News Articles
October 2025 Newsletter
Posted on Nov 16th, 2025
Fairland Towns Homeowner Association
PO Box 1376
Annandale, VA 22003
www.fairlandtownshoa.com
October 2025
NOTICE:
Our new groundskeepers are seeding and aerating our grass today. The soil plugs that they pull up
look a bit like dog poop, but do not confuse them. The holes are meant to let the soil breathe
and the grass roots thicken for a healthier lawn in the Spring.
Do not collect or remove the soil plugs that they have pulled up;
let them naturally disintegrate back into the soil.
Dear Neighbor,
A chill is in the air and crisp, clear days signal the change in seasons. I trust you enjoy this time of year as much as many of us do. Beware...holidays are right around the corner.
Garden of the Month.
August Garden of the Month belongs to the Hodges at 6589 Irvin Court. This simple and tidy garden is always attractive, and this month gives us an early “Peek-a-Boo” into the Halloween spirit. Well done appealing to the board’s spooky side, Gail. Drive by and say “well done” and see photos on our website.
Take a Second.
I encourage all homeowners to peruse the minutes from the annual community open meeting in September, posted to our FTHOA website. They will provide all a better idea of what is on homeowners’ minds, community happenings, and what initiatives the HOA intends to pursue for the coming year.
No More Holes.
Irvin Court repairs are complete. After milling the top layer, we determined that there were no water seepages or leaks and a French drain was not required, reducing the anticipated project cost by $22K The issue was insufficient depth of asphalt (1-1.5 inches) from last paving and we put down a solid 4” of new asphalt which should hold Irvin Court for many years to come. We had no parking issues due to neighbors’ considerate efforts during the repairs. Thank you.
And Then There Was Light.
Tip of the cap to your HOA Board members, led by Jeff, who rolled up their sleeves and extensively pruned the trees around all six parking lot utility lamps and opened up those areas to better illumination. I did not even know three of the lights existed until the surrounding tree limbs were removed! Our efforts were in response to residents’ concerns about lighting around the grounds at our recent annual meeting. We are working on providing solar lamps for added light on the west side of Minor Circle and on Major Court where no home lampposts exist, to increase safety for residents walking those streets.
Snap, Crackle & Pop.
As we complete a year of hard work in improving the look of the grounds, I hope you will agree that our collective efforts have, indeed, put some added sparkle into our community’s appearance. Cheers to all homeowners who cooperated with the ARB in making both required and voluntary repairs, upgrades and garden improvements. Special thanks to those who have repainted fences and decks to match – big jobs! Let’s keep up the momentum.
Handy Dandy.
A significant benefit of all the work done by homeowners in the community recently is an expanded list of contractors available to do an array of work for us. If you have someone you would like to recommend, please send their contact information, specialty and why you recommend them to me or Rudy Ghul (ARB). They are posted on the FTHOA website. We are also in the process of updating our approved paint and stain pallets and will post them as well.
Overdue Dues and Fines.
We have a handful of homeowners who still need to complete repairs AND contact the ARB (Rudy Ghul) to report their completion. Until that happens, fines will continue to accrue. We also have several homeowners in arrears on HOA dues – as much as two years! Late dues will also incur a $50/month/partial month late fee until payment in full. We count on timely dues payments by all to ensure we can cover our bills for services you expect, like trash collection, groundskeeping, lighting, and snow removal. While the board can and will make good use of fines and HOA dues tardy fees for community benefit, we would rather have FT looking its best always, and without the need for fines.
Your (New) Board at Work.
Congrats to all homeowners in attendance at the recent Annual Community Meeting. You selected a committed and energetic group of neighbors to represent you on your HOA Board. You can find their mugshots and direct HOA Board Gmail addresses on our FTHOA website www.fairlandtownshoa.com , should you need to contact them regarding matters in their respective areas of responsibility. With regard to actions, we have completed Irvin Ct repairs. We are already at work planning and executing several projects now through Spring 2026. These will address safety, welfare and aesthetics priorities, in accord with our FT Vision and Mission Statement (also on website). As mentioned, we have been busy clearing and bundling tree limbs that have obstructed utility lampposts. We are taking action to add some additional street safety lighting in the darker areas of our grounds. We have contracted to aerate and overseed the entire grounds by our new landscape contractor, Professional Grounds, this month. This is intended to prep the grassy areas for winter and a healthier lawn come Spring. Finally, stone pathways will be put down at the north ends of Minor Circle to provide safe, dry and convenient connections for Minor Ct residents to the common parking circles at the north ends of Major St and Major Ct. More updates to follow as other projects progress.
Fall Leaves Collection.
As we end our relationship with Blade Runners, we will do our best to ensure our end-of-season leaves collections are timed to make best use of these two opportunities. We will also do our best to provide you with sufficient notice by email so you can move leaves to the street and do what you need to protect property and vehicles during these events. We anticipate the first of these collections in early November or when a good bit of leaves are down.
Hey, Tiger Woods! During cleanup walk abouts, I have collected more than a few golf balls on the Irvin Commons. While we are committed to maintaining the Commons as an open area for appropriate and safe sports and activities, golf is NOT one of them. Foremost, golf balls can be dangerous to other residents in the vicinity. Second, an errant shot through a glass door or car windshield will cost you a lot more than just a penalty stroke, and is not considerate of adjacent homeowners. If you observe someone from another neighborhood using our Commons for golf practice, kindly approach them and refer them to any member of our Board for a free and friendly golf etiquette lesson.
That is all for October. Keep a keen eye out, and your lights on, for our little ghosts and goblins collecting treats on Halloween night.
Spread kindness!
Cheers,
Kevin (703-772-6216), Jeff, Neil, Jenny and Rudy
PO Box 1376
Annandale, VA 22003
www.fairlandtownshoa.com
October 2025
NOTICE:
Our new groundskeepers are seeding and aerating our grass today. The soil plugs that they pull up
look a bit like dog poop, but do not confuse them. The holes are meant to let the soil breathe
and the grass roots thicken for a healthier lawn in the Spring.
Do not collect or remove the soil plugs that they have pulled up;
let them naturally disintegrate back into the soil.
Dear Neighbor,
A chill is in the air and crisp, clear days signal the change in seasons. I trust you enjoy this time of year as much as many of us do. Beware...holidays are right around the corner.
Garden of the Month.
August Garden of the Month belongs to the Hodges at 6589 Irvin Court. This simple and tidy garden is always attractive, and this month gives us an early “Peek-a-Boo” into the Halloween spirit. Well done appealing to the board’s spooky side, Gail. Drive by and say “well done” and see photos on our website.
Take a Second.
I encourage all homeowners to peruse the minutes from the annual community open meeting in September, posted to our FTHOA website. They will provide all a better idea of what is on homeowners’ minds, community happenings, and what initiatives the HOA intends to pursue for the coming year.
No More Holes.
Irvin Court repairs are complete. After milling the top layer, we determined that there were no water seepages or leaks and a French drain was not required, reducing the anticipated project cost by $22K The issue was insufficient depth of asphalt (1-1.5 inches) from last paving and we put down a solid 4” of new asphalt which should hold Irvin Court for many years to come. We had no parking issues due to neighbors’ considerate efforts during the repairs. Thank you.
And Then There Was Light.
Tip of the cap to your HOA Board members, led by Jeff, who rolled up their sleeves and extensively pruned the trees around all six parking lot utility lamps and opened up those areas to better illumination. I did not even know three of the lights existed until the surrounding tree limbs were removed! Our efforts were in response to residents’ concerns about lighting around the grounds at our recent annual meeting. We are working on providing solar lamps for added light on the west side of Minor Circle and on Major Court where no home lampposts exist, to increase safety for residents walking those streets.
Snap, Crackle & Pop.
As we complete a year of hard work in improving the look of the grounds, I hope you will agree that our collective efforts have, indeed, put some added sparkle into our community’s appearance. Cheers to all homeowners who cooperated with the ARB in making both required and voluntary repairs, upgrades and garden improvements. Special thanks to those who have repainted fences and decks to match – big jobs! Let’s keep up the momentum.
Handy Dandy.
A significant benefit of all the work done by homeowners in the community recently is an expanded list of contractors available to do an array of work for us. If you have someone you would like to recommend, please send their contact information, specialty and why you recommend them to me or Rudy Ghul (ARB). They are posted on the FTHOA website. We are also in the process of updating our approved paint and stain pallets and will post them as well.
Overdue Dues and Fines.
We have a handful of homeowners who still need to complete repairs AND contact the ARB (Rudy Ghul) to report their completion. Until that happens, fines will continue to accrue. We also have several homeowners in arrears on HOA dues – as much as two years! Late dues will also incur a $50/month/partial month late fee until payment in full. We count on timely dues payments by all to ensure we can cover our bills for services you expect, like trash collection, groundskeeping, lighting, and snow removal. While the board can and will make good use of fines and HOA dues tardy fees for community benefit, we would rather have FT looking its best always, and without the need for fines.
Your (New) Board at Work.
Congrats to all homeowners in attendance at the recent Annual Community Meeting. You selected a committed and energetic group of neighbors to represent you on your HOA Board. You can find their mugshots and direct HOA Board Gmail addresses on our FTHOA website www.fairlandtownshoa.com , should you need to contact them regarding matters in their respective areas of responsibility. With regard to actions, we have completed Irvin Ct repairs. We are already at work planning and executing several projects now through Spring 2026. These will address safety, welfare and aesthetics priorities, in accord with our FT Vision and Mission Statement (also on website). As mentioned, we have been busy clearing and bundling tree limbs that have obstructed utility lampposts. We are taking action to add some additional street safety lighting in the darker areas of our grounds. We have contracted to aerate and overseed the entire grounds by our new landscape contractor, Professional Grounds, this month. This is intended to prep the grassy areas for winter and a healthier lawn come Spring. Finally, stone pathways will be put down at the north ends of Minor Circle to provide safe, dry and convenient connections for Minor Ct residents to the common parking circles at the north ends of Major St and Major Ct. More updates to follow as other projects progress.
Fall Leaves Collection.
As we end our relationship with Blade Runners, we will do our best to ensure our end-of-season leaves collections are timed to make best use of these two opportunities. We will also do our best to provide you with sufficient notice by email so you can move leaves to the street and do what you need to protect property and vehicles during these events. We anticipate the first of these collections in early November or when a good bit of leaves are down.
Hey, Tiger Woods! During cleanup walk abouts, I have collected more than a few golf balls on the Irvin Commons. While we are committed to maintaining the Commons as an open area for appropriate and safe sports and activities, golf is NOT one of them. Foremost, golf balls can be dangerous to other residents in the vicinity. Second, an errant shot through a glass door or car windshield will cost you a lot more than just a penalty stroke, and is not considerate of adjacent homeowners. If you observe someone from another neighborhood using our Commons for golf practice, kindly approach them and refer them to any member of our Board for a free and friendly golf etiquette lesson.
That is all for October. Keep a keen eye out, and your lights on, for our little ghosts and goblins collecting treats on Halloween night.
Spread kindness!
Cheers,
Kevin (703-772-6216), Jeff, Neil, Jenny and Rudy