Neighborhood Spotlight: Lafayette Village is close to everything, including beltway

Yet the beltway, right on the community’s border and clearly visible from many homes, is also the community’s biggest issue right now, says Jarvis, president of the Lafayette Village Community Association. That’s been especially true during the ongoing construction project to widen the beltway and install an electronic system to set the toll rates for non-high-occupancy vehicles in the HOV lanes.
Trees that used to serve as a buffer have been cut down, Jarvis says, and “if the traffic backs up on Hummer Road, people cut through the community,” sometimes driving as fast as 50 miles an hour. The community is close to the Little River exit. “In the long run, the neighborhood will be beautiful again, when the new sound wall is up. We’ll plant trees and vines to make it look better,” he says. Meanwhile, speed humps and “islands” with planters are scheduled to be installed soon on Lafayette Village Drive to slow traffic.

The 30-year-old community consists of 294 townhomes and 21 stand-alone houses, and a full third of the community’s land is considered common area, says Jarvis. The common area includes a swimming pool, playground, basketball courts, and 12 community garden plots under the power lines along the beltway. The HOA would like to expand the garden area, but first needs to figure out how to bring in a water line. The HOA also is developing a dog run under the power lines and a trail to connect the neighborhood with the trails around the Hidden Oaks Nature Center.


Jarvis, Penny Gross, and Rep. Gerry Connolly plant trees at the Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration.

The HOA sponsors a number of social events, including an annual Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration in April with a cookout, moon bounce, and tree planting. To encourage kids to help clean up the community, the HOA puts gold dollars in paper cups for them to find and keep as they collect trash around the community. There is also a prize to the kid who picks up the most trash.

On National Night Out in August, there was a parade from the pool house to the community park, and kids got to jump on a moon bounce, explore a police car, and take home a plant. Other activities include a holiday decorating contest and communitywide yard sales.


A soundwall protects the community from the beltway.

HOA dues, which are $328 a quarter for townhouses, include use of the swimming pool, landscaping and maintenance of the common areas, snow removal, and trash service. Dues for the detached homes are $167 a quarter. Those homes are on public streets, while the townhomes are on privately maintained roads. Professional management is provided by Klingbeil, Powell and Alrutz Inc. of Falls Church, and Jarvis says there are two accountants on the HOA board who can provide additional oversight.

There is very little crime, Jarvis says. A couple of years ago, “professional criminals with shopping lists” took GPS devices and airbags from cars, and Jarvis, who was patrolling the area with Neighborhood Watch scared off a potential burglar at 3 a.m. Another time, someone renting a home in the neighborhood was selling cars illegally, and the HOA board asked the police to come and ticket or tow the cars. Since the streets are privately owned, the police can’t issue tickets unless requested.

National Night Out

Number of houses: 315