Benefits of PHCA Membership
(Or, What’s in it for me?)
Ever since the Pimmit Hills Citizens Association (PHCA) began in March 1951, some residents have asked why they should become a paid member of this organization. “What’s in it for me?” they ask.
Do you benefit from driving on paved roads with curbs/gutters and sewer drains? PHCA worked long and hard to get those installed. Before the unpaved roads were mud and when it rained, the water had no place to go so areas would get flooded.
Do you benefit from walking on sidewalks (walking your dog, jogging, riding your bicycle, walking to nearby stores)? PHCA worked long and hard to get Fairfax County to install sidewalks all over Pimmit Hills.
Do you or your children benefit from being safe from speeding cars in our neighborhood? PHCA has worked long and hard to get Fairfax County to install traffic calming measures at key intersections in Pimmit Hills.
Do you benefit from traffic signal lights when you leave and come into Pimmit Hills via Pimmit Drive/Route 7, Anderson Road/Magarity Road, or Lisle Avenue & Magarity Road/Route 7 instead of waiting and waiting for traffic on Route 7 to slow down and let you turn? PHCA worked long and hard to get VDOT to install traffic signal lights at these intersections to help residents.
Do you enjoy the benefits of having a first-class library with all its resources in Pimmit Hills? PHCA worked long and hard to get a library established and built in our neighborhood when Fairfax County wanted to locate it far from us.
Do you benefit from the fact the Dulles Access Toll Road does not cut right through Pimmit Hills? PHCA took a stand and voiced their opposition that resulted in the route being shifted.
Do you benefit from the many parks in Pimmit Hills and the playground equipment at some of them? PHCA worked long and hard to get these in our community. We now have more park space than many other communities.
Do you benefit from not having hundreds of school buses parked at the former Pimmit Hills School as a garage where the County was going to maintain and fix the buses? PHCA worked to prevent this from happening AND keep the baseball fields intact.
Do you benefit from using the 3T bus? PHCA worked hard to prevent WMATA from canceling the service in Pimmit Hills.
Do you benefit from and enjoy reading the Pimmit Hills Dispatch newsletter that is printed and mailed to your home? The newsletter is PHCA’s way to keep you informed of what’s happening in the community, issues PHCA is working on, community events that you can attend to get involved, upcoming PHCA meeting announcements and more. The Dispatch is also a way for local businesses in and around Pimmit Hills to advertise their services and products, which is a convenience for you to know of and use. Mailing and printing prices have risen and it currently costs PHCA $1,508 per issue. That’s 75 memberships per issue.
Do you benefit from the large amount of latest news, resources, links, information, articles, alerts, events, history, announcements, etc that’s constantly updated on PHCA’s membership website? Do you benefit from quickly and securely having a way to join and pay dues online? The membership website enables PHCA to be more efficient and track and manage membership and dues, run reports, send out email updates and much more because of the specialized membership software designed specifically for associations. Members get to edit and update their own profile, add company information to promote their business, comment on blog posts, have access to the membership directory and can post the online forum concerning community issues.
Do you benefit from the convenience of being able to get rid of large items here in Pimmit Hills at our annual Dumpster Day instead of hauling the items all the way over to the Fairfax County trash and recycling center far away on Ox Road and then having to pay a fee to dump the stuff? Every year since the 1960s, PHCA has arranged with Fairfax County to have the County bring large dumpsters to our community so residents can conveniently dispose of the items.
Do you benefit from having community events and activities to attend to get involved, meet your neighbors, do something fun or something that helps the community? Every year PHCA organizes special events, such as Pimmit Hills Day in September and National Night Out in August. We also organize and promote community yard sales. We have an Environment and Parks Committee that organizes park and stream cleanups to help the environment and make the parks more enjoyable. PHCA works long and hard on planning, promoting and running these events for YOU.
Do you benefit from the PHCA keeping track for you of Fairfax County and Virginia state plans, proposals, regulations, development, re-development, roads and traffic, zoning and re-zoning, etc issues that directly affect our community? Officials go to PHCA as their point of contact and then PHCA informs Pimmit Hills residents. Often a position vote of PHCA members is taken and then County or state officials are contacted to let them know of how the members voted on the issue.
Imagine you’re one of these government officials and working on a plan that would affect Pimmit Hills. You don’t hear from anyone in Pimmit Hills so you move forward with the plan. But what if you received a letter from the Pimmit Hills Citizens Association stating the members took a position vote and the official position was that PHCA didn’t approve of your plan because of how it would affect Pimmit Hills. Pimmit Hills is one of the largest communities in the area, but how many members do they have and how many voted? If PHCA could state in the letter that they have, for example, 700 paid members who care and support the community and PHCA, that carries a tremendous amount of weight and the politician or official would think twice about moving ahead with the plans.
PHCA officers and members have always been and continue to be in regular contact with local, county and state government officials and politicians ensuring our voice is heard. In the past, members have even traveled down to Richmond to meet with delegates on important issues affecting our homes and roads. PHCA also has representatives to the powerful McLean Citizens Association to increase our voice even further.
Do you benefit from attending PHCA meetings, hearing what is new in the community, listening to special speakers on relevant issues affecting our homes, property, roads, land, etc? Do you benefit from being able to convey your thoughts, opinions and concerns on an issue at the meeting? Do you benefit from being able to vote as a member on important issues and being one of the voices of Pimmit Hills? Do you benefit from meeting others in the neighborhood and getting to know more people? PHCA has held meetings for 60 years to do just these things. It takes work of PHCA officers and members to schedule the meetings, find a location, invite a speaker, run the meeting, take the time out to be there, deal with issues, conduct follow-up, etc.
So what’s in it for you to be a member of PHCA?
A lot.
Even if you can’t get actively involved in PHCA, you can still show your support for your community and its well-being by becoming a member. Join now.
PS: The October 1960 issue of the Pimmit Hills Dispatch what members get in return from joining PHCA. Here is the last item:
"INTO THE FUTURE: What is undertaken and accomplished in the future will depend greatly upon the general interest and support of YOU, the residents of this community. I have no crystal ball. What will it be is for each of YOU to decide."