Town Crier Articles

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.”
Upcoming W&M Baseball Game and Lunch
Posted on April 9, 2026 7:50 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
Categories: Life in New Town
 
Stories From the Life of a U.S. Secret Service Agent
Posted on April 9, 2026 7:45 AM by Liz Fones-Wolf
 
At our March Noon Time talk, New Town residents got the inside scoop about life as a Secret Service agent from Tony Zotto.  His friendly, modest and easy-going manner hardly suggests that he spent a career involving tremendous responsibility for the safety of our country’s leaders and constant vigilance.
 
After early stints with the FBI and State Department’s diplomatic security program, Tony Zotto was a member of the United States Secret Service for 21 years, serving in a variety of capacities. He served on and led the personal protective teams guarding presidents and vice-presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Al Gore, and Dick Cheney, and presidential candidates, including Bob Dole.  Indeed, he spent almost five years guarding Reagan.
 
Rather than giving a formal talk, Tony shared a series of reminiscences and stories as well as fielding questions from New Towners.  For instance, he provided fascinating details about his job.  He noted that in public situations agents always kept a hand on the principal, that is the person they are guarding, in order to immediately be able to pull them to safety.
 
Tony recalled that the political campaigns were particularly “brutal” for the  Secret Service agents.  He spent so much time in Iowa, site of one of the important early primaries, that he knew every city in the state, and he shuddered recalling standing in the cold during rallies in the midst of New Hampshire winters.  
 
Tony also worked with the Secret Service advance teams that made security preparations whenever the president or vice-president traveled. For him, this was one of the most important parts of the job.  Every movement of the president requires intricate planning, involving at least a week’s work on site before trips within the U.S.  Overseas trips required a month’s preparation, in coordination with local police and security units.  In 1988, Tony worked closely with the KGB in planning Reagan’s meeting with Gorbachev.
 
It was failures in advance work that resulted in successful attacks.  He noted that before President Reagan was shot in March 1981, the press was allowed to get close to the president and there was little effort to separate the press from the public. By mingling with reporters, would-be assassin John Hinkley Jr. was able to shoot Reagan.
 
Tony was with Vice President Dick Cheney on September 11, and he will speak again at a Noon Time talk in early September as part of a panel exploring that event.   
 
Our next New Town talk is Thursday, April 16.  Liz Fones-Wolf, Professor of History, emeritus, West Virginia University, will discuss the history of American women in the U.S. military during World War II.
Easter Egg Hunt - A Spring Success!
Posted on April 9, 2026 7:40 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
Categories: Life in New Town
 
The 2026 Easter Egg Hunt was a lot of fun. Beautiful weather, about 1,000 hidden eggs, bubbles wands and photos with the Easter Bunny. Approximately 100 people attended.  What a great time!
 
 
   
 
Updates on Glo Fiber Installation in New Town
Posted on March 1, 2026 6:55 AM by Sommer Wrona
 
As the Glo Fiber installation project continues, here are some updates and important contact information.
 
DESIGN and INSTALLATION:
 
For our community, every attempt was made by Glo Fiber Engineering to limit handholes (boxes) to the area between sidewalk and street or to other common areas. The design also placed the handholes between homes or at the ends of blocks of townhomes, so as to minimize the impact on view and landscape.
 
New Town is a difficult community in which to do this type of work. Our homes are very close together, our lots are quite small, and our existing utilities take up much of the designated easements. New utilities (such as Glo Fiber) cannot be placed within 2 feet of an existing utility. In addition, the allowable margin of error in utility marking is also 2 feet. In communities with more available space, the handholes can be placed 4 feet away from a marked utility with ease. In New Town, our tight spaces don’t allow for that—the crews are working very carefully and digging many spotting holes to ensure that our existing utility lines are not damaged.  
 
To date, installation has followed the design plan in most areas. Unfortunately, in several instances, handholes have had to be placed in utility easements in owner yards rather than in common areas. Please know that this was a last resort--when it has occurred, it is because no other option was available.
 
