As a resident of the Hillcrest Cluster, you are a member of both the Hillcrest Cluster Association (HCA) and the Reston Association (RA). Both organizations are Home Owners Associations (HOAs) which maintain a hierarchal relationship between them. The legal hierarchy of governing documents is as follows:
- VA Property Owners Association Act:The Hillcrest Cluster Association must comply with the 2008 Virginia Property Owners Act (POA), as amended, and any/all subsequent case law enacted that pertains to community associations in Virginia.
- Reston Deed of Dedication and Protective Covenants (Link Found Here)
- Cluster Articles of Incorporation
- Cluster By-Laws
- Cluster Standards and Rules & Regulations
Compliance with all the above is an important responsibility of both the Hillcrest Cluster Association Board of Directors and individual residents. Some common terms associated with both RA and HCA are defined below:
All property in Reston is subject to the Reston Deed of Dedication, which references its maintenance section as ‘Protective Covenants.’ These Covenants are designed to:
- Encourage environmental excellence;
- Preserve the design integrity and architectural quality of Reston’s land and dwellings;
- Maintain the high aesthetic standards that make Reston a desirable place to live;
- Prevent the deterioration of neighborhoods by providing consistent guidelines for construction, maintenance, and property use; and
- Uphold property values.
All property owners are subject to the Reston Deed of Dedication and its Protective Covenants, and by purchasing a property in Reston, have agreed to comply with these Covenants. The objectives listed above are also upheld by the Hillcrest Cluster Association, which also has its own standards that apply in addition to Reston Association’s covenants, guidelines, and rules and regulations.
Covenants are agreements contained within the Reston Deed, are officially and legally recorded with the land records, and tend to be the broadest statements of restrictions. They are intended to be a tool that enables all Restonians to enjoy living in a pleasing environment and an attractive community, while experiencing sustained increases in property values. Covenants also help prevent aesthetic disputes between neighbors, and provide established standards that help resolve any problems that do arise.
Reston comprises all varieties of housing, as well as shopping areas, commercial complexes, offices, and public facilities. The Reston Association’s Design Review Board Process and Standards apply equally to all property owners subject to the Reston Deed of Dedication, which gives the Reston Association responsibility for decisions involving the Protective Covenants as well as their administration.
These RA DRB standards set narrower restrictions on the Protective Covenants. In other words, the standards tell you what you can do to the exterior of your house. Design standards are based on the harmony with the overall community design, effect on neighboring properties, workmanship and materials, timing of completion, and safety and security.
The DRB group consists of nine members–six design professionals (usually architects), and three lay members. All of them must be Reston residents and Association members.
To find out more about the process to file an application to the Design Review Board visit our page Here.
These are DRB-approved Cluster standards that pertain to the particular design of the houses in Hillcrest Cluster. They are enforced by both RA and the Hillcrest Cluster Association Board of Directors.
You can find the Hillcrest Cluster standards for each section of the neighborhood Here.
Generally, these refer to the rules that are in place but not in the Reston Deed. This can encompass the Standards and something that can be changed with a Board vote vs. the Protective Covenants, which require an amendment to the Reston Deed.
Last Updated: 8/26/2018
