Lakeport News
News from Outside Lakeport
Helpful Information
By Mary Sapp
To try to protect the quality of its waters, the Commonwealth of Virginia encourages property owners to engage in best practices to reduce the quantity of stormwater that leaves your property and to improve the quality. As an incentive, the Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) offers grants for approved projects proposed by HOAs, civic organizations, religious institutions, and individual property owners. In 2020 Lakeport qualified for two grants to install a rain garden and conservation landscaping between 1952 and 1954 Lakeport Way. The rain garden has successfully captured runoff from four downspouts, but unfortunately surface-level runoff is still causing erosion between 11110 and 11112 Lakespray and mud between 1952 and 1954 even after the owners paid to install rock steps so they could safely reach their back patios.
In addition to controlling and minimizing runoff and conserving that water within the landscape, the infiltration steps will make it safer for contractors and anyone else going down that hill, although its use as a route to Lakeport Way (or for sledding/skiing 😊) is discouraged. The placement of these steps will also encourage anyone walking there to do so on common property rather than on private property.
Installation of the steps is contingent on final approval by RA’s Design Review Board and approval of a $3,500 grant from NoVA SWCD that would cover most of the cost.
Note that if you have stormwater issues, you might want to investigate applying for your own grant from NoVA SWCD to fund one of their best practices (e.g., a rain barrel, conservation landscaping, or a dry well). See https://vaswcd.org/vcap for more details and links to eligible practices.
By Stephen Sapp
The past few weeks have reminded me of how blessed we are to live in a wonderful community like Lakeport and Reston. Mary and I have been keeping our “granddog” Hazel while her family has been having some major renovations done on their home, and I have been spending quite a bit of time walking with her around Lakeport and the Lake Thoreau and Lake Audubon area. This extended time outdoors has helped me appreciate yet again how special our location is. The recent snows, despite some of the issues they may have caused, have highlighted the beauty of our community, as shown in the pictures of Lakeport in the snow in this newsletter (Hazel shares my assessment, by the way, as the photo above illustrates!). I hope you too are able to get out and appreciate the ever-changing splendor all around us (and we were reminded of how quickly our surroundings can change when it was warm enough to take Hazel out on our boat just the afternoon before our first major snowstorm hit).
Please read through this issue of Ripples for interesting and helpful information, and if you have comments and/or would like to submit an item for our upcoming Spring issue, feel free to email me at ssapp@miami.edu.
By Chuck Foster
I can’t say being your rookie Board president has been boring. As my perpetually optimistic father used to say after both triumphs and setbacks, “I’m learning something new every day!”
In December, the new Board hit the ground running. We approved a new budget, renewed the contracts of three service providers, and received approval from the Reston Association to significantly expand the options available to homeowners in our design standards. Then the snow started and Omicron came to town. As a result, over the last few weeks, I have spent most of my time engaging with our trash, recycling, and snow-plowing service providers and fielding various complaints from the community.
Everyone knows that the pandemic has hammered small businesses and they have had to adapt in order to survive. However, the latest pressures in the form of rising prices, Omicron infections, bad weather, and staff shortages have been another major blow.
American Disposal Services (ADS) is a good example. They have been struggling with rising prices for tires, fuel, and higher wages for labor. In addition, the Omicron virus and the hot job market have resulted in staff shortages. Further, the pandemic has increased the volume of trash approximately 30 percent as people work from home and buy a lot of stuff online. And, add to the mix higher trash dumping fees from the county, fewer outlets for recyclable material, and, of course, the weather. You couldn’t script a better disaster scenario for ADS. But, to their credit, they continue to show up and do the best they can for Lakeport. Blade Runners (landscaping and snow removal) has had similar issues and, as you are aware, Ecoserve (glass recycling) has shown evidence of ceasing operations.
One issue I have spent a good amount of time on is the late-night and early-morning noise that emanates from the rear lot of the Safeway store. For some of our residents this means lost sleep and general aggravation. The unacceptable noise has two origins: a store renovation project and ongoing operations. Fairfax County has a noise ordinance that prohibits specified noises between certain hours. In order to address this problem, one resident and I have spoken with multiple Safeway store managers and employees. In addition, I have spoken with the store director and the operations manager for Chevy Chase Land, which owns the property. To date, the relief we have requested has not come. On January 20, I finally got to speak with the district manager responsible for our store and he pledged to address the problem. Sometimes the squeaky wheel has to turn a number of times before being heard. I am hopeful that, this time, we will get some relief.
Let me end on a positive note. Last year, when preparing the budget for 2022, the Board decided to increase funding for snow removal.
By Mary Sapp
Last month Reston approved updates to two of Lakeport’s Architectural Standards that expand colors and products, resulting in many more options available to owners that do not require the submission of applications to Reston Association’s Design Review Board (DRB).
Lakeport Cluster Association Standards
Exterior Lighting (Decorative and Security)
Reston Association’s Design Review Board approved the following revision to Lakeport Cluster standards on February ?, 2022.
Requirements for Decorative Lights
3. Recessed ceiling lights (over entry-door and under balcony/deck overhangs) shall be 5”-6” in diameter, flush lens, white trim. Applies to all units listed in the history section below. Approved lights are available from a variety of manufacturers.
All existing exterior lights must be replaced with an approved light listed in this standard. If an approved light is discontinued or unavailable, the standard will need to be updated to identify a new option.
Requirements for Security Lights
All existing security lights must be brought into conformance with these standards when replaced.
RA Design Review Approval: No approval is required if these standards are followed exactly. Additional security or landscape lighting is restricted and may require Reston DRB approval.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS NOT PART OF THE STANDARD
IT IS PROVIDED TO ASSIST THE HOMEOWNER
History of Change to Standard / Current Situation: Original construction provided each house with standard decorative lighting (multiple standards applied to most units). The lighting standard was first documented and approved on April 18, 2005. The first revision was approved May 29, 2007. A second revision was approved September 7, 2021, when standards for security lights were added.
Wall light: Phase 1 homes originally had a white 5” x 5” square x 9” tall metal fixture mounted over the main entrance and white, 4.5” x 4.5” square x 9.5” tall plastic wall-mounted fixtures at other front and rear deck locations. All Phase 2 construction had cylindrical lights with specifications described above, except with round mounting plates instead of square plates. The standard approved in 2005 specified that all wall fixtures should be cylindrical lights with specifications described in the current standard, except with round rather than square mounting plates, and owners of Phase 1 homes were given until December 31, 2008, to replace their original wall fixtures with wall-light design used at that time for Phase 2 homes. The 2007 revision to the light standard specified that wall lights be as described above except it allowed only square mounting brackets and only the bronze color.
Non-recessed cylindrical ceiling light: Cylindrical lights identical to wall lights were mounted to the overhang above the front entrances at 1909-1913, 1919, 1921, 1927, 1929, 1935, 1937, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, and 2001 Lakeport Way and 11100-11110 and 11114-11120 Lakespray Way. The 2007 revision to the light standard kept the description of the non-recessed ceiling light the same but required that it be attached flush to the ceiling instead of via a mounting plate that had been used originally.
Recessed ceiling lights: One or more recessed lights matching the description in the current standard were used in entry-door ceilings and/or deck overhangs at 1915, 1917, 1923-1926, 1928, 1930-1932, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1985, 1993, and 1995 Lakeport Way and 11112 and 11121-11129 Lakespray Way. No changes have been made to the requirements for this type of light.
No ceiling lights: Only wall-mounted cylindrical lights (no lights in ceiling or overhangs) at 1907, 1933, 1939, 1944-1950, 1952, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1975-1983, and 2003 Lakeport Way and 11122 Lakespray Way.
Post lights: The original pole light was an American Lantern #4881 clear globe with a rounded-square profile (total fixture: 11.5” tall and 8” diameter) on a 3” diameter 12” tall pole. It is no longer manufactured. The standard approved in 2005 specified that all pole lights should be replaced with the pole lights described in the current standard and gave owners of homes with pole lights until December 31, 2008, to replace their original pole lights with the new ones. These lights were used at all end units of Phase 2 homes except 1925 Lakeport Way. The posts for these lights were attached to a low brick wall with the house number at 1924, 1930, 1931,1932, 1933, 1939, 1942, 1954, 1963, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1985, 1993, 1995, and 2003 Lakeport Way, and at 11100, 11110, 11112, 11121, 11122 and 11129 Lakespray Way. Pole lights were mounted on free-standing posts in front of 1907, 1915, 1917, 1923 and 1983 Lakeport Way. In February 2022, because the Forecast by Lightolier became unavailable, the Kichler Camden and the almost identical Latitude Run Millbourne were added as approved alternatives.
Possible Suppliers
Note: This list should be considered a starting point for homeowners replacing outside lighting. No endorsement of any supplier is intended.
By Barbara Khan, Coordinator
Here is the upcoming selection for February:
Date: Monday, February 21
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Place: Probably via Zoom
The Personal Librarian is a fictionalized account of the life of Belle da Costa Greene, who helped J. P. Morgan amass a unique collection of rare manuscripts, paintings, and other works of artistic and historical significance.
Call Barbara Khan at 703-390-0506 or e-mail her at bskhan@att.net for further information.
Landscape Projects
Social
Maintenance
Standards
Other
Reston Association recently sent an update on the status of the Lake Thoreau Pool with the following information:
Work will be performed Monday through Friday starting no earlier than 7 a.m. and no later than 7 p.m. Weekend work is not anticipated but will be communicated in advance should it be deemed necessary. Noise levels will vary and will be at their greatest during the first few months of the project during the site work and demolition phase. Heavy machinery, dump trucks, jackhammers, and heavy drilling should be expected.
