Town Crier Articles

 

A sampling of New Town restaurants turned up precious little in terms of Valentine’s Day specials. Some places are normally closed on Mondays and were waiting for orders from headquarters whether to change that for one day. Others said it was too soon for them to determine what, if anything, they would offer. (Remember, the Crier had a late January deadline).

 

So, Dave decided to go in a different direction. Picking and choosing through the local grocers and others, here’s what will make the right impression on anyone’s honey bunny:

 

Appetizer – Publix (https//www.publix.com) is offering a “Taste of Italy” Charcuterie Box (feeds 5) for $24.99. Yes, we’re partial to food from The Boot, but any store that offers prosciutto, salame with white wine, parmigiano reggiano cheese, gorgonzola cheese, pitted olives, walnuts, white seedless grapes, naked wild honey and fresh Rosemary on one plate is too tempting to pass up.

 

Not into meat? Among other offerings, the store will prepare a mini deli fresh fruit platter (also serves 5) for $14.99.

 

As is the case with all of their Charcuterie offerings, the store requires 24 hours advance notice.

 

Main course – Fresh Market (https://www.thefreshmarket.com/valentinesday)  regularly offers some of the area’s best deals, and Valentine’s Day is no exception.

 

For less than $50 (okay $49.99), one gets to choose from two filet mignons (9 ounces each), or two crab cakes (4 ounces apiece), or two 7-ounce Chilean Sea Bass portions. You can also mix your entrée choices if you are both in the mood for something different. With that comes one pound of asparagus with diced red peppers, one pound of whipped potatoes, 8 hand-dipped chocolate strawberries, and a reusable shopping bag.

 

And . . . Another option -- Creative Cuisines (http://creative-cuisines.com/), a stone’s throw from Earth  Fare, has dinner for two for $90 plus tax and gratuity. Starting February 12 between 5 and 7:30 p.m., choose from a starter (salad, soup or beetroot tartare). Among the entrées is pan-seared sea scallops, followed by desert of triple chocolate brownie sundae or sour raspberry pie. For the full offer, including all of the sides, head to their website.

 

To drink – If you decide on the Publix appetizer option – and since you are already at Monticello Marketplace – walk the short distance from Publix to The Wine Seller (https://www.grapesbythecrate.com/). Tell the staff what you’re serving and let them pair your selection with something they recommend.

                           

 

 

A little something extra -- We’re mixing our big events here, but Trader Joe’s suggests purchasing a gift for your better half based on their astrological sign! (https://www.popsugar.com/food/trader-joes-product-to-buy-based-on-zodiac-sign).

 

Among the items available: cold brew coffee and boba (Aries). We’re not sophisticated enough to know what Boba is, but TJ’s has rarely steered us wrong. Other offerings: Almond Butter Chia Overnight Oats (Taurus), Kung Pao chicken Mochi Balls (Gemini), Fruit Frenzy Bars (Leo), Pancake Bread (Libra) and Neapolitan Joe-Joes sandwich cookies (Scorpio).

 

No matter what you decide to do, make this a Valentine’s Day your loved one will never forget.

 

Dumbfounded and shattered. The tragic death of the NTRA’s former Treasurer and Director, Rick Fisher, has left a big hole in our community.  For the past 10 years, Rick has been a fixture, yes, in many ways a pillar of homeowner involvement and commitment.

 

Rick and Ginny Fisher moved to New Town from Atlanta in August 2011. Rick formed the first Finance Committee and chaired it for 2 years before serving on the Residential Advisory Board (RAB) (2013-2020). He was elected RAB Treasurer and continued to focus on financial matters.  Ever the glutton for punishment, Rick ran for the first homeowner Board of Directors and was elected in June 2020.  The Board then elected him as Association Treasurer.

 

When he stepped down from the Board in September 2021, the workload and pace of changes had overwhelmed him. He wrote:

“I have enjoyed providing continuous service to the Community for a period of ten (10) years.  I recall an early meeting in 2011 with Bob Keith and John Wright.  At that time, the existing RAB felt it was time to have a Finance Committee and I was asked to be the first Chair.  We worked closely with Town Management to construct a new budget process. We also began the process of investing replacement reserve funds into CD’s based on a laddering approach. There were numerous other finance related accomplishments throughout the years.  I have worked closely with the new Board members to ensure that the Association remains strong and is a “first class” place to live.  The challenges are great, but with strong Community involvement and support we will meet them.”

 

Rick was a man of few words, always articulate and concise, usually.  Except for one incident Chuck remembers.  When the Finance Committee was discussing how to invest replacement reserves, the room listened as a committee member suggested the monies be invested in U.S. government bonds.  Within seconds, Rick stood up and tersely said that "No way” would he give money to “an out of financial control Federal Government."  A surprised group continued with the debate.  Later, a Wells Fargo investment advisor explained to the Finance Committee that if the Federal Government fails, then we are all in deep trouble.  There would be no social security or Medicare.  Still Rick was not impressed and stuck to "no U.S. government investments."

 

Rick was instrumental in helping to make each proposed budget clear and understandable to all NTRA owners at the annual budget meetings.  He had a compassionate approach to mitigate the quarterly dues adjustment each year.

 

But Rick was not just all about business…In 2012 Rick initiated the idea of forming a retired men’s luncheon group in New Town whose purpose was “strictly recreational/social; to know others in our community better and to have fun.” Rick enjoyed golf and tennis and as any past Board member can tell you Tuesday and Thursdays afternoons (for the Senior non-primetime discount) were off limits for meetings because of his standing golf dates which were sacred to him.

 

Two weeks before his death, Rick wrote of his service on the Board - “Our accomplishments were many.” Indeed, when you look at the institutional changes that Rick has championed, you will see just part of the rich legacy that he leaves behind.

We are all in Rick’s debt. An honest man, a gentleman, and a gentle man. Missed by all the community and so many friends.

by Jim Ducibella

 

There may have been more devoted public servants than John Marshall, but one would be hard-pressed to name them. The fourth chief justice of the United States, Marshall remains the longest serving chief justice and fourth-longest serving justice in Supreme Court history.

 

Prior to that, Marshall served as the country’s fourth United States Secretary of State under President John Adams. And before that, Marshall fought in the Revolutionary War, won election to the House of Representatives, and emerged as a leader of the Federalist Party in Congress.

 

There were at least two other great passions in Marshall’s life. One was his wife, Polly. The other was his home in Richmond.

 

On Saturday, February 12 from 5-7 p.m., you and your spouse/date/companion can explore both in a Valentine’s Day special event titled “My Dearest Polly." For $25, you have access to Marshall’s home, built in 1790, as well as vignettes that explore their love through letters and stories, guided by the John Marshall House staff.

 

In addition, light refreshments will be served in the museum gift shop and are included in the price of your ticket.

 

Marshall met Mary "Polly" Ambler, the youngest daughter of Virginia state treasurer Jaquelin Ambler, during the Revolutionary War. They were married on January 3, 1783. The Marshalls had 10 children; six of whom survived to adulthood. Among them was Thomas Marshall, who would eventually serve in the Virginia House of Delegates.

 

The John Marshall House is located at 818 East Marshall Street in Richmond. To obtain tickets, visit this website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/my-dearest-polly-special-valentines-day-open-house-tickets-218503528937.

 

 

by New Town Commercial Association Board

 

The New Town maintenance building, located at the end of Discovery Park Boulevard, is now completed and fully approved by James City County. The building is two stories, contains about 1800 sq. ft., and is located on a site of about 1.5 acres. The form of the building and the materials are consistent with the design guidelines for New Town. 

 

The building was designed and built to be a maintenance and storage facility. As such, it is not open to the public and was not designed or built to host meetings. The building and the land are owned by the New Town Commercial Association (NTCA), but the New Town Residential Association (NTRA) leases space therefore sharing in the use and costs of the building.

 

The building and the land provide many benefits to all of New Town. These include important operational and financial improvements.

 

Without a central maintenance and storage facility, operations in New Town have been inefficient. Vendors have not had a location to meet management staff. There has not been a place to direct work from, to take deliveries, or where the work crews can use restrooms. Dog station bags, traffic control items, gators, tools, salt, mulch, snow shovels, banners, holiday decorations, books and records, etc. have been kept in various locations, sometimes in New Town and sometimes elsewhere. Some items were kept in temporarily vacant retail spaces and some tools and equipment were kept outside which shortened their useful life. This new facility provides for central storage and smoother operations are already being achieved.

 

The financial benefits are significant. Both the NTCA and the NTRA have previously paid for off-site storage. This is no longer necessary.  Landscape companies working for NTRA and NTCA have needed to have their staff pick up equipment from somewhere else and bring it to New Town, with the driving time included as part of the work day. Now some equipment can be kept at this facility and the work day will start in New Town. Further, landscape companies have been very limited in their ability to store bulk materials (mulch, salt, fertilizer, etc.) on site, which has been inefficient and more expensive.  The savings from these new efficiencies will be significant.

