Here is a copy of a response from the President to a resident who recently reached out about the parking issues in our Neighborhood. 

This is relevant to everyone in our community. 

Thank you for taking the time to reach out — I truly appreciate it. Your concerns are valid and reflect many of the issues I’ve been working to address since stepping into this role. I wanted to respond directly and personally because I believe transparency and connection are how we move forward together as a community.

To be candid: I didn’t volunteer to be HOA President. I inherited the role when the former president retired in 2024, and I accepted because no one else stepped forward. Like many of you, when I bought my home in 2022, I had no idea how to reach the board or what our rules even were. Our community had not been well-managed, and that’s something I’ve been trying to change.

Since I stepped into this role in Fall of 2024, I’ve:

• Launched a Cocquina Cluster website

• Created a Facebook Group to share updates

• Set up a working email inbox to give homeowners a way to reach the board

But here’s the honest truth: I can’t do this alone — and neither can the 5 other neighbors who show up consistently to board meetings. We are all volunteers with full-time jobs. I’ve even spoken with Reston Association about what it would look like to dissolve the board and turn operations over to a paid property management company — but that would mean much higher dues and much less local control.

If you’re concerned, if you care — please come to our next meeting - Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 7:00 pm, Dogwood Elementary School -12300 Glade Drive, Reston, Virginia. 

Bring a neighbor. Help us get a quorum. We need your voice, your vote, and your ideas.

What We’ve Done So Far

September 2024:
Submitted a request to Fairfax County to evaluate Cocquina Cluster for a Residential Permit Parking District (RPPD).

September 20, 2024:
Fairfax County conducted an overnight Vehicle Occupancy Count between 11:00 PM and 4:00 AM.

October 11, 2024:
RPPD study results were shared with Supervisor Walter Alcorn. Cocquina Cluster was deemed ineligible for RPPD designation.

January 2025:
Continued communication with County officials and provided updated HOA board contact information.

April 16, 2025:
Held a meeting with the Reston District Station Police to discuss enforcement tools for VDOT-controlled roads and HOA-managed areas.

Spring 2025 (Planned):
Coordinating with Reston Association to conduct a maintenance and compliance walkthrough across the Cluster.

Ongoing:
Drafting and preparing to release updated Design Standards and parking rules to reflect current needs and improve enforcement clarity.

What We’re Up Against

We face several challenges that require both board oversight and community participation:

Public Roads = Limited Enforcement

Cocquina Drive is maintained by VDOT. This means:

• The HOA cannot restrict parking on the street

• We cannot tow from the public road

• We rely on Fairfax County Police and Code Enforcement for inoperable or illegally parked vehicles
  
  

Cluster-Owned Property = HOA Jurisdiction

We can enforce parking rules on:

• Parking pads (each home is limited to two operable, registered passenger vehicles)

• Common areas (grass, unpaved land, shared spaces)
  
  

Vehicles parked on lawns, sidewalks, or common areas may be towed. If a legally parked car on a pad is blocked in by a car parked improperly on cluster land, we can tow to clear access — even if the pad-parked car is otherwise compliant.

We’ve also documented some residents modifying green space to create parking, which damages infrastructure and breaks community rules. These areas will be subject to restoration following the upcoming walkthrough.

Addressing Business Activities & Commercial Vehicles

We're increasingly concerned about homes operating businesses out of residential properties, particularly those involving:

• Frequent customer visits

• Customer vehicles being parked in the cluster for repairs or detailing

• Commercial vehicles parked overnight
  
  

Per Fairfax County Code, commercial vehicles may not be parked overnight in residential areas. These activities are against both county law and our community rules. This isn’t about punishing anyone — it’s about ensuring that residents have access to the parking they’re entitled to and maintaining the character of our neighborhood.

Parking in Cocquina Cluster should serve residents, not commercial activity. When driveways and pads are filled with business-related vehicles, other families are left without options. It creates tension, degrades property value, and strains our shared infrastructure.

