ProCAM's Offices

ProCAM's offices are located at 1422 Portner Road, Suite 5, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. The main entrance to the building is located on Powhatan Street near where it intersects with Slaters Lane. From the street, enter the complex through a black wrought iron security gate. ProCam is located on the upper terrace level above the garage area. Please do not attempt to enter the building complex from Portner Road, especially after regular business hours. All interested homeowners are welcome and encouraged to attend all Board meetings. Street parking is readily available on Powhatan Street.

Unauthorized Pruning

We are asking for your help. Every year, some homeowners and residents take it upon themselves to prune the Association-maintained plants and shrubs near their homes. Some are even bold enough to take their cutting shears farther afield. Please do not do this without the express approval of the Landscaping and Infrastructure Committee. Much of this unauthorized trimming is causing irreparable damage to our plants, interfering with the scheduled care for our plants, and in some cases preventing plants from flowering.

Chimney Maintenance and Cleaning

Homeowners who use their fireplaces are strongly urged to have their chimneys swept on a regular basis, particularly if artificial fire logs such as Duraflame are used. When burned, artificial logs can coat interior chimney surfaces with highly flammable creosote, which may pose a significant fire hazard.

Fish Pond

Please do not feed the fish in, or the ducks near, the fishpond. The excess food is not good for them and is clogging the fishpond filters and clouding the pond water. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Patio and Balcony Screens

On May 23, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Watergate of Alexandria Homeowners' Association adopted a policy resolution prohibiting homeowners and residents from erecting bamboo fencing or screening on any patio or balcony, other than the few fences that had been "grandfathered" by prior Boards. Click here to see the entire Policy Resolution. Please remember that patios are a limited common element and are subject to covenant guidelines and other restrictions. Click here for a copy of the Covenant Review Form and Instructions (PDF).

Watergate Electric Power Supply

You should be aware of the power supply that we have here at Watergate. This information will be important for residents when purchasing electrical appliances such as water heaters, heat pumps, washers, dryers and kitchen appliances.

Watergate has commercial type transformers (three) that provide 120-208V. This is slightly less then those seen in residential transformers (208-240V). These transformers were installed at the time of construction, and may very well have been chosen by the developer because each transformer serves multiple customers and can be located below ground.

In addition, units served by a specific transformer are all located on the same panel. Had residential transformers been utilized instead, there would have been many more of them (approximately 20), and all of them would be placed above ground. Changing over to residential transformers (to supply up to 240V) is not really a structural or financial option for the community.

Please keep the voltage range 120-208V in mind when making future appliance purchases, as there are some that are designed to operate on these lower voltages.

In the event that owners wish to "step up" their power to 120-240V, then a "dry cell transformer" can be installed into that unit at the owner’s expense. Any questions can be directed to a member of the Board.

Homeowner Information

The password-protected Minutes and Other Homeowner Documents page of this website now includes copies of all available Board Minutes from 2002 through 2010 as well as other important Association documents, including our Bylaws, a current percentage ownership list by unit, updated proxy forms, our most recent audited financial statements, the operating budget for the current fiscal year, an updated reserve study, a summary of our insurance coverage, and a ProCam resale documentation request form and pricing list.

Mandatory Bicycle Registration

Through October 1, 2010, the Association is conducting a mandatory bicycle registration drive. All residents must register and obtain a permit decal for every bicycle that is placed in one of the bicycle storage rooms, the underground garages, or any other common areas of the community. You must re-register your bicycle even if you have registered your bicycle in years past. After the registration drive is completed on October 1, 2010, the Association will remove all bicycles without a current permit decal. Click here to see the bike registration letter (in PDF format) that the Board sent to all homeowners and residents. Click here to view and print a copy of the bike registration form (in PDF format).

TV Satellite Dishes at Watergate

At its August meeting, the Board imposed a moratorium on additional homeowner installations of roof-top satellite dish receivers until the issue can be discussed with homeowners, starting at this year's Annual Association Meeting to be held on September 23, 2010. Click here if you wish to see the US Federal Communications Commission's current guidance on the limited rights of condominium owners to install over-the-air reception devices on commonly owned community property (in PDF Format).

Annual Association Meeting and Board Elections - September 2010

The Association's Annual Meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, September 23, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. This year, in a change from tradition, we will be holding the Annual Meeting at Perk's Coffee Shop, located at 822 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Perk's is situated two blocks away from us on the diagonally opposite corner of Montgomery Park from Watergate. There will be a social hour starting at 6:00 p.m., where complimentary soft drinks, coffee and finger foods will be offered. Beer, wine and all menu items will be available for purchase.