 

The centralization of storage and maintenance functions will also improve life in New Town. As we walk, bike, and drive in New Town we will see less of the staff, equipment, and materials that are necessary to keep New Town beautiful.

 

The new storage and maintenance building and its excess land will afford New Town the ability to benefit from a central storage and maintenance facility for many years. The building can potentially be expanded so as times change and needs change, the building and land can adapt to meet many future needs.

 

Valentine’s Day local grocers, Dave’s Deals 

by Dave Holtgrieve (with Jim Ducibella)

 

A sampling of New Town restaurants turned up precious little in terms of Valentine’s Day specials. Some places are normally closed on Mondays and were waiting for orders from headquarters whether to change that for one day. Others said it was too soon for them to determine what, if anything, they would offer. (Remember, the Crier had a late January deadline).

 

So, Dave decided to go in a different direction. Picking and choosing through the local grocers and others, here’s what will make the right impression on anyone’s honey bunny:

 

Appetizer – Publix (https//www.publix.com) is offering a “Taste of Italy” Charcuterie Box (feeds 5) for $24.99. Yes, we’re partial to food from The Boot, but any store that offers prosciutto, salame with white wine, parmigiano reggiano cheese, gorgonzola cheese, pitted olives, walnuts, white seedless grapes, naked wild honey and fresh Rosemary on one plate is too tempting to pass up.

 

Not into meat? Among other offerings, the store will prepare a mini deli fresh fruit platter (also serves 5) for $14.99.

 

As is the case with all of their Charcuterie offerings, the store requires 24 hours advance notice.

 

Main course – Fresh Market (https://www.thefreshmarket.com/valentinesday)  regularly offers some of the area’s best deals, and Valentine’s Day is no exception.

 

For less than $50 (okay $49.99), one gets to choose from two filet mignons (9 ounces each), or two crab cakes (4 ounces apiece), or two 7-ounce Chilean Sea Bass portions. You can also mix your entrée choices if you are both in the mood for something different. With that comes one pound of asparagus with diced red peppers, one pound of whipped potatoes, 8 hand-dipped chocolate strawberries, and a reusable shopping bag.

 

And . . . Another option -- Creative Cuisines (http://creative-cuisines.com/), a stone’s throw from Earth  Fare, has dinner for two for $90 plus tax and gratuity. Starting February 12 between 5 and 7:30 p.m., choose from a starter (salad, soup or beetroot tartare). Among the entrées is pan-seared sea scallops, followed by desert of triple chocolate brownie sundae or sour raspberry pie. For the full offer, including all of the sides, head to their website.

 

To drink – If you decide on the Publix appetizer option – and since you are already at Monticello Marketplace – walk the short distance from Publix to The Wine Seller (https://www.grapesbythecrate.com/). Tell the staff what you’re serving and let them pair your selection with something they recommend.

                           

 A little something extra -- We’re mixing our big events here, but Trader Joe’s suggests purchasing a gift for your better half based on their astrological sign! (https://www.popsugar.com/food/trader-joes-product-to-buy-based-on-zodiac-sign).

 

Among the items available: cold brew coffee and boba (Aries). We’re not sophisticated enough to know what Boba is, but TJ’s has rarely steered us wrong. Other offerings: Almond Butter Chia Overnight Oats (Taurus), Kung Pao chicken Mochi Balls (Gemini), Fruit Frenzy Bars (Leo), Pancake Bread (Libra) and Neapolitan Joe-Joes sandwich cookies (Scorpio).

 

No matter what you decide to do, make this a Valentine’s Day your loved one will never forget.

 

by Patti Vaticano

 

New Town welcomed Anne Ingram, its new Professional Community Association Manager, late last year. Anne is the community’s chief liaison to its new management company, Chesapeake Bay Management, Inc., an Accredited Association Management Corporation (AAMC) and member of the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation of Virginia (DPOR), out of Newport News, Virginia.  Anne comes to New Town with impressive credentials, considerable experience, and a unique perspective on the work she has done in the property management field for the past 18 years.  

 

“Property management is part of the customer service industry,” she maintains; and in that light, Anne sees herself as a tireless support to the community who employs her, responding equitably to the needs of the community in a time-effective manner by managing financials, addressing maintenance concerns, and orienting and supporting the community’s Board. Her means in doing so involves establishing and remaining faithful to a preventive maintenance program for the community with a definitive and proactive schedule for assessing and meeting maintenance needs. She believes little else will prevent the need for special assessments to keep a community healthy and functioning. 

 

Anne’s method served Colonial Heritage, the previous community for which she worked, very well, supporting the community in a tornado strike for which no special assessments were necessary and again in 2019, Covid’s breakout year, when careful planning and support of the community’s Board and Finance Committee enabled the community’s restaurant to survive its long closure without emergency funding.  To be a success in her field, Anne believes a property manager must be an advocate for dynamic planning and “offer support and instill confidence in the Board, the residents, and the vendors of a community.”  When a property manager succeeds in these areas, a community is well served and all its needs are met.  

 

Her sentiments are sincere and not surprisingly, her professional history is substantial.  She began her career in the world of finance, working in William & Mary’s Development Department where she managed the stock transfers that funded the college’s endowments. In 2003, while taking courses at Thomas Nelson Community College, a professor saw a potential in her for property management and was her introduction into the field via Kingsmill’s Busch Properties. Four years later, she became a regional manager for Chesapeake Bay Management, Inc. and was later asked to be the company’s Executive Director for the community at Colonial Heritage.  Then Chesapeake Bay selected Anne to oversee the management of New Town on its behalf.  

 

Besides her certification as a Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM), Anne is an Association Management Specialist (AMS), a certification requiring 5 years of professional management experience, and a Certified Manager of Community Association (CMCA).  She is, in every respect, outstanding in the field of property management and will be an Education Presenter this coming March 12th at the Virginia Beach Conference Center for the South-Eastern Virginia Chapter of Community Association Institute’s CA Day.  The event is a very large gathering of vendors and community volunteers in the industry, and Anne, along with Susan Tarley, NTRA’s legal counsel, will speak to attendees about board training (“Board Meetings 101:  The Do’s and Don’ts”), highlighting the fact that community boards are quasi-governmental organizations whose officials are elected by community residents.  As elected officials, these board members are, thereafter, honor bound, without favoritism or mitigation, to govern the community using the community’s ratified governing documents for the collective good of those who have elected them.

 

Anne is a native of Manchester, New Hampshire but has lived in Virginia since 1989 and has been a Williamsburg resident since 1996. She is married, with two grown daughters, and loves gardening and reading in her spare time.

 

Welcome to New Town, Anne!

 

by Mary Cheston, President, Board of Directors

 

Drone technology came to New Town on December 8, 2021 with the arrival of Archi-Tec-Tonic’s drone for Eagle Construction’s inspection of Village Walk roofs.

 

On January 24th, Eagle sent the results of these inspections to the Board. Eagle identified 30 separate Village Walk addresses with “maintenance” or “installation” items to be corrected.  Minimal description was provided with Eagle’s list – e.g. “exposed nails without caulking,” “blown ridge cap shingles,” etc.  Eagle offered to repair all the items on their list “as a good faith effort to be a good partner to both the Association and our homeowners.”

 

Eagle’s “game plan” noted that only 5 homes in the neighborhood remain under warranty roof coverage due to the age of the roofs. Eagle’s offer, however, came with a condition - namely their proposal “does not trigger a new warranty or other ongoing obligation by Eagle and represents the end of Eagle’s responsibilities as to the roofs.”

 

The Board held a Special Meeting on January 26th with Village Walk owners in attendance to discuss our next steps. I presented a summary of NTRA’s experience with Village Walk roofs and outlined the number of new residences identified by Eagle with no previous problems reported to the NTRA. Owners shared their experience with past Eagle repairs and suggested ways for the Board to respond to Eagle’s offer. The Board favors having an independent engineer check on Eagle’s findings prior to any repair to determine the extent of issues with these roofs. We are exploring options for the most cost-effective way to do this. We assured Village Walk owners that the Association will not agree to any “end of Eagle’s responsibilities.”  

 

As the Board considers our final reply to Eagle, all Village Walk owners are encouraged to examine their attics and other rooms for signs of water leaks. Tickets should be submitted via the NTRA website for any found problems. Village Walk owners will receive periodic eblast notices as this situation evolves, so PLEASE be sure that your website profile information is up to date.

 

Meanwhile, the Board is also working on a chart for Village Walk owners to help clarify what exterior maintenance is a responsibility of the NTRA and what responsibilities individual owners have for their home.

 

The ARC . . .  Are You on Board? 

by Libby Flowers

 

That’s ARC  — NTRA’s  Architectural Review Committee ,  not Noah’s seaworthy ARK  .  .  .  .  but actually, they have a similar purpose-- both seek to preserve the good things created around them.

 

I stepped down from the ARC at the end of 2021, having served on the committee for quite a few years; first as a non-voting member while learning the ropes; then, as a full voting member, serving terms as Chair of this important NTRA team.  

 

I was asked to share some thoughts about ARC with Crier readers, so here goes.  

 

Here’s the most important thing to remember: If you want to make any permanent, exterior change to your home/lot, submit an ARC application. Do so before scheduling a contractor or purchasing materials. Do not risk a violation or blocked home sale by going ahead without approval. It’s easy — the application form is online. Plan ahead and submit your application with supporting documents no later than a week before the monthly meeting so ARC members have enough time to review your proposal.                

 

The ARC is comprised of three voting members who are appointed by the NTRA Board of Directors (BOD). The BOD may also appoint a fourth non-voting member, who has the same responsibilities as regular members but no vote unless a regular member is unavailable.  That non-voting member usually becomes a full voting member when a vacancy occurs. ARC meetings are also attended by a BOD member serving as ARC liaison and staff from NTRA’s management company.  

 

Committee members work hard to ensure that the community maintains the high aesthetic standards that marked initial New Town designs.  The application review process, intended to be fair and consistent, is based on established standards. Before discussion at monthly meetings (there were over 60 applications last year), each ARC member reviews all paperwork and visits the property to consider colors, materials, neighborhood uniformity and how suggested changes might affect the neighbors, streetscape, or community.  An alternative suggestion is occasionally proposed; most applications are approved.

 

Why I got involved with ARC.

While home shopping, we looked at 30 (or more) residences in the Williamsburg area. Realtors, random shoppers, merchants, websites kept directing us to New Town.  We toured cottages, town homes, detached homes and even looked into the community’s management and leadership, as advised, before purchasing a town home in Abbey Commons.  

 

New Town had a wonderful ambiance. It was traditional, but not entirely Colonial. The character of each named neighborhood was reinforced by architectural details, which lent variety to the streetscapes and unified these smaller communities of neighbors.  Homes displayed an orderly, cared-for appearance.  Hiking trails, plantings, and signage communicated a sense of careful planning and maintenance. 

 

There had been a contest to design New Town. This was envisioned as a community that would be compatible with this historic region, incorporate diverse populations and housing needs, and expand to become a walkable, self-contained village where shopping, recreation, sidewalks and friends were right outside one’s door.   

 

Architectural students were fascinated with the concept.  So were we.  We knew this would be a long-term move for us.  So, when we became homeowners in this HOA community, we were pleased to know that an ARC was in place to monitor the community’s curb appeal in the years ahead. My interest in ARC continued.  I attended a few meetings and saw how carefully committee members deliberated, balancing the needs of both homeowner and community.  I was delighted to eventually join the ARC.

 

ARC gets questions:

Do I have to read those thick HOA documents?  

Why not? Your home is one of your biggest investments.  You’ll become aware of what the community expects of its Board and residents (as well as their guests or renters); how your assessments are spent; what you can and cannot do on your own property.  Should violations occur, ignorance of the regulations is not a viable excuse since all homeowners sign documents stating they have read and understood them. 

 

Does the ARC make the rules and regulations?  

The Rules and Regulations are determined by the BOD. The ARC controls architectural guidelines and may propose new areas of concern. For example, there were no Solar Panel installations envisioned when the HOA docs were first written. When businesses began marketing them locally, ARC researched solar issues and recommended wording for our standards. It is the BOD, though, that approves or disapproves them.

 

If another New Town homeowner has made the same change that I want to make, can’t I just do that too, without an application?  

No. Approvals are for specific properties in particular neighborhoods.  Restrictions can differ from one neighborhood to another. Occasionally approvals are based on healthcare needs or particular situations. For example, during the COVID pandemic, roofing materials were in short supply, necessitating approval of some “near matches” in materials on adjoining townhomes since exact replacements could not be obtained. Also, don’t assume someone else’s change has been approved; the other homeowner may have received a violation notice.

 

Residents should know:

ARC benefits you.  The volunteers serving on all NTRA committees lend their time and talent to tasks that maintain the community we all inhabit. Lawns are mowed; repairs are completed; decisions are made that allow all of us to enjoy a tidy, enviable community. We’ve seen how the adage “a rising tide lifts all boats” has come into play in recent years as the ARC and AMC have had a greater influence on our streetscapes. Homes sell faster, and for better prices, when community standards are maintained.  

 

You can help New Town keep its shine.  All our committees could use help. Find some aspect of our communal life that is a good fit for you and volunteer to help.  

 

Final thought?

Yes . . . similar to my first.  “If you own a home in New Town and want to make a permanent, exterior change, submit an ARC application. Read the requirements. Include needed documentation. Allow time for review . . . . Come on board!”

 

by Kate Licastro

 

There are many things to love about New Town, and most of them were engineered to make New Town a place so many love to live. The thoughtful community design, with ample green spaces, porches on the front of homes, and sidewalks throughout, encourages residents to walk, gather, and generally be neighborly. Easy access to dining, retail, professional services, and entertainment allows us to leave the car at home to fulfill many needs. “Developments like New Town are designed to be walkable, sustainable, human-scaled developments—that is, communities built for people, not automobiles,” notes New Town resident Dr. Dorothy Ibes, Director of the Parks & Ecotherapy Research Lab (PERL) at William & Mary. “The essence of such communities is that they foster what has been lost in many post WWII American cities—namely daily connections with neighbors and nature, and a slower pace of life to support mental, physical, and environmental health,” shares Dr. Ibes. 

 

These shared community values highlight when there is a potential threat or concern. The threat in this case is the Casey Blvd. corridor. New Town residents old and young, new and tenured, have noticed and commented on the speed of vehicles along this thoroughfare. Lined with residential homes, Casey Blvd. hosts a childcare center and several school bus stops, while also serving as the main connection between New Town’s commercial areas. This route draws traffic not only from residents, but also employees, shoppers, and those accessing services in the community. This road separates our residential spaces and requires crossing for many of our neighbors to access the pool, playground, nature trails, and businesses. Why, then, is it so hard to cross? 

 

Residents have observed excessive speeding along the Casey Blvd. corridor. Traffic calming strategies, or specific measures taken to reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety for pedestrians, are often employed in a neighborhood setting. While this roadway does employ some strategies to reduce traffic speed (e.g. limited driving lanes, room for cyclists and parked cars, speed humps), they have not been effective in achieving the goals. Other traffic calming strategies, such as lane narrowing, deliberate curves or shifts, medians and pedestrian refuge islands, and additional vertical deflections (e.g. speed humps, raised intersections), are lacking.  As a parent, I won’t allow my children to cross Casey Blvd. by themselves, as even when there is a clear path at the beginning of our crossing, we often must finish in a full-out run due to the speed of oncoming traffic.  

 

Casey Blvd. is managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT); change will require coordination locally and with the Commonwealth. After conversations with VDOT and the James City County Police Department beginning in November 2021, we were able to secure the radar speed indicator sign that can be seen as you’re driving East on Casey Blvd. approaching Center St. With the goal of increasing speed limit compliance and improving speed awareness, repeated studies demonstrate that when faced with this direct speed feedback, 80% of drivers will slow down, on average by 10-20%. See the VDOT Community Programs page for more information about neighborhood traffic programs. 

 

Even with improvements in speed limit compliance, many residents are still concerned about the difficulty in crossing Casey Blvd., whether on foot or in their automobiles. Visibility is   significantly limited at several intersections based on the number and type of vehicles parked on the side of the road. There have been several near-accidents when cars have attempted to turn off of Center St., Rollison Dr., or Foundation St. onto Casey Blvd. and weren’t able to see oncoming traffic. Some cars treat the intersection of Casey Blvd. and Center St. like a 4-way stop, even though there is not a required stop on Casey Blvd. The absence of stop sign leads to confusion, uncertainty, disgruntled drivers, and endangered pedestrians. Installing a 4-way stop at this intersection would likely improve the safety of all involved by automatically slowing the speed of traffic and allowing for the­ safe crossing of Casey Blvd. at a pedestrian-heavy location. 

 

The New Town Residential Association (NTRA) has identified Laura Loda, NTRA Board of Directors, to advocate on behalf of our residents and shepherd our concerns and requests through the appropriate contacts within the county and the Commonwealth. There are current speed studies underway with the inclusion of the radar speed sign, and we have increased police presence, particularly during higher traffic times. Jim Icenhour, our James City County Supervisor, is working with the county administrator to discuss this issue with the VDOT Resident Engineer. 

 

While permanent changes will likely take some time, we are moving in the right direction. Do you want to contribute to the cause? Here are two ways residents can make an immediate difference:  

It is rare to walk or drive around New Town without seeing several joggers, walkers, children, strollers, and pets enjoying themselves and enjoying the neighborhood. The safety of our neighbors and all those who visit New Town to live, work, and play will remain our priority as we navigate this process. Addressing the dangers of our roadways now will undoubtedly pay dividends as our community continues to grow. To revisit our resident Urban Human-Environment Geographer, Dr. Ibes, “left unchecked, increasing development [with] hurried commuters and residents speeding through our neighborhood will degrade the very qualities that made us all choose this beloved community for our home.” 

