Town Crier Articles

James City County offers grants from time to time for area groups and homeowner associations looking to spruce up common areas. The New Town Residential Association has utilized these matching grant awards for landscape improvements in our community already. The matching grants of up to $500 are available to enhance the sustainability and sense of community of neighborhoods through the implementation of environmentally sustainable projects such as water conservation efforts, native and pollinator garden planting, and installation of erosion control measures.

 

The Good Neighbor Grant Application deadline for submissions is September 15  at 4 p.m. Grant award amounts are contingent upon the number of applications received and available funding. For more information, call 757-259-4080 and contact our community manager or a member of the NTRA Board for further details if there's a project you would like to be considered here in New Town.

On July 14th, James City County’s Board of Supervisors narrowly approved rezoning for Westwood Park, a largely residential development next to New Town on Eastern State Hospital surplus property with a 3-2 vote. Of specific interest to New Town residents, during the public hearing JCC staff announced that ABVA had added two proffers to their application to address access to the development – Proffer 16 stating “there shall be no access via Olive Drive to the property” and Proffer 17 to add an emergency vehicle access point during site plan development (tentatively shown as via the New Town Commercial Association maintenance facility area on Discovery Park Boulevard.) 

 

Stephen Rodgers, JCC Planning Commission member, reviewed the Commission’s April 2025 recommendation to deny, which was driven by concerns that the applicant had not done enough to mitigate stormwater and environmental impacts. He noted that ABVA had made several changes in the past year to help address these objections. Vernon Geddy representing the applicant, ABVA, and four JCC residents testified at the hearing with subsequent Board discussion centering on egress, reduced density, stormwater issues, and housing affordability. In response to questions, ABVA’s Michael Youngblood who developed most neighborhoods in our community, explained that of the proposed 139 housing units, he expects to sell the 82 single family homes for between $700,000 and $1 million, and the market rate townhouses would be in the $475,000 - $600,000 range. (At least 28 units are committed to be affordable housing.) 

 

The three supervisors who voted in favor of the development (Chair John McGlennon, Vice Chair Ruth Larson and Powhatan member Tracy Wainwright) spoke to ABVA’s responsiveness to New Town residents’ concerns making the project more palatable. They described its “urban village” appeal as being attractive for young people and their families. McGlennon said the reduction in the development’s proposed size and scale and integration of affordable units swayed him. All three commented on affordable housing as being a key consideration for this PSA location while recognizing that Powhatan Creek issues need to be addressed more strongly with the State because the project’s stormwater restoration fund contribution alone won’t do much to fix things. 

 

Supervisor Null said the Board must consider safety and egress for all developments. The addition of an emergency vehicle outlet alone did not provide two roads for residents’ access.

 

Supervisor Icenhour outlined the pros and cons of the development. He based his no vote on the project’s likely cost to James City County due to the location’s cumulative impacts on the Powhatan subwatershed and sewer systems. This area of the Powhatan Creek Subwatershed is headed towards being a “sewage way.” The projected $2 million cost of stream restoration for the Eastern State property and the need for extensive sewer system improvements will be major infrastructure investments for all JCC taxpayers. He felt it was unwise to keep adding to housing inventory that further degrades the sewer system without a better idea of the long-term solution, citing the “7,000 units that have been approved but not yet built in the county.”

DATE:   Thursday, September 3 

 

PLACE:  Legacy Hall
TIME:   7:00 PM

 

Virtually every American above a certain age has a clear memory of what they were doing on September 11, 2001 when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing 3,000 people and creating terror and confusion throughout our country. These attacks had a deep impact on American society and politics and led to the global war on terror.

       

On Thursday, September 3, the New Town Residential Association invites residents, their friends and families and others to remember together this tragic day, which changed so many lives.  

     

Drawing on an oral history of 9/11, our commemoration will begin with residents speaking the words of first responders and decisionmakers as well as those in the towers, on the planes and others.  Then, speakers Tony Zotto, who was head of Vice President Cheney’s Secret Service detail, Leslie Lautenslager, aide to Secretary of State Colin Powell, and two New Town residents, Bob Hyatt and Tim Weidman, who worked in buildings close to the Twin Towers, will share their experiences. Finally, we will ask members of the audience to share their memories of the day.  

