My family is having a pleasant summer and I hope that extends to all of you as well. But school is coming -- too soon I'm sure.

The HOA Board is working with MTM to correct a filing oversight that has left several parcels of common property not registered to us. The builder has agreed to help complete the transfer process, begun at the startup of the community. This came to light when a tree blew over on one of those common properties onto homeowner property and we asked MTM for boundary information.

The GLCC's efforts to shape the future of the Gude Drive Landfill with the county's Department of Solid Waste are to be highlighted in a community meeting on September 24th. Please attend to meet those involved. Come hear about the status and have some say about the issues and future of the landfill.

We have the HOA Annual Picnic planned for Saturday, 9/26 (rain date on Sunday 9/27). The time and place are at 4:00 pm at the green on Monona Drive. Please come out to the gathering. It's been a hit with youngsters for the past couple of years.

The annual budget planning is starting to happen. Please see the hollybrooke.org website for the existing budget, which will be the basis for next year's planning and send comments to:    treasurer@hollybrooke.org

Verizon FIOS fiber optic cable is in the ground. I've also seen it being installed across 355, towards College Gardens School, so they must be doing a large portion of Rockville. Some of the commissioning has been done, as they have put in their junction/splitter boxes. There has been some preliminary advertising from Verizon, so for those interested it looks as though service will soon be available. 

Nick Radonic - president@hollybrooke.org

Your Community Bulletin Board – Would you like to tell neighbors about a service you provide? Do you want to know about service providers that neighbors have used? Go to Hollybrooke.wordpress.com to post comments on issues, post recommendations on service providers or services, post lost and found notices, post items for sale or donations.

Upcoming Community Events

Derwood Station South Annual Picnic

Please join your neighbors for an afternoon picnic in late September!  The HOA will provide burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, drinks and condiments.  Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.  We will have a moonbounce and other children's activities.  Learn about Gude Landfill updates!

When:  Saturday, September 26 from 4:00-7:00
(Rain Date on Sunday, September 27)
Where:  Green space on Monona Drive next to Plant Physiology property
Who:  All ages welcome!

Please RSVP by September 19 to:
Danielle Swallow at daniren22@yahoo.com or (301) 309-0570

Gude Landfill Concerned Citizens

Community Meeting

Thursday, September 24 @ 7:30 P.M.

Candlewood Elementary School

Hear About County Study Plans

Voice Your Opinion About Landfill Reuse

Ask Questions About Your Concerns

Studies Underway

The County has started an engineering analysis of the Gude Landfill. The tasks are relatively straightforward. First is to create a 3 dimensional map of the landfill so that the settling of the landfill can be tracked and planned activities can be precisely located. Secondly, the County will map the exact boundaries of the waste – this is called a delineation study. This will answer the question of whether the trash has migrated off site. Then the County will sample the groundwater. This may involve drilling wells around the perimeter of the landfill to sample the ground water. These wells will be of 1” to 4” sizes and will go to various depths. The ground water exists in layers called aquifers and these aquifers can carry the contamination off the landfill site, sometimes a considerable distance. Water samples from these wells will be analyzed for contamination and concentrations and a plume model established.

Monthly Meetings with the County Established

The GLCC has set up monthly meetings with the County Department of Environmental Protection and its engineering firm to review these activities. These technical exchange meetings will provide the foundation for the preparation of a remediation plan. The County can’t fix the Gude Landfill without knowing exactly what they have to fix. Now it is time for the engineers to do their thing and for science to present the facts.

Community Meeting September 24

On September 24, 2009 at 7:30 – 9:30 P.M. at Candlewood Elementary School the GLCC will conduct a community meeting so that the facts can be presented to you, and so that you can ask questions. You live next to the landfill and it is important that you know if it is affecting your neighborhood and how.

Voice Your Opinion on Reuse

After all the facts about the landfill have been gathered, the County will prepare a remediation plan. This will be a plan to do certain things so that the landfill can have a future use. It will not be a plan to return the landfill to its earlier natural state. That can’t be done – the landfill is a big pile of waste that is going to stay right there. But the County can do things which will make it acceptable for future use.

If the future use is proposed to be a big heavy building, this will be very expensive and involve special treatment to establish a big building on an un-compacted and unstable waste. On the other hand, if the future use is going to be a park of grass and walking paths, then this option may occur in a shorter term and be much more feasible from a cost and practical application standpoint. The remediation plan plays a role in the future use.

