President’s Message

The OHECA fall calendar is a busy one. We have already had our bi-annual membership meeting, a successful yard sale, and the membership drive is underway.  Still on the schedule are the Halloween and holiday lights contests and Adopt-a-Highway litter cleanup.  Also, your board started drafting a 2026 budget for membership approval, which will be massaged further at its November 18 meeting.

The emphasis in this newsletter is on the 2026 membership drive. Each fall OHECA recruits members for the following year. We encourage existing members to re-up, but, importantly, we need to bring on new members. A particular challenge is acquainting new residents to OHECA’s existence and the benefit of membership. Our membership team, Jody and Les Terry, is busy working on this issue.

OHECA will have two officer vacancies scheduled between March 2026 and March 2027, treasurer and president. Filling these is critical, and it’s not too early to interest our members in serving a community role in the civic association.

Patti Alf is hard at work soliciting advertising for the 2026 membership directory. Read how you can help.

School redistricting is a hot topic in Fairfax County, and it impacts our community. A group of concerned Orange Hunt Estates parents educate members on this topic with an open message in this newsletter.

We address updates on some ongoing actions.

Fall is a wonderful time of year in our region. Enjoy the pleasant temperatures, blue skies, fresh air, changing colors, and the rustle of fallen leaves. When we meet again in this spot in January, these will have changed significantly!

Regards,
Gary Koblitz

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2026 Membership Drive

The start of the 2026 membership drive approximately parallels the sign up rates of recent years. We have 128 member household as of October 18. The challenge always is to sustain the pace after the initial 30-day surge when enrollment slows somewhat and finally levels off in late December. The rate of enrollment hints at an earlier slowdown compared to the 2024 and 2025 drives. Folks, keep the energy up and enroll now!

As in the past, we do all we can to promote membership in the civic association. OHECA depends on voluntary annual dues from less than half of community households to preserve the appearance, life style, and desirability of our community to the advantage of all 927 residences. We encourage current members to re-up, and we strive to acquaint new residents with our civic association. We disseminate emails; we post signs; we provide information on our website OHECA.net; we promote membership on Facebook; and we hand out flyers and knock on doors of some new residents. 

We start the drive with a postcard mailing to all households not yet enrolled for 2026. You should be receiving these postcards any day now. We realize that your lives can be busy, and it’s easy to put off actions not as critical as  others on your schedule. Mail can pile up on a flat surface somewhere in your home! Consequently, we follow up with a reminder postcard later in the fall. Throughout the process, occasional reminders will be mass emailed to the membership. We hope you don’t mind these gentle reminders.

We strongly urge you to join online. The online process is much more efficient for our volunteers. Voluntary membership dues are $35 annually, the same as it has been for many years. Go here for all the membership information you need.

Upcoming Board Vacancies

In 2026 and 2027, two vacancies will open on the OHECA Board, treasurer and president.

Don Irvine’s term as treasurer will terminate in March 2026, and he has decided not to be a candidate for a new term. OHECA has had a history of excellent managers of our finances, and we are fortunate to have maintained a healthy bank account throughout. We need this tradition to continue.

President Gary Koblitz has decided that March 2027 will end his several years as president. This may seem like a long way off, but we don’t want March 2027 to sneak up on us without adequate preparation. Candidates for this position can come from the current board or the resident population. Leadership experience or a desire to serve can exist in either pool.

The vacating of these offices opens room for new blood to serve in any of several roles. There is a lot of talent in our community to bring new energy and ideas to the civic association. We must not become complacent as a community to leave active roles to the same persons year after year. Active community level governance is one foundation of a strong society. 

You’ll be hearing more on this in the coming weeks and months.

2026 Directory Preparations

It’s still months away, but Patti Alf is getting her ducks in a row now for next year’s community directory. Here’s what she wants you to know: 

A LOT OF BANG FOR YOUR ADVERTISING BUCK!

We are gearing up for production of our next Orange Book—a place where residents look for merchants. Do you have a business or know of a business that would like to advertise in our 2026 directory? Have you used a business or service that I could contact to see if they have any interest in advertising? Past referrals from our members have resulted in ads! Advertising rates are very reasonable. Interested? Contact Patti Alf at pattialf@gmail.com. 

