The formal structure of the Great Oaks Homeowners' Association consists of a nine-member Board of Directors, three of whom are elected each year by the association members for three-year terms at the annual GOHA meeting. The elected board, in turn, elects its officers:
- President
- Vice-President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
The board is specifically empowered, under the Declaration, to appoint a committee for architectural control composed of three or more representatives. Further, the board is authorized by the By-Laws to appoint a nominating committee and such advisory committees as deemed appropriate. At present, the committees appointed by the board:
The Declaration and By-Laws, while they specifically reserve certain powers for the association members, give the Board of Directors, as the elected representatives of all GOHA homeowners, express powers and duties for the administration of the association.
Complete list of GOHA Job Descriptions.
Our financial records are the responsibility of Capitol Management, Inc., a thriving corporation that manages the affairs of over sixty homeowner associations.
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Annual Meeting: Pursuant to our governing documents, there is an annual GOHA meeting. This meeting is generally held in September. Notice of the meeting date is sent to all homeowners prior to the meeting.
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Common Areas: Great Oaks has many common areas. These include the front entrance, the area along Old Lee Highway, the traffic islands at both ends of the neighborhood, the swimming pool, some of the wooded area behind the swimming pool, and areas between and behind many of our homes. All of these areas are the responsibility of GOHA. We participate annually in the Fairfax City clean-up day (generally in April) and utilize landscaping, swimming pool and snow removal services to maintain our common areas.
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Leaves: Fairfax City workers pick up leaves in the fall. In order to have your leaves picked-up, you will need to rake them to the curb/street. Watch the newsletter and City Scene (the Fairfax City newsletter) for details on fall leaf removal.
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Parking: The design of our award winning neighborhood comes with some limitations. As a result of the narrowness of our streets, parking is limited in some areas. This is necessary to allow access to all homes by emergency vehicles. The diagram of the community indicates the "no parking" areas. Everyone is encouraged to avoid parking in these areas. Specific parking regulations are found on our Documents page.
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Pets: Pets are great. Many owners in Great Oaks have cats and dogs and one way we keep up with each other is by meeting when we are walking. But - pets can be messy. We encourage everyone to remove any "presents" that their pets leave on common areas.
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Trash and Recycle Pickup: Trash pickup for our neighborhood is Friday mornings. Please place your trash and recyclable's at the curb before 7:00 a.m. on Friday. The City of Fairfax government provides recycle boxes.
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Great Oaks was designed in the early 1970's by developer Lester H. Shor, who set aside much of the site as open space. Many of the original black oak, white oak, birch, beech and tulip poplar trees were preserved, and earth-toned brick and rough-cut wood contemporary houses were built beneath them. Since then, residents have planted new trees and hundreds of shrubs along residential streets with names like Great Oaks Drive, Hemlock Way, and Beech Tree Court.
The original plan for the site called for clearing away the trees and building several apartment towers, but Fairfax City officials fought to save the old trees. As a compensation to the developer, more than the usual number of homes were allowed per acre, but they were each angled in such a way that the houses feel private and separate from each other.
The Fairfax City Council approved Shor's plan on September 12, 1973, after he had dedicated 21 of the 30 acres to green space. The subdivision received awards for excellence in home construction and land planning from the Northern Virginia home building industry in the 1970's as well as recognition from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine an award-winner for "Better Neighborhood Planning."
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The original plan for the site called for clearing away the trees and building several apartment towers, but Fairfax City officials fought to save the old trees. As a compensation to the developer, more than the usual number of homes were allowed per acre, but they were each angled in such a way that the houses feel private and separate from each other. 