Town Crier Articles

The New Town Residential Association Activities Committee hosted a Social at the community pool on the evening of Friday, July 19 which drew over seventy residents.  They brought their favorite adult beverages and enjoyed a variety of delicious hors d’oeuvres and desserts.  The  temperate weather with low humidity was a welcome relief from the sweltering heat of the last weeks. Conversation flowed easily as neighbors caught up and met new residents.  Adding a special touch to this event was live music provided by  Joe Duggan, who sang a variety of  favorite songs in a mellow voice, which made a beautiful evening  even more special. We look forward to welcoming Joe back to our future socials.

           

Our next event is a pizza pool party on August 24 at 12:00, rain date Sunday, August 25.  We are adding a new touch to this season’s last pool event,  games, races and prizes for adult and kids!!  We hope to see you there for all the fun. 

 

   

 

   

 

In an emergency are you prepared to take shelter in a designated community facility? 

 

 

Because New Town is within James City County, New Town residents will be sheltering at facilities to be announced at the time of the emergency event.  Per our JCC Emergency Management Planner, those facilities may be a number of local schools and he recommends that in an emergency, individuals heed communications from JCC regarding shelter locations and their hours of operation. Another possible option may be what was described as “Power & Shower,” during which non-city residents may be able to go to a Williamsburg city shelter to power their personal devices and take a shower.             

 

When New Town residents take shelter, the sheltering guidance provided for Williamsburg city residents will also be applicable to New Town residents. The most current guidance may be found at https://www.williamsburgva.gov/210/City-Shelter.  Here is an abbreviated version (as of July 2024).     

 

 

Be prepared to take shelter for approximately 1 – 2 days and bring the following in sufficient quantities for a stay of that length:  

The shelter will be staffed by medical personnel to assist medically-dependent persons to maintain their status during the emergency.  Those who are oxygen-dependent should bring extra oxygen. 

 

The shelter will accommodate service animals. As a pet-friendly shelter, there are limited accommodations for household pets (cats and dogs, no exotic animals).  Pet owners must bring: any pet medications, collar/leash, pet crate, pet food, proof of rabies vaccination, water and food bowls.

 

Last month, 51 homes in New Town donated 550 pounds of non-perishable food. Donations were left on front porches and collected and delivered to Williamsburg House of Mercy for its food pantry. Contributions by neighborhood were as follows: Abbey Commons 40 pounds, Chelsea Green 35 pounds, Charlotte Park townhomes 40 pounds, Charlotte Park detached homes 231 pounds, Village Wall 111 pounds, and Shirley Park, 93 pounds.

 

New Town is participating in monthly food drives through PORCH, a grass-roots organization focused on addressing food insecurity in communities across the US.  Next month’s drive will take place on Saturday, August 10th with donations going to FISH.  Look for an e-blast that week indicating what food items FISH needs the most for its food pantry.  Place donations by your front door by 9 AM and PORCH volunteers (all residents of New Town) will pick up and deliver to FISH.

 

Thank you, New Town, for giving back to the greater Williamsburg community through your generous donations. Remember, we collect on the 2nd Saturday of the month, so consider getting in the habit of putting a bag on your porch for those in need. 

 

Despite a delayed opening, the 2024 pool season is now off to a great start! Seventy-five neighbors participated in the Saturday, June 15 pool party and finished off twenty pizzas in short order, as well as enjoying watermelon and homemade cookies and bars. The weather and the water temperature were perfect and everyone from toddlers to teens splashing and jumping about, parents, grandparents, young couples and seniors enjoyed the water or poolside socializing. Octovia Wyman of Town Creek won the raffle for a gift certificate provided by the New Town Commercial Association.  More raffles to come at all our events.

 

The Activities Committee wants to send a shout out to the whole crew of Activities Committee member Terri Finn’s Shirley Park neighbors, who volunteered during the pool party, helping to make everything go smoothly.

 

Our next event is a Poolside Social on Friday, July 19.  Joe Duggan from the Williamsburg band, Joe’s Day Off, which covers country, rock and oldies, will be providing live music.  You are welcome to take a dip in the pool, participate in a fun ice breaker, or just enjoy the company. There will be several raffles, appetizers and desserts.

     

Finally, look for details on Family Pool Volleyball, one evening each week, if enough folks want to play. It is pure fun, no experience necessary and we use a light ball.  

 

 

 

   

Hello NTRA Neighbors!

 

Recently the 2024 home exterior inspection schedule was sent to NTRA residents signaling the start of the annual inspection process. This is your association’s way of ensuring all the homes are kept beautiful, making everyone proud of New Town and the area in which we live and play. The program was designed and adopted by the Board in 2018 to maintain the curb appeal of NTRA homes and the overall property values for all invested in New Town.

 

Chesapeake Bay Management Company, assisted by members of the NTRA Asset Maintenance Committee, will begin inspecting all home exteriors starting around July 18th in Village Walk. These inspections will proceed neighborhood by neighborhood to make sure all homes are up to standards reflected in the HOA Master Declaration and Rules and Regulations (available on the NTRA website). The goal is for all homes to be inspected no later than October 31, 2024.

 

Follow-up inspections for any locations with identified deficiencies will be conducted in each neighborhood after a 30-day period to allow for repair.