A FUN WAY TO GET A BIT OF EXERCISE AND MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS!

Why not become an Orange Book deliverer for OHECA? It’s super easy. Next spring I will contact you to pick up directories for your immediate area (no more than 30 or so books, usually a lot less). You deliver the books to the members on the list I provide you. If you are a new resident, it’s a great way to make new connections.

I am so grateful for so many of our directory distribution volunteers who have been doing this for years and years. But we want you too! Please indicate on your membership that you would be willing to volunteer for directory distribution. 

Looking forward to seeing lots of new directory distributors this year!! Questions? Contact me at pattialf@gmail.com.

Thank you,
Patti Alf

School Redistricting

The following was submitted by a group of Orange Hunt Estates neighbors committed to keeping our community connected through our neighborhood schools. OHECA is lending its support to the hard work of this group with a supportive letter to relevant school officials.

Hi neighbors — important news from Fairfax County Public Schools! The Superintendent’s Comprehensive Boundary Review is now in Phase 2, and new draft maps (known as Scenario 4) are out for public feedback through November 14.Here’s the big picture: Scenario 4 proposes to split Orange Hunt Estates, sending families zoned for Sangster Elementary to Lake Braddock Secondary, while the rest of the neighborhood would stay with West Springfield High School. These shifts could affect school communities, carpools, and long-standing friendships for families currently at Irving and West Springfield.It’s worth asking: How might this proposal shape our neighborhood’s connection to local schools? What would it mean for your family’s daily routine, after-school plans, and the friends your kids have grown up with?You can share your thoughts in three ways — (1) by attending the public meeting on October 27 (6:30-8pm) at Irving Middle School (in person or online), (2) by reviewing and commenting on Scenario 4 using the Boundary Explorer Tool, and (3) by emailing the following interested parties: superintendent@fcps.edu, sbanderson@fcps.edu, FCPSBoundaryWestSpringfield2@gmail.com, fcpsboundary.westspringfield.1@gmail.com. This is your chance to have a say before the final map goes to the School Board. Changes approved in January take effect in the 2026–2027 school year, so it’s important to speak up now!If you have more questions please feel free to reach out to me at Heidi.ingraham@gmail.com.

End School Zone Signs Installed

After months of navigating jurisdictional bureaucracies, we now have a full complement of “END SCHOOL ZONE” signs to add to the sole previously existing one on Huntsman Blvd between Spur Rd and Spelmann Dr. Two were added this summer at the 4-way intersection, and the final one was installed this month on Sydenstricker Rd near Spur Rd (photo). Now the school zones on two sides of OHES have entering yellow flashers and all exiting signs to alert drivers to be extra cautious during the start and end of school.

In the end, we learned that VDOT had relinquished its previous responsibility to a department within Fairfax County Public Schools.

Thank you to one of our observant residents on Sydenstricker Rd for pointing out one of the missing signs way back in early spring. That was the impetus for getting all the missing signs installed.

Lower Huntsman Boulevard Grading

In May, OHECA staffed a request for VDOT to fix certain grading issues on the Huntsman Blvd median between Red Jacket Rd and Old Keene Mill Rd. A couple of these are shown below.

In June, VDOT addressed our work request this way: “We will be addressing these issues the week of July 14, 2025. We will be ordering topsoil this week, and the equipment we need to get the work done will be back up and running.” This never happened, so we asked for a status update on September 3. On September 9 VDOT responded: “Our Maintenance Manager drove all of Huntsman Blvd today and saw no issues. The repairs that were made have all been seeded and grass is growing.” It seems the right and left hands in VDOT are not coordinating, because the work the “Maintenance Manager” observed was performed by Washington Gas contractors as part of gas line replacements along Huntsman Blvd. WG did the seeding (photo). VDOT has not touched the median, and the problems still remain.

Since September 9, VDOT has not addressed the inconsistency in their statements and the lack of promised work. This has been frustrating. OHECA has been coordinating with the offices of Delegate Laura Jane Cohen and Supervisor Pat Herrity throughout this exercise and anxiously (and patiently) awaits some kind of resolution.

