Month: January 2024

Posted on

Snow Event #2, 19 January 2024 – Update #1 

Good evening.

SEASONAL LINKS:

2023 – 2024 Snow Removal Policy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-WlBuDMPBWN4DgriGScfuYrx6cTXmS3T/view?usp=drive_link

Patriot Disposal Services Website: https://www.patriotdisposalservices.com/

Our current situation:

1.  Based on my non-official measurements around the community but mainly based on the lifeguard stands and diving board base – we appear to have had around 6 inches of snow during this storm.

2.  We have had the plow through.  The salt trucks are currently working their way through the various clients and we are on the rotation.

3.  BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU WALK OR DRIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY TONIGHT.  Black ice is throughout the community in any areas that have not had ice melt treatments applied to them. If it looks wet and shiny it’s probably a skating rink waiting for you to slide across….   That’s for people walking or vehicles trying to drive across the surface….  Watch your steps when you are walking and drive carefully if you are traveling by vehicle.  

4.  Please review the Snow Removal Policy – a couple of points I’d like to make
 – When plows are operating they are working under specific instructions, please do not try to get them to accomplish other tasks.  Contact myself or the Streets and Sidewalks Chair if you have any questions.
  – Plows maintain a distance of 30 inches from all parking spaces / vehicles.  The remainder of the distance is up to us.
  – Request you consider removing the snow and ice from the common sidewalks to the front, and in some cases, the rear of your townhomes.  Also request you clear around nearby mailboxes and fire hydrants.  These actions help us sustain a safe environment for those moving through our community or for any emergency response that may be necessary.

A great amount of work accomplished today by a multitude of volunteers within out community – thank you for your efforts!  

Regards,

Mark

Posted on

Snow Event #2, 19 January 2024 – Trash Pickup Discontinued for Today 

Good morning to all.

SEASONAL LINKS:

2023 – 2024 Snow Removal Policy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-WlBuDMPBWN4DgriGScfuYrx6cTXmS3T/view?usp=drive_link

Patriot Disposal Services Website: https://www.patriotdisposalservices.com/

With the greater-than-anticipated amount of snow falling I wanted y’all to receive information specific to this storm.

1.  We are currently sitting somewhere above 2 inches of snow fallen.

2.  Patriot has discontinued all service for today.  There will be no makeup day.  Our next trash pickup is scheduled for Tuesday, 23 January 2024.  This is, as always, weather dependent.  If you have the ability to secure your trash that’s out at the collection points please do so by bringing the container/bags back to your home.  as always, you can go to the contractor website for current status of services.

3.  The final salt operation from Snow Event #1 was still on our streets for this event so performed well during the initial portion of the current storm. We will plan for at least one plow session for this storm along with at least one salt application.

4.  Please review the Snow Removal Policy – a couple of points I’d like to make
 – When plows are operating they are working under specific instructions, please do not try to get them to accomplish other tasks.  Contact myself or the Streets and Sidewalks Chair if you have any questions.
  – Plows maintain a distance of 30 inches from all parking spaces / vehicles.  The remainder of the distance is up to us.
  – Request you consider removing the snow and ice from the common sidewalks to the front, and in some cases, the rear of your townhomes.  Also request you clear around nearby mailboxes and fire hydrants.  These actions help us sustain a safe environment for those moving through our community or for any emergency response that may be necessary.

Again, appreciate all of y’alls efforts from the storm earlier this week – one more to go before we get to a warmup next week…..

Regards,

Mark

Posted on

PWCA Information for Members and Residents (January 2024, Message #2) 

Good evening!  Please see below for several items for your review.

PERMANENT LINKS:
PWCA Website: https://parkwestcommunity.org/
PWCA Meeting Packets: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UQIfzyb72xFD9Y7_mshcRNVRE5wv8m5h?usp=share_link

ACC Documents:  https://parkwestcommunity.org/architectural-control-committee/

Parking Documents: https://parkwestcommunity.org/parking/

Newsletters: https://parkwestcommunity.org/newsletters/

Quarterly Assessment Timeline: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LpwaIZ5NVobKPDzCmuTnOy20KcwpxXXg?usp=share_link

Trash and Recycling Information:  https://parkwestcommunity.org/our-environment/

SEASONAL LINKS:

Director Application for Candidacy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cnn33EERkBdAG-qMTEiiV4PWyHv3BnxJ/view

2023 – 2024 Snow Removal Policy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gtAkDqOQlg3InT0bmEnm6rrHYRaQrdnr/view?usp=sharing 

2024 Annual Assessment Notice and Timeline:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QxBqENaj8L2i8worak-rQyBrnLPSp6GB?usp=drive_link 

INFORMATION ITEMS:

1.  MLK DAY OF SERVICE; COMMUNITY AND RABBIT BRANCH PARK CLEANUP; REVIEW.  Thank you to the people wo showed up for our community cleanup.  While the weather wasn’t great we did get four from our community and about 20 from the overall Kings Park West community participating.  Really appreciate you giving some of your Monday to help our community!

