New Board Members 2012

With the biggest turn out at a Hickory Cluster Annual Meeting since I moved here 14 year ago, two new board members were elected and one motion was voted on.
Note: Board president Fred Swartzendruber did not run for re-election.

Welcome to the board: Blake Travis & John Rowley

A motion was made to limit the number of proxy votes each member could present.  A lively discussion of the current Hickory Cluster voting rules followed.

Final Motion:
"After this meeting, no member may vote more than two proxies."
The motion was voted on (including proxy votes) and passed.

Thank you to Darryl Kramer for his dedication to Hickory Cluster and service on the board these past three years and an enormous debt of gratitude to Fred Swartzendruber for serving the last six years as HC Board president... for his leadership & guidance through the years on such HC projects as the garage reconstruction, replacement of the concrete stairs and railings & the WSSI Stream Restoration proposal process to name a few!

Sara Bradley
Hickory Cluster Secretary

Hickory Cluster Stream Restoration Project Postponed

According to RA & WSSI, there has been a slow down in funds to the mitigation bank that is financing the Hickory Cluster stream restoration project.  The project start date has now been pushed back to late Fall/Winter 2012.  WSSI will continue to pursue all the necessary permissions from DRB, Fairfax County, ACOE and VA DEQ to be ready to move forward at the new start time. 

HC Stream Restoration Plan Presentation to the DRB on November 16th, 7-9PM

RA's Design Review Board (DRB) will hear the WSSI presentation on the HC stream restoration project and replacement bridge at the next monthly meeting, November 16th 7-9PM.

Note From SCCI:

Frank (WSSI) will give the presentation, but please encourage HCA members to sign up to speak so DRB has an opportunity to hear the thoughts from the community.

Stream Restoration Proposal
Apologies for the quality of some of the slides.

Follow up: DRB Meeting Summary by Fred S.

Tuesday evening the DRB voted to approve the preliminary design for the stream restoration, including the bridge proposal. WSSI will come back to DRB for information updates as the plans move forward, and final approval of detailed design including bridge details. No significant issues were raised and there was not much discussion by the DRB members. One new piece of information is that the adjacent Vantage Hill stream looks as if it will not go forward due to lack of cooperation from VDOT which is reluctant to accept an easement along Baron Cameron Ave. ("in case they ever need to widen the avenue").

Stream Restoration: New Bridge Design Options

Thanks to everyone who turned out for the WSSI stream restoration presentation and Hickory Cluster walk and to WSSI for their comprehensive presentation and informational walk. 

WSSI Slides from October 16th Presentation

As part of the stream restoration, WSSI will replace the failing HC bridge (at the duck pond).  HC residents have presented two options that are quite different and there was discussion at yesterday's meeting about the options.  The HC board will further discuss these two options at the monthy meeting this Wednesday (10/20/10) 7:30PM at TWC offices.  If any residents are interested in the discussion, please attend this meeting.  Two Important Notes:  1. Any bridge design that HC chooses will still have to be approved by the RA Design Review Board.  2. The existing bridge design can not be replicated as it does not meet existing FX Cty code.

Option #1: A wooden planked footbed bridge with metal railings that are the same as the new HC railings found throughout HC.  This option will make a bold statement and announce that this is not simply another Reston bridge but Hickory Cluster specifically. 

Option #2:  A wood bridge that will blend in with the wooded surroundings and have detail elements that echo existing details on other HC elements such as the Goodman designed swingsets along the path.

HC Stream Restoration Information Meeting Scheduled, Sat. Oct 16th, 10:30am @ RCC-LA

WSSI has sent out an information packet to all HC residents explaining the proposed stream restoration project and announcing the information meeting on Sat. Oct. 16 at 10:30am, in Room C of the Lake Anne Community Center. Click to view the documents one and two.

Informational Meeting and HC Stream Walk:
10:30 on Sat. Oct. 16, in Room C of the Lake Anne Community Center.
Coffee and pastries provided.

There will be a presentation by WSSI and a question and answer session, followed by a guided walk through the restoration area to discuss the details, including trees to be removed, how the stream will be modified, etc.

