News Articles
2025 President's Letter
Posted on Jan 31st, 2025
Dear Fairlington Towne Community,
I hope this message finds you well. Thank you to the residents who took time to join us at our first meeting of the year on January 30th.
I am pleased to introduce the 2025 Board of Directors. Alongside myself, Nicole Devore, President, we have Vice President Page Daggett, Secretary Amanda O’Sullivan, Treasurer Mary Beth Adamchik, and our Director, Member-at-Large, Jackie Maffucci. I am grateful for their leadership and commitment to the community. Together, we bring a diverse set of skills and experience to serve all of you.
As we move forward, I want to remind everyone that our community is a place for collaboration, it is not a battlefield. We all share the same goal: to make Fairlington Towne a better place to live. The Board is made up of residents just like you—volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to making this a thriving community. We maintain the financial health of the community, solve issues, repair and maintain our property, and work together to accomplish these goals. Our meetings are not a debate club, but rather a space for progress, with each of us working together to move the business of the Association forward. We want this to be a space for constructive conversation and problem-solving.
How can you be involved? How can you discuss important matters with the Board? There are multiple ways for you to communicate with the Board. You can reach out via The Fairlington Towne website “Contact Us” form, participate during open sessions at Board meetings, volunteer for committees, or even run for the Board yourself. Every owner has a voice in shaping the direction of this community.
I want to acknowledge that the work of the Board is not an easy task. It requires patience, teamwork, and a lot of time and effort. For some of us on this Board, years of project planning. Complaining is easy, but it doesn't work: solving issues for a community of 300 unit owners is no small task, and it’s important to approach these challenges with a solutions-oriented mindset. Facebook and other social media platforms are great for discussion but are not the official channels for making decisions. We encourage everyone to be part of the solution and to engage with us through the appropriate channels.
Now, on to a few important matters:
Violations: Austin and FSR are moving forward with addressing violations as part of the Board’s decisions. Those violations are not new for this community, and they must be applied equitably across the property! We are moving this forward in accordance with our Bylaws, our Due Process Policy, and in accordance with the Virginia Condominium Act, as required, so that we can complete important projects for the benefit of the entire community. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Board directly. If you’ve received a violation notice, as written in both emails and letters, please send a photo of the correction to Austin when it’s resolved to close out the issue. We are all working to improve our community, and we appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Perimeter Fencing Project: One of the key projects on our agenda in January was the property’s perimeter fencing. This new fence will run from King Street, by the Bradlee Shopping Center, around the back of Keller and the apartments, and down near the Church on King Street. To move forward with construction, we will need to clear the landscaping and remove any resident items within a 3-foot zone on either side of the fence, which requires the violations process and working with our Landscape Committee. We cannot proceed with construction until this is done. We’ve worked closely with the City and School for the past two years to make this happen - without a special assessment - and we’re excited to continue with this project.
Masonry Repairs & Other Projects: We’re also looking ahead at masonry repairs, which will require painting and brick sealing once completed. As a first step, we approved a proposal to work with ETC for color consultation to include schemes and renderings, and we’ll need your input as we make decisions to update the color scheme of our community to bring a fresher look that reflects the evolving character of Fairlington Towne. Our shared goal is to enhance the aesthetic appeal while maintaining a timeless charm, creating a space that feels inviting for all residents. Once we have those available, we will post a survey on the website for the community to select the colors of the buildings, the color of the retaining wall brick and the coordinating color of the fence, put together by professional consultants. To advance this project as well, we need to also begin the violations process, as we’ll need access to front and rear building walls, so we ask for your patience as we move forward.
Retaining Wall Project: I am currently reaching out to the City to get an update on permits for the retaining wall project, which is vital for maintaining the integrity of our foundations. This project will cost approximately $750,000, but we’ve planned for it financially, and we will complete it without the need for a special assessment.
Account Information & Payment Processing: Please remember that the Board does not have access to individual account details, as we prioritize your privacy. If you have concerns about your account, please reach out directly to FSR, ClickPay, or Austin. Many owners have received reminders or late fees due to outstanding balances, and you can always check your account status via the Connect Resident Portal. The assessments policy is also available for your review at any time in the portal.