2.  SNOW EVENT #1; REVIEW.  Another thank you to all who cleaned their sidewalks and shoveled the parking area edges.  With the continued cold weather that’s a really fantastic action that will pay dividends for multiple days.  For this event we had one plow session and three salting activities.  I do not anticipate doing anything else for our streets in response to this storm. 

3.  POTENTIAL SNOW EVENT, FRIDAY.  This continued cold weather takes us right into another potential storm in two days.  If you have not reviewed the Snow Policy for this season, I urge you to do so.  Again, really appreciate all those who care for the common sidewalks and nearby fire hydrant as needed to make moving around and safety in our community a little easier for all.   

4.  TREE AND GROUNDS CARE WORK.  Our Fall 2023 Tree Pruning activity will occur over the next couple of weeks.  Contracted leaf removal for Fall 2023 is complete.  For those who did not take advantage of the visits to move your leaves to common ground please clean your yards and deposit into bags for removal.  

5.  YARD DEBRIS COLLECTION.  Any yard debris you generate now should be placed out with regular trash.  Our contractor recommends placing yard debris into your trash containers to ensure the debris gets picked up during the next two months.  Regular Yard Debris collection will resume on March 6, 2024.

6.  BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING; TUESDAY, February 20, 2024; 7:00 PM; VIRTUAL.  The monthly board meeting will be conducted via the RingCentral virtual meeting framework. For the virtual meeting information, see the website under ‘Meetings’, select the year (2024), then the meeting (20240220). Document #01-1 contains the information to join the meeting.

7.  2024 ANNUAL ASSESSMENT NOTICE AND ASSESSMENT TIMELINE.  If you have some kind of manual payment occurring to pay your assessments – please remember to adjust your payment.  We have several accounts that have paid last year’s amount and therefore still have an account balance.  As presented at the Annual Meeting, the Annual Assessment for 2024 has increased to $440.00 per quarter due on the first day of each quarterly assessment period – the first quarter’s payment was due on January 1st. The 2024 Assessment Notice and the Quarterly Assessment Timeline have been mailed/emailed to you and may also be found on the website – link provided above in the Seasonal Links section.

8.  COLD WEATHER PREPARATION.   With the current weather this remains for one more message…  Check the November newsletter for an article on this important subject.  Each year there are challenges faced by homeowners – consider taking the identified steps to take to be prepared for winter and limit potential damage to your home. The PWCA snow policy is posted on the website and is linked above in the Seasonal Links section; please read and understand it before any snow emergency might be declared for the Community.  If/when snow or ice storms occur all residents are requested to shovel and de-ice the sidewalks in front of your home. Help your neighbors and your community by assisting others if needed, clearing around fire hydrants, and clearing the mail boxes

9.  BRADDOCK ROAD STOP SIGN AND MESSAGE BOARD, POOL PARKING LOT STOP SIGN.  We are awaiting better weather to repair the stop signs and message board.

Enjoy your evening – stay warm and be careful if you walk outside with all the black ice that’s out there now that the sun is gone.

Regards,

Mark

Posted on

PWCA Information for Members and Residents (January 2024, Message #1) 

Good morning!  Please see below for several items for your review.

PERMANENT LINKS:
PWCA Website:  https://parkwestcommunity.org/
PWCA Meeting Packets:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UQIfzyb72xFD9Y7_mshcRNVRE5wv8m5h?usp=share_link

ACC Documents:   https://parkwestcommunity.org/architectural-control-committee/

Parking Documents:  https://parkwestcommunity.org/parking/

Newsletters:  https://parkwestcommunity.org/newsletters/

Quarterly Assessment Timeline:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LpwaIZ5NVobKPDzCmuTnOy20KcwpxXXg?usp=share_link

Trash and Recycling Information:  https://parkwestcommunity.org/our-environment/

SEASONAL LINKS:

Director Application for Candidacy:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cnn33EERkBdAG-qMTEiiV4PWyHv3BnxJ/view

2023 – 2024 Snow Removal Policy:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gtAkDqOQlg3InT0bmEnm6rrHYRaQrdnr/view?usp=sharing 

2024 Annual Assessment Notice and Timeline:   https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QxBqENaj8L2i8worak-rQyBrnLPSp6GB?usp=drive_link 

MLK Day of Service Flyer:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ztOec02XXnAQarifVraDzP2gZKbJ6Z_p/view?usp=drive_link

INFORMATION ITEMS:

