Email Archives
Bannockburn Citizens Association News
Date Sent: October 10, 2021
Dear Neighbors:
I hope that you are well and safe and enjoying the wonderful fall weather. We have not organized any group activities over the past year due to the COVID situation, and we have missed the opportunity to get together. Many of us are out walking in the neighborhood, and we enjoy the opportunity to say hello and to meet new neighbors.
Walking Group.
As we re-emerge from lockdown, our neighborhood walks will be resuming starting Thursday, October 14. As before, the group will meet at the corner of Loch Lomond and Broxburn Drive at 9:00 am. If interested, please send an email to Bonnie Garrett. The group will wait a few minutes for everyone who responds in advance confirming that they will join the walk. The path through the neighborhood is flexible, allowing you to join or leave as you please. Everyone is welcome so please forward this email to other neighbors. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Festivals.
We have not had our usual Concord Park festivals this spring and fall. We hope that by next spring the COVID situation will improve sufficiently to make us comfortable having an outdoor festival at that time. We will keep you updated.
Welcoming New Neighbors.
Gala Voyt and Cecily Abrams visit and welcome new BCA neighbors. You will often know about new neighbors before we do. If you learn of new arrivals to the neighborhood or would like to help on this committee, please email Gala.
Neighborhood Security.
The committee, headed by John Hannula, works with our block captains and the county to monitor incidents and make suggestions improve neighborhood security. John also passes along information from the county police. If you have suggestions or wish to volunteer to be a block captain, contact John. Remember: if you see something suspicious, call the police non-emergency number 301-279-8000 or 911 for a crime in progress.
Mailbox Theft.
One of our neighbors reports that her husband dropped a two bill payments (home mortgage and property taxes) in the mailbox at the intersection of Hidden Creek and Loch Lomond. Subsequently their bank called to report regarding suspicious activity. Someone had stolen the two checks, “washed” the checks leaving the amount as is but changing the payee to “Christopher Phillips,” and then deposited the checks at a Navy Federal Credit Union branch in Reston. She reports that based on what she read on NextDoor, such thefts have occurred a number of times in the area. Based on conversations with people at their bank and the thread on NextDoor, she reports that in some cases, thieves are able to rig the mailboxes to catch mail that is deposited and in other cases they have obtained copies of keys to the mailboxes. Going forward, they will pay bills on line when possible and bring other checks to the post office for mailing. That seems very prudent.
Construction.
Our Covenants Committee chair, Mark Pollak, continues to monitor construction and permit applications in the neighborhood and communicates with owners and builders about compliance with the BCA covenants, which address front and side setbacks and any change to the footprint of the house, among other matters. County regulations and our BCA policies also encourage developers and homeowners to preserve the tree canopy in the neighborhood. Read more on our website: http://bannockburncitizens.org/covanants-constitution/covenant-faqs.php. If you learn of, or have questions about, a new construction, renovation or sale, contact Mark.
Website.
Matt Koll, our Website Committee Chair, resuscitated and updated our BCA website, http://bannockburncitizens.org. Let Matt know if there is anything on the website that appears to need updating or if you have other suggestions to make it more useful. Matt.
Storm Water.
In 2019, Friends of Cabin John Creek (FoCJC) began working with our Bannockburn Citizens Association to improve stormwater run-off issues on properties in our neighborhood. At the beginning of the program, we circulated a survey to help FoCJC focus its outreach efforts. The pandemic put a damper on much of the FoCJC community outreach program, and FoCJC is now trying to revitalize the program in our neighborhood. You are invited to take a follow-up survey, whether or not you participated in the first survey. It is similar but not identical to the earlier survey. The survey asks about any stormwater issues you might have experienced and what you have done or might do about them. Wherever you are on the continuum of dealing with stormwater issues and solutions, your input is welcome. The survey should take you less than 5 minutes. We look forward to continuing the working relationships we developed with FoCJC in this program. Questions? Contact Tina@CabinJohnCreek.org. Click on the following link to take the short survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X8MVJFG.
Best wishes,
Theodore L. Garrett
BCA President
6604 Broxburn Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817