July 2011 Issue, Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee The LRPRA Board held its monthly meeting in open forum on May 24 to review and receive reports from the Declaration, By-Laws, and Articles Review Committee. The committee was commissioned by the Board to review the Association's 40-year old documents for the past 30 months. A committee of homeowners, staff, and Board members has met monthly to update the Association's governing documents. As the committee completed individual articles, they were posted on the LRPRA website.
The Board is focused on time lines for completion, relevant changes, membership education proposals, and review of the remaining articles dealing with membership voting, property, and parking, The Board also discussed meeting with Woodbridge Senior High School faculty and leadership students to solicit their participation and support to the Association. Committee members met with students on May 31 to provide information.
Visit our LRPRA website to become familiar with currently proposed revisions. - Hal Johnson, Board President
June 2011 Issue, Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The LRPRA Board held a special meeting in open forum April 26, 2011 to receive a report from the Declaration, By-Laws and Articles Review Committee. The committee was commissioned by the Board to review the Association's 40-year-old documents. For the past two and a half years, a number of homeowners, staff, and board members have met monthly to update our governing documents. As the Committee completed individual articles, they were posted on the LRPRA website for member comment.
At the special meeting, the Board was briefed on a time line for completion, relevant changes and membership education proposals. Upon Board approval of the final draft, members will be provided multiple venues (including town hall meetings) for continued input/recommendations. The culmination of the process will be a vote of the LRPRA membership. The opportunity to vote for Document revisions will be provided during the annual Board of Directors balloting in January/February 2012 and during other scheduled events. Visit our LRPRA website (www.lakeridgeva.com) to become familiar with currently proposed revisions. Share your thoughts and suggestions with us as we try to keep our beautiful community vibrant for another 40 years. - Janet Foote, Board Member and Committee member
April/May 2011 Issue, Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The committee working to update the Association's governing documents met on March 8 at Tall Oaks Community Center. During this meeting, they received a number of homeowner suggestions to enhance the clarity of the proposed amendments. This input resulted in committee agreement to revise portions of the proposed amendments to Declaration Articles II, IV and VII, which are posted on www.lakeridgeva.com, the Association's website, under the menu heading "Docs" and subheading "Proposed Amendments to LRPRA Declaration." The committee also crafted proposed amendments to Article VI, Membership and Voting Rights. On April 26, 2011 at 7P.M., a Special Board Meeting will be held at Tall Oaks Community Center in conjunction with the April meeting of the Declaration, By-Laws & Articles Review Committee. The purpose of this meeting is to review all proposed amendments to the Declaration. Homeowners are invited to attend and share their comments with the Board and the committee.
Sally Vincent, Committee Member
January 2011 Issue, Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The Declaration, By-Laws and Articles Review Committee continues to work on the Declarations of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions. At the October 26th meeting, the committee completed its draft revisions of Article IV, Use of Property. Language was clarified to support current policies for common area parking in townhouse communities, and provisions were made to allow such subdivisions to present community parking plans to the Directors for approval, should the community desire changes. Once the draft was reviewed by counsel and approved by the Board of Directors, the proposed revisions to Article IV (complete with track changes) were posted to the Association's website, www.lakeridgeva.com, for homeowner review/comment. Additionally, the revised draft of Article VIII, Architectural Control, was completed and placed on our website. Other than significant reduction of wordy context to achieve plain language, the only change was to increase the number of members of the Architectural Committee from three to five to more easily achieve a committee quorum for homeowner change requests. Please understand that the Architectural Guidelines constitute LRPRA covenant approval requirements for approval of exterior property changes. Homeowner requests not approved by the LRPRA Covenants Department may be appealed to the Architectural Committee, which has final authority. This is no change. Come help us revise the Article IX, General Provisions, at our next meeting, January 25, 2011 at 7P.M. at the Tall Oaks Community Center. Your input, suggestions and thoughts are very much welcomed and appreciated!
Janet Foote, Board Member, Committee Member
November/December 2010 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
Your LRPRA Declaration, By-Laws & Articles Review Committee met September 28, 2010 to continue review and update of the Association governing documents. Article IV (Land Use Classifications, Permitted Uses and Restrictions) of the Declarations and Covenants was revised and re-titled "Use of the Property" to clarify in plain language such items as animal control, property improvements and storage, and residential grounds maintenance. There were no "new" restrictions proposed. The Committee members have agreed upon the rewording, legal counsel has reviewed the changes, and the Board of Directors have two weeks to review and comment. Look for the drafts to be posted on our website, www.lakeridgeva.com, the first week of November. Your input is solicited and welcomed. There is a tab on our website labeled "Docs" which provides a drop-down menu that allows you to view the "track changes" to the governing documents, as well as past articles from our Newsletter. We look forward to having any and all interested homeowners join us for our next meeting on November 16, 2010 at 7:00P.M. at the Tall Oaks Community Center. We will be addressing Article VIII (Architectural Control). Come help us! Janet Foote, Board member, Committee member
October 2010 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
Your LRPRA Governing Docs Committee met August 31, 2010 to continue review and update of the Association documents. Changes to Article V (The Association Roles & Responsibilities) and Article VII (Assessments) were agreed upon by the Committee members, reviewed by Counsel and forwarded to the Board of Directors for their input and comment. Look for the drafts posted on our website (www.lakeridgeva.com) in the next few weeks for your thoughts. There is a tab on our website labeled "Docs", which provides a drop-down menu that allows you to view the "track changes" to the Governing Documents, as well as past articles from our Newsletter. The Committee aims to use plain language, delete unnecessary wordage and update to accommodate changes necessary to continue our vital and vibrant community. Please join us at our next meeting September 28, 2010 at 7:00P.M. at the Tall Oaks Community Center. We will be tackling Article VIII (Architectural Control). Janet Foote, Board member, Committee member
September 2010 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
In its ongoing efforts to update LRPRA's governing documents, the Governing Docs Committee met July 27, 2010. Members of the committee include five Board members, three volunteer homeowners, the Association General Manager and two staff members. For the past year we have been soliciting and encouraging homeowners to join us to contribute your input as we update/modernize our thirty-plus year old Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions; By-Laws; and Articles of Incorporation. We have been posting the committee's draft changes on our website at www.lakeridgeva.com for your review/comment. In July, Article II (Property Rights) and Article III (Property Subject to the Lake Ridge Restrictions) were posted.
Our schedule plans for the completion of the committee's work by December 2010 and Board review/edits by March 2011. The committee's completed draft will be posted to the website April-June 2011 for further homeowner comments/inputs, and will be concurrently reviewed by our legal Counsel. Board review for final approval is scheduled September 2011. Subsequently, community forums will be scheduled over the following quarter to discuss changes, rationale for changes and to receive final input/recommendations from our homeowners. Homeowners will then vote on the governing documents changes concurrent with the 2012 elections (January/February 2012).
On August 31, 2010, the committee met to focus on Declaration Articles: IV (Land Use Classifications, Permitted Uses and Restrictions); V (LRPRA Association); and, VII (Assessments). The committee meets again on September 28, at 7P.M. at Tall Oaks Community Center. Please plan to attend and assist us in making these documents a means of keeping our community a vibrant and pleasant place to live and raise our families. Janet Foote, Committee member, Board member
August 2010 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
Important Message to LRPRA Members!
Over the past year, the Lake Ridge Parks and Recreation Association (LRPRA) Board of Directors and General Staff have continued to keep our Association members informed of the progress toward improving and updating the Association's governing documents. These documents include the Association's Articles of Incorporation, the By-Laws, and the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions.
The LRPRA Governance Documents Committee comprised of members from the Board of Directors, the Association's Staff, and several Association Member Volunteers met on June 29, 2010 to continue the Committee's work to update and complete the Association's governing documents.
The Committee has been diligently working all of the Governance Documents but priority emphasis has been toward the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions and the Articles of Incorporation. These two documents have the greatest interest and concerns for all Association members. The Committee has established detailed future timelines that provide for completing all Governance Documents, legal reviews, plans to provide the documents and communications with ALL Association members for public forum reviews, and the final consent and voting process by Association Members for approval and implementation.
