Hello Neighbors,

As previously mentioned, on Monday, April 11, 2016, the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council held a Work Session to discuss small cell facilities at City Hall. Washingtonian Woods resident and Board member, Kathleen McCann attended the session along with many other neighborhood residents. Her detailed meeting notes can be found here.

Additionally, per Deputy City Manager Dennis Enslinger, the City has recently updated the Small Cell Facilities project web page to include a Frequently Ask Questions document based on the comments that the City Council has received. The updated project web page also contains a link to the initial Mayor and City Council Work Session documents regarding this topic held on April 11, 2016 along with a project status update.

The City will continue to solicit public feedback on this topic as it moves forward. The Mayor and City Council have not yet set any future meeting dates on this topic. Future public meeting notices regarding this topic will be posted on the Small Cell Facilities project web page. We will also send out any applicable notices to the neighborhood as we are informed.

Also per Mr. Enslinger, the City has not received any applications for small cell facilities at this time and continues to work on how to deal with such requests should they be submitted.

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA

Hello Neighbors,

Public Input Sought on Small Cell Facility Installations
The Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council will hold a Work Session to discuss small cell facilities on Monday, April 11, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. City staff will make a presentation and the public is invited to provide comment.

At the moment, two small cell facilities are being proposed for our neighborhood — one at the intersection of Driscoll Way and Upshire Circle, near the Tot Lot; and the other on Leatherleaf.  Monday’s working session provides a great opportunity for residents to:

1. learn more about small cell facilities and their proliferation;
2. learn more about the Federal restrictions governing them;
3. and to engage with the City Council as they develop their approach towards normalizing and standardizing installations within the City.

More information on the working session can be found here.  And more information on small cell facilities can be found here.

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA

Washingtonian Woods Annual Park Cleanup
Join the Muddy Branch Alliance in the annual cleanup on Saturday, April 23rd from 9-12 pm. The Muddy Branch Alliance, a local non-profit watershed group, is helping the City of Gaithersburg with this clean-up as part of a larger clean-up of the Potomac River.

Participants will meet in the Washingtonian Woods clubhouse at 9:00 am, collect pickup sticks
supplied by the City of Gaithersburg and bags supplied by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. Volunteers will head to various areas in the neighborhood and park that are in need of trash pickup.

SSL hours are available. Please contact Paul Hlavinka at [email protected] for information. You may also download the Flyer, here.

Spring Loose Leaf Collection
Spring Loose Leaf Collection for our neighborhood continues for the first two weeks in April. Please click here for more information.

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA

Hello Neighbors,

Below is the latest information from the City of Gaithersburg regarding current plowing and snow clean up efforts.  Stay patient, and stay safe.  They will come!

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA

City of Gaithersburg Press Release
Contact: Britta Monaco, Public Information Director
City of Gaithersburg
301-258-6310 x2111
[email protected]

For Immediate Release

Gaithersburg Mayor and City Manager Urge Patience as Cleanup Continues

January 25, 2016 – Gaithersburg, MD. A message from Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman and City Manager Tony Tomasello to the residents of Gaithersburg:

Each and every one of you deserves our thanks for the patience you are showing during this epic snowstorm, which ranks amongst the most extreme this area has ever seen. We know that you are enduring many challenges and we appreciate the spirit of cooperation as the community joins together to get through this.

Please join us in extending a very sincere “thank you” to our City staff. Crews from our Public Works and Police Departments, along with other City staff, are continuing to work around the clock, sacrificing their own personal needs to clear our roads and ensure our safety.

We ask for your patience and cooperation as cleanup continues throughout the week. Thankfully the snow has stopped and the sun is shining. But the cleanup effort will be a long one in the face of 30+ inches of snow.

Please do not attempt to travel. Our crews are doing an admirable job clearing main roads, which remains their primary focus, but many of the streets in our community that are maintained by other jurisdictions may not be passable. We’ve heard several reports of people attempting to drive, only to have their vehicles get stuck. Please stay off the roads so that crews can do their jobs more efficiently. Once the main roads are cleared, our City crews will turn their attention to our neighborhoods.

A snow emergency remains in effect. It is imperative that all cars remain off of Snow Emergency Routes and cul-de-sacs and that residents refrain from double parking along windrows created by the plows. We must be able to create travel lanes wide enough for emergency vehicle access. Safety is paramount.

While plowing or “pushing” snow is usually the quickest way to clear roadways, we’re quickly running out of places to put the snow. In some cases, lane widths will have to be reduced, with the goal of ensuring that there is at least one travel lane for access in and out of all communities.

Townhome communities and those with cul-de-sacs are the most challenging and will take us the longest to address. They are the tightest areas for plowing. As a result, many are already down to one lane. Our effort to clear these communities can be hindered by residents clearing snow from their walkways and cars and putting it back into the roadway. While we know you are running out of places to pile the snow, please do not put it back into the street. It might result in us not being able to provide any access to your community at all.

