The HOA BOD is moving forward with this vote at this time for a number of reasons:
1. At the time the 2014 Reserve Study was done, the playgrounds and fencing were already well past their lifespans (30+ years now) and already in need of replacement. As it's been ten years, it's safe to assume they are in even worse shape than before and need to be replaced. We do not expect the findings of the 2024 Reserve Study update to be substantially different from the 2014 study.
2. In the past, it has been very difficult to obtain only in-person votes; we recognize in-person meeting attendance and voting can be inconvenient for some for a variety of reasons (lack of transport, work commitments, family responsibilities, etc). A mail-in voting option maximizes homeowners’ ability to participate. Recent changes to Virginia law make it easier for HOAs like ours to hold votes and obtain quorums.
3. We took the opportunity at the April 11, 2024 Annual meeting of the Great Falls Forest Homeowners Association to announce this ballot and answer questions. In the run-up to the meeting, the HOA Board promoted this meeting to the community members in many ways (newsletter, annual dues letter, website, emails), inviting property owners to the meeting and letting them know important topics about the future of the community would be discussed. An updated reserve study was not considered to be a mandatory prerequisite to this special assessment referendum.
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