The County has asked the GLCC for community input on the future use for the Gude Landfill. We need your ideas. The County Master Plan currently shows the Landfill being a park someday. But what does that really mean? When you think of the landfill as a park, what do you see? What is in it? How is it used?

Perhaps the landfill is not park. Maybe it is a tree farm; maybe it is running trails or bicycle paths, a toddler’s playground, athletic fields or tennis courts, or a golf course. What would you like to have there?

Whatever the choice, the final design for reuse will be as much as 20 years in the making.

Attend the community meeting September 24!!

If you can’t make it, send us your thoughts on what the Gude landfill future use should be. You can send us an email, give us a letter, or call any member of the GLCC on the phone. Below are our addresses and phone numbers.

Send email to: GLCC@Hollybrooke.org or contact:

Keith Ligon 15501 Moravia Court 301- 340-3358

Julia Tillery 15461 Indianola Drive 301-251-6106

Bob Day 7128 Grinnell Drive 301-294-3272

Dean Dozier 7613 Anamosa Way 301-912-4409

Dave Peterson 7612 Anamosa Way 301-921-6357

Laszlo Harsanyi 7228 Titonka Way 301- 840-3822

Nick Radonic 15408 Indianola Drive 301-294-9124

Thank You!

The entire community owes a big debt of gratitude to the members of the GLCC. These individuals spend a considerable amount of their own time working on this committee. Through their efforts the school bus depot is not going to be built at the landfill. They are now working with the county to clean up the landfill and hopefully turn the landfill into something we can all use and enjoy. Please attend the community meeting on Sept. 24. Eli Nadel - editor

The following note is from a neighbor:

“I don't know if we are only ones who have issue with this, but it is driving us crazy. A reminder of the Montgomery County laws regarding dog poop would be appreciated. I am still chasing people and their dogs off my lawn. I recently asked one woman not to use my lawn and she replied, "Well, I am going to clean it up!" in a very 'huffy' voice. As if I was out of line to say such a request. If you could include a reminder that it is unlawful to do this, I (and probably others) would appreciate it. “

It is unlawful to allow your dog to defecate on private property that you do not own. A person can use the public areas but not privately owned areas. The detail below was copied from the Montgomery County website: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov

Animal Defecation ("pooper scooper" law) (Montgomery County Code, Sec. 5-203(a)(2)
An owner must not allow an animal to damage or defecate on property outside of the owner's property. An animal may defecate on public property or the common area of property in which the owner shares an interest if the owner immediately removes and disposes of the feces by a sanitary method approved20by the Director. Feces may be picked up in a plastic bag. If this bag is placed inside another plastic bag, it may be put out for disposal in your normal household trash.
Penalty for Violation - $100

Parking of RV and Heavy Commercial Vehicles – There is a new ordinance in effect in Montgomery County and it went into effect on July 1^st 2009.  It prohibits on street parking for Recreational Vehicles and Heavy Commercial Vehicles except for loading and unloading or short periods up to 18 hours.    

A Recreational Vehicle (RV) is defined as a registered vehicle, with or without a motor, which is soley intended for the leisure use of the operator or guests. An RV would be a motor home, a travel trailer, a camper, a camping trailer or a transport trailer for a boat, horse, motorcycle, race car, snowmobile or bicycle. 

A Heavy Commercial Vehicle is heavier than 10,000 pounds, or longer than 21ft, or higher than 8 ft, or has a rated capacity for more than one ton. Vans and pickup trucks are considered Light Commercial Vehicles and are OK for on-street parking. 

To report a possible violation, call the non-emergency number for the Montgomery County Police.  It is301-279-8000.  Enforcement of this ordinance can result in a $75 fine, impoundment fees and daily storage costs. 

Parking of RVs in the driveway or anywhere on the property is prohibited by the HOA Covenants. Article VII, Section 7d says “no junk vehicle, unlicensed or inoperable motor vehicle, trailer, camp truck, house trailer, boat or other similar machinery, or equipment of any kind or character shall be kept on the property nor shall the repair or extraordinary maintenance of automobiles or other vehicles be carried out thereon.” 

From the AERC Committee

The Architectural and Environmental Review Committee (AERC) tracks the compliance issues with the Homeowner's Covenants we all signed when we bought into the neighborhood. Owners apply for permission to make material changes in construction such as fences and house finishes. Again, they have helped give the community a more unified look. Some of their forms and minutes are online.

AERC Philosophy

It is the Committee’s job to get your application APPROVED, within the construct of our Guidelines and Covenants. We want to talk with you to make sure we understand what you want to do. We will work with you so that the application process is quick and comfortable.

