Town Crier Articles

Curb Your Dog - A Pet Friendly Reminder
Posted on June 1, 2026 6:51 AM by Town Crier Staff
Submitted by your concerned neighbor, B Friendly.
 
You may have seen this on the NTRA website Notices page:
 
“PET MAINTENANCE & CONTROL:  The NTRA Board asks that New Town residents "Be a good neighbor and don't allow your dog to damage lawns and shrubs in New Town.” 
 
This should actually go a step further because dog urine while you can’t pick it up contains high concentrations of nitrogen and salts. The sheer volume of repeated concentrated spots burns the grass by dehydrating the roots through osmotic stress.
 
But it also needs to be said that often, some, not all, dog owners, while walking their dogs, let them run into people’s yards, sniff, and pee and that’s just not right. Homeowners actually own their private property and work in their yards and flower beds where Fluffy and Fido just peed, and well, that again isn’t neighborly! Now this author loves dogs (and cats) but when a dog owner lets their dogs onto private property, where they don’t belong that creates a problem and it’s not neighborly!
 
Common areas are also another concern by many homeowners. While they are for everyone’s common use, it doesn’t mean they are for Fluffy and Fido to make it their domain for peeing and well, pooping. By the way, thank you for cleaning up after them, but if other homeowners want to use the common area for badminton, frisbee, well anything like that, your neighbors and their guests certainly don’t want to have to worry about what was left there! And maybe they don’t know until it’s too late. Ewwww! Overuse also invites other critters to these areas who are not as sophisticated as your fur babies!
 
So please respect your neighbors and both private and common areas and please, curb your dog. Fyi, the legal term “Curb your dog” means by the street. And check it out, if you don’t know, there is a great free dog park at Kidsburg/Veterans Park. Enjoy your summer!
 
Seeking Bunco Players
Posted on June 1, 2026 6:50 AM by Gale Hyatt
 
 New Town currently has 2 active Bunco groups that play September thru May, and we feel there is definitely a need for a third, maybe even a 4th group. If you are interested in being a regular or sub player, even if you already belong to a Bunco group and want to play more than once or twice per month, please contact Gale Hyatt (Ladyhappy73@gmail.com) and Terri Finn (terrifinn93@gmail.com).
 
BUNCO INFORMATION
 
This classic dice game is an amazing game to enjoy with a group of friends, either 8 or 12 players. If you are ready to laugh, compete, and maybe talk a little friendly trash, this could be the game for you.
 
Bonus?  It’s super easy to learn, so even if you have never played before, you will be rolling the dice like a pro in no time.  It’s the perfect excuse to get all your favorite people in one place for an evening or afternoon of fun and games. Also, don’t forget a few snacks and beverages.
 
The whole point of Bunco is pretty simple: you just roll the dice and try to match the number for whatever round you are playing. Example, if it’s the first round, you are trying to roll ones, second round roll twos, etc. 
 
All you need are: 
  • Two (2) or three (3) tables for 8 or 12 players, i.e. four at each table!
  • Three dice  per table!
  • Score sheets and pencils  ✏️  for each player (gotta keep track of those wins!)!
  • A bell  at the Head Table! 
  • Money (Whatever amount your group decides on. Example five (5) $1.00 bills. and at the end of the evening, you may come home with a little extra cash ! Now who doesn’t mind having a little extra funds to shop with. 
For further information pertaining to Bunco, just google Bunco.
 
Enjoy your summer and we look forward to hearing from you.
Reminder: Save these Dates for June Fun
Posted on June 1, 2026 6:45 AM by Town Crier Staff
Here's a roundup of upcoming free events here in New Town.
 
Sponsored by the New Town Residential Association Activities Committee:
  • June 6th - pizza party at the New Town Community pool
  • June 18th - New Town Talk at noon in the NTRA meeting space (5118 Center Street)
Leslie Lautenslager, aide to General and former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell for 25 years, will talk about her experiences working with Powell.
 
 
Don't forget the remaining Wednesday night concerts at Sullivan Square from 5 to 8PM, co-sponsored by the New Town Commercial Association, James City County and Culture Fix. The lineup includes a rescheduled two-band concert - now planned for June 17th: Carey Lacey and Codey Christian and the Congregation. 
 
 
 
 
Stepping Over Skittles?
Posted on June 1, 2026 6:40 AM by Town Crier Staff
Submitted by concerned resident, B. Friendly.
 
Skittles, those tiny rainbow colored candies many of us may still enjoy today! But wait a minute. Are those skittles in the street? Yes, they are indeed. Spread out all over the street on the same day Bayside was in the neighborhood picking up trash. But why are they in the street? Was there a Skittles catastrophic event, or did someone throw them loosely in their bin without securing them in a sealed Hefty bag?
 