Next Adopt-a-Highway

Join us for less than a couple hours on the morning (9:00-11:00) of Saturday, November 22 to pick up any trash left after the mowing season along Huntsman Blvd from Old Keene Mill Rd to the Parkway. This is an easy way to make your contribution to the community. There will be a reminder in November that will include more details.

If You Are a Dog Walker

We end this newsletter with an unpleasant issue. It does not apply to the vast majority of our responsible dog owners.

We are all familiar with complaints about the occasional dog owner not picking up their dog’s deposit on someone’s lawn. We don’t pretend to have a solution to this practice other than to suggest that dog walkers always have a poop bag with them.  That said, we do have another related, probably more disgusting matter to surface.

One of our households stores their empty trash receptacle in their garage. One day an odor permeated the garage. It was determined that the can contained a bag of dog poop deposited by a dog walker. It’s happened more than once to this resident.

This is certainly rare behavior, but not unprecedented, judging from social media. In fact, just today (October 18) an area resident posted on the OH Community Facebook page that someone placed a dog poop bag in their recycling bin. Apparently some feel that trash is trash, so what does it matter whose trash can the poop is in? Obviously, it matters to the recipient of the deposit.

If you do this, perhaps not realizing the impact to give you the benefit of the doubt, please take your poop bag home with you. It’s the neighborly thing to do.

President’s Message

Summers are generally a slower time for your civic association volunteers, but maybe a busy time for you.  Many of you are involved in a variety of family activities, getting home projects done, spending time in the garden, or just plain relaxing. (I’m sure you deserve it!) 

However, past months of work by your civic association volunteers will come to fruition this summer in a number of cases. Some projects may impact the area where you live or drive, so I encourage you to read about them here.

If you are relatively new to our community and recently became an OHECA member, I welcome you. I encourage all members to help make other new residents aware of the Orange Hunt Estates Civic Association and what it accomplishes for minimum annual dues.  I want as many residents as possible to be an informed citizenry and realize the value of community participation.

I have decided that my current 2-year term as OHECA’s president ending in March 2027 will be my last. I will expand more in this newsletter.

Please keep yourself, your family, and others safe, so your summer is a happy time.