Sidewalk clearing is important, and you are responsible for clearing all sidewalks around your property. With car travel difficult, there will likely be more pedestrians on the streets, and eventually the children will return to school and will need sidewalks for safe passage. It would be best to focus on clearing only a narrow path, putting the snow in your yard or on top of the windrows that have already been created by our snow plows. These windrows will eventually be cleared. Also remember to uncover any fire hydrants so that they are visible from the street.

Once main roads are deemed passable we will start loading and hauling snow out of residential areas. We will place high priorities on areas where access has been most limited, which includes many of our townhome communities. This is a long and tedious process, but crews will literally be working around the clock until all communities can be accessed.

The City remains closed on Sunday, January 25. A decision will be made early Sunday evening with regards to the City’s status on January 26. Recycling will suspended through at least Tuesday, January 27. Regular updates are posted on our website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Residents are urged to check the site frequently. The emergency information also includes helpful links, including one to Montgomery County Government for additional information about shelters, emergency preparedness and more.

Thank you again for all that you have done and will be doing to ensure your own safety and that of your neighbors. It is exactly this type of community spirit that makes Gaithersburg such a wonderful place to live.

Resource Information:

Residents are also urged to register for Alert Gaithersburg, an emergency notification system that delivers messages simultaneously to multiple devices. Sign up at www.gaithersburgmd.gov/alerts.

Power Outages should be reported directly to your local power company. If traffic signals are out, please remember to treat the intersection as a four way stop.
PEPCO: 1-877-737-2662 www.pepco.com
BG&E: 1-877-778-2222 www.bge.com
Potomac Edison: 1-888-544-4877 www.firstenergycorp.com

If a tree is down and live wires are involved, the tree is blocking a roadway, is on a structure, or someone is trapped, please call 911. Otherwise, please report downed trees on public roads and property as follows:
Gaithersburg residents call the Department of Public Works 301-258-6370 during business hours, Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. After hours please e-mail [email protected].
Montgomery County residents call 311 (240-777-0311 from a cell phone) or file a report at www.MC311.com

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Hello Neighbors,

City of Gaithersburg Snow Removal Policy
In preparation for this weekend’s snow storm, please be reminded of City of Gaithersburg’s Snow Removal Policy:

“Residents and business owners in Gaithersburg are required to remove snow and ice from the public sidewalks abutting their property within 12 hours of the last precipitation; however, when possible, property owners should wait until the snow removal crews have cleared the roadways to avoid continuous clearings.”

In the past, the City has fined homeowners who have not cleared their sidewalks. Please be mindful of the safety of your neighbors, and make a diligent effort to clear your sidewalks in a reasonable, timely fashion.

The Policy in its entirety can be found, here:
http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/services/public-works/snow-removal-policies

Alert Gaithersburg
Additionally, any residents that have not already done so may sign up for the City of Gaithersburg Alert System, Alert Gaithersburg.

“Alert Gaithersburg is a notification system that can immediately contact subscribers during an emergency or relay time-sensitive weather, traffic and public safety information. It delivers important emergency alerts, notifications and updates to several electronic devices simultaneously, including multiple e-mail accounts (work, home, etc.), and cell phones.”

To sign up or learn more on the City of Gaithersburg Alert System, please use the following link:
http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/services/public-safety/alert-gaithersburg

Have fun, and be safe!

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA

Hello Neighbors,

The final approved versions of the neighborhood Architectural Guidelines and Architectural Change Application have now been posted online.  The Board approved these documents at the October 2015 Board meeting, with the following 3 changes:

1. Added the 100 and 200 blocks of Upshire Circle to the Alfandre section (on page 5)
2. Updated PMP phone number to the Gaithersburg office (on pages 5 and 11)
3. Added a section on Solar Panels (on page 9)

The final documents can now be found here:

Architectural Review

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA

Hello Neighbors,

Thank you to everyone who helped us continue the great Halloween spirit of Washingtonian Woods by decorating their houses this year!  The judging occurred on Saturday 10/31, and our only rule was that no home could win two years in a row.  This year the following winners were selected:

Winners
1st Place — 3 Driscoll Court
2nd Place — 4 Driscoll Court
3rd Place — 113 Upshire Circle
4th Place — 111 Upshire Circle

Honorable Mentions
502 Midsummer Drive
107 Driscoll Way
121 Driscoll Way

Prizes will be distributed in the next week or so.  Thank you again and we hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA

Hello Neighbors,

Just a reminder that the neighborhood Halloween Parade, Costume Contest and Candy Hill is this Sunday at 3:30pm in Washingtonian Woods Park. Please don’t forget to have your children bring something to put their candy in!

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA

Hello Neighbors,

Per some recent resident feedback at the September HOA meeting, the Architectural Review Committee has updated the draft Architectural Guidelines document to include an expanded “Front Doors” section.  Included in the revised section is some more descriptive verbiage as well as some sample illustrations.  You may download the revised document here.

This is the final version of the Guidelines document that the Board plans to vote on at the October 27th meeting.

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA

Hello Neighbors,

The residents most affected by the following announcement have already been individually notified.  However, we wanted to let the entire community know that the City of Gaithersburg will begin demolition of the CPSC buildings on Monday, October 12^th.

More detailed information and timeline can be found in the attached document, below:

Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA