AUGUST 2025 CLUSTER CONNECT

CLUSTER-DEDICATED NEWS FROM RA

Cluster and Condominium Board Leadership Training

By Erin Gable

Reston Association offers events throughout the year designed to help board officers become familiar with the rules, regulations, and processes they must follow as volunteer leaders. Meet-and-greet events, show-and-tells, Zoom meetings, and more have all been vital sources of information. But what if there was one big class to cover the basics?

How could you, as a community association leader, benefit from board leadership orientation and training?

As we begin planning for 2026 and our outreach calendars, we are curious to know your thoughts on us hosting a Board Leadership training.

Please help us by taking a few moments to complete a brief questionnaire.

Design Guideline Changes for Clusters

By Barbara Carpenter

If you’ve been on Reston Association’s website recently looking at the Design Guidelines, you may have noticed a few updates. Perhaps most importantly is the General Overview document.

“There is no singular document that provides an overview of the Design Review Board process or the review levels of applications. So, we have decided to add this as a document to encapsulate all of the processes that the Design Review process has,” says Cameron Adams, Director of Covenants Administration.

The General Overview covers everything from the application process to the difference between Design Guidelines and Cluster Standards. All of the information is pulled from Reston Association’s Governing Documents, which can be found separately on RA’s website at www.reston.org. Cluster leadership will find this document particularly useful and a helpful addition to link to on the cluster’s website or in a handbook for homeowners.

Specific guidelines that have been updated for clusters:

Mechanical Equipment

This guideline, previously titled Air Conditioners/Heat Pumps, has been revised to remove any ambiguity in the reference for “similar in size” by adding a measurable metric for replacement units that require no application, removing the guesswork for members. Also, the screening information has been updated, and contiguous neighbors must receive notification of applications.

Gutters and Downspouts

There are three notable changes to this guideline:

Previously, the guideline specified that redirected water flow should not “detrimentally impact” any adjacent property; that wording has been revised to “redirected water flow does not cross any adjacent property."
No application is required for the installation of a dry well or rain garden.
Downspout extensions no more than three feet in length are permitted so long as they are hidden with plant material or buried.

NOTE: Water Management Regulations in Virginia and Fairfax County are now included for reference.

Landscaping (Tree Removal)

Changes have been made to the removal guidelines for both dead and live trees.

No application is required for removal of “any quantity of dead or dying trees (visible rot or fungus, signs of root or trunk damage, leaning or bare branches) that is not shown on a DRB approved landscaping plan… Documentation (photos, certified arborist statement, etc.) must be obtained, kept for your records, and presented to RA staff if requested.” This change will allow members to move forward with the removal of trees that are not quite dead but are damaged and could potentially cause damage.

For live tree removal applications reviewed by staff, language has been added to limit the number of live tree removals to a maximum of three live trees within 12 months. This means staff are permitted to review a low number of live removals; however, owners who are submitting an application for more than three live removals will need a higher level of review.

Radon Equipment

This updated guideline now allows for a staff-level review, so long as the radon equipment is installed on the exterior corners of the house.

Teardown/In-Fill

The revised teardown definition increases from 25% to 50% and adds “square footage” to be a less subjective metric; the previous guideline stated “25% of the existing structure.” In addition, an advisory note has been added, requiring that applications must be reviewed and approved by the DRB Secretary prior to scheduling. The application checklist has also been updated – there are new requirements for plat/site plans, grading plans and landscaping plans.

Window Replacements/Additions

To help members expedite the replacement process, the guideline for staff review and no application has been revised:

Partial replacement of windows or patio doors that conform to the cluster standards no longer requires an application.
Staff may review replacement windows and doors that match previously approved window/door replacements within the cluster.

According to LaShonda Graham, Community Standards Manager and DRB Secretary, “These additions and revisions to the Design Guidelines are intended to improve transparency, support member education, and make the DRB process more efficient – all while enhancing the overall experience for members planning exterior modifications to their properties.”

The revised Design Guidelines can be found in the Document Center on the Reston Association website.

Condo Corner: New Condominium Design Guidelines

By Charlotte Smith

Staff is happy to announce that brand new Design Guidelines have been established specifically for condominium associations. These guidelines, listed below this paragraph, largely mimic cluster guidelines and provide direction for appropriate design in condominiums throughout Reston Association – whether the structure be garden-style, multi-level, high-rise, or townhome style.

All guidelines refer to Design Review Board (DRB) approved condominium standards in their prescribed review process.

“These new guidelines will serve as a critical tool for condominium associations who are interested in developing new condominium standards, or updating existing standards, so that their membership can easily improve and maintain elements for which unit owners are responsible,” stated Meagan Micozzi, Community Outreach Manager.

Condominiums are encouraged to work with staff to develop and update their standards via the DRB application process. Many of these standards are reviewed and approved at a lower level than a DRB Panel, eliminating the need for board members or association managers to attend meetings. Boards that wish to eliminate the need for members to apply (and thus obtain a board signature) for elements such as conforming window and patio door replacements may consider adding language to their standard similar to that of Hunters Crossing Condominium. This language allows for any brand manufacturer provided the replacements match the builder's original design, configuration, and color and do not have more than 2” of trim capping.