Regards,
Gary Koblitz
president.oheca@gmail.com

Recent Actions

At the March annual membership meeting and in the spring quarterly newsletter, OHECA advised of several situations it believed needed to be addressed with local authorities. All of those, and more, are in some stage of resolution and are detailed below. One unexpected event that also required effort to fix was the destruction of the Old Keene Mill Rd community entrance sign. Damaged Old Keene Mill Rd Entrance Sign During the darkness of April 23, a driver lost control of her vehicle traveling westward on Old Keene Mill Rd and crashed through our “Orange Hunt Estates” entrance sign. The driver was charged with speeding and reckless driving. After more than two months of OHECA interactions with the DMV, our insurance carrier, and vendors, a new sign was fabricated and recently installed. Restoration of power and some landscaping remain to be completed in the coming weeks.  (You may recall that  almost a year ago another auto accident resulted in major damage to our Fairfax Parkway entrance sign, the second time that’s happened at that location in recent years! )   Huntsman Blvd Crosswalk at Side Saddle Rd: Before 2025 the curbside pavement markings at this location implied that curbside parking was allowed up to this crosswalk. Cars routinely parked here blinded southbound drivers on Huntsman Blvd from seeing a pedestrian stepping off the curb into the crosswalk. Virginia law prohibits parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk, so the markings and law conflicted.  In 2024, at OHECA’s request, this crosswalk was upgraded with a more prominent bold, ladder-style design and related signage. More recently, we asked VDOT to resolve the confusing parking lane markings. In response, VDOT recently erased the markings near the crosswalk, with an end to the parking lane drawn farther back from the approach to the crosswalk. We also wanted a no parking sign installed, as has been done at the approaches to the crosswalk at Bridle Wood Dr, but VDOT apparently did not believe this was necessary. Although the right hand photo above shows cars still parked near the crosswalk after the parking lane markings change, more recent observations indicate that the residents here are obeying the new pavement markings and pulling cars onto their driveway. Perhaps a discretionary FCPD warning ticket helped! Please abide by the 20-ft no parking law at crosswalks and intersections elsewhere in our community. It is meant to provide clear driver sight lines to pedestrians and other cars. In  particular, parents parked illegally to pick up or drop off children exiting the two elementary schools, or waiting for their kids at school bus pick up and drop off locations, can put these children in more danger.  “End School Zone” Signs: Thanks to a resident’s comment, it has become apparent that certain school zone signs are missing in the area of Orange Hunt Elementary School. Drivers are alerted to their leaving the school zones bordering the school at only one of the four zones marked by a flashing yellow light. That one location is along the southbound lane of Huntsman Blvd between Spelman Dr and Spur Rd. It seems  incredulous that this situation may have existed for decades without notice! The purpose of an “End School Zone” sign is to inform drivers when they can resume the normal speed limit. The purpose, of course, is to make the area safer for children and parents walking near the school at the start and end of the school day. These signs may not have application where the speed limit on the applicable street is normally 25 mph anyway. For example, there are no yellow flashing lights marking a school zone on the Reservation Dr approaches to Sangster Elementary School.   FCPS Office of Safety and Security has promised to review this situation and solicit estimates for sign installations, as needed. We expect that these signs will be installed before the start of the school year, but no promises have been made.  Huntsman Blvd Crosswalk at Houndmaster Rd: After VDOT responded to OHECA requests in 2024 for more visible crosswalks along Huntsman Blvd, the absence of a crosswalk at Houndmaster Rd seemed inconsistent. The OHECA rationale for a crosswalk here are (1) there are southbound and northbound bus stops at the intersection, so this is a location where commuters would naturally be crossing Huntsman Blvd, and (2) there is more than a quarter-mile gap between Bridle Wood Dr and Red Jacket Rd without a marked crosswalk for routine pedestrians to safely cross trafficked Huntsman Blvd. Some residents in the area agreed and urged OHECA to pursue this. VDOT recently rejected this request based on what it states are evolving practices guiding the establishment of marked pedestrian crossings. VDOT cited several factors behind its rejection:The proximity of the existing crosswalk at Red Jacket Road.Expected pedestrian volumes.Water main conflict on the northern side of the intersection.Lack of an existing handicapped ramp.Sight line issues.Over-use of marked crosswalks tends to degrade a motorist’s expectation about pedestrian activity at any specific competing crossingIt’s unfortunate that VDOT has ruled this way, given that pedestrian safety concerns should usurp the VDOT positions in OHECA’s opinion. Some of the VDOT arguments seem hollow. Pedestrians will cross where it’s most convenient for them, so why not make it safer for them with a marked crosswalk? We believe drivers are more likely to stop for a pedestrian waiting at a marked crosswalk.  Pedestrian volumes are not different at any of the other crossings that VDOT upgraded in the past year or so, nor are sight line issues worse compared to the Side Saddle Rd and Bridle Wood Dr marked crossings, which themselves are poor in certain directions. Yes, installing a marked crosswalk here has physical challenges, but they seemingly can be overcome. The storm drain can be avoided. A handicap ramp can be constructed, just as VDOT or the county did of its own volition at the nearby Red Jacket Rd pedestrian crossing several years ago. Obviously, the engineers disagree with this OHECA  assessment.  Lower Huntsman Blvd Median Issues: This median from Red Jacket Rd to Old Keene Mill Rd has eroded over the decades causing low spots that collect rainwater and roadway asphalt to break off where the median slopes steeply. Below Bridle Wood Dr, impatient drivers are riding on the grass to skirt backups of drivers waiting to turn onto Old Keene Mill Rd during peak hours. This has caused tire ruts further eroded by storm water runoff. In response to OHECA’s request to resolve these, VDOT will add topsoil as early as the middle of July. We have not been advised how extensive this landscaping will be, including whether sod will be added. Sidewalk Repairs: At OHECA’s request, VDOT will continue to perform certain sidewalk repairs this summer, starting as early as mid-July. This fiscal year, it has funded leveling work along Reynard Dr and Huntsman Blvd. Once completed, approximately 75 percent of our community sidewalks will have experienced grinding, slab raising, or slab replacement to eliminate potential tripping hazards over the past five summers. OHECA plans to pursue further repair work with VDOT in subsequent VDOT fiscal years. For example, there are slabs with significant cracking or major discrepancies with abutting storm drain caps. What VDOT can do for us every summer depends on its funding and priorities, and, fortunately, it has been responsive each year.   Reservation Dr Park Parcel Message Board: At the March annual meeting, membership approved funding that would include a permanent community message board similar to that pictured. We want a message board on this OHECA-adopted Park Authority plot to service the south end of the community with information, as has existed at the Old Keene Mill Rd entrance. Presently, we have to place and remove a portable message sign at the Reservation Dr parcel, which is inconvenient. We were optimistic that we could complete this project this summer after requesting requisite PA permission. However, the PA has informed that it is reviewing its policy on installing message boards on all park property, apparently because of vandalism experienced at larger parks. We have rebutted with the distinction between the tiny plot embedded in our residential area and the normal large parks used by the public for recreational purposes. We await a PA decision. Dead Median Trees: Another dead Bradford Pear tree was removed recently from the Huntsman Blvd Median, but a couple or so more need to be cut down here and on the Sydenstricker Rd median for replacement with cherry trees, hopefully this fall. The dead tree removal and replacement has not gone as quickly as OHECA hoped this spring and summer. So far, VDOT has not been responsive to our request, except for that one tree. We continue to work the matter. VDOT owns the medians, but OHECA is paying to mow them, and it funds the planting of replacement trees to keep these areas looking nice. C’mon, VDOT, can’t we be partners in this endeavor?

