Long Reach is a great place to live. We would like to thank all the people that volunteer to help improve our community! The Standing Committees of Long Reach provide the Association with valuable advice and support. They are chaired and staffed by resident volunteers. Participation in these Committees help residents become involved in their community and gain information on the rules and regulations of the Village. Here are just a few ways to you could get involved in the Village:
Become a Member of the Board of Directors
You can volunteer and run to sit on the Board of Directors. Be a part of making decisions that affect your village! The Village Board meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Elections are held every year at the end of April. Nomination Petitions are available in early March.
Become a CA Council Representative
The CA Council Representative is elected to sit on the CA Board of Directors. Elections for this position are held every other year at the end of April. Nomination Petitions are available in early March.
Architectural Committee
All Long Reach residents whose properties are in compliance with the covenants, are eligible to be appointed to the 5- person Architectural Committee (AC). Members of the AC are appointed by the Board each June. The committee is composed of 1 Board of Directors member, 2 RAC members and 2 resident at-large members. This committee reviews the decisions of the RAC and any directive, permit, or authorization recommended by the RAC. It also serves as the appeals board to residents whose exterior alteration applications (EAA) have been denied.
Resident Architectural Committee
All Long Reach residents whose properties are in compliance with the covenants, are eligible to be appointed to the 9-person Resident Architectural Committee (RAC). Members of the RAC are appointed by the Board each June. These volunteers carefully review exterior alteration applications, visit properties which residents wish to alter, discuss applications every other Wednesday, and decide whether the proposed alteration(s) is in accordance with the village covenants. The RAC then votes to recommend that the Architectural Committee (AC) approve, approve with provisions, or deny each application. Although the AC is not bound to accept the RAC recommendation, past activity clearly demonstrated an intent to rely very heavily on the RAC recommendations. RAC members keep their property in compliance with the covenants and do not receive compensation for volunteering.
Long Reach Community Action and Resources for Environmental Stewardship (CARES)
Long Reach CARES aims to educate and enable neighbors to steward our private and shared spaces in sustainable and environmentally-friendly ways. Learn more at facebook.com/LRCARES
Long Reach Watershed Advisory Committee (WAC)
The mission of the Long Reach Watershed Advisory Committee is to enhance watershed awareness and educate residents about concerns related to the local watersheds and what can be done to make a positive difference. They educate residents on the latest stormwater management practices used to reduce nonpoint source pollution entering the Little Patuxent and Middle Patuxent rivers and recommend individual actions residents can take to make a positive difference in local water quality. For more information contact WAC@longreach.org.
Election Committee
Any member of the village eligible to vote in the election and not a candidate for any office in the election is eligible for membership to the Election Committee. The Election Committee is responsible for the proper conduct of the annual elections to include validating nomination petitions, officiating candidates’ night (in the event of a race), and issuing, receiving and accounting all ballots. The Village Board appoints the members to the committee every January to oversee the Village’s Elections in April.
Village Center Master Plan Advisory Committee
The Long Reach Village Board is looking for qualified residents interested in appointment to the Village Center Master Plan Advisory Committee. Over the past few years, there have been several legislative initiatives related to planning and zoning that have both direct and indirect impact on Columbia and the village centers. Parts of the bills allow for the formulation of a Village Center Community Plan that would be developed by the community and endorsed by the Village Board.
This committee would gather information in pursuit of a Master Plan that would position the Village to take an active role in shaping the future composition of Village Center property, related improvements and uses in the Long Reach area. To this end the committee will have responsibility to produce position papers, correspondence, and comments on documents produced by others. Members selected will be expected to give a one year commitment to the committee with the expectation of bi-monthly meetings. Although not required, any experience in community planning and development, commercial planning or other related fields would be welcome.
Adopt-A-Path or Host a Community Clean-up
Resident help monitor the pathways for graffiti & other vandalism, trash, dumping, and other dangerous conditions. We assist you by: providing trash bags and pick-up locations for scheduled clean-ups, provide a pathway map for your use, lend rakes and hooks if needed, provide a list of phone numbers for reporting problems. We can also help coordinate a community clean-up, view this kit for more information.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Long Reach periodically appoints residents to serve on various CA Advisory Committees (watch for these announcements in our newsletter). In addition, we often need volunteers to help at Long Reach special events.
Volunteering at Stonehouse can be used for community service hours needed to fulfill graduation requirements.
Interested in volunteering with us? Email events@longreach.org