 

by Jim Ducibella

 

In October of 2020, Deidre P. Wells, chief civil engineer for stormwater and resource protection for James City County, wrote several letters to Ken Allen of ABVA (Atlantic Builders of Virginia). Included was information regarding the division’s August 2020 inspection vis a vis as-built record drawings that cited areas where construction was not done in accordance with plans originally submitted to the county regarding Phase 10 of Charlotte Park.

 

Among the areas cited by the county were the principal spillway structure, barrels, and vegetation for the Olive Drive BMP; and similar issues with the dam and interior basin plantings off Lot 60 on Rollison Drive, the bioretention structure on Christine Court, and the bioretention structure at the rear of Lots 61-64. Alley curbs, gutters and sealants were also a concern. Each of these citations had several components that were to be addressed by ABVA.

 

Once those corrections were made by ABVA, the company could request a re-inspection of those areas. If approved, the county would then release financial guarantees that the developer posted to guarantee its obligation to complete its work in compliance with county requirements. This action will represent the County’s acceptance of the areas.

 

The re-inspection occurred on January 12th. In keeping with NTRA policy, the Board engaged the services of Giles & Flythe Engineers, Inc., to accompany the JCC inspectors, then do an evaluation and report independently to us. The Board is in possession of the county’s punch list and items identified by a 2017 owner working group that will be reviewed by Giles & Flythe.

 

County acceptance is a significant step because it frees the developer to work with the Association to transfer ownership of the alleys, walkways, parks, and stormwater systems to the NTRA. ABVA feels it has completed the changes required by the county, but JCC highlighted several items during the reinspection that must be readdressed.

 

The Board is now awaiting the County’s inspection report. Ultimately the Association must determine if these areas are “in a condition acceptable to the Association (Master Declaration Section 4.9).” This process will be ongoing for several months with planned resident input.

 

by Mary Cheston & Chuck Stetler

 

Dumbfounded and shattered. The tragic death of the NTRA’s former Treasurer and Director, Rick Fisher, has left a big hole in our community.  For the past 10 years, Rick has been a fixture, yes, in many ways a pillar of homeowner involvement and commitment.

 

Rick and Ginny Fisher moved to New Town from Atlanta in August 2011. Rick formed the first Finance Committee and chaired it for 2 years before serving on the Residential Advisory Board (RAB) (2013-2020). He was elected RAB Treasurer and continued to focus on financial matters.  Ever the glutton for punishment, Rick ran for the first homeowner Board of Directors and was elected in June 2020.  The Board then elected him as Association Treasurer.

 

When he stepped down from the Board in September 2021, the workload and pace of changes had overwhelmed him. He wrote:

“I have enjoyed providing continuous service to the Community for a period of ten (10) years.  I recall an early meeting in 2011 with Bob Keith and John Wright.  At that time, the existing RAB felt it was time to have a Finance Committee and I was asked to be the first Chair.  We worked closely with Town Management to construct a new budget process. We also began the process of investing replacement reserve funds into CD’s based on a laddering approach. There were numerous other finance related accomplishments throughout the years.  I have worked closely with the new Board members to ensure that the Association remains strong and is a “first class” place to live.  The challenges are great, but with strong Community involvement and support we will meet them.”

 

Rick was a man of few words, always articulate and concise, usually.  Except for one incident Chuck remembers.  When the Finance Committee was discussing how to invest replacement reserves, the room listened as a committee member suggested the monies be invested in U.S. government bonds.  Within seconds, Rick stood up and tersely said that "No way” would he give money to “an out of financial control Federal Government."  A surprised group continued with the debate.  Later, a Wells Fargo investment advisor explained to the Finance Committee that if the Federal Government fails, then we are all in deep trouble.  There would be no social security or Medicare.  Still Rick was not impressed and stuck to "no U.S. government investments."

 

Rick was instrumental in helping to make each proposed budget clear and understandable to all NTRA owners at the annual budget meetings.  He had a compassionate approach to mitigate the quarterly dues adjustment each year.

 

But Rick was not just all about business…In 2012 Rick initiated the idea of forming a retired men’s luncheon group in New Town whose purpose was “strictly recreational/social; to know others in our community better and to have fun.” Rick enjoyed golf and tennis and as any past Board member can tell you Tuesday and Thursdays afternoons (for the Senior non-primetime discount) were off limits for meetings because of his standing golf dates which were sacred to him.

 

Two weeks before his death, Rick wrote of his service on the Board - “Our accomplishments were many.” Indeed, when you look at the institutional changes that Rick has championed, you will see just part of the rich legacy that he leaves behind.

• Changing the format of financial reports to be more understandable
• NTRA’s policy framework (format, numbering, etc.)

  Audit of 2020 financial records

  2021 update to replacement reserve study

  Pool resurfacing and repairs

We are all in Rick’s debt. An honest man, a gentleman, and a gentle man. Missed by all the community and so many friends.

 

 

On a chilly Sunday morning in November, I, along with fellow New Town resident, Soo Bradley, decided to bike the nearly 52 miles of the Capital Trail from Richmond to Jamestown.  For two very amateur cyclists, planning, which was mainly done over a glass of wine, had been basic with a cursory glance at the website  but generally focused on the weather and where to stop for a picnic.  Thankfully our phenomenal support crew (husbands and children) were much more prepared and kept the food and cheering in good supply.  

 

We set off at 9:15 from Richmond and arrived just after it got (very) dark in Jamestown.  The course had some hills (including a rather unfriendly one right at the start!), but generally it was fairly flat.  After we left Richmond, we passed through fields, forests, parks and with the trees holding onto the last of the magnificent fall colors, we were taken by the beauty of the area.  The weather was kind – not too cold, not too warm and, thankfully, no wind or rain. 

 

For those who are unfamiliar, The Virginia Capital Trail is 51.7-mile multi-use trail which runs from Jamestown Settlement to Richmond.  It is fully paved and there is lots to see on the way.  The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation website informed us there were 45 attractions to see on the way from museums to creeks and Belle Isle to the Virginia State Capitol Building. For the historians among us, you also pass Richmond’s National Battlefield Park.  All the attractions are only a couple of miles from the trail and make for interesting rest stops.  There are also plenty of choices for eating and drinking along the way with over 50 eateries along the route and several picnic areas.  If you are unfortunate enough to need bicycle repairs, there are repair stations along the way.  

 

The trail is well-maintained throughout, although there is currently some maintenance at the Greensprings part of the trail (around mile three), but a well signed detour is available.  If you do decide to cycle or walk all or part of the trail, it is worth perusing the Virginia Capital Trail website where you can find maps, closures and trail etiquette.

 

 

To continue our home-based business series, this month we'll hear from new New Town resident Nicole Moyer, who owns and operates Sweet Ellie Photography: 

 

• Does my dog need to be trained? No, we have a lot of tricks and strategies to get great portraits. Also, we want the personality to shine and for your dog to be themselves!
• Does my dog need to be off-leash? No...safety first! I photograph dogs on leash and use the magic of post-processing to remove the leash from images.

 

 

Today begins a new chapter in the history of the New Town Residential Association as we welcome our new management company, Chesapeake Bay Management (CBM). Our community manager, Anne Ingram, will begin work next week – operating out of Chesapeake’s 337 McLaws Circle office. Anne comes to us after 5 years as Community Manager for Colonial Heritage, another community that is still under development. As a Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM), she has broad understanding of a range of association issues and her experience with overseeing stormwater systems is bound to benefit us in New Town. Please warmly welcome her and all the supporting CBM team.

 

Three new faces will be joining the Board soon! Elections for the 2022-2023 Board of Directors will begin on Thursday, December 9th. Each candidate has submitted an application outlining their background and reason for running for the Board – these applications are posted on the website Board of Directors page. Please take some time to consider who you believe will best serve our community in this important function. Email links to vote electronically through EzVote will be distributed when the polls open. (To obtain a paper ballot, please contact Chesapeake Bay at 757 706-3019.)

 

An early Christmas present? In response to NTRA’s report of water intrusion problems in Village Walk, Eagle Construction has notified the Association that they will be conducting “an assessment of the current condition of all the roofs at Village Walk built by Eagle Construction during the month of December.” This will be a drone inspection. We do not have details or dates, but will share additional information with the Village Walk community as it becomes available. The Board is hopeful that this first step may alleviate the need for us to pursue forensic inspections of roofs in 2022.

 

The Board has approved the 2022 NTRA Budget. Thanks to those who participated in our virtual Zoom and those who submitted comments. The Neighborhood Assessment component is using the proportional use methodology. As a refresher, the Board presented a budget with two assessment options to bring us closer to the requirements in our current Governing Documents. Most owners who commented preferred the proportional use allocation for landscape services. A chart of the approved 2022 assessment figures has been added to the FAQ page of the website. (Replies to written comments will be posted later this week.)

 

Two articles in this month’s Town Crier mark a first – pieces written by Randy Casey-Rutland of Town Management and Larry Salzman, President of the New Town Commercial Association - providing some historical perspective on the NTRA and NTCA relationship.

 

Don’t forget our Annual Members Meeting on December 16th in Legacy Hall at 6:30PM.  All homeowners are invited to meet Chesapeake’s representatives and celebrate with our newly elected Board of Directors who will be announced at the meeting. Mask up and visit with neighbors.

 

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy holiday season – our Association has much to look forward to in 2022.

 

Remember that the Communications team also takes a short holiday at this time of year. The Town Crier’s next issue is February 1, 2022.

 

by Town Crier Staff

 

The New Town Residential Association will hold its second election for homeowner Directors on December 9 to 15th. EZVote will again be the service used for voting.

Here is some information to help you compare the candidates.

 

Their full applications can be found on the NTRA Website Board of Directors page. Three candidates will be elected for fill our vacancies for 2022-2023.

 

 

by Larry Salzman, New Town Associates LLC

 

 

About 20 years ago, when New Town was getting started, it became apparent that an association of owners (residential and non-residential) would be needed. A leading expert was consulted as to whether one association or two associations would be best. There were good points and bad points with either choice. The expert advised us that some forms of homeowner mortgages might not be available if the homes belonged to an association that included commercial properties. This factor contributed to the decision to have two associations. One, the NTRA, would include only homeowners (townhouses, freestanding houses, etc.) and the other, NTCA, would include mostly business owners (offices, retail spaces, restaurants, banks, apartment buildings, etc.). 

 

New Town had always shared the use and the cost of upkeep of lots of things (parks, playgrounds, management, community events, holiday decorations, dog station bags, banners, walking trails, benches and more) and the NTRA and NTCA amicably shared responsibilities for the various items. 

 

In 2015, as New Town got larger and more complicated, the two associations considered whether a formal agreement between NTRA and NTCA to work together was a good idea. It did not seem practical that each association might have separate holiday decorations, or that a transformer on NTCA land serving street lights on NTRA land could be a problem, or that dog station bags would only be for one association.  

 

As a result, with separate legal representation and active negotiation by members of both associations, an Amenities Use Easement and Agreement (the Agreement is available on the NTRA Website) was created, executed, and recorded with James City County.  This document formalized the sharing agreement between NTRA and NTCA for the use and costs of many things in New Town.  The committee dealing with shared amenities has met at least annually since 2015, with representatives from NTRA and NTCA in attendance, to review the shared amenities in New Town.  The result has been a reasonable and practical process for sharing the amenities that make New Town such a great place to be.

 

After all, without the residents the commercial area would be just another shopping/office district and without the businesses the residential area would be just another subdivision. The residents are good for the businesses and the businesses are good for the residents. That’s part of what makes New Town special and so successful.

 

by Kate Licastro

 

Frequent communication, responsiveness, and personalized attention are three of the association management priorities for Chesapeake Bay Management, Inc. (CBM). Susan Sulzberger, Vice President of Management Services, was elated to see New Town was looking for a new property management company. She has always loved this community, and knew CBM would be a great fit. 

 

 

Chesapeake Bay Management, Inc. was founded in 2003 by Dana Shotts-Neff, who had managed a large-scale community in Newport News before growing CBM into a company with about 100 clients spanning Virginia from Providence Forge to the North Carolina line. While their headquarters is based in Newport News, they maintain a Williamsburg office in McLaws Circle and are hoping to move into space in New Town within the next year. CBM has selected an experienced full-time manager, Anne Ingram, for our community, and Anne will be based in Williamsburg at CBM's 337 McLaws Circle office. 

 

CBM’s commitment to remaining current on association management best practices and governance laws has already benefited our community. They’ve been working closely with the New Town Residential Association (NTRA) Board of Directors to right the ship in a manner that is least impactful financially for owners. CBM has already reviewed budget options and provided sound recommendations for our community that balance business requirements with owner needs. 

 

 

Whereas the typical association management transition averages 90 days, our transition process is condensed into about 30 days. What does this mean for our residents? You may feel some anxiety about the quick changes. There will be new processes to learn: a new website and ticket submission process, and a new payment system. These changes will make communication between residents and CBM quicker and easier, even if the learning curve feels difficult.

 

While the truncated timeline is a challenge for both owners and CBM, who is rapidly preparing for our annual meeting in December, they will be with us every step of the way. Not only will we have our own full-time manager, CBM’s company representatives are required to respond to inquiries within 24 hours, and Susan notes their response time is often much quicker. If you’re unsure what to do—reach out and ask! 

 

Key Points: 

• Be on the lookout for information from CBM, especially in this transition period. They are currently uploading owner information into their system and your first communication will likely come in the mail and will have information for making your next NTRA dues payment. 
• Don’t worry if your account balance wasn’t settled prior to the transition. Once CBM has a ledger of all accounts, each owner will receive a notice with their account balance and will have an opportunity to dispute the balance if it doesn’t match their records. 
• Chesapeake Bay’s offices are open by appointment only, but securing an appointment is easy! Just call the Williamsburg front desk (757) 706-3019 for whatever is needed. The majority of CBM’s accounting staff are located in Newport News; it is recommended to call or email for any accounting needs: (757) 534-7751 or arclerk@1cbm.com. 
• Some changes will occur immediately (NTRA payments) and some will take longer. It will take about 3-6 months for the new website to be up and running. 

 

by Randy Casey-Rutland

 

It has been my privilege to serve the NTRA for the past 15 years as the President of your association management company, Town Management.

 

In my years working with the NTRA, New Town has grown from a few streets and isolated buildings to a nearly complete lively attractive locale for living, working, dining, shopping, and recreation. The days of ever-present construction vehicles and large piles of dirt and building materials are largely over (unless you live in Shirley Park). Construction of buildings and roads, however, is in many ways the easiest part of building a strong community. 

 

Strong communities require neighbors who get to know one another and who treat each other with civility and respect. Communities like New Town include people of different backgrounds, priorities, perspectives, and financial wherewithal. Maintaining New Town as a good place to live requires residents to pay attention to diverse voices and, when things seem rough or confusing, to give one another the benefit of the doubt. Strong communities need good leaders -- people who are wise and willing to volunteer their time and talents to the benefit of all. But good leaders also need support and gratitude from residents. Even the best Board members and community leaders cannot make everyone happy all the time. Strong, healthy communities are filled with members who work together toward common goals, who extend a sense of confidence and trust toward one another, who welcome newcomers, who care for neighbors who may need a bit of help, and who listen to and work with others with flexibly and joy.

 

When a new resident moves into New Town, they move into a house. It takes stories and love and memories and friends and family to turn the house into a home. In the same way, communities are more than collections of residential dwellings. Healthy communities are filled with people who are less concerned with getting their own way and more invested in building the kinds of relationships and practices that make the whole community a good place for all its residents.

 

On behalf of all the Town Management staff, it has been our honor to serve the NTRA through these years of growth. As you build a new relationship with a new management company, we wish you all the best. We hope for the NTRA a long future as a strong vibrant healthy community.

 

Randy Casey-Rutland
President, Town Management
November 2021

 

by Sarah Carey

 

Tom Sawyer bribed his friends to whitewash his Aunt Polly’s fence claiming it was fun. So WHERE and WHEN are New Town’s fence painters going to finish their “fun” job?

 

The fence behind the Goddard School and the fence on Olive Drive are the fences involved. This year there was funding for the fences to be repaired and painted. They were both repaired, scraped and painted in early summer BUT, the paint started to peel and pedestrians walking by had fun pulling off the peeling paint.

 

The fence on Olive Drive got a special treatment – the vegetation was also painted! Can you hear Aunt Polly yelling at Tom? “Painting vegetation – WHY?” Well, the vegetation has since been cut back and is ready for a second coat of paint – the fence, not the vegetation.

 

BUT paint over already peeling paint? Or is there a bigger issue? It appears that the fences are retaining water and the long-term solution is not apparent. The paint company Sherwin Williams has confirmed to Town Management that the paint was not defective - it is fundamentally the condition of the fences, they are not holding the coats of paint.

 

Per Tim Grueter of Town Management, the wood is wicking water up from the ground and is somehow transferring it across the beams.  “In looking at pictures of when the fences were built, it appears that the wood was painted after it was assembled, so there could be wood to wood contact on the post to beam connection.”  Humidity could play a role in the wood retaining moisture.  The paint that Certa Pro used bonded with the original paint that was on the fence, but the moisture is causing both the old paint and new to peel off.  Certa Pro has been working on pricing to replace the wood that is holding water with either new wood or PVC. 

 

When our holiday bunting is removed, the damage will still be present. Another challenge for our new management company. Fortunately, the vendor has not yet been paid for this work. Stay tuned…

 

by Alison Douglas

 

On a chilly Sunday morning in November, I, along with fellow New Town resident, Soo Bradley, decided to bike the nearly 52 miles of the Capital Trail from Richmond to Jamestown.  For two very amateur cyclists, planning, which was mainly done over a glass of wine, had been basic with a cursory glance at the website and generally focused on the weather and where to stop for a picnic.  Thankfully our phenomenal support crew (husbands and children) were much more prepared and kept the food and cheering in good supply.  