Applications received April 2009 – August 2009 

Apr09   7201 Grinnell Drive   Change shutter color  Approved

Apr09   7209 Bettendrof   Fence   Approved

Apr09   7319 Gold Ring Terrace  Expand deck   Approved

Apr09   15460 Indianola Drive  Fence    Approved

Apr09   15522 Villisca Terrace  Replace Siding  Approved

May09   7110 Grinnell Drive   Front walk Approved

May09   7436 Monona Terrace   Sunroom   Approved

Jun09   7401 Monona Terrace   Patio & Storm doors  Approved

Jun09   15445 Indianola   Expand Deck   Approved

Aug09   7230 Bettendorf   Fence Gate   Approved

Aug09   7230 Wapello    3^rd garage   Approved

Aug09   15525 Grinnell Terrace  Replace shingles  Approved 

Chimney Repairs – When our houses were built, the contractor sometimes chose “used brick” to construct the chimneys. This type of brick can crumble over time, which will cause water leaks and thus headaches for you. They can be singly replaced but you will probably need a chimney contractor to do the work. This is what our Guidelines say about chimney repairs: 

Repair, modifications or additions to chimneys or chimney caps

• Replacement brick and mortar shall be as close to same color as possible

• Repairs shall maintain the original design as installed by the builder

• Modifications shall be as close to the original design as possible

Driveway Repairs – The same problem happens with our driveways. There are cracks and then water gets under the driveway. This can erode the dirt or in the winter, freeze and expand and cause a larger problem. If you need to do a patch repair, do it when the area is small and you will be successful.  If it gets too big, there are special repair materials you can use. Verizon used them on the street recently when installing the fiber lines.  Here is what our Guidelines say about driveway repairs:

Additions to or alterations of driveways, walkways, stoops, or slabs

• Repairs and patches shall be made with a material that matches in color.

If you have any questions about any of the guidelines, or the application process, contact any member of the AERC listed below.

AERC Members

Bob Day 7128 Grinnell Dr 294-3272 bobcarolday@yahoo.com

Donna Parisi 15617 Gold Ring Way 294-2477 njshore83@Comcast.net

Bob Craig 7229 Wapello 762-8351 RMCraig@Comcast.net

Dave Minier 15524 Indianola Dr 279-5972 D_Minier@Comcast.net

Dan Navarro 7115 Grinnell Dr 424-3779 dbnavarro@comcast.net

Paula Hadzima 7420 Monona Terrace 545-0241 1hadzi@comcast.net

Bob Tremmel 15514 Villisca Terrace 424-3777 bobtremmel@verizon.net

25 years ago a new neighborhood opened in Derwood…

Thanks to Jane, Barb and Rick for providing the original sales literature.

• If anyone has floorplans for the townhouses or Signature II please let me know. I would like to include them in the next newsletter. Thanks - Eli.

Neighborhood Helpers

We would like to inform our neighbors that, in the State of Maryland, children must be 13 years old to baby-sit a child under the age of 8 when the parents are absent, per Family Law Article, § 5-801.

We do not endorse any child whose name appears on this list, nor do we screen the list for qualifications and abilities.

Name	Age	Street	Phone	Jobs
Carly Fumai	16	Grinnell Drive	(301) 217-0323	Baby Sitting House Sitting Pet Sitting
Jackie Gross	15	Titonka Way	(301) 670-0060	Certified Babysitter Mother’s Helper Dog Walking
Leo Kremer	14	Moravia Court	(240) 477-7537	Lawn Mowing
Judie Kuo	15	Bettendorf Ct.	(301) 309-8737	Babysitting Dog Walking Pet Sitting
Nansen Kuo	12	Bettendorf Ct.	(301) 309-8737	Dog Walking Pet Sitting Lawn Mowing
Andrew Moore	15	Grinnell Ct.	(301) 309-0983	Babysitting Dog Walking Pet Sitting Lawn Mowing Snow shoveling
Peter Radonic	16	Indianola	(240) 753-3544	Yard Work Lawn Mowing, Snow shoveling
Rosemary Smith	16	Wapello Drive	(240) 449-5715	Baby Sitting Pet Sitting Dog Walking
Elissa Wollins	15	Wapello Drive	(301) 762-8821	Baby Sitting (Shady Grove Trained) Pet Sitting Dog Walking

Please note: If you want to change or delete an entry, please contact the newsletter editor at (240) 314-0528 or by email at newsletter@hollybrooke.org or email communications@hollybrooke.org. Updates will be included in the next newsletter.

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