   

Afterwards, there will be a reception and opportunity to continue sharing  memories. 

 

 

 

 

 

On July 14th, the James City County Board of Supervisors (BOS) is scheduled to discuss the proposed Westwood Park development adjoining New Town. (Note that this Z-23-0004 rezoning hearing has been deferred on five previous occasions: BOS hearing advertised and opened on 10/14/25 and continued; 2/10/26 hearing deferred until April; 4/10/26 hearing deferred until May; 5/12/26 hearing deferred until June, 6/9/26 hearing deferred until July.)

 

ABVA submitted additional changes to its rezoning application in June 2026. Some key changes are reflected below, outlining the evolution of this rezoning proposal since its initial conception in 2021 as the “last section of New Town”.

 

 

Major housing developments planned adjacent to New Town - Westwood Park and Cardinal Ridge - as well as another near Toano continue to evolve, with the James City County Board of Supervisors decisions at their June meeting once again being deferred to await additional details from developers. Westwood Park’s public hearing will convene again mid-July.

 

Of major concern is the possibility of, yet again, extending Olive Drive in Charlotte Park to be used as a second entrance to Westwood Park. We had been assured previously by the developer this was a no go and in 2021 VDOT advised James City County that increased traffic through our narrow residential streets was going to be problematic! But there is strong sentiment among the Board of Supervisors that single access developments should not be allowed in the county.

 

Currently Westwood Park, which will abut Charlotte Park, is planned with a single entry from Discovery Boulevard. Another possibility was to create another entrance from Discovery Boulevard traveling eastward to connect with Tewning Road, but the terrain made this an expensive option and it is not clear whether the developer fully explored this alternative. Considering single-entry communities are not unusual and access from Discovery Park Boulevard is more than adequate, cutting a new road even just for emergencies where Olive Drive currently ends and begins, crossing our walking trail is totally inappropriate and should sound an alarm bell!

 

If an extension were to happen, traffic would most likely enter off Casey Boulevard onto Center Street, which is not that wide and then traffic would turn left at the pool, and then a quick right turn onto Elizabeth Davis Boulevard before turning right onto Olive Drive. Traffic could also come down Rollison Drive from Casey Boulevard with no stop signs, to the “extended” Olive Drive, or from Rollison Drive to Elizabeth Davis Boulevard’s narrow street, and then a right on Olive.

 

The potential impact to our neighborhoods with increased traffic, noise, pollution, heavy construction vehicles likely for years, and service vehicles, plus perhaps 1-2 homeowner cars and SUVs for the 139 new homes will present safety concerns at our community pool as well as the neighborhood in general. There are also impacts to wildlife such as the turtles and ducks, and yes deer, that often-cross Olive Drive. Not good!

 

Nothing is set in stone at this point and to be fair the developer’s application does not include a cut-through, but it’s imperative to remain vigilant and informed and to contact JCC representatives  (See https://www.jamescitycountyva.gov/212/Board-of-Supervisors or email jccboard@jamescitycountyva.gov) as well as our Homeowners Association Board members to let your voices be heard. Again, the County would have the right to take any land for a potential extension of Olive Drive, and the street is platted with a right of way “in order to provide ingress and egress to and from…adjacent parcels.”  The most recent Westwood Park application highlights that a second entryway was part of their original development plans “(this removed a planned access from Charlotte Park).”  What’s that saying, "it's not over, til it's over."

 

The Westwood Park development will affect us all but especially if a second Olive Drive entrance is required by the County - whether you use the pool, enjoy the trails here or participate in the social events in the common areas that offer respite and neighborly exchanges.

 

And then there’s the larger Cardinal Ridge development by D.R. Horton, a Texas based national builder who typically builds “spec” homes already outfitted for quick move-ins without customization, planning to build over 1000 homes and some commercial buildings on the Eastern State Hospital grounds opposite the JCC Recreation Center and the new county government center and public library currently under construction. More cars, more noise, and this will go on for years and years.

