February 18, 2005

Dear Cluster Presidents

As many of you have already experienced, Verizon is in the process of installing fiber optic cable throughout Reston. The positive side of this project is the availability of high-speed Internet; however there are concerns regarding the manner in which some of the installation is being accomplished.

Earlier this month, Reston Association met with representatives from Verizon and its contractor for this project, Ivy H. Smith, LLC. Verizon explained that the work of installing the fiber optic cable would be done in two phases: Phase 1 will focus on installation in the area north of the Toll Road and is projected to be completed by the end of May. Phase 2 will cover the area south of the Toll Road and is scheduled to begin, at the earliest, in six months. Verizon hopes to offer the Phase 1 homeowners high-speed Internet connection by mid-Fall.

The enclosed news release provides details on the work being completed. For many homeowners, however, this is not as important as the actual digging, putting in transfer boxes, and restoration of the disturbed areas.

During the meeting, Verizon and Ivy H. Smith were presented with the following list of concerns which are addresses in the attached Q&A Fact Sheet.

§ Lack of notification

§ Work supplies and trash

§ Parking construction vehicles on private property

§ Grass, garden beds, bushes, trees being disturbed or uprooted

§ Concrete, asphalt, curbs and sidewalks being cut through and are damaged

§ Restoration problems, what’s the best way to deal the contractor

§ Insufficient supervision and/or no one who spoke English

§ Easement concerns

Along with our Members, Reston Association was as unaware, until the work commenced, that Reston had been chosen as the fifth community in Northern Virginia to receive cable installation. To date, Ivy H. Smith has completed work in Falls Church and Annandale, and are finishing work in Springfield and McLean.

Representatives from Ivy H. Smith requested that all inquires regarding the work being conducted be made to them by contacting their Herndon office at 1-800-768-8831. In addition, Reston Association will be working with Verizon and Ivy H. Smith to oversee installation being conducted on the Association’s Common Area.

Sincerely,

Virginia Boehringer

Cluster/Condo Outreach Coordinator

Question & Answer Sheet on Verizon Fiber Optic Cable Installation

How do I contact Ivy H. Smith, Verizon’s contractor?

Call the toll free number, 1-800-768-8831, between 7 am-7pm. This office is located in Herndon.

How late can the crews work?

The crews can work until 8:30 pm; however, they do stay later to set-up the safety cones, place tarps over the holes, and the clear the work place.

How much notification should Ivy H. Smith give homeowners before work begins?

Ivy H. Smith is supposed to hang a notification announcement on the front door three to five days before work begins. However, when work initially began in Reston there were instances when either no notification was done or done just hours before work began. Ivy H. Smith has assured RA that notification will be done on time.

Work supplies and trash are not being picked up at night, some tools are even dangerous, what can I do?

Before the crews leave at night, all equipment must be secured, e.g. helmets, tools, etc., and trash removed. If this is not the case, call the toll free number.

Is Ivy H. Smith allowed to park their vehicles in my driveway?

No, vehicles and generators are not to be parked on private property; however, they may park on easement areas.

Will the garden and grass areas be restored?

The grass areas will be re-sodded with the removed sod or the area will be re-seeded with COMPRO, a topsoil/grass seed mixture. For plantings and shrubs that need to be replaced, contact Ivy H. Smith for their letter of intent to restore the area, call 1-888-768-8831. The company will return in the spring to restore plants and shrubs.

How and when will the asphalt and concrete be restored?

At this time of year, any holes in concrete and asphalt will be patched with asphalt until the temperatures remain above 42-50 degrees.

Restoration requests, what’s the best way to deal with them?

Clusters could maintain one “punch list” with their restoration requests and submit them at one time to Ivy H. Smith. Then when the crews arrive in the spring, the work can be coordinated and inspected together. Of course, individual homeowners can independently file restoration requests.

I need to speak to the foreman, but no one speaks English.

Contact the contractor and explain the situation. An English-speaking supervisor should contact you or go to your home to speak to the crew.

How can I tell if the contractor is working on an easement?

Most homeowners property plats show sidewalk, water and sewage easements; they do not generally show cable easements. The property deed might state where the cable easements are located. Miss Utility has marked the locations of all the utility lines. If there are any questions, call the contractor and speak to an engineer.

