Are you new to the VOU? Here is some information to get you started...

Learning About the Community
Trash Removal and Recycling
Community Amenities
Membership Passes
Exterior Modifications to Your Home
What to Expect...from Leaf Removal
What to Expect... from Snow Removal

Learning about the community - printable tip sheet

The best and fastest way to get information about the VOU is to log in to the web site. You will receive a weekly e-newsletter and regular communications about association activities. If you have just purchased your home, please bring a copy of your HUD1 or settlement papers to the VOU on-site management office at 9023 Harris Street (office hours are 10 AM to 4 PM weekdays, excluding federal holidays). If you are renting, please send a copy of your lease to the manager at [email protected] and request a log-in through the website.
 

Trash & Recycling - printable tip sheet

Trash is collected from the entire community on Tuesdays and Fridays. Properly packaged yard waste is removed on Wednesdays. Frederick County provides blue bin, mixed material recycling on every other Thursday. Please place all trash out for collection in a closed plastic bag inside a lidded trash can. Failure to properly package trash, or to store containers out of public view on non-trash days may result in a violation or fine. For more information about the county's recycling program, please call 301-600-2960. to order a bulk pickup of household waste, you may contact the VOU contractor, J and J, at 301-898-2109.

Community Amenities - printable tip sheet

The VOU manages threelarge recreational facilities:

• 9023 Harris Street (the Natelli Community Center and on-site management office)
• 9228 Shafer's Mill Drive (fitness center, community room, and resort-style pool)
• 3630 Stone Barn Drive (fitness center, gymnasium, recreation studio, and resort-style pool)

Residents access the centers during operating hours with the membership pass. For more information about amenities and community center rentals, click here.

Membership Passes

All VOU members need their own passes to access the fitness center and the pools. New membership passes cost $7.50 apiece (replacement passes cost $15 apiece), payable by check in the office or by credit card through this website. Cash is not accepted. To get your new passes, you will need to come into the management office at 9023 Harris Street for a photo. The office is open from 10 AM to 4 PM weekdays except federal holidays. Other times may be arranged by emailing [email protected]. Click here for the form to request new pool passes.
 

Exterior Modifications to Your Home

In the Villages of Urbana, every exterior modification requires prior approval from the Design Review Committee. The Design Guidelines are available here. The required application is available here.
 

WHAT TO EXPECT… from VOU Leaf Removal

The VOU mows up fallen leaves on community property and mulches them back into the turf. This is an environmentally sound leaf management practice.

On TOWNHOUSE yards, the VOU usually provides three rounds of leaf removal: once at about 50% leaf drop, which is usually around Thanksgiving; once at about 70% of leaf drop, which is usually around the end of the year; and once at about 100% of leaf drop, which is usually in mid-January. We ask that residents NOT rake leaves into the street. In the street, the leaves can be washed into the storm drains, where the can cause clogs and flooding. If left on the turf, the leaves are less likely to blow around, and the VOU team can more easily remove them.

SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS are responsible for leaves on their own yards. You are not required to remove the leaves. They can provide winter safety for a variety of beneficial insects, and some insulation for plants. If you choose to rake your leaves, please do not rake them into the street and leave them there. Frederick County does not clean the streets of leaves – this is a homeowner responsibility. Leaf piles can be washed into storm drains, where they can cause clogs or floods or problems with the ponds, and they can also be a safety problem for drivers. Leaf piles at curbside parking areas can also be a safety problem for parked cars. If you rake your leaves, please plan to bag them in the brown paper bags for removal as yard waste.
 

WHAT TO EXPECT… from Snow Removal

When snow starts to fall, the first thing everyone thinks is “How pretty!” and the second thing is: When will it get pushed off streets and sidewalks? Here are some general highlights:
 

• The VOU does not treat or plow snowfalls of less than 2 inches.
• The VOU will pre-treat if icy conditions are in the forecast.
• Streets with GREEN street signs are county roads and will be cleared by the county.
• Streets with WHITE street signs and all alleys are VOU roads and will be cleared by the VOU.
• Sidewalks adjacent to single family homes are the responsibility of the single family homeowner.
• Sidewalks adjacent to community property, townhouses, or condos are the responsibility of the VOU.
• The VOU contract requires that clearing be substantially complete 24 hours after the END of the storm. This may mean that there will be almost an entire day between the END of the storm and the END of the work. Please be patient.
• In the Villas, any driveway or asphalt area where a car is parked will NOT be cleared.
• A pile of snow behind parked cars in the parking lot or at the end of a driveway is an unavoidable result of plowing and will not be removed.
• The county has designated every county road a Snow Emergency Route. During storms, please plan to park your vehicles in a designated space in order to help county plows operate in the community.
• In periods of inclement weather, residents are responsible for being aware of outdoor conditions and using due care in walking or driving.
• During storms, the best and fastest way to reach a member of the management team with a concern or question is by email to [email protected].