To: Hickory Cluster Homeowners

From: Bob Anderson, Block II

The Stream Restoration Information Meeting is scheduled for this Saturday, October 16th (Lake Anne Community Center, Room C at 10:30 AM). This is a very important meeting for all Cluster homeowners. Without getting into any detail on the project, I just want to say a few things at this time. This is a huge project and it will result in a major improvement in the natural area running along the stream between Blocks I and Blocks II. When it is completed it will do more than restore the stream to its original beauty, in my view; it will be a very substantial enhancement. In addition to providing an attractive space that we should all like to visit from time to time it will add to the value of the Hickory Cluster Property. During the time that the work is being done there will some pain from noise, the disappearance of trees, and the unsightliness of earth moving equipment, but if all goes according to plan it should be accomplished within 2 to 3 months. I almost forgot a not insignificant point is that this change for the better will be at no cost to Hickory Cluster homeowners.

Now with this major change for the better about to get underway perhaps it is time for us to take stock of our own immediate surroundings – i.e. our own privately owned homes and property. What might we each do to maintain our own homes and property better?  Hickory Cluster is a class act, its houses created by an award-winning architect – Charles Goodman. Isn’t it time for us to make a special effort to ensure the future of this very special place by looking toward our own self-interest and the common interest, too, by re-committing ourselves to keeping our homes properly maintained and the areas around them spruced up? Don’t we owe it to ourselves to make the effort?

Please come to the meeting on Saturday, if you possibly can. It’s your future.

Nature Walk: Hickory Cluster Stream Restoration Project, Oct 2 at 1pm

Nature Walk
Saturday, Oct 2
1:00 pm

Stream Restoration Exhibit and Walk. Meet at the Reston Museum, 1639 Washington Plaza, in Lake Anne Village Center to examine the current exhibit on Reston stream restoration with Kelly Petrey and Nathan Staley of Wetland Studies and Solutions Inc.

Learn about their work on streams in South Reston, and plans to begin restoration work in the Colvin Run watershed of North Reston. Following the briefing, join WSSI on a walk to a nearby stream to see the erosion damage for yourself, and hear about plans for restoration. The walk will follow a path along the stream running south toward Lake Anne from North Shore Drive between Lake Anne Park and the covered bridge on the West and Northgate Square and Inlet Court on the East.

Stream Restoration Exhibit, Walk, and Talk

Stream Restoration Exhibit, Walk, and Talk
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Noon–3:30 p.m.
Location: Starts at Reston Museum, Lake Anne Plaza

Join Mike Rolband of Wetland Studies and Solutions Inc (WSSI), for a walk and talk focusing on the next phase of the stream restoration program in Reston. The Reston Museum exhibit will show the importance and benefits of restoring streams in Reston and the progress of how streams are being restored. In addition, the exhibit will feature models representing an impaired urban stream and a restored urban stream.
At 1 p.m. visitors can join WSSI staff for a stream walk to view Reston streams pre- restoration near Hickory Cluster and post-restoration at 2 p.m. near The Glade Fire Ring.

For more information, contact Bethany Bezak at bbezak@wetlandstudies.com or call 703-679-5646.

Please share this notice with your neighbors!
Thanks,
Nicki Foremsky
Watershed Supervisor
Reston Association
703-435-6560
Nicki@reston.org

Hickory Cluster Proposed Stream Restoration

At Saturday's Hickory Cluster Annual Meeting, Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. made a presentation specific to our portion of the planned stream restoration project.

The proposed stream restoration will be paid by the Friends of Reston Fund administered by RA and thusly offers many free benefits for HC.

• Stream erosion problem will be corrected.
• Exposed sewer manhole will no longer be exposed.
• Exotic invasive plants in project area will be removed.
• Duck pond will be dredged. (Stream restoration may help restore the pond from a stagnant pool to a healthy ecosystem.)
• A new foot bridge will be built.
• New plantings of all native species will replace vegetation and trees removed. (see presentation pdf below for plant list.)

Hickory Cluster Easements Required
Two special HC easements will be needed for work to start on the restoration project. Both easements require a 60% of total residents "yes" vote.

Trees
On hand at the meeting was a 10 page handout of a draft Hickory Cluster Tree Inventory. Wetland Studies completed their tree inventory over the last few months (silver tags signify trees included in the survey.) Of the 517 trees included in the inventory, the project would require the removal of 114 most of which are sapling-small trees (97). 15 medium trees (18"-29") and two large trees (30"+). Wetlands Studies will replant trees and other vegetation with native species when work is complete.

The HC board will schedule walk-through(s) with Wetlands Studies folks for those interested in seeing what would be restored and which trees would be removed.

