The Board of Directors of the McLean Mews Homeowners' Association congratulates you on your decision to make your home in the most convenient and desirable community in Northern Virginia. We hope you will participate actively in helping to keep our neighborhood a wonderful place to live.

 

McLean Mews homeowners have adopted guidelines to achieve a balance between two precious yet divergent goals -- the freedom of each of us to live the way we want and the protection we all seek against the inconvenient behavior of others. In a townhouse community the Golden Rule is paramount. Our procedures are designed to be flexible and to help us resolve potential misunderstandings before they occur.

 

Governing Documents

 

The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements for McLean Mews is the basic body of regulations that governs the actions of the Association. Homeowners and renters alike are bound by its terms. The Association's ByLaws establish its basic procedures. A copy of each of these documents was furnished to you before you purchased your home. If you plan to rent your home you should make copies available to the prospective tenants. Additional copies are available for a nominal fee from the President of the Association. You should be familiar and assure that your tenants are familiar with the contents of both the Declaration and By-Laws.

 

Annual Assessments

 

Under the terms of the Declaration and the By-Laws, the Board of Directors of the Association sets the annual assessment for the following year and notifies homeowners of its action in early December of each year. The Declaration provides that homeowners must submit at least one-half of the annual assessment by January 1, with the remainder due on or before July 1. If at all possible, however, homeowners are urged to pay the entire amount by January 1. This will aid the Board in paying your Association's bills, planning annual expenditures, and minimizing the need for follow-up requests for payments. In the case of delinquent payments, those not paid in full by July 1, the Board is required to impose penalties and is empowered to take collection actions, if necessary. Payment of assessments is a both a legal obligation and an investment in the preservation of your neighborhood.

 

Meetings

 

The Board of Directors meets at the call of the President. Board Meetings are open to the general membership.

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An Annual Meeting of the general membership is scheduled once a year, usually in November. The purposes are to elect officers for the coming year, to present a financial report on the past year's expenditures, to present the proposed budget for the coming year, and to transact other business. Since 1995, the Annual Meeting has been combined with a dinner and social evening.  However, during the COVID 19 pandemic, this has been replaced by an on-line Annual Meeting. Both homeowners and tenants are urged to participate.

 

Environmental Control Committee

 

The Board of Directors appoints an Environmental Control Committee (ECC), which reviews and rules on all requests for changes to the exterior of individual townhouses and lots. This process is democratic and involves all homeowners affected by a proposed modification. The goals of the review process are to protect the rights of all homeowners, to preserve the architectural integrity of the community, and to maintain the property values of our investments. In July 1984 the Board passed an extensive resolution concerning environmental control procedures (Resolution #84-7). This resolution, together with a summary document covering how to apply for permission to make an exterior change to your property, are available on this web site under Maintaining Your Property.

 

Exterior Repainting

 

Homeowners are responsible for maintaining their units in conformance with their condition when new. Each unit must be kept in good condition and repair.

 

The Board has established a schedule and guidelines to carry out this requirement, which is vital to maintaining a consistently high standard of appearance for the community. The exterior of each home is to be painted in approved colors every six years. Painting specifications may be found in Board Resolution #85-8 and Resolution 2017-1, which are available on this site under Exterior Painting. Please abide by these Resolutions to avoid the necessity for the Board to take legal enforcement action.

 

Trash Removal/Recycling

 

The Association contracts for refuse removal, which is covered by your annual assessment. Our contractor will pick up refuse and garden trimmings in bags and/or containers placed on or near the sidewalk in front of your home on Mondays and Thursdays. Recyclables are picked up on Mondays only. Pickup is guaranteed between 6:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., but trash should be left out the night before. To conform to Fairfax County ordinances, closed trash containers are required.

 

Our contractor will also pick up a reasonable number of packing boxes or odd-sized items (up to eight items) during regular pickups, and will also pick up trees after Christmas. The contractor will notify us if a scheduled pickup which coincides with a holiday will be skipped.