 

The inspection schedule is:

• Village Walk – Thursday, July 18, 2024
• Charlotte Park – Thursday, August 1, 2024
• Shirley Park – Thursday, August 22, 2024
• Chelsea Green – Thursday, September 12, 2024
• Savannah Square – Thursday, September 26, 2024
• Abbey Commons – Thursday, October 10, 2024

Note: These dates are all weather dependent.

 

Please review the areas we will be inspecting as shown in the 2023 revised Self-Checklist for Owner Inspection of Homes (so you can make any repairs necessary prior to the inspection.)  

Note for Village Walk -- while most exterior surfaces of Village Walk homes are the NTRA’s responsibility to maintain, there are items which are solely a homeowner responsibility. Consult the Village Walk Maintenance Responsibilities Chart.

 

What do I do if I receive a deficiency notice? If you receive a notice, respond with your “plan of correction” within two weeks. Violations come in all forms and the inspection checklist is on the NTRA website. The AMC also has compiled a list of vendors other owners have used in the past for repairs/maintenance. Being realistic, not all violations can be cured in a short period of time. The important thing to remember here is to provide your “plan of correction” to Chesapeake Bay Management (ntraadmin@1cbm.com) as soon as your plan is worked out. A plan could be as simple as,

“I power washed the front of my house and the deficiency is corrected. I am in compliance.”

“I am researching house painters and obtaining bids. I will advise you by ____ (date)”

It is up to you, the homeowner, to maintain communication with Chesapeake Bay Management on progress being made to cure the deficiency.

 

Please understand that failure to communicate your plans and actions to correct inspection deficiencies can result in fines for not keeping your property in accordance with the NTRA requirements.

 

If you have any questions, please contact the Chesapeake Bay Management Office.

New Town residents have BIG hearts. Over the past year, we have donated school supplies, kids’ winter coats, and non-perishable food. Now, starting in July, New Town will be joining other Williamsburg neighborhoods such as Holly Hills and Rolling Woods, in a monthly neighborhood food drive through an organization called PORCH. The process is simple; you put non-perishable food items on your porch by 9AM the second Saturday of each month and volunteers will pick them up. Our donations will be delivered, along with those from other participating PORCH neighborhoods to the food pantries at Williamsburg House of Mercy and FISH.

 

That’s it! You may donate monthly or whenever you are able. More information can be found here.

 

If you would like to participate or have questions, please send an email to Gale Hyatt (ladyhappy73@gmail.com) or Eden Glenn (edenaglenn@gmail.com).  

 

DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen, opened at 5131Main St. several months ago and is locally owned by Mr. Yusuf Atay. Yusuf is a native of Turkey, and after studying engineering in Germany and London he won the DV Lottery program, which is a program that gives a chance for permanent residency in the USA. Yusuf came to the US and began to utilize his training and talents in engineering. But he strongly felt the desire to be part of helping homeowners improve their lives through remodeling their homes. 

 

He has achieved his Class A contractor license and has helped design and remodel homes for himself and clients. Through the process of helping others, Yusuf explored ways to bring his desire to see home improvements from the design stage through to finished stage while maintaining integrity and listening to his clients. He decided to become a franchise owner for Dream Maker in late 2023 and soon after started setting up a showroom in New Town. DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen is part of a national franchise that recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. There are 45 franchise locations throughout the USA. 

 

I met with Yusuf and his office manager, Karissa Bartee to hear more about what Dream Maker offers and how they manage the business. 

 

The design center at 5131 Main Street is open M-F 8:00am – 5:00pm/Saturday by appointment/Sunday – closed. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are strongly encouraged to ensure full attention. Karissa was quick to return my call when I left a message with her regarding a meeting. The design center is still a work in progress, but there are some beautiful tiles on display and several different cabinet models. Over the next few months, the center will be completed, and a grand opening is planned for later this summer. The design center will have room setups on display, as well as various lighting fixtures, cabinetry, sinks and faucets. One area that will certainly gather interest when completed is the walk-in tub arrangement. These have become more popular as society ages. 

 

Yusuf chose New Town as he is a Williamsburg resident and New Town and the surrounding area is a target demographic for remodels – especially in bath and kitchen. While the design center is taking shape, Yusuf and his crew are busy at work designing and remodeling kitchens and baths locally. There is a designer on staff and a handful of employees as well. Yusuf works with tradesmen in the area who are highly rated and skilled at installation.  

 

When I asked Yusuf his greatest desire as a business owner, he was very open. He said most people come to him already knowing what they want. They’ve obviously watched the home remodel shows, visited friends’ homes and want help finding the right suppliers and helpful suggestions. What Yusuf and his team want to offer is a local owned business focused on helping people realize their dream kitchen or bath – while ensuring functionality and integrity. He and Karissa were quick to point out the DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen “Code of Values” bookmark and their slogan “Enhancing Lives. Improving Homes”. I was very impressed with the code of values bookmark and the earnestness of Yusuf as we discussed life in Williamsburg and discovered we had a mutual friend. I’m looking forward to the grand opening of the design center and hearing some of the examples of Yusuf and his team improving homes in Williamsburg and New Town.     

 

Here's a link to their Facebook page and contact info.