At the annual meeting, homeowners will elect three persons to serve on the Association's 5-member Board -- two board members for a term of three years each, and one board member for a term of one year. Written notice of the annual meeting will be mailed to all homeowners on August 25, 2010. The Board received only two nominating petitions for the three open Board seats. Accordingly, as stated in the notice of the annual meeting, the Board anticipates accepting nominations from the floor at the Annual Meeting. Prospective candidates must be present at the Annual Meeting in order to be nominated from the floor.

We ask all homeowners to consider serving the community as a Board member. Service on the Board will allow you to get to know your neighbors and the property better, and participate meaningfully in the management of the Association. Board positions are voluntary and unpaid, and require some commitment of time each month. Like all responsibilities, however, the burdens of Board service are lightest when shouldered by the many who benefit from them. Please help out. Thank you very much. Click here if you are a homeowner and wish to see the Call for Nominations that was mailed to all homeowners on July 28th. Click here if you are a homeowner wish to see a brief description of what Board service entails.

The Board also plans to hold a brief organizational meeting immediately following the conclusion of the Asssociation's Annual Meeting in order to elect officers of the Association and conduct such other business as may properly come before it.

Password Change

The password for access to the homeowners-only portions of this website is changing on September 24, 2010. The new password is included in the notice of the Association's Annual Meeting that was mailed to all homeowners on August 25, 2010.

Annual Budget Forum and August Board Meeting

The Board held its Annual Budget Forum and August Board Meeting on August 24, 2010. Ed Chevarrie was the only homeowner (other than Board and Committee members) to attend. No one in attendance had any questions or comments on the proposed budget, so the Board voted unanimously to approve the proposed budget as its actual budget for FY2011. At its meeting, the Board also took action on a large number of grounds and infrastructure projects and homeowner requests. Click here if you are a homeowner and wish to see a copy of the approved budget for FY2011. Click here if you are a homeowner and would like to see an analysis of the homeowner fee increases over the last 17 years.

July Board Meeting

At the Board meeting held on July 27, 2010, the Board approved a proposed budget for FY2011 to be distributed to all homeowners in advance of the annual budget forum, scheduled the annual budget forum for August 24, 2010 at which the proposed budget will be presented to and discussed with homeowners, scheduled the annual association meeting to be held on September 24, 2010, discussed the final report and the recommendations of Desman Associates regarding its assessment of the underground parking garages, and reviewed all current grounds and infrastructure projects, among other matters considered. Click here if you are a homeowner and wish to see a copy of the final Desman report.

June Board Meeting

No Board meeting was held in May 2010. At the Board meeting held on June 15, 2010, the Board approved a written vendor proposal to paint the southern portion of the property later this year, discussed a preliminary garage assessment report submitted by Desman Associates, approved the conversion and transfer of 8 Watergate-owned parking spaces from a limited common element to a common element, discussed enforcement of the Association's Bylaws regarding pets and garage storage, discussed ongoing infrastructure repair projects, and took action on several homeowner requests.

April Board Meeting

At the Board meeting held on April 26, 2010, the Board appointed Daiva Balkus to a vacancy on the Board, to serve until the next Board election in September 2010. The Board also approved a plan to replace the plantings that were destroyed in this winter's snow storms, a project to repair a tear in the waterproofing of the North Pitt Street Garage, and a project to conduct a follow-on engineering and maintenance assessment of both garages. The Board also discussed its plans for exterior painting this year, and announced that the black wrought iron perimeter fences will be replaced during the week of May 3rd.

March 29, 2010 Board Meeting

At the Board meeting held on March 29, 2010, the Board approved the Association's audited financial statements for the prior fiscal year ending September 30, 2009. The audited financial statements have been posted to the Minutes & Other Homeowner Documents page of this website. The Board also reviewed the Association's current grounds and infrastructure projects. You can find a summary of these projects on the Grounds and Infrastructure page of this website.

March 15, 2010 Board Meeting

At the Board meeting held on March 15, 2010, the Board discussed a strategic planning session that it held on December 18, 2009 with Blake Kokus of ProCAM regarding the ongoing management of Watergate, and the anticipated major infrastructure projects affecting our community. The Board also informed the homeowners in attendance that it plans to conduct a formal review of the garage waterproofing project that was undertaken several years ago, and a follow-on engineering assessment of the structural integrity of both underground garage. For new homeowners, a chronology and summary of the major garage projects that have been previously undertaken by Watergate has been posted to the Minutes & Other Homeowner Documents page of this website. The Board also announced that it was adopting a plan to repaint the entire complex in four-year continuous cycles.