1.  MLK DAY OF SERVICE; COMMUNITY AND RABBIT BRANCH PARK CLEANUP; MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2024; 9:00 AM; EITHER POOL PARKING LOT OR TAPESTRY DRIVE AT FOOTPATH.  THIS MONDAY!!!!!!!  Our District Supervisor will be at the Tapestry Drive location to kick off the event  Whether you walk over there to participate or just come down to the pool to grab a bag and select an area of our community please give an hour or two of your time Monday to help keep our grounds clear of the loose trash that has collected and thereby help lessen the impact of our environment and those downstream of us.  Please come prepared to walk through naturalized areas – some areas will be wet.  Gloves are highly recommended.  There will will trash bags, maps of our common area, and trash grabbers at the pool for you to use.  Please return the grabbers when you are finished – You may either bring the trash collected back to the pool or just deposit it at one of the trash collection points for removal on the Tuesday collection.  See the flyer in the Seasonal Links list above.  Here’s the email from KPW Road Raiders on this and several other park improvements occurring in our immediate vicinity – the flyer referenced in the email is the flyer in the Seasonal Links section: 

————————–

From: Tom McCook <kpwroadraiders@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 7, 2024 at 8:44 PM

Neighbors,

KPWCA is sponsoring  again this year our annual “discover nature” in a small & great area of KPW.

Rabbit Branch Park, off Tapestry weaves it way south with walking footpaths all the way to Crooked Creek Park (off Commonwealth) and maybe by this time next year, we’ll have an established trail from Commonwealth all the way to Royal lake (in planning stages, will be done, just no guarantees on timelines).  WOW!!

AND … the renovation is (almost) complete on Shane’s Creek, the “other watershed” to Royal Lake – WOW, I walked with my dogs on Saturday morning before the rain from the Lake to Roberts Road … as soon as the vegetation gets a foothold and begins to grow – we will have another DYNAMIC small park and numerous footpaths around the lake!!!!  [please note – the vegetation has just been planted, needs time to establish and begin to grow; so we will not have any organized activities in this area for a while – but … check it out when you can].

For Monday, January 15 @ 9AM, please plan to stay as long as you can to support the community & parks.

We’ll be holding our annual “clean the park”  that elusive plastic trash is usually not next to the easy walking paths, but hidden and away from the beaten path – PLEASE come prepared and dressed for walking in the woods, tall grass and bush areas.

NO rain is in the forecast for next weekend; hopefully the area will dry before Monday.

Martin Luther King day, a day of service, not just a day off (federal, state and school holiday).

Please help us out & please see/post the attached flyer, so that we can maximize the event.

I hope to see you there.

If you’d like to join us, please send me an email @ KPWRoadRaiders@gmail.com 

AND if you have an area of our community neglected by VDOT or sidewalks and Parks that need special attention, please let me know!

Any questions or concerns, please let me know.  

Tom McCook

703.839.5205

kpwroadraiders@gmail.com, 

2.  TREE AND GROUNDS CARE WORK.  Our Fall 2023 Tree Pruning activity will occur over the next couple of weeks.  Contracted leaf removal for Fall 2023 is complete.  For those who did not take advantage of the visits to move your leaves to common ground please clean your yards and deposit into bags for removal.  

3.  YARD DEBRIS COLLECTION.  Any yard debris you generate now should be placed out with regular trash.  Our contractor recommends placing yard debris into your trash containers to ensure the debris gets picked up during the next two months.  Regular Yard Debris collection will resume on March 6, 2024.

4.  BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING; TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2024; 7:00 PM; VIRTUAL.  The monthly board meeting will be conducted via the RingCentral virtual meeting framework. For the virtual meeting information, see the website under ‘Meetings’, select the year (2024), then the meeting (20240116). Document #01-1 contains the information to join the meeting.

5.  2024 ANNUAL ASSESSMENT NOTICE AND ASSESSMENT TIMELINE.  As presented at the Annual Meeting, the Annual Assessment for 2024 has increased to $440.00 per quarter due on the first day of each quarterly assessment period – the first quarter’s payment was due on January 1st. The 2024 Assessment Notice and the Quarterly Assessment Timeline have been mailed/emailed to you and may also be found on the website – link provided above in the Seasonal Links section.

6.  COLD WEATHER PREPARATION.  With the change of weather occurring next week on us, I thought I’d keep this item in for one more message.  Check the November newsletter for an article on this important subject.  Each year there are challenges faced by homeowners – consider taking the identified steps to take to be prepared for winter and limit potential damage to your home. The PWCA snow policy is posted on the website and is linked above in the Seasonal Links section; please read and understand it before any snow emergency might be declared for the Community.  If/when snow or ice storms occur all residents are requested to shovel and de-ice the sidewalks in front of your home. Help your neighbors and your community by assisting others if needed, clearing around fire hydrants, and clearing the mail boxes

7.  BRADDOCK ROAD STOP SIGN AND MESSAGE BOARD, POOL PARKING LOT STOP SIGN.  We are awaiting better weather to repair the stop signs and message board.

Enjoy your day – hope to see you on Monday!

Regards,

Mark