GCA On-Line Survey Next Week
27 Sept 2019

Dear GCA member,

Here is your latest newsletter from the GCA. As always, we welcome your feedback.

GCA Board of Directors
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GCA Member On-Line Survey - Next Week
The GCA Board of Directors has been working on an update of the Glenmore 2014-2018 Strategic Plan over the past few months. As a part of that planning, the board needs to know more about the membership’s thoughts. Therefore, we ask that our members take a little time to complete a brief survey that will be sent separately via email in the coming week. Please complete it within ten days of receiving it. Your answers and comments will not be tied to your name.

Should the GCA not have your preferred email address or the email address of another Glenmore owner you know, we ask that you send the updated address to twashington@communitygroup.com. Please place "Email Address Update" in the subject line.
Drought Conditions = Glenmore Fire Hazards
A flash drought i s rapidly developing across much of the region and is likely to persist or worsen in October. You may think of droughts as slowly evolving weather phenomena. But some droughts, known as flash droughts, can develop much faster, taking weeks to a few months rather than years, leaving less time to prepare for impacts such as crop losses, reductions in water supply and increased wildfire risk. For more information click Here .

Please refrain from using wood burning fire pits at this time.  Glenmore has many acres of forest with underbrush. The extremely dry conditions pose a direct risk of wildfire that could spread through the community. Please wait until we have had several good soaking rains before using outdoor fire pits again, and keep our community safe.
Candidates Forum 24 October at 7 PM
GCA, in cooperation with the Running Deer neighborhood, is sponsoring a Candidates’ Forum with Michael Hallahan and Donna Price, the two candidates for Scottsville District Supervisor in the November election. The event will start at 7 pm on October 24 in the East Rivanna Firehouse. Dennis Odinov will be the moderator, and the candidates will answer residents’ questions and state their positions. 

This is an opportunity for the candidates to address your questions and concerns regarding issues in Albemarle County, especially issues that affect our community. Please mark the date; a large turnout is important.
Traffic on 250? Send a Pic to the County
We want to continuously remind the County Planning Commission regarding the impact of the Breezy Hill development on traffic.

We are requesting that drivers who are stopped dead on Rt. 250, Milton Road, or Louisa Road to take a photo of the traffic in front of them and email it to  planningcommission@albemarle.org, stating the date, time, and location of the photo. 

Please be careful, only take the picture if you are stopped in traffic.

Thanks all.
GCA Dues Notification - Past Due
If you have not yet paid the 1 September GCA assessment invoice you are past due. Associa mailed the dues notifications in August. The GCA assessments are paid in two installments of $510 each. The second installment is due on 1 September. If you haven't yet paid, please make payment soonest.

If you have not received a GCA payment invoice, contact Thelma Washington by clicking Here o r call at 434-984-0700 ext 1.
Watch for Copperheads
Please be alert for copperhead snakes ( Agkistrodon contortrix)  at this time of year during mating season. Mating will increase movement and activity as males will be looking for females. With love in the air, copperheads may take chances not normally taken with increased day time movement, leaving their known territories to come in to the open.
 
Copperheads (pit vipers) give birth to between 1 to 17 live babies (ovoviviparous) depending on size of female. Copperhead babies are born about 6 to 8 inches long, with both fangs and venom, and have a distinct sulfur yellow tipped tail. Interestingly the babies use the coloration of their tail to attract frogs etc. They shake it to mimic caterpillars (it’s called “caudal luring”). For more info, click here.
 
So please be aware of your surroundings and keep a close watch on where pets and children are putting their paws, hands, and feet.
Give Back to your Community
Join the GCA Board
Want to show your love for this community?  We are looking for volunteers to serve on the Glenmore Community Association (GCA) Board. Come meet your neighbors and serve our community. There are three seats up for election this February, so we are looking for approximately six candidates.

Responsibilities . The GCA includes 839 existing homes plus significant new construction. The Board oversees an amazing array of issues, including architectural review for new construction and existing homes, road maintenance, walking paths, common area maintenance, security and the gatehouse, water resources including multiple retention ponds, compliance, the Equestrian Center, and budget and finance. The Board meets monthly, with an additional working session each month, and each Board member also participates in one or more Committees. Details can be found Here .
Skills Needed . We are seeking Board candidates with a variety of skills and an interest in serving the community. More and more of the day-to-day work is being handed off to Associa, our professional management company, so that the Board can focus on policy issues. With an annual budget of $1 million and allocated reserves of $962K, it is important to have members with financial and business acumen sufficient to oversee the budget and affairs of the association. Backgrounds in administration, communications, contracting, engineering, environmental issues, finance/accounting, land use/urban planning, management, security, strategic planning, real property/architecture/construction, or technology are just some of the areas that are relevant to GCA operations. Experience on boards is helpful, and organizational skills are important. Sound judgment, the ability to work with others, and a willingness to serve the community are essential. Board members serve for a two-year term. Although not required, a good way to become active in the community and learn more about the activities of the GCA Board is to become a member of one of our committees

Nomination Process . Our nominating committee is actively searching for candidates, and we encourage interested homeowners to run for the Board. We will hold an information session where candidates can talk to current Board members on Tuesday, November 5, at 7 pm in the Rivanna Room at Glenmore Country Club.  You may also contact the Nominating Committee chair, Kathy Rhyne, by clicking here .