 

Snow Removal

 

The Association also contracts for snow removal, which is covered by your annual assessment. This includes the removal of snow from walks, front steps, and driveways, in addition to streets, once certain threshold conditions are met. If you shovel your own property, please pile the snow on other areas of your own lot, and not in the street. Placing it in the street adds to your neighbors' inconvenience and makes driving more difficult.

 

Please do not park in the following areas when it is snowing or when snow is imminent:

 

• on our streets (always illegal at yellow curbs)

• in the cul-de-sac at the end of Corner Lane (snow is plowed into this area)

• in the end spaces of the head-in parking areas (snow is plowed into these areas).

 

On-Street Parking

 

All curbs marked in yellow are Fire Lanes. Curbside parking is prohibited at all times. If a parked car narrows the driving space, it can be difficult for large vehicles to pass. It may also be impossible for a resident to back out a driveway when a car is parked at the curb on the opposite side of the street. Most importantly, in a fire or other emergency, an illegally parked car could impede the response of emergency vehicles. Please instruct visitors and vendors to use the head-in parking spaces on Corner Lane and McLean Mews Court, and ensure that your family members do the same.

 

Cars parked in Fire Lanes are subject to ticketing by police and to towing.

 

Use of Common Property

 

The parking lots, streets, walkways, and other common areas are to be used for their intended purpose and not for private activities. Even with parental supervision, it is inherently dangerous for children to play in the streets. Accordingly, the Board has established the following guidelines:

 

• Throwing/hitting of balls, frisbees, and other projectiles, as well as other vigorous physical activities are best engaged in at other locations. Fortunately, the Franklin Sherman School, which abuts our community, welcomes neighborhood children in its play areas after school hours. Families are encouraged to take advantage of their hospitality

• Residents/visitors and their children should not intrude on the private property of other residents without their explicit consent

• Children playing outdoors must receive the degree of supervision appropriate for their age and maturity level. Very young children must be actively supervised, as their judgment about what constitutes danger, especially with regard to the operation of motor vehicles, is limited. Active supervision means paying close attention to what and where they are playing, and being able to intervene quickly and directly if a hazardous situation should occur.

 

Drivers always must be alert to the fact that there are children in our community, and drive safely. Please observe our 15 m.p.h. speed limit and obey stop signs. And take particular care when backing up and when operating automatic garage doors.

 

Lighting

 

The solar activated exterior lights adjacent to our garage doors are an important source of lighting, which is vital for safety and security. Homeowners should replace burned out bulbs promptly.

 

Dogs

 

We know you love your dog, and we will, too ... as long as a few common sense rules are followed. We understand that when they gotta go, they gotta go. But not on someone else's property—and all of the property in McLean Mews belongs to someone, even the middle of the street. Secondly, Fairfax County’s "pooper scooper" law applies in McLean Mews: if they put it down, you have to pick it up. Don't let your dog water the shrubbery and flowers—they will turn yellow and die. And don't let your dog run loose (that's against the law, too).The principal of the Franklin Sherman Elementary School tells us that it is a big problem when people walk their dogs on the school grounds. Too often during recess, dog droppings end up on the children’s clothing, hair, and skin. Please avoid the school grounds when walking your dog, and explain this to your children and guests who might walk your dog.

 

Neighborhood Watch

 

All residents of McLean Mews should be security conscious. Please report clearly troubling events immediately to the police by calling 911.Please refrain from encouraging solicitors of any kind. Door to door solicitation is prohibited in McLean Mews. Even those solicitors who appear to represent well meaning causes should be notified of this restriction and encouraged to write or call residents instead.

 

For More Information

 

Please feel free to contact any member of the Board of Directors whenever you have questions or suggestions about your Association's activities, or if you wish to volunteer to assist in an Association undertaking. Our community is home to a multitude of talented and experienced people, and sharing our abilities will make McLean Mews work even better.