Leslie Lautenslager, an expert in international protocol, served as General Colin Powell’s executive assistant for twenty-five years and in that role experienced history in the making. In an enthusiastic presentation at the June 18th New Town talk, she helped bring this important figure to life describing, as she called it “the human side of General Powell.”  She shared behind-the-scenes and behind-the-headlines stories from the 25 years she spent working closely with Colin Powell.

 

General Powell was an important presence in the White House through multiple administrations. After serving as Ronald Reagan’s National Security advisor, he became the first African American and youngest Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff in George HW Bush administration, in which he played critical role in planning Operation Desert Storm against Iraq. During President George W. Bush’s presidency, he served as Secretary of State, the first African American to hold this important office.  In the wake of the 9/11 attack, Powell was tasked with building international coalitions and for creating support for America’s intervention in Iraq. 

 

Leslie began working with Powell in 1996 and ultimately was in charge of protocol, organizing his schedule and logistics, essentially his executive assistant or aide-de-camp. She described Powell’s leadership approach.  He expected his subordinates to honestly express their opinions about his decisions. He, in turn, trained Leslie and other staff members with formal “love notes,” which analyzed their performance and laid out his expectations. 

 

While he was trained in the military, in many ways Powell was the ultimate politician.  He was an impressive speaker, who could “command the room with his presence.”  We learned that Powell prepared meticulously for his speeches and diplomatic events. None of Powell’s thousands of speeches were written out, and he had such a command of his subjects that he rarely referred to written notes.  

 

At social and diplomatic functions, he knew how to work the room, moving through a crowd, interacting with as many people as possible and building rapport with each person. Leslie’s job in these instances was, if necessary, to run interference, and he and Lautenslager had secret ways of communicating during events.  In her talk, she also recounted how at times she saved Powell from embarrassing situations, such as the time when he opened the door to his hotel room and found a naked man asleep on the bed.   

 

Lautenslager also shared anecdotes about Powell that revealed his human side. She noted that while the world saw Powell as a distinguished diplomat, statesman and tough military leader, he was also funny, gracious and kind. Among friends and family, he was known for enjoying his comfort food, as a “car guy, and as a “terrible backseat driver.”  He also loved Broadway and the pop group ABBA and at one performance of the pop group was seated with Donny Osmond on one side of the aisle and Israel’s  Benjamin Netanyahu unexpectedly across the aisle.

  

At times Powell was a comedian and practical jokester.  Leslie shared the story of how as Secretary of State he invited the Secretary of Defense, the head of the National Security Council and several other high government officials to an elaborate formal lunch.  But when the food was served, on the plates were brown paper bags with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, a cookie and yahoo chocolate milk.   

 

While most of Leslie’s remanences were light-hearted stories, she did note that although Colin Powell grew up in an integrated and cohesive South Bronx community, he was not insulated from racism. He graduated from City College of New York and earned his commission in the army through ROTC. His first assignment was at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and he was told not to stop on his drive to the base because there were only two hotels that accepted “colored people.” Once there, he was also told never to leave the base because the army could not guarantee his safety in Fayetteville. While Powell overcame most racial barriers, Lautenslager also recalled that in 2008, while Powell was in Hong Kong, he learned that Barack Obama had won the presidency in a landslide. At that moment he cried and said “Look how far we have come.”  

 

   

Do you know what to do if water suddenly starts spurting from a pipe in your bathroom? Yes, you can call a plumber, but your house may be flooded by the time he or she arrives. What should you do if you smell gas in the house or there is a fire? Also, what kind of home maintenance is necessary to prevent costly repairs and to meet NTRA guidelines? What can you do by yourself, even if you are not handy.   What basic tools are necessary?   

 

At the May 21st New Town Talk, these are some of the questions that JCC CERT member, NTRA Board member and jack-of-all trades, Jack Espinal, provided answers to an appreciative audience. In fact, one audience member had to leave early and requested that Jack give his talk again. 