How can I receive a copy of my play or deed?

For individual property plats, call the Planning and Zoning Review Board, 703-324-1359. To obtain a copy of the property deed, call the Land Records Room, 703-691-7320 for more details.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Karen Monaghan, Communications Director
Reston Association (703) 435-6514
karen@reston.org
www.reston.org

Verizon's Installation in Reston Causes Concern with Residents
Reston Association Steps in to Provide Information and Resources to Contact

In an effort to help keep the community informed and aware of the site work recently commenced by Verizon in North Reston, the Reston Association recently met with officials from Verizon and the site contractor Ivy H. Smith Co.  The purpose of the meeting was to find answers to some of the questions on the minds of Reston residents since the work began.

 The Reston site work is a community-wide installation of fiber optic cable, or FTTP, consisting of hair thin strands of fiber and optical electronics to directly link homes and businesses to the Verizon high-speed network. The new network will eventually replace the traditional copper-wire connections. The work in North Reston will take two to three months, pending on weather conditions. The work south of the toll road will not begin for at least another six months.

Although the standard time frame for notifying property owners of site work is 72-hours before work begins according to Ivy H. Smith officials, many residents discovered that the land on their property was disturbed just moments after the door hangers were placed on their front doors.

Upon receiving numerous calls from distraught residents, Virginia Boehringer, RA's Cluster and Condo Outreach Coordinator said, "Residents were clearly upset and RA wanted to be able to help provide some answers to their questions about the work being done and how affected property will be restored."

The cable installation is being done alongside Verizon's existing copper cable line, where there is a utility easement. Verizon works in the 10-15 foot easement from the owner's property line to do the installation work. The crews dig 4-5' deep pits about 18" wide, then use an air-driven missile system that detects any obstructions during the routing process. Although Ivy H. Smith officials claim that "no trees have ever been disturbed during this process", they say that "complete restoration" of disturbed areas will occur. In some cases, an arborist will come out to the site and assess the damage, and will recommend replacement plantings or trees. In addition, a letter can be requested from Ivy H. Smith that specifically addresses replacement plantings, shrubs and groundcover requested by homeowners.

Many concerned residents that called the Reston Association were also interested in knowing exactly where the utility easements on their property were located as these delineations are not normally shown on the property plats received with the documents that come with purchasing a home. For information to obtain a copy of a deed, contact Fairfax County Land Records Room, 703-691-7320, press 3, then 4. A homeowner will need to go to the Land Records Room, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, with the deed book number and page; there is a $.50 charge per page to copy the deed. 

Verizon is installing the fiber optic cable in localities throughout Northern Virginia, including Herndon, McLean, Oakton, Leesburg, Falls Church, Annandale and Springfield.  It is expected that the work in Reston will take approximately 2 months to complete. "People will have to have patience. It will take some time to restore the area", said Scott Tolliver, the Verizon representative.

Residents voiced their concerns that driveways, sidewalks and garden areas will not be restored. Ivy H. Smith stated that areas disrupted by the cable installation will be restored, but that work will not take place until springtime when the weather is warmer. However, grass area will be tamped and re-seeded now. Asphalt areas will be patched temporarily, with final work commencing when the temperatures remain above 42 degrees. Ivy H. Smith suggested that individual Cluster Associations compile a list of all the areas in a cluster that need to be restored and submit the list to Ivy H. Smith, fax number 703-796-1604.

In order to ensure adequate restoration of the open spaces in Reston, RA's Maintenance Director, Brian Murphy, along with Kevin Munroe, RA's Environmental Resources Specialist, will prepare a "punch list" of items that need repair throughout the area where site work was done, and will coordinate the completion of the work directly with Ivy H. Smith site supervisors.

Important Phone Numbers and Contact Information

For safety related concerns regarding the Verizon installation call
Scott Tolliver, at Verizon (703) 425-3133

To request a letter of intent to restore property, call  Denise Schafer, Customer Relations Supervisor at Ivy H. Smith at 1 (800) 768-8831.

For general concerns and questions, call 1 (800) 768-8831. This toll-free number, in Herndon, is in operation from 7 am until 7 pm.

To request a copy of the page from the County deed showing the utility easements on your property, call 703-691-7320, press 3, then 4.

Reston Association can be contacted at (703) 435-6530 for further information.