Why This Will Be My Last Term – Gary Koblitz

Like many of you, I have participated in my community wherever I have lived. The strength of civic organizations and so many other groups can be measured by the involvement of its volunteers. 

I have lived in Orange Hunt Estates with my family for almost 40 years and raised my two children here from the time they were toddlers. I have been active in its affairs and in the Springfield community writ large for almost that entire duration. My time as president of OHECA will have added to six years by the time my term expires in March 2027. Before that, I was its VP for about four years and an active Neighborhood Watch volunteer for many years.

I’m not sure if there is an exact age when one’s Golden Years officially begin, but be assured that I have been there for a while! I’d like to be optimistic about my future, but, realistically, it will be more uncertain with each advancing year. That probably is the primary factor in my believing that we should begin planning for a smooth transition of the presidency now, rather than risk a possible more disruptive situation later.

While some experience as an officer or committee member in OHECA is a valuable asset, it is not essential to be a candidate for President — or any other position. There are many residents with experience in their careers and private lives that are transferable to helping to keep OHECA humming along. I’d like to see some new residents get involved in the operations of the association, so we always have smooth transition of roles as volunteers leave. Fresh ideas, new enthusiasm, and new skills are always welcomed. We have about 21 months before March 2027, so I’m asking all of you to give serious thought in the coming months to participating in OHECA oversight.

My wife and I have no intentions of leaving the community, so I want to stay involved in some capacity, but it’s time for me to carry a lighter load. 

Be assured that I will remind everyone regularly about my expiring term, so this does not easily escape your mind! Thank you for your understanding.

A Look Back – 1972

You know how your cell phone occasionally reminds you where you were a few years ago with a photo recalled from your phone’s gallery? We are going to do something similar with an aerial photo taken of Orange Hunt Estates in 1972. This will be memory lane for only a small number of residents still living in our community since the early years, but for the vast majority, it will be an informative trip back in time. Enjoy.Orange Hunt Estates was carved out of rural, forested land starting in 1965. After about 7 years of development, parts north of Sydenstricker Rd had been completed, except for a short extension of Powder Horn Rd beyond Deborann Ct. On the other side of Sydenstricker Rd, construction had advanced to Conservation Dr. There was no Orange Hunt Elementary School. By 1980 Orange Hunt Estates extended along Reservation Dr to Pohick Rd (now the Fairfax County Parkway), and incremental extensions of Huntsman Blvd finally reached Pohick Rd. For a comprehensive history of Orange Hunt Estates development, click here.