We need neighbors like you to help:

• Report violations to the County and the Board

• Attend meetings and lend your voice to decisions

• Hold each other accountable with kindness and clarity

Important Note on Enforcement

I want to be very clear:
We will not begin enforcement overnight.
We understand how disruptive that would be.

Before any enforcement begins, we are committed to:

• Finalizing updated parking rules

• Rolling out a clear communication plan

• Giving all homeowners and renters adequate notice and education

I don’t want anyone walking out their front door on a weekday morning to find their car towed with no warning. That’s not the community I want to live in — and it’s not how we plan to operate.

What’s Coming Next

We’re working to:

• Finalize updated parking and property standards (by early summer)

• Improve enforcement tools, including exploring the option to amend the bylaws to allow fines

• Provide clear guidance to renters and homeowners

• Explore whether privatizing Cocquina Drive might be viable in the future (which would allow towing, but would shift major road maintenance costs to the HOA)

How You Can Help

• Park only two passenger vehicles per home — no commercial or oversized vehicles

• Don’t park on grass or sidewalks, or modify cluster land

• Inform tenants of rules and responsibilities

• Show up to meetings, bring a neighbor, and help us reach quorum

• Ask questions, offer solutions — we’re always open to input

This community only works when people get involved. I know it's not always convenient, and I didn’t sign up for this role thinking I’d be spending my nights rewriting rules or talking to county transportation officials. But I care about where we live — and from your message, I know you do too.

Thank you again for your concern, and I really hope to see you at an upcoming meeting. Let’s work together to make Cocquina Cluster the kind of place we all want it to be.

Warm regards,

--

Maggie Urbanik

President, Cocquina Cluster HOA

Notice of Annual Meeting

The 2024 Cocquina Cluster Association Board of Directors invites you to the Cocquina Cluster Annual Meeting for 2025. This meeting is your opportunity to learn about ongoing and upcoming initiatives in the neighborhood, engage with your neighbors, ask questions, and explore volunteer opportunities.

Date

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Time

7:00 pm

Location

Dogwood Elementary School

12300 Glade Drive, Reston, Virginia

Location within the school will be posted

Agenda

• Summary of expenses in 2024

• Budget plan for 2025

• Elections for 2025 Board of Director Positions

• Open Forum for Question and Answers

Community Reminders

Monthly Meetings

Public Cluster Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM at Dogwood Elementary School. Meetings do not take place during the summer months when the school is closed to public use.

These meetings are open to all residents and property owners in the Cluster. If you plan to attend, please contact a Board Member in advance, as meeting dates and locations are subject to change.

There will be no standard monthly meeting on April 9, 2025, due to the Annual Meeting on April 23, 2025.

2024 Cocquina Cluster Board

President

Maggie Urbanik, murbanik@cocquinacluster.com

Vice President

Justin Shields, jsheilds@cocquinacluster.com

Treasurer

Elizabeth Gilmore 703-860-4889

Secretary

OPEN

At-Large

Geovanny Zarceno, gzarceno@cocquinacluster.com

At-Large

Claudia Nataren, Nataren34@gmail.com

Dear Cocquina Cluster Neighbors,

I hope this message finds you well. I am delighted to introduce myself as your new HOA president. I have had the privilege of calling Northern Virginia home for over four decades, and I am thrilled to have been a part of the Cocquina Cluster community for the past two years. It is an honor to serve this vibrant community, and I look forward to working together to maintain and enhance the quality of life we all enjoy here.

As your president, I am committed to fostering a vibrant and harmonious living environment for all residents. My top priorities include:

• Ensuring Community Compliance: We will work diligently to ensure that all residents are adhering to our community's rules and regulations, helping to maintain the beauty and order of our neighborhood.

• Enforcing Community Rules: A key responsibility of the HOA is to enforce our community's rules. We will collaborate with other board members and, when necessary, legal counsel to address any violations in a fair and effective manner.

