WCA Meeting Minutes 2/26/02

Board Members: Don Gross, Ellen Jones, Ann Lunson, Dede O'Donnell, Jim
Toronto
Committee Chairs: Sara Anderson (newsletter distribution); Jim Finley (Williamsburg Boulevard Project)
Guest Speaker: John Coburn, Vice President-Bowers Construction; Fran Heron, Community Disaster Recovery Project

Handouts: (1) Meeting agenda, (2) Treasurer's report, (3) Toronto's tips on getting a house ready for sale (First Impressions are Critical), (4) National Association of Remodeling website card, (5) Bowers Construction business card, (6) Community Disaster Recovery Project

Program

Don Gross introduced Jim Toronto and John Coburn to discuss the evening's program that was dedicated to home remodeling.

Jim dedicated his discussion to things homeowners can do to make a house a home or ready it for sale. He mentioned that the owner often doesn't see what's wrong with a house because we live in it and find it acceptable as it is. Jim stressed there are easy things people can do to enjoy the house or sell it.

First impressions are important so you should start at the front door. Does the door need paint? Get rid of the aluminum screen door that is over 20 years old. Check the sidewalk. Paint the outside and inside if needed. Neutralize or make the house "vanilla" on the inside.

Jim said there are a few things about the neighborhood that make the property desirable. First is the size of the houses. Many are smaller homes, which make them more affordable. The hardwood floors are treasured and our floors are the oak planks. To show them off, you should get rid of the wall-to-wall carpet and have the floors redone if needed to show off the floors.

Lighting fixtures are important. The fixtures don't have to be expensive. There are several fixtures that will suit well at Home Depot. Make your house light and bright.

Consider what you want to do with the kitchen. The kitchen floor pattern is a dead giveaway of the age of the floor. Consider replacing. You don't have to have granite countertops but you may need to replace older countertops. You may not have to replace cabinets but consider a coat of paint and new hardware. Replace the range if the stove burner or oven hasn't worked for the last couple of years. These changes might cost $2,000-3,000 but will be recovered in the sale of the home.

Look at the bathrooms. Some of these are dated and look dated. For those, you may have to do some work. For those that have black and white tile or similar, you may only have to look at replacing light fixtures and the old sink with a vanity.

Check the outside landscaping. Some of this will just require a little elbow grease. Trim things up. Tear out the stragglers. Get rid of the piles of leaves. Remove old patio furniture.

The less clutter the better. Get rid of the magazines. Reduce the amount of furniture. Even if you have to find a place to store the furniture or have a yard sale, do it.

The systems in the house will be checked. If the furnace needs to be replaced, don't be put off by thinking it will cost you $10,000. It is more likely to cost about $5,000. Do not band aid a furnace problem. If you have the furnace checked regularly, having the information posted on the furnace is good. Check the air conditioner and the hot water heater to ensure they are in working order.

The windows, casement windows, are not a big seller. If you consider replacing the windows, don't be overwhelmed by thinking you have to do them all. Start with the front of the house.

A second bathroom is important. An expanded kitchen is good is you are considering a larger remodeling activity. Big sellers in today's market are porches, family rooms and a large master bedroom suite.

John Coburn is a Vice President at Bowers Construction. He talked about remodeling in terms of what a person expects. There are three primary reasons to remodel. The first is for investing to prepare the property for sale. The next is to provide wanted space. The last is the owner is expecting to live in the house for a long time.

John explained there are two types of approaches when selecting a company to work with. The first is to select an architectural firm. This means you will work with an architect to design the house. When the design is finished, you contract with a construction company to do the remodeling work. The second type is what is called a "Design and Build" firm. This means you will work with one company to develop the design and the same company will do the remodeling. The "Design and Build" firm may or may not have an architect on the staff. The firm will have access to an architect who can approve the plans to build. Both methods work.

Bowers Construction is a "Design and Build" firm. Mike Bowers, the owner, likes this approach. It allows you to creatively sit down with the client to understand likes/dislikes. It is important to remember that time, cost and quality are the biggest aspects of the effort. Bowers believes in value engineering, meaning you can help make decisions on cost vs. benefit and aesthetics vs. affordability. Bowers also believes this approach streamlines the process.