We will ask candidates to supply bios in December, and we will hold a Meet the Candidates session for homeowners in January before voting begins in February.  
Breezy Hill Resubmits Rezoning Application
Below is an update we received from the county planning office. Bottom line is the developer has reapplied for a rezoning approval reducing the number of dwelling units down from 200 to 160. This new rezoning request does not comply with the Albemarle County 2010 Master Plan, and does not address the traffic that is currently a problem and will only worsen. Glenmore Resident Dennis Odinov sent a letter to the county addressing some of the specifics (click Here). The next county meeting is 22 October at 6PM. Please place it on your calendar.

The Breezy Hill developers have resubmitted their rezoning application. The revised application materials (dated 8/19/2019) include a revised concept plan, a draft proffer statement, and a comment response letter. The documents (ZMA201900004) are available electronically on the Laserfiche Weblink site by clicking Here .

The next step in the review process for this application, as requested by the applicants, will be a public hearing with the Planning Commission. This has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at 6:00 P.M. Please feel free to contact me with any requests for assistance.

Tim Padalino, AICP Senior Planner
Community Development Department
County of Albemarle, Virginia
(434) 296-5832 x3088
GCA Water Resources - Members Needed
Here are some facts regarding the retention ponds in Glenmore:
  • A retention pond is an Albemarle County and State environmental requirement to keep sediment runoff from entering the Rivanna.
  • There are seven retention ponds that belong to the GCA (an update from the four that we reported in the June Newsletter article).
  • We identified three additional GCA retention ponds in section Q2, and they are overgrown and in need of maintenance.
  • And, an additional three more retention ponds and eight bio-filters that are in the new K-2 and S-5 sections of Glenmore (Highlands and Lockerbie) will be turned over to the GCA in the future.
  • In 2018, the GCA spent $23,852 on four retention ponds.
  • We have found that there are dozens of types of retention ponds, each with their own engineering and maintenance requirements.
  • The GCA contracts with Solitude, a professional lake management company, to maintain the health of our four original retention ponds.
  • Solitude biologists are on site every two weeks during the spring, summer, and fall, and every month during the winter assessing and treating our retention ponds to ensure good retention pond health.
Help Wanted - The GCA needs volunteers for the water resources committee. If you are an environmental enthusiast who is interested in the science of retention ponds, bio-filters, and the flora and fauna that they support, please let us know by clicking here, and adding "Water Resources Volunteer" in the subject line. We're not looking for manual laborers ... its more about research, investigation, and monitoring the health of our water resources. Thanks.
Help Wanted
Stocking Fish 3
Contractors on Site after Hours and on Sundays
Just a reminder that contractors are not allowed to be on site after hours or on Sundays. This includes both new home contractors as well as residential contractors. If you see any contractors working on new homes after hours, please contact the ARB (click Here) and provide them with the details. If you have neighbors who have contractors on site after hours or on Sundays, please contact the Security Committee (click Here). To see the GCA Regulation, click Here.
Rivanna Radio Control Club Alert - 26 Oct
The Rivanna Radio Control Club (RRCC) promised to alert GCA residents of any out-of-the-normal club activities at UVA’s Milton Airfield across the river from Glenmore. The annual Don Reid Memorial Fly In will be held on Saturday, 26 October from 9:30 AM to 2 PM (rain date is Sunday, 27 Oct). This event reaches out to Boy and Girl Scouts, Explorers, schools, Civil Air Patrol, and the local community who may want to pursue any of the related hobby and career paths. Glenmore residents are invited.

The club will be flying a variety planes, helicopters, and drones. While the majority will be quieter battery-powered craft, there will be a few liquid fueled aircraft.
Where do I find ... ??
Our GCA Web Page has vast amounts of information. If you open the Web Page and click on "Contact Us" on the lower left side of the page, you'll see the email addresses and phone numbers for the various GCA committees and points of contact. Just have some general questions? Email Thelma Washington by clicking Here.
Watch These Dates
Oct 14: Columbus Day
Oct 17: GCA Board Meeting at 7 PM
Oct 22: Albemarle County Planning Commission 6 PM
Oct 24: County Supervisor Candidates Forum - 7 PM at the East Rivanna Firehouse
Oct 26: Rivanna Radio Control Club - 9:30 AM
Oct 31: Halloween