC School of Cinema-TV Master of Fine Arts graduate, Rebekah Winger-Jabi.  Local cinematographer Ross Kirby will film Goodman House exteriors and cluster grounds from public Common Areas during the next few days and evenings of good weather, hopefully before all the leaves fall.  The film will premiere on April 5, 2014 as part of Reston 50th Anniversary Celebration activities.  Tax-deductible donations through the Reston Museum fund the project.

RELAC 2013 COOLING SEASON ENDS

Reston RELAC President Mark Waddell advised that yesterday, October 9, 2013 was the official end of the 2013 Cooling Season when RELAC turned off its chillers and pumps at 12:00 noon.  Community air-conditioning chilled water will be available again in May 2014.  As noted in 1974 RELAC guidance, and to avoid over-pressurizing and bursting summer cooling coils, customers should not turn off both RELAC valves when using their winter furnace heating system.  Always leave the return valve open.

HCA MAILBOX PROPOSAL DISCUSSION OCT 16 @ TWC

As required by HCA Special Resolution 2, the HCA Board agreed at its September 18 monthly meeting to hold a public discussion and hearing on the recently proposed modifications to HCA General Resolution 15, Goodman House Mail Receptacles at the 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 16, 2013 HCA monthly meeting at the offices of TWC Association Management, 397 Herndon Parkway, Suite 100, Herndon, VA 20170.  At this meeting HCA Members can voice their opinions on the proposed modifications.  Board majority action to adopt or reject the proposed modifications will follow not later than thirty days from the hearing.  The modifications propose to allow exterior-mounted mailboxes, like the Home Depot product pictured here, as replacements for original, as-built, through-door Goodman House mailslots.  See the August 16, 2013 HCA announcement posted below, and related document links and posts, for additional information.  UPDATE:  The HCA Board did not approve the proposed modifications at the October 16, 2013 monthly meeting and related hearing.

LAVC REDEVELOPMENT MEETINGS SEP 16-17

As reported yesterday in the Reston Patch, The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an interim agreement with Republic Land Development on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 for redevelopment of the County-owned Crescent Apartments and for the adjacent Lake Anne Village Center entrance and parking lot. 

The proposed redevelopment will require demolition of several early Reston First Village buildings, and eventually add more than 1,000 housing units on the combined Crescent and Lake Anne sites, including townhouse and mid-rise buildings, a 15-story high-rise building similar in height to Heron House, and workforce housing.  It will also add additional retail space, underground retail parking, and up to 50,000 s.f. of new office space.

After numerous meetings with Lake Anne residents and businesses, Republic will present its conceptual plan to the general public at a community open house meeting on Monday, September 16, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Reston Community Center Lake Anne.  Republic will also present its plans to the RA Design Review Board on Tuesday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m. at RA Headquarters.  RA DRB approval is one of several required, and their meetings provide opportunities for Reston residents to formally voice support for or concerns about such proposals.