Solar Ice
A Continuing Publication in Solaridge Cluster
February 19, 2007
Hello, Solar Neighbors! The storm last Wednesday was an event, eh?! Inches of sleet over everything, and then a cold wind to freeze it in place. Our contractor ordinarily comes back the next morning to plow out the mailboxes and do some cleanup, but this time it wasn't possible, the plows couldn't budge it after it froze.
I'm about to order the standard Solaridge house numbers -- laser-cut white acrylic -- as I told you in the last newsletter. So far three homeowners have requested replacements. The Board urges you to join the list if your own house numbers have been replaced with a non-standard design. The advantages are that emergency services can find all of us quickly when we have those bold white numbers mounted on black board in the same place on every house. And someday when you sell, that chore will be already taken care of, you won't have to worry.
We're about to have our annual cluster tree work done -- and it will be a slightly truncated list concentrating on safety, since we've had a couple of expensive blow-downs this year. If you mentioned that you'd like to have the arborist look at something on your own property, please remind me -- I remember two requests but there may have been a third. The cluster's work is on a list, and prioritized by urgency.
We now have two Solaridge homes with the Hardi cement siding. The Board asked me to remind you that the design standard calls for the Hardi siding and the trim elements to be stained to match an approved cluster color. Also, the trim will need to be cut thinner to match the existing detail. Reston Association allows a home's color to be switched to a different color in the palette on application by the homeowner, but not to a color which would match a neighboring house -- the idea is to avoid two adjacent houses of the same color.
Have you visited the new climbing wall in the tot lot? The old playground equipment was nearing the end of its life, and safety was becoming a concern. Try out the new equipment, see what you think : )
The Board has selected colors to brighten the Solaridge theme sign, and we'll paint it when warmer and drier weather is here. Our goal is to make it a touch lighter and brighter, so that it will stand out on that shady knoll. We're also looking at putting in some bright perennials near the two cluster entrances once spring is here.
A homeowner has proposed that we lighten a couple of the more somber house colors in our palette a notch -- we have a very "1985" palette, and most of the newer clusters use lighter shades. See Beacon Hill across the street for an example. The Board expects to ask your opinion on this at the annual meeting in April. If we do it, we'll have to get Reston Association's approval, and then as houses are eventually repainted in the new shade(s), the cluster will brighten up a notch. Be thinking about this, ok?
And the Cluster's annual members meeting will be held Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30pm in Meeting Room #1 at the Reston Regional Library -- mark that date!
If you received a paper copy of this newsletter, please send me an email at the address below to switch to a web-based copy in the future. It may save a tree – or at least some shoe leather.
Thanks,
Lynn
Lynn Devore, President
Lynn@LDCamera.com
Solaridge Cluster Association