If you are remodeling you have to understand what you are undertaking. A major remodeling effort, one in which you totally revise the floor plan, usually means it will be difficult to live in the home during construction.

Whichever method you choose, you need to tailor things around you, the client. The design can take three to five months (15 to 20 pages of decisions, terms and conditions, and the like). The construction can take five months to a year depending on what is being done. Wait time has to be considered as well. The design process can begin relatively quickly. Bowers is telling clients they speak with now that the project (renovation) will start in the first quarter of next year. There are labor shortages and supply problems that have to be considered.

When hiring someone, try to have as much work done at the same time as possible. When considering what you want to do, remember that going out is less expensive than going up. Going out means you probably won't have to deal with the roof line. Going up means you to take the roof off. You also have to look at systems for the house when you go up. The chance that your furnace won't be able to handle the additional floor is high.

John brought cards directing people to NARI, the National Association of Remodeling Industry. He suggested before you sign up for a remodeling job you take a look at the site. He also recommended you get references that are not the tried and true references the firm always uses. He offered the book, The Not So Big House by Sarah Suzanka (sp?) as a reference. It has very practical ideas for small houses.

Business Meeting

County Disaster Recovery: Fran Heron spoke to the residents about disaster recovery for Arlington County. A FEMA funded program started in Arlington shortly after the 9-11 attack. People in the County were suffering from common stress and coping problems after the terrorist attack. Her intent was to bring resources that can help to our attention. She said there was not charge for the services. Fran also indicated the services are made up of education, referral as well as counseling.

Newsletter Distribution: Sara Anderson spoke about newsletter distribution. She asked for volunteers who would be willing to help with distribution of the newsletter. This newsletter distribution requires volunteers to walk them around the neighborhood in the off-mailing months. She said with enough volunteers it would probably mean distributing to about 50 houses.

Upcoming Meetings: Ellen talked about upcoming meetings. She explained the agenda for the next meeting (3/26/02) was on the agenda. Ellen also solicited ideas from the residents on programs for upcoming meetings.

Neighborhood Conservation Projects Update:

• Signs: The signs are up. Landscaping at the Circle is likely in the spring.
• Minor Hill: The Minor Hill use plan is beginning. Currently the County is surveying and identifying what is what and where. The team is working with a landscape designer too. The neighborhood kiosk is in process. The basic structure is up in Sharp Park. There is still work to be done before it will be ready for posting.
• Little Falls Project: Phase 2 was approved by the County Board the previous weekend. It would be nice to send an e-mail or letter to the Board thanking them for their approval.
• Williamsburg Boulevard Project: Jim Finley gave an update on the Williamsburg Boulevard project. He showed the drawings that represent the tentative plan. It includes a large tree median (14 feet wide) that will go from Trinidad to the top of Williamsburg. There will be two lanes of traffic (12 feet wide), two bike lanes (6 feet wide), two parking lanes (8 feet wide) and a 2 foot 6 inch swale on each side before the sidewalk begins. An example of what it might look like is on Patrick Henry Drive. The team is ready to begin petitioning the project area. If they get 60% acceptance, it will be approved. Ellen reminded everyone that aerterials are not eligible for traffic calming funds; that the project was in concert with the Arlington-East Falls Church project as well as the Bike lobby. The County will not plant bushes and shrubs because of maintenance. The trees will be good size to ensure visibility on the street. Also, it is likely that nubs will be put in at Trinidad Street, Rochester Street and Somerset Street.

Zoning/Infill: There was no update on the zoning/infill housing discussion from previous meetings.

Nottingham School Project: There was no update on the Nottingham School project.

Williamsburg Circle Project: Ellen drew attention to the information in the newsletter and invited other interested neighbors to participate in the project.

New Business: A question from the audience was about an anniversary activity for Nottingham School. No one was aware of the activity.

The meeting adjourned at 9:05.