Parking Issues: Regarding the continued conversation about parking, as many of you know, our bylaws currently state that parking spaces are unassigned and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so assigning spaces is not an option under the current rules. We simply do not have enough spaces for every unit, nor does the City limit the number of cars any individual can own. Last year, after a lengthy community discussion and survey process, the Board voted to rescind the City’s authority to tow vehicles. This decision was made to avoid issues where residents were calling the City on their neighbors, which was leading to frustrations over tickets and towing, particularly with vehicles having expired tags or those belonging to residents serving in the armed forces. Additionally, the Alexandria Police Department’s involvement in enforcing parking rules and towing vehicles after just three days also played a role in the Board’s decision to end that agreement.
It’s important to note that N Dearing Street and the fire lanes are City-owned, meaning the City enforces the "no parking" rules in these areas. The City has the authority to enforce parking regulations within these City-owned zones, and any violations will be handled by the City, not the Association.
That being said, the bylaws are clear that vehicles in our parking bays that remain unmoved for 30 days may still be subject to towing, but the Association’s ability to enforce this is unclear, as our bylaws do not explicitly grant towing authority for stored vehicles. We had also discussed having residents register their vehicles in the FSR portal to improve communication, but this process has not been finalized, and we are unsure if we can make it mandatory.
If the community feels strongly that towing stored vehicles should take priority over other concerns (such as ticketing and towing vehicles with expired tags or neighbors calling in other neighbors), we would be happy to conduct another survey to gauge community sentiment on this. The Board remains open to further discussions about how to balance these concerns and improve parking policies. We are also willing to create a Parking Committee to help the community in solving this decades-long, persistent issue.
Residents Guide: We are pleased to announce that after months, and months of review, the Residents Guide has been approved and will soon be distributed to all homeowners via email and mail. This guide is designed to answer important questions about daily life in our community, such as trash pickup schedules, emergency contact information, and homeowner and renter responsibilities.
The guide will be sent via mail and email to all owners. We kindly ask that homeowners share the guide with their renters to ensure everyone has access to this helpful information.
Please note that the Residents Guide is separate from the ongoing work of the Design Guidelines Committee. While the Residents Guide addresses practical matters related to daily living, the Design Guidelines Committee is working toward a shared goal of ensuring that the community’s design standards and safety measures are met, such as window installation, allowable decor, and fire marshal requirements, among many other important design issues. The first committee meeting has just been announced for Feb. 3rd, and we applaud their leadership and commitment.
Survey Feature & New Policies: We are also excited to introduce a new feature on the Fairlington Towne website—the Survey Feature! This will be a valuable tool to collect your input on various community matters, starting with one of our key projects—color schemes and renderings for the community. We will be asking for your input and feedback to ensure that our choices reflect the preferences and vision of our residents.
Additionally, we are moving forward with a proposed Leasing Policy that we would like your feedback on. As short-term rentals, such as AirBnB and other hoteling platforms, become more popular, it is important that we maintain a standard for leasing that aligns with the rules outlined in our condominium instruments. In collaboration with our legal counsel, the Board has developed a policy resolution that clarifies the leasing guidelines for our community. This policy will reassert that units cannot be rented for transient or hoteling purposes, and must have a lease term of at least six months. We are also introducing a new lease addendum, which will ensure that all lessees are aware of and agree to comply with these requirements.
Finally, we’ve identified the need for a Records Retention and Books and Records Policy. Most condo associations already have this in place, and we believe it’s essential for Fairlington Towne as we move forward. This policy will outline how we manage, store, and access important community records, ensuring transparency and accountability.
VDOT Letter Campaign: I’m pleased to share an update on the King-Bradlee project. The Board, along with many of you, submitted letters to VDOT, Representative Beyer, Governor Youngkin, and Senators Kaine and Warner. Our voices were heard! The VDOT staff has recommended no funding for the project, further, it is currently low on the priority list. However, we will continue to monitor this issue. This was a collaborative effort led by Jackie Maffucci and I working with community advocacy groups, the Board, and all of you to move the interests of Fairlington Towne forward. Thank you!
Your input, collaboration, and suggested solutions are invaluable as we work together to make Fairlington Towne the best it can be.
Thank you again for your attention and commitment to our community. We look forward to hearing from you! I'm excited for 2025, moving forward with these large-scale necessary projects, and for this Board to continue with the business of the Association.
Best regards,
Nicole Devore, President