During the June 29 meeting, the Committee discussed procedures for reviewing all Association Policy Resolutions currently in effect that need to be included in the Governance Documents, the necessary requirements, legal and administrative, to amend the Declarations, By-Laws and Articles, and the development of an information and marketing campaign program and methods that would meet the demands to inform the Association membership and provide adequate time for members to consent/vote on the Governance Documents.
The latest meeting of the Governance Documents Committee took place on July 27. The next scheduled meeting is set for 7PM on Tuesday, September 28 at Tall Oaks Community Center. There will be no meeting in August.
All Committee meetings are open to the Association membership, and ALL Members are encouraged to attend, participate, and be a part of the Governance process. Lake Ridge is our/your community and everyone is welcome in keeping the Community a progressive and family oriented environment. Your participation is critical in our information and marketing campaign to ensure everyone has been and is informed.
See you at the meeting.
Hal Johnson, Board President, Committee Member
July 2010 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
LRPRA'S Governing Documents Committee met May 25, 2010 to schedule the completion of the update of our governing documents. The committee developed a timeline for finalizing the remaining articles, providing for legal review, communicating proposed changes to the membership, planning public forums for homeowner feedback and voting on the final documents. The schedule plans for completion of the committee's work by December 2010 and Board review/edits by March 2011. The draft will be posted to the website April-Jun 201l for comments/inputs and will be concurrently reviewed by our legal counsel.
Board review for final approval is scheduled September 20ll. Subsequently, community forums will be scheduled over the following quarter to discuss changes, rationale for changes, and to receive input/recommendations from our homeowners. You may expect to see community flyers, door-hangings, newspaper articles, etc. during the publicity phase of our community awareness campaign.
Please come to our meetings and help us make our community an even better place to live the next 38 years! Our next few meetings are scheduled for June 29 and July 27 at 7:30P.M. at the Tall Oaks Community Center. You should also consider volunteering to help LRPRA "get out the vote" for the balloting, concurrent with our annual elections January-February 2012.
Janet Foote Committee Member, Board Member
June 2010 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The committee working to update LRPRA Governing Documents met April 27, 2010 at TallOaksCommunity Center.Sally Vincent, LRPRA Assistant General Manager and Janet Foote, Board Member and Committee member had visited with an official of the Reston Homeowners Association and were reporting on Reston's experience and timeline with updating its governing documents.Reston HOA, approximately twice the size of LRPRA, is the largest Virginia HOA.It took Reston 5 years to revise its documents, educate its homeowners to the changes, and poll the members for approval.Lessons learned from Reston's experience included:allowing enough time; laying out a plan with target completion dates; getting EVERYONE involved; getting written legal opinions on quorum requirements for ratification and the definition of legal signature (especially apropo with electronic balloting).
LRPRA's next governing documents meeting will focus on developing a timeline for completing the revisions, communicating the changes to the members and strategies for "getting out the vote" for ultimate ratification.We need interested homeowners to participate.Plan to be at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 7:00 p.m. May 25, 2010.
March 2010 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The committee working to update the Association's governing documents met on January 26, 2010. Article VII (Assessments) of the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions was the primary topic for this work session. Proposed amendments included removing irrelevant items from the original language covering the start-up of the Association, and rewriting wordage in clear text. The "Reserve Contribution Rule" passed by the Board of Directors in December 2005 to authorize the collection of a contribution for reserves upon the transfer of a lot to a new owner, was incorporated into Article VII, along with the "Assessment Collection Rule." Once the proposed amendments are reviewed by LRPRA's legal counsel and the Board of Directors, the revised Assessment article will be posted on the Association's website, www.lakerigeva.com under the Info/Updating Governing Docs menu headings for comment by the community.
Of direct interest to our community effort to update our governing documents is Virginia House Bill 1058, which is designed to authorize community associations and their members to utilize new technologies to transmit notice and to obtain signatures, votes, consents or approvals electronically. Your Declaration, By-Laws and Articles Review Committee looks forward to passage of this bill into law, as it will provide for LRPRA members to transmit signatures electronically to amend our governing documents. We encourage you to contact your state representatives in support of this measure, and encourage you to attend the committee's next meeting on March 23, 2010.
January 2010 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
Work continues on updating our Association Governing Documents to accommodate technology change, consolidate amendments since Lake Ridge was chartered and to incorporate plain language for better understanding.
Your committee of volunteer homeowners, Board members and LRPRA staff tackled the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions first, because it is the lion's share of the tasking. As the committee reaches consensus on Covenant Articles and has them reviewed by legal Counsel, they are referred to the Board of Directors for approval, then posted to the Lake Ridge Association website (www.lakeridgeva.com under the "Info" menu heading's submenu "Update Governing Docs") for member input/comment.
Currently, the committee is working on the "Assessments" article and will address "Membership & Voting Rights" and "Architectural Control" after the Holidays during our regularly scheduled meeting January 26, 2010 @ 7:00 at the TallOakesCommunity Center. Please plan to attend. Your input/ideas are welcomed.
Upon conclusion of the review of the Covenants portion of the documents, your committee will address the Articles of Incorporation of LRPRA and the By-Laws, which cover such items as nomination and election of the Board of Directors, meetings, committees, officers and their duties, etc. We expect the review of these documents to progress faster than review of the Covenants. We invite you to review the LRPRA governing documents (they are on the Association website under the "Covenants" menu heading) and offer your suggestions, changes and thoughts. If you are unable to attend our meetings, you may submit your comments to Sally Vincent, Communications Director at:.
September 2009 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The committee proposing updates to the Association's governing documents continues to work on the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions. At their July 28th meeting, members resumed their review of Article IV, Permitted Uses and Restrictions. This is the section of the Declaration that addresses such items as maintenance of property and landscapes, nuisances, trash collection and containers, common area obstructions, etc. The committee is removing extraneous and obsolete language from the original document. You may already be familiar with one reference in Article IV, Section 2E which states, "No improvements, alterations, repairs, excavations or other work which in any way alters the exterior appearance of any property within Lake Ridge � shall be made or done without the prior approval of the Architectural Committee, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Declaration." Come help us complete the draft Use Restrictions and Article VII, Covenant For Maintenance Assessments," at our next meeting on September 29 at 7:00P.M. at the Tall Oaks Community Center. Your input, suggestions and thoughts are very much welcomed and appreciated!
Janet Foote, Declaration
By-Laws and Articles Review Committee Member
July 2009 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The committee working to update LRPRA's governing documents met on May 26. During this meeting, committee members proposed changes to the language used in Article IV of the Association's Declaration Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions regarding permitted uses and restrictions that refer to animals, antennas, and improvements and alterations. The committee discussed simplifying and consolidating wording used in the Declaration and in the Architectural Committee Guidelines that refers to commercial vehicles and parking issues.
The next meeting of the Declaration, By-Laws and Articles Review Committee is scheduled for July 28 at 7P.M. at Tall Oaks Community Center. All Lake Ridge Association homeowners are invited to attend and to share their input.
June 2009 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The LRPRA Declaration, By-Laws, and Articles Review Committee continues its work to update the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions. Proposed changes, which have been reviewed by legal Counsel and the Board of Directors, can be viewed under the Info menu on the Association website, www.lakeridgeva.com, by clicking on the submenu "Update Governing Docs." The committee would like to hear any comments or suggestions our Association membership may have regarding these revisions. We encourage you to submit your input to or call 703.497.7102.
Currently Article VII (Assessments) of the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions is under review. No content changes are being made. For clarity, however, the Assessment Collection Rule (adopted by the Board in April 2005) and the Reserve Contribution Rule (adopted December 2005) are being incorporated.