 

A major issue for the greater Williamsburg/James City County area is the availability of affordable housing especially for service industry employees. As a mixed use community, New Town was built with commitments for its developers to provide a certain percent or number of homes for sale to households earning 80 percent or less of the area median income or to be sold at a set below-market price listed in the developer’s proffers. A total of 78 New Town lots were identified for these affordable homes. However, only the initial sale of the property was governed by these economic conditions. Over time, ownership changed and subsequent home sales rose to market prices.

 

What is the situation in New Town today? Of the 78 homes (locally referred to as cottages) built to provide mixed housing, only 34, including all 16 of the newer (2024) cottages in Shirley Park, are original owner-occupied. 19 cottages – including 7 purchased solely by investors even when originally listed as affordable housing – are rental units. The 37 remaining homes have resold as many as 5 times.

 

Beyond the purchase of a home, New Town is an HOA community with owners subject to annual dues/assessments. With the exception of Eagle Construction of Virginia who mandated that 3 Village Walk homes receive a 30% neighborhood assessment reduction each year, New Town’s developers did not provide any allowances for reduced assessments for owners of workforce housing. The covenants/governing documents for the New Town Residential Association require full general assessments for all owners.

 

If New Town’s experience holds, affordable housing without any time stipulations/obligations or assessment reductions, likely remains “affordable” only for a short period. Are there lessons to be learned for future mixed use housing developments?

 

Proposed Housing Proffers for Eastern State Hospital Developments (as of May 30)  

 

Per James City County’s website, “The purchasing power of highly paid workers and well situated retirees has driven up the average cost of housing and encouraged private sector development to focus on the more profitable end of the housing spectrum.”  To encourage developers to include affordable and workforce units, the county utilizes the following:  

• Expedited Permitting: Fast-track subdivision, site plan, and building permit processing for developments that qualify.
• Fee Waivers/Reductions: Potential to waive, reduce, or rebate development and permitting fees.
• Density Bonuses: Allowance for higher residential density in exchange for including affordable housing units in the Primary Service Area.
• Land & Cash Contributions: The county accepts land or cash contributions from developers of by-right and residential projects to fund dedicated affordable housing trust funds. (The planned James City County Community Land Trust seeks to create and preserve permanently affordable housing and community assets by leasing land for long-terms (e.g. 99 years) while selling homes on the land to income-qualified owners or organizations.)  
   

You may have seen this on the NTRA website Notices page:

 

“PET MAINTENANCE & CONTROL:  The NTRA Board asks that New Town residents "Be a good neighbor and don't allow your dog to damage lawns and shrubs in New Town.” 

 

This should actually go a step further because dog urine while you can’t pick it up contains high concentrations of nitrogen and salts. The sheer volume of repeated concentrated spots burns the grass by dehydrating the roots through osmotic stress.

 

But it also needs to be said that often, some, not all, dog owners, while walking their dogs, let them run into people’s yards, sniff, and pee and that’s just not right. Homeowners actually own their private property and work in their yards and flower beds where Fluffy and Fido just peed, and well, that again isn’t neighborly! Now this author loves dogs (and cats) but when a dog owner lets their dogs onto private property, where they don’t belong that creates a problem and it’s not neighborly!

 

Common areas are also another concern by many homeowners. While they are for everyone’s common use, it doesn’t mean they are for Fluffy and Fido to make it their domain for peeing and well, pooping. By the way, thank you for cleaning up after them, but if other homeowners want to use the common area for badminton, frisbee, well anything like that, your neighbors and their guests certainly don’t want to have to worry about what was left there! And maybe they don’t know until it’s too late. Ewwww! Overuse also invites other critters to these areas who are not as sophisticated as your fur babies!

 

So please respect your neighbors and both private and common areas and please, curb your dog. Fyi, the legal term “Curb your dog” means by the street. And check it out, if you don’t know, there is a great free dog park at Kidsburg/Veterans Park. Enjoy your summer!