Heavy machinery will then perform selective demolition and site grading for two to three months, followed by installation of structural elements—including retaining wall foundations, concrete piers, and stormwater pipes—over the next three to four months. Construction of the new pool basins and deck, parking lot, retaining walls, sidewalks, fencing, and bathhouse addition will require an additional five to six months. Final clean-up, inspections closeout, and punch list fulfillment will occur before RA takes control of the facility and installs public art and maintenance equipment.
A preconstruction notification mailer will be sent to all nearby property owners two weeks in advance of mobilization. Project status reports, as well as associated project documents, will be updated monthly on the RA website under the “capital projects” subsection titled “Lake Thoreau Pool Project.” Project videos, as well as RA News newsletter segments, will be provided on a quarterly basis. On-site signage will also be deployed that will have information resources and contact information.
If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints leading up to or during the project, please contact the RA Capital Projects Department at capitalprojects@reston.org or call 703-435-6556.
By James Pan
When you are trying to sleep at night or when you have left your home, do you wonder if you remembered to lock all your doors and whether your house is secure? You may want to consider installing self-locking doorknobs on all exterior doors. Self-locking doorknobs not only increase the security of your home (and thus your peace of mind), but they also have the added benefit of allowing you to go keyless so you have less to carry around with you.
Search on Amazon for “self-locking exterior doorknob with keypad” or visit Home Depot or Lowe’s and peruse their selections. Look for something like this:
Improve Lighting in Lakeport: In the winter when it is darker longer, it is important to turn on your outdoor lights at night to help ensure the safety of our residents and the security of our property. One way to further the goal of safe lighting is for residents to leave their exterior lights on at night, especially those in units with post lights, which according to long-time Lakeport residents used to be standard practice. This is of course voluntary but doing this one small thing would be a gracious contribution to the overall safety and attractiveness of our community.
Report Suspicious Activity: If you see suspicious activity, don’t confront anybody but instead call the Fairfax County Police non-emergency number, 703-691-2131 (use this number also to report vandalism or any other crime that has already occurred). The police request that even if you just have a “gut feeling” something is wrong, you notify them with as many details as possible. It is helpful if you can also take photos unobtrusively. Police will be dispatched (or you may be able to provide a report over the phone). Also notify Lakeport’s Neighborhood Watch coordinator James Pan at jpamco@gmail.com. Please pay special attention to suspicious activity or sounds near the Lakeport dock, in the woods, or at night.
Drive Slowly: Neighborhood kids continue to play outside on sidewalks and in the streets, especially during snow. Please remember to drive slowly and keep your eyes out for children (and other pedestrians).
Update Your Contact Information: Please go to the Lakeport Directory https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k-zbZ7XKZUq6AEb1_xpUiDt79b74ndTr/view) and check the contact information listed there for you. If a correction is needed, either send an email to webmaster@lakeportcluster.org and copy along@scs-management.com or fill out the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFILfWGBoWIgWlBPSQmIKj4kIX0kPA7XsRjnsaOsNXuvVSkw/viewform. If your home has renters, please ask them to fill out the form to be listed in the directory. Remember also that if you need to contact a neighbor or just forget someone’s name, you can always check this directory.
Maintenance of the Exterior of Your Home: If you make any changes to the exterior of your home, be sure to check Lakeport Standards, and if none exists, you should read the relevant RA Guideline. Links to Lakeport and RA architectural requirements, the DRB application, discussion of RA’s counter-intuitive party-wall rules, and resources for replacement trees (required by RA if you remove a tree) and landscaping are all available in Section A at https://www.lakeportcluster.org/p/documents.html.
By James Pan
1) Interior unit with no solar panels or insulation (25°F)
2) Interior unit with solar panels and no attic insulation (32°F)
3) End unit with solar panels and insulation (49°F)
Based on this one-time measurement of three homes, it appears that attic insulation makes a noticeable difference in attic temperatures. The warmer the attic, the less heat is lost from inside the house through the ceiling. Another survey will be conducted in mid-summer to see if insulation has a similar effect on cooling.
A web search should reveal whether the saving in energy costs is worth getting insulation. There is no question that lowering the probability of having liquid freeze in the attic in an extended cold spell is beneficial.
If anyone has installed attic insulation and has cost figures for energy usage before and after, please let James Pan know at jpamco@gmail.com.
What Residents and Board Can Expect
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Maintenance Committee – Paul Renard
Neighborhood Watch Committee – James Pan
Social Committee – TBD, Carol Leos (Welcome)
Architectural Standards Committee
Webmaster and Listserv Administrator – Tom Barnett
Editor for Ripples, community newsletter – Stephen Sapp
Book Club Coordinator – Barbara Khan
Fill doggie-bag stations - Annabelle Hammer
Keep community dock clean – Annabelle Hammer and Paul Renard
SELECT COMMUNITY SERVICES
Portfolio Manager: Alexandra "Ali" Long
Email: along@scs-management.com
Direct: (703) 230-8725
Fax: (703) 266-2804
PO Box 221350
Chantilly, VA 20153
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.mm, Friday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Website: https://app.townsq.io/login
Covenants Advisor
Reston Association
phone: 703-435-6506