Like some other loose things - grease, bones, broken chards of glass, and the like - when they’re not properly tied up, 
they find their way onto our private streets, and sometimes we bring them right into our garage.
 
Well, I always liked Skittles, but not like I once did. Please bag your trash securely.
 
 
 
Pool Season Ramping Up
Posted on May 1, 2026 7:00 AM by John Stratton, Director
 
The New Town 2026 pool season is fast approaching! The New Town community pool will open Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 23, 2026, and remain open through Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026. We are looking forward to another fantastic summer and would like to highlight a few important items.
 
First and foremost, we are excited to announce extended weekend pool hours for the 2026 season. Many residents expressed interest in earlier opening times to take advantage of generally better weather and cooler temperatures in the late morning, and we were able to make that happen. The following pool hours will be in effect for the 2026 season:
 
  • Monday:       11:30 a.m. -7:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday:       Closed
  • Wednesday:   11:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
  • Thursday:     11:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday:          10:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday:     10:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
  • Sunday:       10:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Holidays (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, & Labor Day): Pool opens at 10:00 a.m. (When in doubt, consult the website calendar!)
 
In order to take advantage of the New Town pool as soon as it opens, please ensure your 2026 pool pass is up to date. Hopefully you are familiar with the pool pass process as it is the same as last year. You should have received an email from Chesapeake Bay Management on April 6 entitled “Important 2026 Pool Pass Information.” In addition, CBM mailed a bright yellow envelope via USPS to all owners with instructions and important pool documents enclosed. As always, instructions for both owners and tenants are also available on the NTRA website Pool & Clubs Page found under the “Residents” dropdown menu. All communications outline the steps required to obtain your pool pass, ensure it is activated and has the new 2026 green decal.
 
We are excited to continue our partnership with Clearwater Pool Management, LLC, for another year. Clearwater is responsible for many of the essential tasks required to ensure our residents have a safe and enjoyable pool experience including managing the lifeguards, monitoring the water quality, keeping a keen eye on the weather, and ensuring compliance with safety and management policies. As a reminder, we ask that all pool patrons and their guests conduct themselves in accordance with the NTRA Pool Rules and also ask you to respect that the lifeguard on duty has absolute authority and control over the operation of the NTRA pool. Our lifeguards have a big job ensuring the safety of our pool users, and especially the safety of the children in and around the pool. Please support them and also get to know them as they truly appreciate getting to know our New Town residents and developing positive relationships within the community.
 
The NTRA Board of Directors would like to give a special thanks to the NTRA Pool Committee for continuing to make our pool seasons a special part of living in this community. They continue to ensure the pool is well appointed and the pool facilities are well maintained for opening and throughout the season. Their efforts are important to this community, and we all appreciate and benefit from their hard work.
 
Please also mark your calendars for two special pool events organized and hosted by the NTRA Activities Committee:
 
•        June 6th: Noon Pizza Pool Party
 
•        August 7th: Evening Poolside Social
 
We look forward to kicking off the 2026 pool season on May 23 and we hope to see you at the pool many times throughout the summer.
 
Save the Dates - Future New Town Talks
Posted on May 1, 2026 6:47 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
Categories: Life in New Town
 
Here's a peak at some of the upcoming New Town Talks featuring some of your New Town neighbors.
 
May 26 (Tuesday)  - Home Maintenance and Safety - Jack Espinal, will talk about the basics of home maintenance, from safety (how to turn off the gas) to replacing filters and simple home repairs.   

June 18 (Thursday)- My Time with General Colin Powell - Leslie Lautenslager, aide to Colin Powell for twenty-five years, will talk about working with Powell.  She  has  also published a memoir about that experience.
Home Inspection Season is Upon Us
Posted on May 1, 2026 6:45 AM by Town Crier Staff
 
May begins NTRA’s season of home exterior and landscaping inspections for owners who have opted for less than full NTRA provided landscaping services (i.e. packages C, D, or E). Our community manager will visit these properties roughly every 3 weeks. The inspection will be done from the sidewalk or street and will identify obvious deficiencies using NTRA's Landscaping Standards (adopted August 2025.)  Then each neighborhood will be visited every 6 weeks by a team – CBM, landscaper, and Landscape Advisory Committee representative (and Board liaison). These walks are similar to what was done in 2025 to identify areas that may need improvement and look generally at all owner lots.
 