 

We set off at 9:15 from Richmond and arrived just after it got (very) dark in Jamestown.  The course had some hills (including a rather unfriendly one right at the start!), but generally it was fairly flat.  After we left Richmond, we passed through fields, forests, parks and with the trees holding onto the last of the magnificent fall colors, we were taken by the beauty of the area.  The weather was kind – not too cold, not too warm and, thankfully, no wind or rain. 

 

For those who are unfamiliar, The Virginia Capital Trail is 51.7-mile multi-use trail which runs from Jamestown Settlement to Richmond.  It is fully paved and there is lots to see on the way.  The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation website informed us there were 45 attractions to see on the way from museums to creeks and Belle Isle to the Virginia State Capitol Building. For the historians among us, you also pass Richmond’s National Battlefield Park.  All the attractions are only a couple of miles from the trail and make for interesting rest stops.  There are also plenty of choices for eating and drinking along the way with over 50 eateries along the route and several picnic areas.  If you are unfortunate enough to need bicycle repairs, there are repair stations along the way.  

 

The trail is well-maintained throughout, although there is currently some maintenance at the Greensprings part of the trail (around mile three), but a well signed detour is available.  If you do decide to cycle or walk all or part of the trail, it is worth perusing the Virginia Capital Trail website where you can find maps, closures and trail etiquette.

 

by Patti Vaticano

 

There is a great hubbub of activity in Shirley Park! 22 residents of New Town‘s newest neighborhood have moved into their homes and many are out in their sneakers walking the sidewalks and trails. “New Town is invitingly walkable,” says Mike Youngblood of Twiddy Realty. “In our new urban community, sidewalks connect people and places. Groceries, restaurants, movies, medical, stores, businesses, and parks, are just a walk away, and Shirley Park is so connected.”   

For 2022, Atlantic Homes and Twiddy Realty are teaming up to accommodate nineteen new owners with homes currently under construction, and the soon-to-be homeowners are enthusiastically anticipating their move to Shirley Park of New Town.

Very soon, ABVA Development will release twenty townhome sites and twenty new cottage homesites for sale. Eighteen people have already posted reservations for the option to select a new home and join the Shirley Park community.

What is it like to live in Shirley Park?  Resident, Susan Barnett, says she could not be happier.  Susan moved into the community in May 2020 and has been more than pleased with her home’s construction and its setting.  She loves the park-like setting of the neighborhood and particularly enjoys the woodened trail that connects the park via a foot bridge to the community pool. “It’s like a nature conservancy. Quiet and beautiful.”

 

Homes currently constructed are one and two stories and roughly, 2,000-2,400 square feet.  Susan is very happy with the floor plan she and her husband chose and feel the custom choices accommodate the gracious lifestyle she was hoping to enjoy. The composition of the neighborhood, as well, is much to her liking, a combination of families with children, retirees, and the semi-retired. 

 

Sarah Bright Yaneza moved into Shirley Park in December 2019, after renting in Charlotte Park while her home was being constructed. “When we first moved in, only the single-family homes were under construction. I believe we were the fourth family to move in, so it was really isolated and dark. The street lights were not installed, and we did not have internet for several months.  It really felt like we were on an island!  It has gotten busier as more homes have been completed. Now the townhomes and other cottage homes are popping up – sometimes it seems like they pop up overnight.” Sarah homeschooled her children for 18 months during the height of the pandemic, and the children enjoyed the activity of the trucks and bulldozers leveling the ground to prepare for foundations. “They’ve had many a fun afternoon climbing up and down those mounds.”

 

And Sarah echoes Susan’s sentiments about the community’s residents. “We have the most wonderful neighbors and have enjoyed living amidst the retirees along with the young families we have met. And like many of our neighbors, we enjoy being able to bike and walk to restaurants, the movie theater, stores, and to friends and family. We are incredibly lucky to have my parents in Charlotte Park. The children sing “over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go,” as we walk the wooden bridge from Shirley Park to Charlotte Park.” 

 

Trails and pathways connect all the communities of New Town. So, welcome new neighbors! For the rest of New Town, walk on over to see the growth of our last neighborhood. Things are happening in Shirley Park!

 

by Town Crier Staff

 

To continue our home-based business series, this month we'll hear from new New Town resident Nicole Moyer, who owns and operates Sweet Ellie Photography: 

 

Sweet Ellie Photography is dedicated to capturing natural, personality-filled pet portraits. I developed a passion for photographing animals after adopting my own sweet pup, Ellie, nine years ago. My intention is to photograph pets in order to record how important they are to their humans and to create meaningful artworks which evoke emotion.

 

My goal is to create a fun and natural environment that lets your pet be themselves. It is important to me for the pet to be at ease and for their personality to really shine. I shoot all natural light portraits at beautiful outdoor locations.

 

Rescue work is a huge part of my purpose. I spend a lot of time working with area shelters and rescues to take adoption photos, participate in events, and help with fundraisers.

 

Questions I am often asked:

• Does my dog need to be trained? No, we have a lot of tricks and strategies to get great portraits. Also, we want the personality to shine and for your dog to be themselves!
• Does my dog need to be off-leash? No...safety first! I photograph dogs on leash and use the magic of post-processing to remove the leash from images.
• I recently participated in an internationally run 6-month dog photography challenge and won 2nd place overall for my portfolio of images taken throughout the Hampton Roads area. I am a graduate of William and Mary School of Education and am excited to be back in Williamsburg. Our family is so thrilled to be a part of the New Town community. We love how friendly and welcoming everyone is in New Town! We also love the walkability and that there are dogs everywhere!

 

I would love to engage with our new community! Send me an email with a pic and the name of your pet and receive a special neighborhood offer!

 

Instagram: @sweetelliephotos

Facebook: facebook.com/sweetelliephotography

Website: sweetelliephotography.com

Email: sweetelliephotography@gmail.com

 

by Town Crier Staff

 

My family loves living in New Town: the walkability, beautiful common areas, diversity of homes and residents, and how there is never a shortage of neighbors out and about with a smile and wave. Growing up in Michigan, everyone retreated into their respective homes around this time of year to wait out the cold and gray until spring. Thankfully, there is no excuse for staying inside this December in New Town! Our community will be full of activity, light, song, and good cheer. 

 

Check out the events featured here, and for additional events and information, visit the new site of our New Town commercial neighbors and click Events.

 

Every Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 4-19

Time: 11am-4pm

Location: Outside at the Gazebo at the end of Main Street by Opus 9

Snap your own photos and share instantly!

#holidayshappenhere

 

Crafters, Artists, Holiday Gifts & Live Music

Dates: Saturdays – December 4 & December 11

Time: 10am-3pm

Location: In front of the Movie Theater around the Fountain

 

 

For the most up to date holiday happenings, you can follow @newtownwmbg on Instagram and @newtownwilliamsburg on Facebook. 

 

 

November is Native American Indian Heritage Month, and it aims to provide a platform for Native People to share their culture, traditions, music, crafts, dance, and ways and concepts of life.   It recognizes the contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the United States.  If you wish to celebrate or find out more about the impact of Native American Indians in Williamsburg and Virginia, there is a lot going on in the local area.

 

On our doorstep at Colonial Williamsburg, if you visit the American Indian Encampment site, you can explore the lives of American Indians who came to Williamsburg with regularity in the 18th century to discuss matters of trade, warfare and diplomacy.  There is no single story of Native American Indians in Williamsburg.  Each tribe and nation had their own interactions here in the city.  You can meet and learn from their American Indian interpreters at Colonial Williamsburg, who celebrate the American Indian culture, tell the histories of their communities and help to explore the culture of Native peoples who are striving to preserve their traditional way of life.  During your visit and conversations with the interpreters, you will also be able to learn about the roles they played in creating a new country.  

 

 

In addition, if you take a walk around the College of William and Mary, look out for the Brafferton Building, which was the home of the Indian School at William and Mary.  Using funds from the estate of British scientist Robert Boyle, the college of William and Mary established a school to educate young Indian men in 1697, just four years after the college’s founding.  The American Revolution caused British financial support to cease in 1776 and the school soon closed.   

 

To learn more about Native American Heritage month, take a look at this website.

 

The Mariners’ Museum makes the bold claim that it is “a steward of one of the world’s most extensive maritime collections, committed to the preservation and conservation of more than 32,000 objects and several million library and archive materials.”

 

Make of that what you will, but the Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and follows its standards of care to ensure the survival of the collection for generations yet-to-come.

 

It has been that way for more than 90 years, spurred by the shared vision of Archer Milton Huntington and Homer L. Ferguson, two giants of Newport News history. Huntington’s personal library of maritime books formed the core of the museum’s library, now numbering nearly 110,000 books, 800,000 photos, films, and negatives and more than 1 million pieces of archival material. That makes it the largest maritime library in the Western Hemisphere.

 

                                                 

 

Library browsing isn’t everyone’s cup of grog. Among the myriad of things to see and experience too numerous to mention is the USS Monitor Center, an Award-winning exhibition that is a melding of artifacts, original documents, paintings, personal accounts, interactives and environments devoted to the epic Civil War battle between ironclads Monitor and Merrimac. It tells that story in a way the public has never seen before.

