Town Crier Articles

 

 

 

While developing the 2025 NTRA budget, the Board of Directors researched the quarterly HOA assessments for other associations in the Williamsburg, James City County area.  The Board realizes that this would likely be an apples to oranges comparison because services can vary greatly between associations.  However, the result provides information about what it costs to live in a homeowner’s association in our area.  We were also able to compare 2024 with 2025 and produce average HOA assessment increases by comparing each association’s 2024 fee with that in 2025.  This average should be less impacted by the services that a homeowner receives.  

 

The following is a summary of that research done primarily on the Mr. Williamsburg website.  A spreadsheet with the raw data is available on request.

 

 

 

Fiber sounds good right? Good for your diet – your gut health? Cable, maybe not so much. Seems most of us at some time or another haven’t tolerated what cable was feeding us. And then there’s 5G, the new kid on the block. Full disclosure I used to work for Verizon and was there when services were developed, trialed, and introduced to our employees, like myself and others, before being offered to our customers. And before we go any further, there are many factors as to why FiOS disappointingly was not deployed everywhere, primarily the cost of installation to go everything, everywhere, all at once. Oh wait, that was a movie!

All of the service providers are anxious to have your business, although when I recently cancelled my 1G Internet plan at the Cox store, they only asked to whom I was changing providers. I told them to 5G and they didn’t even try to save the sale. That was surprising. I chose Verizon 5G Home over T-Mobile. Both are available in our neighborhood depending on your address.

 

Cable companies are struggling to retain customers for both internet and traditional cable TV, and the space is going to get even more interesting in the next several years. But that is another topic all together.

 

Simply put, cable providers will tell you that their services are fiber networks. And to some extent that is true, but unlike a true fiberoptic internet provider like Verizon FiOS and Glo Fiber, and others, the cable companies’ fiber typically only goes so far to a pedestal somewhere, maybe not even to the one in your backyard. And then there is that orange cable running from the pedestal to your house, barely covered by the sub-contractors who buried it. And that’s not fiber to the home ! Typically, in the cable scenario you are sharing bandwidth with other customers because the cable service is not a dedicated fiber optic line directly into the home like a fiber optic service provider. Just for you. Not just to the “curb.” Glass fibers (fiber optics) have the capacity to deliver amazingly fast speeds up and down the spectrum and are future proof. Cable’s coax is an older network, like copper landlines. Old school. Great in their day. But times are changing. Fast.

 

Speaking of fast, that is what everyone seems to want. Fast and reliable and at a price they are comfortable with paying.

 

Because the 5G carriers offer free trial periods, I ordered Verizon’s latest modem after checking availability in my area. They offer two modems. I chose the basic one and followed the easy instructions to set it up. You should place it near a window, which I did, actually between my house and the neighbors, and instantly saw 2 out of 3 bars indicating single strength. Signal “Good.”

 

First, I disconnected the Cox Modem. You could also just unplug it. Next, and this is important, using the Verizon app, I renamed the 5G modem using the same Network Name and Password I had previously with Cox. This way you do not have to go from device to device to reconnect. Your network devices will come on-line automatically. I tried this without disconnecting service from Cox for about 2 weeks until I was sure I was satisfied. This is important because if you are not happy, you don’t want to lose your service. I did not have traditional cable, so not desktop devices, just internet streaming YouTube TV to smart tv’s. All my devices, thermostat, camera’s, etc., work fine. Now you are not going to get 1G speeds, but then I don’t need that. So be sure to see what works for you.

 

Be aware although your address may show the service is available, a strong signal is not guaranteed until you connect successfully. So, while I may have no signal issues, someone else may not have the same experience, and that is dependent on various factors. You may have to reposition the 5G modem, and they do have a tool in the app to also show you where the best signal strength can be found. The 5G signal reliably delivers all the speed I need and half the cost I was paying for 1G service with Cox. There are no contracts (never do a contract for service) and other perks are available such as reduced streaming services subscriptions to popular streaming services.

 

So while 5G Home service works well for me, you may prefer Glo Fiber if they move ahead deploying it in New Town. The choice is yours, and that is what it’s all about. So, what’s on the menu, Fiber, Cable, or 5G?

 

If you are on Facebook, please be sure that you take advantage of our community resource pages.

• New Town Residential Association is the NTRA’s Facebook presence where HOA activities and other timely messages can be found. This site is managed by volunteers, but we focus on Association news as well as what is happening in New Town and available to residents through the New Town Commercial Association (e.g. Santa photos, concerts, etc).

 

 

 

As we start a new "newsletter" year, it seems appropriate to check-in on the progress with the proposed real estate developments for New Town's neighbor - Eastern State Hospital's surplus land. 

 

As reported in April, two developments are pending with James City County for the rezoning of this State land from public use to mixed use/residential. One development directly abuts New Town (79 acres) while a larger parcel of land (368 acres bordering Route 199 and Longhill Road) is also proposed for rezoning.

• Westwood Park - Z-23-0004 - proposed 86 single family homes and 100 multifamily units with retail/commercial space on 79 acres. This application is undergoing its 5th JCC staff review this month and is moving closer to a possible hearing date with the JCC Planning Commission. ABVA's latest submissions have clarified several of the County's stormwater concerns and agreed to provide a full 50 foot buffer along the border of the New Town Commercial area (Discovery Park Boulevard where ABVA had originally proposed a reduced 25 foot border.) The application provides a 100 foot buffer on the NTRA border along Rollison Drive in Charlotte Park. How to design for the traffic impacts at the Casey and Discovery Park Boulevards intersection is still being debated.

• Cardinal Ridge - Z-23-0008 - this large development from D.R. Horton Inc proposes 946 homes with additional acreage for mental health facilities and commercial space has had 2 JCC staff reviews.  (The last review was in mid-October with the applicant's responses pending.)

A recent post from Williamsburg Watch has estimated that combined these "two developments would increase James City County's housing stock 3 percent" as well as adding 140,000 square feet of commercial and retail space. New Town residents can review all submitted materials on the James City County website as these applications work their way through the zoning review. 

 

Over the years Charlotte Park homeowners, including Dave and Marie Gaydos, have decorated part of the Eizabeth Davis green for the holidays.  Inspired by their efforts, this year Eden and Bob Glenn kicked off the holiday season by inviting their Abbey Commons neighbors to celebrate as a community by gathering  to decorate their Lydias Park reen.  In the late afternoon, of Sunday, December 1, kids and adults opened boxes of decorations and climbed ladders (carefully), as they trimmed the trees on the common with brightly colored balls and other decorations and then trooped into the Glenn’s townhouse for hot chocolate and goodies. Young resident Sheila Cyrus thoroughly enjoyed the event. She observed that it made her feel more like Christmas when “things are pretty” and that during the winter “grass is brown and the tree are bare” but putting “ornaments on the trees added color” and happiness. The Glenns hope to continue the decorating and community building in future years.

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Location: Kaplan Area.
 
Time:  11:45 pre-game reception - Game starts at 1PM

 

Are you looking for a fun family weekend activity?   On Sunday February 23, the NTRA Activities Committee is sponsoring a New Town event to cheer on the College of William and Mary Women’s Basketball team.

 

Before the game New Town neighbors and their friends and family are invited to a reception at the arena at 11:45 with a FREE pizza lunch and raffles.     

 

$5 Discounted tickets will be available at the door if reserved in advance.  RSVP by contacting Susan Schlimme:

      text:      703-864-0069 
      email:   skschlimme@hotmail.com