PDF of the Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. 5/22/10 presentation.

REMINDER: Stream Restoration Meeting, Saturday, 3/27/10 9:30am-Noon @ Lake Anne Elementary

Hope to see a good Hickory Cluster turn out at the stream restoration meeting Saturday. Please take a moment and read HC Board president, Fred Swartzendruber's comments on what's at stake for HC. This and meeting details below. If you have concerns about how the stream restoration will effect the HC woods, duck pond and paths, this meeting is a must.

Thanks, Sara
==========================
In our situation in Hickory Cluster (shown on the Wetlands project map as part of the Colvin Run Watershed project), the erosion is also very advanced and is now threatening a sanitary (sewer) line which runs alongside the stream. Because of the threat to the sewer line, not doing anything is really not an option, therefore the issue is how to optimize a solution which

i) preserves our natural area,
(ii) stops the erosion process, and
(iii) costs the cluster as little as possible.

RA and the Wetland Studies & Solutions people are aware of our concerns and have promised to work with us to ensure the best possible outcome which satisfies their technical requirements as well as our commitment to retaining the wooded areas in Hickory. Since the Wetlands project would also finance replacement of our bridge and repair of the paths along the stream, this is a great opportunity for us provided we can find a workable compromise on the tree removal issue. In my view, if we decline to participate in the RA/Wetlands restoration project (by not voting to approve the required environmental easement) we will forego the 100% financing of their project but will eventually be forced into a less-sophisticated repair scheme because of the sewer issue, with unknown costs to the cluster and no guarantee as to the aesthetic outcome (since many trees are now undercut and in danger of falling, and realignment of the sewer line will inevitably also require major earth moving work).

The Virginia Tech letter illustrates that this is a complex issue, but the technical approach RA and Wetlands are using is considered leading-edge in the field. The letter does not mention the mitigation bank which would finance the project, which is a unique opportunity for the cluster to tackle some long-standing issues at no cost to ourselves. A conventional utility engineering solution forced on us by Fairfax Water might be much less attractive, so I urge all of you to read the materials we have posted and come prepared when the next outreach meeting takes place.

Thanks, Fred

HC Cluster Board President
==========================
Stream Restoration/Improvement Meeting
Colvin Run Watershed

Saturday, March 27, 2010
9:30 a.m. - Noon
Lake Anne Elementary School Cafeteria
11510 North Shore Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Lunch will be provided

You are invited to hear about Reston’s Stream Restoration Project in the Colvin Run watershed which is east of Reston Parkway and north of the Dulles Toll Road.

Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. will be presenting information about the history and purpose of the stream restoration project and the plans for this watershed. Time will be provided for questions and answers.

Please pass this information along to your neighbors!

For more information, contact Nicki Foremsky, RA’s Watershed
Supervisor at 703-435-6560 or Nicki@reston.org or visit the stream
restoration project website at http://reston.wetlandstudies.com or
www.reston.org.
=====

Stream Restoration Info Mtg: Lake Anne Elementary 3/27/10

There is another stream restoration community meeting schedules for March 27th.
They will be giving the same presentation as the January 30th meeting.

Stream Restoration/Improvement Meeting Colvin Run Watershed
Saturday, March 27, 2010 9:30 a.m. - Noon
Lake Anne Elementary School Cafeteria
11510 North Shore Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Lunch will be provided
You are invited to hear about Reston’s Stream Restoration Project in the Colvin Run watershed which is east of Reston Parkway and north of the Dulles Toll Road. Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. will be presenting information about the history and purpose of the stream restoration project and the plans for this watershed. Time will be provided for a questions and answers. Please pass this information along to your neighbors!

For more information, contact Nicki Foremsky, RA’s Watershed Supervisor at 703-435-6560 or Nicki@reston.org or visit the stream restoration project website at http://reston.wetlandstudies.com/ or http://www.reston.org/.