 

     

 

Visitors may walk down a mock deck and enter the CSS Virginia as she is being built for battle, step inside the battle theater and experience the action of the Battle of Hampton Roads, visit the living quarters of sailors as part of a full-scale reproduction, view the Monitor’s propeller and engine register and many other artifacts, 210 tons in fact.

 

In short, this is a 550-acre park which houses a museum offering theater, lectures, discussions, programs, dining and shopping. It’s at least a full day, maybe more depending on your variety of interests.

 

According to its website, admission is priced at $1. Add another $6 for admission to see the 3D movie. The museum is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closing only on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

For more information, visit the website https://marinersmuseum.org/ or phone 757-596-2222.

 

Follow the New Town Residential Association Facebook page! If you're interested in more regular updates about the happenings in your neighborhood, *like* and *follow* our page. We love seeing your likes, comments, and engagement. 

 

 

On the NTRA Facebook page you can find information about upcoming neighborhood events as well as updates shared by the New Town Commercial Association. It's also helpful for reminders and easily adding events to your calendar. As always, if there is anything specific you would like to see posted, please reach out and let us know.

 

And then there were two…

 

This month Mark Burgess and I are focused on finalizing the Association’s 2022 budget for presentation to the community with the able assistance of our Finance Committee. It is clear that there needs to be a much-needed change of mindset from what we’ve employed in the past on the part of all of us homeowners. 

 

We can no longer seek the best deal/lowest possible HOA dues or expect to artificially link the NTRA budget to inflation or CPI. Underfunding our Association does long term damage both to our physical plant and our reserves. This year with professional advice, we have critically evaluated what it costs to operate and maintain our community and save for the future. For many homeowners there will be a big assessment increase in 2022. Because we are following our documents, assessments will look somewhat different as well (except for the Village Walk neighborhood). To further understand why an increased assessment is needed, be sure to read Treasurer Everett Lunsford’s article this month on our “2022 Budget Challenges.”

 

Exciting news! We will soon welcome a new management company to serve our Association. Effective December 1, Chesapeake Bay Management Inc. will take over as the NTRA management company. Chesapeake Bay manages nearly 100 communities in Southeastern Virginia, has strong technological capabilities, and is committed to making positive change in our community. During the selection process, Chesapeake impressed the Board with its commitment to customer service, “can do” attitude, frankness, and overall expertise. Chesapeake also provides value for the money because their management fee is all inclusive, saving us the myriad fees and pass-through costs of our current contract. Best of all, the NTRA will have a full-time dedicated manager.

 

In the meantime, there is a massive amount of Association data and history to share. This records transition work will consume much of Town Management’s attention this month, so please be patient with your requests. We want as smooth a turnover as possible, especially given the imminent beginning of a new fiscal year. There will be a learning curve for everyone involved.

 

In mid-November homeowners will be officially notified by Chesapeake with information about how to set up your dues accounts. A different bank will be involved in handling NTRA’s accounts, so expect to change your automatic assessment payments for January 1, 2022. Keep an eye out for this important communication. 

 

November is America’s traditional month of sharing and Thanksgiving. In that spirit, I would like to thank my colleagues who beginning in June 2020 served on the homeowner Board of Directors. Despite the roller coaster ride to get here, your ideas and involvement helped us accomplish several important projects to improve New Town’s common areas and operations. 

Thanks also to Town Management, which at the end of the month will conclude 15 years as the management company for the NTRA. From dirt piles to developed neighborhoods, Town Management has watched and lived the transformation of our community and all of its growing pains. 

 

The volunteers who staff our NTRA Committees also deserve a big thank you. The Board especially appreciates the recent work of our Management Company Search Committee - Bill Voliva, Mike Reilly and Everett Lunsford - who expeditiously screened applicants to fill the critical role of our management company. A big shout out to our expanded Communications team who stepped up to assist me - our new Crier editor, writers, and all those who contributed clear and compelling messages on the need to change our documents. That said, we are always in the market for additional help.

 

A final note of personal thanks to my support system – my unflappable husband Ric and dear Charlotte Park neighbors/friends who have shared a kind word or a laugh (often with a glass of wine) and constantly remind me that the Board is only volunteers, doing the best we can with the cards we were dealt by the Developer Board. New Town is a great community to live in, and these moments rally me. 

 

It is so important for all of us to keep working towards having the Association on sound footing-both legally and financially. We look forward to seeing all of you via Zoom at the November 19th 2022 Budget presentation. We are at the start of the holiday season and embarking on a new chapter in our community’s history. Let’s make it an exciting, memorable beginning.

 

 

 

In late August, the Board of Directors (BOD) appointed a three-member Search Committee to find a new management company for our Association. As of November 31, 2021 Town Management, the NTRA’s longtime management company, will no longer be providing property management services to the NTRA. The timeframe looked daunting, but we committed to do our best to meet this challenge.

 

The committee identified and notified ten property management companies within the eastern Virginia area to determine who may be interested in becoming the property management company for the NTRA.

 

A Request for Proposal (RFP) for Professional Management Services, developed and approved by the BOD, was provided to each company. The RFP solicited proposals to establish a management agreement through competitive negotiations for professional management services for the NTRA. 

Five management companies requested and participated in individual on-site interviews and tours of New Town; each company subsequently submitted proposals by the September 15, 2021 due date.

 

The Search Committee then conducted a lengthy review of the submitted proposals, pursued additional committee questions/clarifications, and had discussions with provided references.

 

From the five applicants, the Committee recommended three companies that stood out and were worthy of a final BOD interview. We felt that any one of these three finalists could serve the NTRA well as a potential management company. 

 

I also participated as an observer with the NTRA BOD and officers in the final interviews. The dialogue was frank and the responses enlightening. Overall, the entire selection process was open and thorough. Best of all – we met the dates to provide a month’s transition period between the companies. Challenging timing to say the least!

 

My thanks to Everett Lunsford and Mike Reilly for joining me on this mission. The NTRA is indeed fortunate that we will have a new partner like Chesapeake Bay Management Company on our journey as a community. 

 

 

There has been a lot of activity around our community this month completing, upgrading and repairing much needed work.  Attached are photographs and a brief description of what has or is in the process of being completed. Please walk around New Town and check it out!

 

The playground has a new layer of much needed mulch and directly affecting how the mulch will be kept dryer is the French drain that was dug this week on the other side of the sidewalk from the playground and at the bottom of the hill in back of the pool. No more dirty puddles on the sidewalk!

 

A lot is going on in the pool area. A new strip of concrete was put down recently to make more room for chairs. The pool pergola has been repaired and is awaiting a final paint coat. The pool was resurfaced. It was a huge messy job, but maybe some of you saw the work in progress. Spreading the concrete the men wear a contraption on their feet that look like Hans Brinker’s metal skates. We all look forward to a smoother surface next summer.

 

Our parks have also received extra attention this year. Please notice the benches in the common areas that have been carefully sanded and stained by two residents Bob Dennis and Mike Reilly! The sandbox in the Lydias Drive playground was repaired by Kelly Mihalcoe and Eden Glenn. Thank you for all your hard work and volunteer time. Dead trees were also cleaned out of Roper Park earlier this spring.

 

The path at Chelsea Green has recently been scraped, leveled out and is awaiting the delivery of new stone. While this repair is a work in progress it is long awaited, having been deferred due to the 2020 pandemic. This repair continues across Discovery Park Avenue through the Veterans Park.

 

Earlier in September you may recall the large paving machines that entered Charlotte Park and the odor of the resurfacing of Bettys Lane and Julies Way. The new surfaces are complete. 

 

Next time you're out for a walk in our lovely neighborhood, take a moment to notice all the improvements!

 

Everett Lunsford, Treasurer 

 

2021 has been a year where the NTRA Board and the Finance Committee experienced great learning about our New Town community. It is also a year none of us want to experience again.

 

Early in the year we realized significant unbudgeted expenses would occur. So in April Town Management was directed to improve our liquidity by shifting home closing replacement reserve contributions to the operations reserve fund (the situation eased by September, so this practice was discontinued in October 2021). As a result, the Association has not been able to substantially contribute to our replacement reserves this year. 

 

The largest unbudgeted operating expense is legal fees. The owner challenges to the NTRA budgeting process that started in 2020 continued into 2021. Reviewing the assessment allocation process defined in the existing Governing Documents (which has not been followed in any of the past budgets and allocations) led the Board to decide to revise the documents.  Even though 2/3 homeowner approval is required for the document changes, the Board hoped for community approval in time for the 2022 budget. That proved extremely optimistic.

 

Another large expense was the audit of the 2020 NTRA financials. This first-time audit was performed by Adams, Jenkins and Cheatham, a Richmond based CPA firm specializing in community association audits and financial consulting. An audit of transition year financials is considered best practice by the Community Association Institute, and the Board, with Finance Committee recommendation, decided this was an important task even though unbudgeted. NTRA and Town Management received a clean audit report.