The next meeting of the "Docs" Committee is at 7:00P.M. on May 28th at the Tall Oaks Community Center. Future meetings are posted on the website to encourage all LRPRA homeowners to participate and provide input to this important process. Subsequent meetings are scheduled for June 23 and July 28 at the same place and time. Meetings are also posted a few days in advance on the Association marquee on the corner of Old Bridge Road and Oakwood Drive. Come support your community!
Apr/May 2009 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The Documents Review Committee is working on the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions. The Committee expects to provide "plain language", remove obsolete terminology and accommodate changes in law, technology and community practices (e.g. satellite dish vs. antenna, etc.) The Board of Directors and Legal Counsel have approved updating of the wording for the "Right of Way" provisions and "Association-sponsored trash service".
The Right of Way clarification offers plain language defining the right of Association authorized persons to access exterior property to exercise their duties and responsibilities without penalty of trespass. There are no substantive changes here. The Association-sponsored trash service codifies in the Declaration a Board-approved process that has been in existence since1993 to provide contracted trash service for any subdivision in which 50% plus 1 of the members have signed a petition in favor of this service. LRPRA then contracts for trash service and bills through the annual assessment process.
You are invited to review and comment on the changes posted on the LRPRA website @ www.lakeridgeva.com. Click on the INFO menu, then the "Update Governing Docs" tab.
The committee is currently working on "Assessments", "Operation/Use of Property" and "Parking". Please come to our next Documents Review Committee meeting 28 April at the TallOaksCommunity Center and share your thoughts/input. We meet every month and future meetings are shown at the above website. The Committee objective is to make the Governing Documents update a transparent process, open to all members of the Association and to present the final documents for approval at the 2010 Annual Membership Meeting.
March 2009 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
The Documents Review Committee is working on the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions. During the February 17 meeting, the committee reached consensus on updating the wording of the "Right of Way" provisions granting authorized right of access over and through the exterior of properties for official duties.
Also an agreement was reached for the inclusion in the Declaration of the Trash Collection Service Option resolution directing management to implement and provide to the members a trash collection service petition by subdivision to be signed by a simple majority (50% plus 1) of the members in a subdivision or by the members in the Annexation area known as East Lake Ridge in order to initiate Association-sponsored trash collection within the subdivision (or East Lake Ridge).
After review by legal counsel, the proposed revisions will be forwarded to the Board of Directors for review and posted on the Docs Review webpage @ www.lakeridgeva.org (click the "Info" menu, then "Update Governing Docs"). You are cordially invited to our next meeting at Tall Oaks Community Center on March 17 at 7:00 P.M. to offer your input and meet our Docs Review team.
Review of Lake Ridge Association's governing documents has begun to update obsolete terminology and accommodate changes in law or technology (e.g. satellite dish vs. antennas, etc). Your committee members are:
February 2009 Issue - Lake Ridge Today, Update Docs Committee
Board MembersVolunteer HomeownersStaff Members
Hal Johnson, Pres John Gray Ron Pereira, Gen Mgr
Richard Lee, VPres Bobby Sansale Sally Vincent, Com Dir
David Fram, Treas Janet Foote Martha Nelson, Covenant Dir
Ronald Yoho Frederick Knox Jennifer Francis, Finance Dir
Tom Dearmond
Yvonne Wilson
Meetings of the Declaration, By-Laws and Articles Review Committee are open to all Lakeridge homeowners, who are cordially invited to attend. All of the next scheduled meetings are at 7 p.m at the TallOaksCommunity Center on the following dates: 17 February, 17 March, 28 April, 26 May, and 23 June. You are invited to attend and to bring your ideas and suggestions.
All homeowners are encouraged to be a part of this effort by logging onto and signing up for email correspondence at the LRPA website: www.lakeridgeva.com. Additionally, you will find news about the committee under the INFO tab. Just scroll down past the pictures of the "Winning Homes in the Holiday Home Decorating Contest" and click on "Declarations, By-Laws and Articles Review Committee".
The committee expects to complete the review and update for presentation to the entire membership for consideration by the 2010 Board Elections meeting. Throughout the process you may find information about the committee's progress at the association website.