Wetlands Studies Information & VT Letter

Unfortunately none of the HC Board members made it to the Jan. 30 information meeting. The Board is in touch with Nicki Foremski about the next opportunity. Meanwhile here are some materials for people to access. The Virginia Tech letter arises from concerns raised about the loss of trees in the Snakeden site, and though rather technical, Dr. Wynn makes it clear this is cutting-edgework which offers a chance of preventing long-term erosion which is already well advanced (also true for Lake Anne, unfortunately). VT will use this case study in an upcoming graduate course on stream restoration design.
Wetland Studies & Solutions, Inc Presentation from 1-30-10
Wetland Studies & Solutions, Inc Stream Restoration Brochure
Virginia Tech Letter

In our situation in Hickory Cluster (shown on the Wetlands project map as part of the Colvin Run Watershed project), the erosion is also very advanced and is now threatening a sanitary (sewer) line which runs alongside the stream. Because of the threat to the sewer line, not doing anything is really not an option, therefore the issue is how to optimize a solution which

(i) preserves our natural area,

(ii) stops the erosion process, and

(iii) costs the cluster as little as possible.

RA and the Wetland Studies & Solutions people are aware of our concerns and have promised to work with us to ensure the best possible outcome which satisfies their technical requirements as well as our commitment to retaining the wooded areas in Hickory. Since the Wetlands project would also finance replacement of our bridge and repair of the paths along the stream, this is a great opportunity for us provided we can find a workable compromise on the tree removal issue. In my view, if we decline to participate in the RA/Wetlands restoration project (by not voting to approve the required environmental easement) we will forego the 100% financing of their project but will eventually be forced into a less-sophisticated repair scheme because of the sewer issue, with unknown costs to the cluster and no guarantee as to the aesthetic outcome (since many trees are now undercut and in danger of falling, and realignment of the sewer line will inevitably also require major earth moving work).

The Virginia Tech letter illustrates that this is a complex issue, but the technical approach RA and Wetlands are using is considered leading-edge in the field. The letter does not mention the mitigation bank which would finance the project, which is a unique opportunity for the cluster to tackle some long-standing issues at no cost to ourselves. A conventional utility engineering solution forced on us by Fairfax Water might be much less attractive, so I urge all of you to read the materials we have posted and come prepared when the next outreach meeting takes place.

Thanks, Fred

HC Cluster Board President

Hickory Cluster Stream Restoration

Email note from Wetland Studies & Solutions, Inc sent in response to an inquiry from Jim Livingood in Block 1:

We are currently preparing the preliminary stream restoration plan for Hickory Cluster. The restoration in Hickory Cluster is complicated by two factors: 1) The stream pattern is currently instable with several sharp curves. This places increased stress on the stream banks, furthering erosion. 2) There are several sanitary sewer lines located within or crossing the stream. The stream has even eroded enough to expose manholes. Because of these two factors, restoration in Hickory Cluster will involve smoothing the curves to create a stable stream pattern and pulling the stream away from exposed utilities as best as possible with a minimum of tree impacts. At this point, we do not know the number of trees that will be cut or which trees specifically will be removed. This information will be calculated once we finish the first version of the preliminary plan. Then we will arrange a public meeting with the Cluster to discuss the alternatives that are possible, including any specific tree impacts. We expect to be able to have an interactive discussion(s) on the design and these types of potential impacts. As soon as we are close to asking for a meeting - the project Reach engineer, Russ Dudley, will make sure that you are copied on the request so that we are sure to have you included in the process.

Mike Rolband, Wetland Studies & Solutions, Inc

Stream Restoration Meeting: Jan 30, 2010

Stream Restoration Meeting
Saturday, January 30, 2010: 9am-noon at Forest Edge Elementary.
Flyer for the Stream Restoration Meeting


Arlene Whittick
Neighborhood Outreach Specialist
Reston Association
1930 Isaac Newton Square
Reston, VA 20190-5093
Phone: 703-435-6503
Fax: 703-673-2040
Email: Arlene@reston.org

Snakeden Stream Restoration Tour

There will be a guided walk along the restored length of stream at Snakeden Branch to explain what was done, Sat. June 27 from 9am to noon.

From RA
The general public stream walk that shows the stream restoration one year after construction starts at 9:00 a.m. We will meet at the Rite Aid parking lot at the Hunters Woods Village Center. Please wear long pants and closed toe shoes/boots that can get wet or muddy.

This will be useful for those wondering what might be in store for the planned restoration of Hickory Cluster's stream flowing into Lake Anne. The details of the restoration will likely be different due to the differences in stream size and flow, but this will be a chance to discuss the options and understand the process. RSVP is to Nicki@reston.org or call 703-435-6560.

RA Background Information on Stream Restoration including great video introduction with before and after shots.
RA Plan