The list above joins the ranks of the existing condominium guidelines shown below, all of which have been updated within the last year:

As directed toward the end of each condominium guideline, the member should consult the condominium’s governing documents regarding association versus unit owner responsibility to determine if a joint application is required. Should the element or modification area be the responsibility of the condominium association, then the joint DRB application requires the signatures of the Board President or Vice President on page 6 and two other Condominium Board Officers (cannot be Members at Large or Directors) on page 7 in addition to the neighboring unit owners.

Please reach out to your condominium-dedicated Covenants Advisor today with any questions related to the new design guidelines, standard update process, or DRB application requirements!

If you would like to ensure our records indicate appropriate responsibilities on elements, please send us confirmation via your governing documents to add to the condominium association file.

Drainage and Erosion Resources

Recent weeks of chaotic summer weather and storms may have precipitated drainage and erosion issues throughout your community. Whether on a cluster or condominium common ground, or individual member property, water management can be a complicated and expensive endeavor.

Make sure you’re informed as you proceed with addressing drainage and erosion issues in your cluster by reviewing the resources from our Drainage 101 event last year. You can view the event recording and the complete presentation slide deck in the Cluster Resource Hub online: Document Center

Party Time!

By Erin Gable

It is summer, and time to kick back! When was the last time your cluster or condominium association had a party? Social events foster a great sense of community and are a wonderful way to get to know your neighbors. If you are feeling industrious, you may want to pair your party with a neighborhood clean-up event or cluster or condominium meeting. This might be just the ticket if you are looking to drive up attendance, but obviously it’s not necessary. Events like block parties are a ton of fun, but they can be a lot of work, and of course, they do require some funds, which can sometimes be the barrier against hosting the most slammin’ summer soiree the street has ever seen.

If you don’t have quite the amount of funds in your coffers that would be needed for such an event, consider asking your vendors to sponsor items for your event, such as food or entertainment, or even prizes that can be raffled off. Check in with your landscaping company and your trash hauler: while there is no guarantee of their contribution, it never hurts to ask-- and you may be surprised at what you might get.

If you are thinking that this might be a lot of work to undertake, that is understandable. But what if the party was delivered right to you?

If there were a service like a block party delivery, would your cluster or condominium be interested?

We’d love your feedback! Please take this quick survey and let us know.

Show and Tells

By Lauren Freer

The Covenants department wanted to take this opportunity to remind seasoned and new cluster leaders about one of our extremely beneficial offerings to our cluster and condominium board members – Show and Tell cluster and condominium walking tours!

Show and Tell involves RA staff, typically your Covenants Advisor, the Community Outreach Manager and the Covenants Department Director, coming out to the cluster or condominium to meet with your board for a tour of your property while discussing how our team can best support you. RA staff will answer any questions you might have about the DRB process, cluster/condominium standards, management, enforcement and resales. We will also informally point out any items that might potentially become issues for either the cluster as a whole or homeowners individually in the future, and discuss items that you might want to add, update, or clarify in your cluster or condominium standards.

The goal of a Show and Tell is to understand what issues and concerns each community is faced with (directly from their leadership), since it can be much easier to fully understand any issues or concerns if we can see them directly and speak face-to-face. A Show and Tell is not an inspection for identifying violations; it is just an informational meeting.

Show and Tells are incredibly beneficial because they help to foster better working relationships between RA and cluster and condominium boards, and create opportunities for staff to offer alternative perspectives to everyday management issues that come up for cluster leadership.

If you are interested in scheduling a Show and Tell or if you would like further information, please reach out to your advisor.

Enhance Your Neighborhood’s Tree Canopy – At No Cost

Reston Association cluster and condominium associations now have an exciting opportunity to receive high-quality, professionally grown native trees — delivered directly to your community — through Fairfax County’s Tree Distribution to Community Organizations Program.

Offered in partnership with Casey Trees, one of the region’s top nurseries, this program helps civic associations and community groups access free trees for planting on private property. Funded through Fairfax County’s Tree Preservation and Planting Fund, the initiative aims to expand tree cover in underserved and vulnerable areas, with priority given to those sites in or adjacent to Fairfax County's vulnerable communities, as defined by the county’s One Fairfax policy and its associated Vulnerability Index. All community organizations are encouraged to apply, regardless of location.

What’s included:

Professionally grown, non-invasive, regionally native, landscape-quality trees (1.5"–2" caliper, 8–10 ft tall)
Native and ecologically appropriate species
Delivery and offloading at a single location designated in the application
No cost to your association

If your neighborhood is interested in applying, this is a fantastic opportunity to invest in the natural beauty, shade, and long-term sustainability of your community.

For more information and to learn how to apply, please visit the Fairfax County Tree Distribution to Community Organizations website or email treemail@fairfaxcounty.gov.

To learn how Reston Association can support your cluster, please contact Meagan Micozzi, Community Outreach Manager, at 703-435-6575 or reply to this email.

RESOURCE CENTER

Covenants Advisor Listing

Design Guidelines

Application Forms