Home exterior inspections this year will cover three neighborhoods: Abbey Commons, Chelsea Green and Village Walk. Remaining neighborhoods will be inspected next year.  Be sure you are familiar with the exterior inspection checklist  and have kept up to date with your power washing and painting.
Spring Concert Season Starts Wednesday!
Posted on May 1, 2026 6:40 AM by New Town Commercial Association (NTCA)
Categories: Life in New Town
 
The fun starts this week in Sullivan Square!
 
Food and beverage vendors announced for May 6th: 
Bali Bali, Burgers on the Edge, Corner Pocket, Dominion Dogs, Polar Snow
 
Alewerks Brewing Co., Billsburg Brewery, Frothy Moon, The Virginia Beer Company, and Williamsburg Winery 
 
 
(Note the band change for June 3 below.) You can find the latest information each week on the New Town Commercial Association website events page. 
 
A Primer on the Network or Web that is “New Town”
Posted on April 9, 2026 8:00 AM by Everett Lunsford, Vice President
 
I suspect the majority of New Town residents think of our residential association as a stand-alone entity. Actually, there are multiple organizations and situations affecting actions taken by the NTRA Board of Directors and Chesapeake Bay Management Company. Among these parties are:
  • New Town Commercial Association (NTCA), especially the Shared Amenities Agreement
  • Atlantic Builders of Virginia (ABVA)
  • Settlers Market Shopping Center & Walmart
  • James City County
  • New Town Associates (the original developer)
 
NTCA and the Shared Amenities Agreement:
 
NTCA is the association for all the businesses, condominium properties, and apartment complexes within New Town. NTRA and NTCA share certain common areas and amenities under the terms of a 2015 agreement.
 
The 2015 Amenities Use Easement and Agreement (or so-called “Shared Amenities” Agreement) was written by the developer (Declarant), New Town Associates, as outlined in the original proffers for New Town. There is a Managing Committee for the agreement consisting of 3 members each from NTCA and NTRA, plus 1 developer representative.
 
In theory, there are efficiencies with sharing costs for services or items used by both associations. For example, maintenance of dog waste stations, banners, streetlights in the Chelsea Green neighborhood, etc.  In practice, the common execution of projects with two management companies has differed from the what the developer envisioned.  Due to the voting structure in the agreement, NTRA has had very little influence on the decisions made by the Managing Committee to date.  The first opportunity for NTRA to carry a majority vote will come after 2028 when the agreement specifies the chair position (seventh vote) starts switching each year between NTCA and NTRA.
 
Atlantic Builders of Virginia:
 
ABVA Development has been the primary builder in New Town for many years; Charlotte Park and Shirley Park are its most recent neighborhoods. Village Walk, built alongside these neighborhoods, was built by Eagle Construction of Virginia out of Richmond.
 
The Shirley Park neighborhood is nearly complete; a small number of townhomes and vacant lots for detached homes remain.  Transition to NTRA ownership of the common areas and our full neighborhood control is expected late this year or early 2027.  NTRA has already conducted a transition engineering study and formed a neighborhood transition committee to identify issues. (See related February 2026 and December 2025 Town Crier articles.) A list of issues is being worked with both ABVA and James City County.  JCC staff will inspect for compliance with the approved plans and county standards for water, sewer & roads, and for drainage management.  NTRA’s focus will be the deficiencies identified by the residents and the transition engineering study.
 
While ABVA is approaching the end of its construction within NTRA, the company will likely remain working in the area.  It is awaiting county approval for its Westwood Park development on the Eastern State Hospital land adjoining the Charlotte Park and Shirley Park neighborhoods. Discovery Park Blvd would be extended to provide access, and additional commercial/apartment buildings would be built near the extension. ABVA will remain a member of NTCA likely for many years ahead.
 
Settlers Market Shopping Center & Walmart:
 
The Settlers Market complex is Section 9 of the original New Town Master Plan. Management of the Walmart Market is separate from the rest of Settlers Market Shopping Center, but both entities drain into the retention ponds/BMPs located in Village Walk (also part of Section 9), along with NTRA neighborhoods. Thus, they remain connected to the web of New Town. These BMPs are referred to as A04 & A06; they are also BMP-PC258 and BMP-PC259 on the James City County property system. James City County considers Settlers Market Shopping Center the responsible owner for both BMPs, but NTRA owns the narrow finger section of the large BMP-PC259.
 
At county direction, the Settlers Market owners renovated the BMPs a couple of years ago. However, the shopping center has not completed routine BMP maintenance, except when cited by James City County. NTRA has performed routine mowing of the BMPs as part of keeping up the appearance of the Village Walk neighborhood.
 
James City County:
 
James City County approves developments like New Town and Westwood Park. Building standards are set by the county, along with maintenance standards for some items. For example, there is a JCC BMP maintenance handbook.  
 