• Providing Financial Oversight: Maintaining the financial health of our HOA is essential. I will work closely with the board to manage budgets and ensure that we are responsibly using our funds for the benefit of the entire community.

• Exploring Electronic Payments for HOA Dues: We understand the convenience that technology can provide, so one of our initiatives will be to find a vendor that can support the option of electronic payments for HOA dues, making the process easier and more efficient for all residents.

• Ensuring Legal Compliance: We will ensure that the HOA remains in compliance with all relevant state and local laws, safeguarding the integrity of our operations and our community.

• Improving Parking: We will actively explore solutions to address the parking concerns within our community, and are currently in communication with Hunter Mill District to determine if our neighborhood can be designated as a Residential Permit Parking District (RPPD.)

In addition, we are working to improve our communication and web presence. I would like to invite you to visit our new website www.cocquinacluster.com and  join our new Facebook Community Group, Cocquina Cluster HOA. Copies of our board communications, community rules and bylaws will be made available on our website. The Facebook group will serve as a platform for community updates, events, and a place for residents to share ideas and feedback. This is also where we will be posting dates for our monthly HOA meetings. It’s a great way to stay connected and informed about all things related to our neighborhood.

In the coming weeks, the board and I will be sharing updates on key projects and initiatives, and we will continue to work with transparency and open communication. I encourage everyone to stay involved, share your thoughts, and join us at future meetings and events.

Thank you for your support and trust. I look forward to serving as your HOA president and to working together to make Cocquina Cluster the best it can be!

Warm regards,

Maggie Urbanik

President, Cocquina Cluster Homeowners Association 

Enforcement of Rules for Cluster Common Area

We have been observing an increase number of residents who are leaving out items that are no longer being picked up by our trash contractors. 

As outlined in the Rules for the Care and Use of the Cocquina Common Area, the Cluster Board is authorized to enforce cluster rules. Homeowners and/or their tenants are responsible for the upkeep of Cluster Common Area. 

Debris and/or trash left on Common Area including parking pads presents a hazard and eyesore to the community. Homeowners who are in violation of our Community Rules will be issued a notice with a provided removal period. If the items have not been removed by the expiration date, the Cluster Board will take action of hauling and disposing of the trash or other unauthorized materials left on Common Area, with our preferred vendor, at the owners' expense. 

Repeated violations will result in higher escalations to the Reston Association Board and Fairfax County Code Compliance.

Important Cluster News About Trash & Recycling

The Cocquina Cluster Homeowners Association Board has negotiated a new plan with a new trash and recycling company, American Disposal Services, which will bring some changes to how trash & recycling will be handled in the Cluster.

Trash & Recycling Pick Up is THURSDAY Morning

New Trash & Recycling Containers

Effective 1 June 2024, every house in our Cluster will receive a new trash & recycling container from American Disposal Services. These containers will replace the old AAA/Republic containers currently being used. Our NEW recycling &trash pickup day and time—early Thursday morning—will be our only pickup day each week. This reduced pick up schedule saves the cluster significant money and helps to keep our dues low.

The old trash/recycling containers are the property of Republic Trash and they will be picked up on the last day of recycling (Wednesday, May 29th ) and trash (Thursday, May 30th ) pick up. To prevent being charged for Republic containers, please leave the containers along the curb for pickup.

What Can Be Recycled?

 Fairfax County Recycling Guidance (English)

 Fairfax County Recycling Guidance (Spanish)

What Can Not Be Left in the Trash!

These items that have become an eyesore/problem in our cluster: used tires, containers with used car oil, and any items considered construction or renovation waste to include old fence lumber. These items will NOT be picked up by our trash company. Every homeowner or renter is responsible for removing these items from our community (from our shared common areas to include the sidewalk/curb!) and properly disposing of them at the local landfill.

Reminders: Our Trash and Recycling Schedule

Bins are to be placed on the curb no earlier than DUSK the evening before and are to be removed by DUSK the day of pickup.