What the Board Did
At the November 18, 2025 meeting, the board adopted a resolution reducing the number of board seats from five to three. Board members Guevremont, Denney, and Griffis voted in favor; Hess voted against. One seat had been vacant for five months following a resignation.
What Changed — and How Recently
This decision reversed a resolution adopted just nine months earlier, in the February 18, 2025 meeting, when the board expanded from three to five seats as owners first assumed control. That expansion was well within the bylaws, which allow up to nine directors, and was a reasonable way to improve representation in a community of this size.
Why Five Seats Made Sense
Industry guidance commonly places communities with 50–200 homes in the three-to-five director range. With roughly 170 voters and a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, and condos, Winchester Landing sits near the upper end of that range — where five directors is a reasonable and widely used choice to ensure representation without gridlock.
The Vacant Seat That Was Never Filled
After a mid-June resignation, the board operated with four members for five months. Rather than appoint a replacement, the board allowed the seat to remain vacant — and later eliminated it entirely.
Why Workload Isn’t the Real Issue
Determining the number of board members isn’t about workload. It’s about representation and decision-making. On a three-member board, two people control every outcome, leaving homeowners with fewer representatives, fewer independent viewpoints, and no meaningful margin for dissent.
Many HOA governing documents — including ours — allow up to nine directors. That flexibility exists so communities can choose a board size that preserves member representation and oversight, not merely the smallest number needed to carry out administrative tasks.
Why the Change Is a Problem
On a three-member board, if one person resigns, the other two get to pick the replacement. In other words, a small group can decide who comes next — simply by choosing when to step down and when to fill the seat — without homeowners having much say. With five board seats, that kind of control is much harder.
It also limits the chance that new board members could come in and change how the fencing rules are being enforced.
A Simple Standard
Virginia law expects directors to act in good faith and in the best interests of the association.
So homeowners should ask a straightforward question:
Is reducing the board to three seats—when five is widely recommended for communities of this size and our bylaws allow up to nine—truly about better governance, or does it primarily make control easier?
Why This Deserves Scrutiny
When board seats are eliminated during a period of controversy and scheduled board elections, it’s reasonable for homeowners to look closely at how and why those decisions are being made. In this case, one board seat has been vacant for several months, and two additional director seats are scheduled for reelection early next year—meaning three board seats would otherwise have been open at the same time.
Final Thought
Look at the sequence. Look at the structure. Then decide whether this reflects the kind of leadership and transparency you want guiding the association.