CAHH Holds Weirdly Calm Spring Membership Meeting

The Civic Association of Hollin Hills held its Spring Membership Meeting on the evening of April 15, and there was, we are delighted to report, no shouting, no hair-pulling, no neighborly gnashing of teeth — not even a whiff of drama, in fact.  

It was a welcome change from all the sturming and dranging of 2025, when (1) the Pickleball Club seemed determined to annoy just about everyone in Hollin Hills;  and (2) it was discovered that the CAHH’s 2007 Articles of Incorporation had … ahem … never actually been filed with the State, and were therefore invalid and had to be completely redrawn. 

But those issues have been essentially resolved, and while there’s more housekeeping to do (new bylaws, the zoning permit for the recreational facilities, etc), things are now rolling on a more normal and agreeably straightforward track.  

With no votes on the agenda, attendance was a bit light (only a few dozen residents, with more on Zoom), and the meeting zipped quickly through the usual updates.  Treasurer Bryan Bierman went over the 2026 budget, and things look good: donations are up, expenses are slightly down, there’s cash in the checking account and no crises loom. The Board hired a professional accounting firm last year to look over its financial statements (it found no problems), and is now exploring hiring an independent, outside accounting firm on a regular basis.  “We want to make sure we have professional eyes on the books,” said Bierman.  

RENOVATIONS

Tara Ward — technically the Board’s “recording secretary” but actually the powerhouse who led the CAHH through last year’s challenges —  took the floor for an update of the “renovations” to the CAHH’s technical and legal structures, particularly (1) the amended zoning permit for the pool and pickleball facilities, and (2) the new CAHH bylaws that the Board is drawing up to align with the new Articles of Incorporation.  

Tara Ward

The special zoning permit has been submitted to the County’s Bureau of Zoning Appeals and is being reviewed there, and is heading into the public comment period, with a BZA hearing coming up on June 3.  “We really do want the community to engage in this process, and we'd like to hear from everyone,” said Ward.  “Let them know where you stand as a community member, so that they can make decisions that reflect the community.”  (Write to info@hollinhills.org to make your views known.)

The Board will circulate a draft of the updated bylaws later this year to get community feedback, Ward added, and plans to hold at least one more open meeting, with a vote possibly to be held at the CAHH Fall Membership Meeting. 

PARKS

Parks Chair Dan Schulke noted that there’s a robust spending plan for the parks this year, the result of focusing exclusively on essential spending last year — i.e. removal of dangerous trees, grass mowing, and merciless annihilation of invasive species.  Unspent funds from 2025 will be used this year for several worthy “non-essential” projects, including expanding the existing native plant beds and creating “air-prune” beds (which sit above the ground and have wire-mesh bottoms) to propagate tree saplings — allowing volunteers to then, as Schulke charmingly put it, “Johnny Appleseed them all over the parks.”

Other parks goals this year include liberating every tree from vines growing more than three feet off the ground; “generally destroying all invasive plants”; and finding new park stewards to replace several who left last year. Schulke also gave a shout-out to Friends of Hollin Hills for their many contributions to the parks, and explained the rather yucky (and expensive) process of removing dead animals from the parks — which apparently involves recruiting foxes into the workforce. 

MEMBERSHIP

The new membership co-chairs  Darren Pogoda and Meredith Conlon were unable to attend, so Ward stepped up to note that they were working on ways to invigorate membership and the greeters program.  

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Social director Susmita Dastidar gave a quick overview of the Winter Potluck back in February, noted upcoming events including the Memorial Day observance, the 4th of July Picnic and so on, and urged everyone to volunteer if they can.

2026 HOUSE + GARDEN TOUR

Tour committee chief Holly Wetzel gave a quick update on the fast-approaching May 2 Tour and associated events (including a reception at Nepenthe Gallery before the tour), and encouraged everyone to check out the exhibit of historic artifacts from the early years of Hollin Hills that will be on display at Patrick and Allison Heck’s home during the tour.  

POOL

The Hollin Hills Pool will open on May 23, Ward noted, with a “Polar Bear Plunge” and other events throughout the year, including Trivia Night, Movie Night, Tween Swim, Bingo and more.  Also, 20 new lounge chairs are on the way, Ward said, “so you won't be falling through them so much anymore.”  She also urged members to sign up for the season before May 15, to avoid late fees.

PICKLEBALL

The Hollin Hills Pickleball and Tennis Club had a turbulent year in 2025.  Tensions have been rising around the country between pickleball clubs and nearby neighborhoods due to the piercing sound of the game, and the Civic Association set new hours and rules for the Club to ensure that community residents were not subjected to excess noise and light — reasonable moves that prompted many of the more intransigent, hard-line members from outside the community to quit in protest. (No tears were shed, we understand, at their departure.)

Under President Christine Kelly, the Club now seems to be on a far more community-friendly (and family-friendly) path, and it’s a refreshing change. The Club is trying to raise the number of Hollin Hills members above the current 10 percent, she said, and will be offering free play for Hollin Hillers on Sundays in May and June, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  “We'll have two or three pickleball ambassadors there to help you get set up,” said Kelly.  “It will be very informal and the goal is to have fun!  We welcome players of all ages.”

In another welcome move, Kelly noted that the Club is developing a “quiet paddle policy” and has a list of approved paddles for members to use.  “We’re making a lot of good progress” toward quieter play, she said. 

Kelly noted that the Club’s finances and facilities are in good shape; they currently have 233 members and expect more to join, and have reserves of $90,000.

And then, after less than 90 minutes, the Spring Membership Meeting suddenly drew to a close — probably the first time in history that the Sherwood Hall Library staff did not have to bodily eject us for running overtime.