 

COVID continued to affect New Town, with additional staffing required for pool operations during the summer. Inspections of the pool led to unplanned repairs to equipment and to the pool pergola. The inspections also determined the pool requires resurfacing, which is being done now. The resurfacing will be paid from replacement reserve funds, but the work is occurring 2 years earlier than the 2019 reserve study anticipated. The replacement reserve fund also covered the pool pergola repair, but the work was required 15 years before expected. In light of the early pool failures, the Board decided to add a winterization service to the pool operating expense to hopefully extend its life.

 

Other significant unplanned expenses were related to trees (dead tree and limb removal in Roper Park and street tree replacements), playground (refresh of the playground mulch and installation of an underground drain to divert water away from the walkway to Roper Park) and hiring additional expertise (an HOA consultant on the budget process and a company to conduct a new replacement reserve study.)

 

The biggest financial challenge will be replacing our management company. A new managing agent will bring significant operational changes, along with a higher management fee. 

 

 

The Finance Committee started working with the HOA consultant on developing the 2022 NTRA Budget in July. With 2021’s expense overages, the Finance Committee, and the Board, have realized our basic problem is ensuring a complete operating expense budget. The 2022 budget development is focused on identifying and incorporating deferred maintenance needs and better meeting resident expectations for a well maintained and effectively managed community.

 

New Town’s financial history is not the best guide for predicting operating expenses. There is good data in some categories, but poor or no data for maintenance related categories. The Developer Board constrained annual increases in the budget, and maintenance needs were often not addressed. As the community aged and maintenance started becoming necessary, significant maintenance expenses were paid out of the replacement reserve fund beginning in 2018 (Reserves should be used for replacement items only). So in the 2022 Budget, the Board is trying to create a Maintenance Plan as part of operating expenses.

 

While no final budget decisions have been made yet, here are some expected highlights of what 2022 will bring. The Board has committed to follow the Association’s existing Governing Documents, as much as possible, in presenting the budget and calculating assessments. The 2022 assessments will likely consist of:

 

 

The Finance Committee and the Board think we have identified the additional expenses required for a realistic 2022 Operating Budget. Assessments to cover these expenses will require a noticeably larger increase than past budgets. The Board must then determine how much additional money to contribute to the replacement reserve funds.

 

The largest drivers of the operating expense increase are the management company fees and the legal fees. The new management contract with Chesapeake Bay Management includes a full-time manager and other services. Our new manager is expected to bring focused professional staff to monitor the community and its contractors, and help resolve many complaints across New Town. Chesapeake has an integrated system better able to collect and track issues and homeowner accounts. While all of us look forward to this opportunity, understand it will take time to implement improvements and see the effects.

 

Anticipated legal costs are largely related to the continuing document changes. For 2022, the NTRA needs to relook at its Rules and Regulations, and the Shared Amenities Agreement with the New Town Commercial Association. Continued questions raised by the community about the proposed Governing Document revisions are a large and unpredictable component of the legal fee budget. Can we come together for a vote? As questions and challenges continue, so do the legal fees.

 

Added maintenance categories also bring the potential for cost increases, especially given the higher prices since the pandemic for commodities and services. 

 

Village Walk: The inspection for the new replacement reserve study revealed issues with the older Village Walk townhome exteriors. The 2021 budget assumed that Village Walk exterior painting would start in 2023. That painting needs to start in 2022, and will include some repairs not in the painting budget. There has also been an increase in roof and trim repairs this year which could require Association claims against the builder. As a result, the Village Walk assessment for these exterior maintenance services will also have a noticeable increase.

 

Replacement Reserve: The replacement reserve fund will have decreased at year end. Until the new replacement reserve study is available sometime in November, it will be hard to assess the status of the reserve fund. With the effort required for the transition to a new management company, expect the replacement reserve situation to be more fully addressed by a new Board when we develop another budget for 2023.

 

Capital Contributions and Administrative Fees: These fees, paid at closing for new home sales and resales, were increased for the 2021 budget. The fees will continue unchanged for the 2022 budget.

 

 

As you can see, developing the 2022 budget and related assessment process is, and will continue to be, a challenging endeavor. The transition to a homeowner-controlled board, the issues related to Governing Documents raised at the 2020 annual meeting, and the search for a new managing agent fueled a most difficult year for your Board and the Finance Committee. Join us for the 2022 budget briefing on November 19th at 6PM via Zoom. (More information will be posted on the NTRA website.) 

 

 

November is Native American Indian Heritage Month, and it aims to provide a platform for Native People to share their culture, traditions, music, crafts, dance, and ways and concepts of life.   It recognizes the contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the United States.  If you wish to celebrate or find out more about the impact of Native American Indians in Williamsburg and Virginia, there is a lot going on in the local area.

 

On our doorstep at Colonial Williamsburg, if you visit the American Indian Encampment site, you can explore the lives of American Indians who came to Williamsburg with regularity in the 18th century to discuss matters of trade, warfare and diplomacy.  There is no single story of Native American Indians in Williamsburg.  Each tribe and nation had their own interactions here in the city.  You can meet and learn from their American Indian interpreters at Colonial Williamsburg, who celebrate the American Indian culture, tell the histories of their communities and help to explore the culture of Native peoples who are striving to preserve their traditional way of life.  During your visit and conversations with the interpreters, you will also be able to learn about the roles they played in creating a new country.  

 

In addition, if you take a walk around the College of William and Mary, look out for the Brafferton Building, which was the home of the Indian School at William and Mary.  Using funds from the estate of British scientist Robert Boyle, the college of William and Mary established a school to educate young Indian men in 1697, just four years after the college’s founding.  The American Revolution caused British financial support to cease in 1776 and the school soon closed.   

 

To learn more about Native American Heritage month, take a look at this website.

 

 

Quick Getaways, November—The Mariners’ Museum and Park, Newport News 

 

The Mariners’ Museum makes the bold claim that it is “a steward of one of the world’s most extensive maritime collections, committed to the preservation and conservation of more than 32,000 objects and several million library and archive materials.”

 

Make of that what you will, but the Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and follows its standards of care to ensure the survival of the collection for generations yet-to-come.

 

It has been that way for more than 90 years, spurred by the shared vision of Archer Milton Huntington and Homer L. Ferguson, two giants of Newport News history. Huntington’s personal library of maritime books formed the core of the museum’s library, now numbering nearly 110,000 books, 800,000 photos, films, and negatives and more than 1 million pieces of archival material. That makes it the largest maritime library in the Western Hemisphere.

 

Library browsing isn’t everyone’s cup of grog. Among the myriad of things to see and experience too numerous to mention is the USS Monitor Center, an Award-winning exhibition that is a melding of artifacts, original documents, paintings, personal accounts, interactives and environments devoted to the epic Civil War battle between ironclads Monitor and Merrimac. It tells that story in a way the public has never seen before.

 

Visitors may walk down a mock deck and enter the CSS Virginia as she is being built for battle, step inside the battle theater and experience the action of the Battle of Hampton Roads, visit the living quarters of sailors as part of a full-scale reproduction, view the Monitor’s propeller and engine register and many other artifacts, 210 tons in fact.

 

In short, this is a 550-acre park which houses a museum offering theater, lectures, discussions, programs, dining and shopping. It’s at least a full day, maybe more depending on your variety of interests.

 

According to its website, admission is priced at $1. Add another $6 for admission to see the 3D movie. The museum is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closing only on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

For more information, visit the website https://marinersmuseum.org/ or phone 757-596-2222.

 

Sarah Carey 

 

Out for our morning walk a few weeks ago my husband and I met a dog, Auggie, as he came running out from the trail at the end of Discovery Park Avenue by the maintenance building. Coming after him was Mike carrying a large bag full of trash and a grabber tool. Chatting briefly, we introduced ourselves and met Mike who we assumed lived in New Town since he was cleaning up our trails between the two bridges. Actually, he works at SDV Solutons Inc. and does not live in New Town. Every Friday Mike brings his dog to work with him, and often his wife accompanies them as well. He collects trash on his walks and helps keep our community clean. 

 

So the next time you venture out for a trail walk, maybe we could all follow Mike’s enthusiasm and bring a trash bag with you to keep the trails clean. Thank you, Mike! 

 

 

Follow the New Town Residential Association Facebook page! If you're interested in more regular updates about the happenings in your neighborhood, *like* and *follow* our page. We love seeing your likes, comments, and engagement. 

 

On the NTRA Facebook page you can find information about upcoming neighborhood events as well as updates shared by the New Town Commercial Association. It's also helpful for reminders and easily adding events to your calendar. As always, if there is anything specific you would like to see posted, please reach out and let us know.

 

 

A few points from the experts at Community Associations Incorporated:

 

• Good character

• Strong integrity

• Calm judgment

• Willingness to serve

• Committed to the best interests of the community as a whole

• Relevant experience or background

• Previous volunteer service

• Strong people skills

(Source: The Board Member Tool Kit, CAI.)

 

If you know someone in New Town who fits this bill, reach out and ask him/her to run for the NTRA Board of Directors!