In the middle of downtown New Town, James City County owns Legacy Hall; it is an available rental facility.
 
The NTRA Board works with the county on routine BMP inspection and maintenance, impacts from the Westwood Park development and on neighborhood transitions from developer control.
 
James City County & New Town Associates:
 
At the beginning of New Town, JCC and New Town Associates established design guidelines and a Design Review Board that approved developer plans for the New Town area. JCC appoints 2 members to this board for indefinite terms. There is a set of standard house colors and other features outlined for each New Town neighborhood. 
 
NTRA’s role in design review is the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) established by NTRA’s governing documents. The ARC has the authority to enforce the design standards and ensure changes requested by owners are in keeping with the general appearance of a neighborhood. In addition to the design standards, the ARC has an additional set of guidelines for covering items like mailboxes and trashcans. Some situations, like solar panels, are also influenced by Virginia statute that allows for panel placement that conflicts with the previously established New Town design guidelines.
 
New Town Associates:
 
New Town Associates (our original Developer) has had an outsized impact on the New Town Residential Association. Our governing documents, Shared Amenities Agreement, other sharing agreements, and extensive cross-easements are New Town Associates’ legacy to NTRA.
 
As time goes on, NTRA continues to discover long-standing agreements that impact us in ways we hadn’t been aware of. These agreements were made between New Town Associates, the NTCA, and JCC; however, NTRA inherits the responsibility and conditions of the agreements when control of an area passes to us. We recently learned of an agreement impacting one or both of the 2 large trail bridges. The agreement calls for performing routine inspections and sharing the costs of inspections and repair/replacement. The bridge near the pool between Charlotte Park and Shirley Park carries a sewer line under the walking deck, thus bringing in the shared responsibility with the county.
 
While our annual budget reserve contributions sometimes seem large, they are necessary and make for smooth handling of ‘surprise obligations’ like these maintenance agreements.
 
Going Forward:
 
The web of New Town and the number of related entities make managing NTRA much more complex than most Virginia homeowner associations. The NTRA Board remains committed to serving its owners and residents in the best way possible and also to continuing to maintain and strengthen the partner relationships that make New Town the unique and vibrant community that it is.
Westwood Park Rezoning Hearing Moving Forward on April 14th
Posted on April 9, 2026 7:55 AM by Mary Cheston
 
The twice postponed public hearing on the Westwood Park Development to be built adjacent to New Town on Eastern State Hospital land will be held during the Board of Supervisors (BOS) April 14th meeting which starts at 5PM. (The meeting will be held at the County Government Center Board Room, 101 Mounts Bay Road.) Westwood Park’s rezoning is scheduled as the fourth public hearing of the evening, following a hearing on the proposed property tax rate increase and another on the JCC 2027-28 budget.
 
According to the latest JCC Staff report, ABVA has not submitted any changes to its application since the February 2026 BOS hearing deferral. However, the hearing package includes a letter from AES Consulting Engineers, ABVA’s engineering firm, in response to comments submitted for the February hearing by the NTRA Board of Directors. The Board had asked the county to significantly improve the planned stormwater prevention mechanisms for Westwood Park. Per the AES reply, “ABVA stands ready to fully complete the work associated with Shirley Park and to ensure the development of Westwood Park does not negatively impact the residents of New Town.”
 
No BOS agenda item is planned in April related to D.R. Horton’s Cardinal Ridge development on the remaining larger parcel of Eastern State Hospital land.
 
Excerpt from latest Westwood Park JCC Staff Report:
 
“CHANGES MADE SINCE THE FEBRUARY 10, 2026, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING
None.
 
CHANGES MADE SINCE THE OCTOBER 14, 2025, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING; these changes represent the most current application information 
On December 9, 2025, the Board of Supervisors approved Case No. LU-20-0002 to change the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map designation of the subject property from Federal, State, or County Land to the Mixed Use Level 1, Small Town or Suburban Center, designation.
 
The applicants have reduced the proposed residential density of the development from 176 units, comprised of 86 single-family detached and 90 single-family attached and multifamily units, to a total of 155 units, comprised of 82 single-family detached units and 73 single-family attached and multifamily units.
 
Adjusting for the reduction in the number of units, the applicants adjusted Proffer No. 8 to increase the per unit cash contribution from $1,276.81 to $1,451.61 so that a total cash contribution of $225,000 will be provided to the County to be used for a stream restoration project on or near the property.
 
The applicants have also revised the proposed design guidelines to specify that commercial and mixed use buildings shall be two to three stories in height to align with the Mixed Use Level 1 description.”
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