RESTORATION:
 
While crews are working in an area, temporary restoration is being performed at the end of each workday for safety purposes. New Town is divided into three sections or project numbers for Glo Fiber installation. Once a section is fully completed, permanent restoration will occur, with proper grading, grass seed and straw. As the weather warms up, sinkholes are appearing around boxes placed this winter. This is inevitable as the ground thaws and then dries out. The contractor will ensure that sinkholes are repaired at the appropriate time.
 
If you experience damage to your property or need additional restoration work, please file a ticket with the Glo Fiber customer service department: 1-833-926-8456. These calls are answered by real people who log your repair needs; all tickets are then followed through to completion. Contacting the Glo Fiber customer service department and opening a ticket is the only way to ensure your repair request will be recorded and addressed. Repairs and restoration work have a one year warranty after completion.
 
If a handhole has been placed near your home, the top may be painted to match the surrounding grass or mulch. Most handholes are the service point for 3-4 homes and will not be accessed frequently. You may place an easily moveable planter or lightweight non-breakable decorative item over the box. The box will need to be accessed when one of the homes it serves begins or ends service or when someone in the area requests a general utility marking for a home or landscape project.
 
SUPPORT:
 
If you have questions regarding the Glo Fiber product or project, you may contact Glo Fiber:
 
Phone: 1-833-926-8456
 
Email: service@glofiber.com
 
Chat: visit www.glofiber.com and look for the purple bubble in the lower righthand corner during times when Chat is available
 
Visit: the Williamsburg Glo Fiber store is located at 218 Monticello Ave
Something Bright Is Blooming in New Town! 
Posted on March 1, 2026 6:50 AM by NTRA Landscape Advisory Committee
 
If you’ve noticed a little extra buzz around the neighborhood lately, there’s a good reason for it! Over the past several years, the Landscape Advisory Committee has been hard at work helping keep New Town beautiful and welcoming. From our annual spring clean-up event to planting flowers that brighten our common areas, these projects have truly been a community effort — powered by the enthusiasm and generosity of neighbors of all ages.
 
One of our favorite newer traditions has become the fall bulb-planting event. As the weather cools, volunteers gather with gloves, shovels, and plenty of good spirits to plant tulips and daffodils that will reward us with vibrant color in the spring.
 
This past fall was no exception. A lively group of 15–16 volunteers — including one enthusiastic helper just 8 years old — joined forces to tuck hundreds of bulbs into their winter homes. Plantings took place throughout areas that have been turned over from the developers, including Charlotte Park favorites like Roper Park, Elizabeth Davis Blvd, the corner of Casey and Center Street, Lydias Park in Savannah Square, and Chelsea Green Park.
 
While spring may seem like a long way off, there are already clues about what’s to come. Keep an eye out for our cheerful “Blooming Soon” signs sprinkled around the neighborhood! These markers, generously provided by Kurt and Susan Schlimme, not only build anticipation for the colorful displays ahead but also help ensure our landscapers know exactly where these hidden treasures lie.
 
We can’t wait to see the neighborhood come alive with color — and we hope you’ll enjoy the blooms as much as we enjoyed planting them!
 
2026 Easter Egg Hunt - Bring the Family!
Posted on March 1, 2026 6:45 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
Categories: Life in New Town
Engineering Study Finds Widespread Storm Drainage Issues in Shirley Park
Posted on February 1, 2026 7:00 AM by Kate Hawkins
 
On Wednesday, January 28,  Zach Shepherd, PE, RS, with Giles Flythe Engineers presented the initial findings of its Shirley Park Transition Study at Legacy Hall and over Zoom. To develop the study, Mr. Shepherd and colleague Brandon Smith, PE, walked the neighborhood with NTRA Board members and Shirley Park residents to hear first-hand concerns and compare their observations to the original development design plan. The resulting study documented structural and cosmetic issues in the common spaces of Shirley Park and provided rough estimates for the cost to repair, replace, or redesign those deficiencies.
 
Thirteen of the report's 20 line item deficiencies were related to drainage, aligning with residents' previously expressed concerns about grading, bioretention areas, erosion, and the main stormwater ponds. The engineers found that multiple bioretention facilities throughout the community were not properly constructed. Overall, the performance and long-term maintenance of the stormwater system are negatively affected, and investigation by "the Civil Engineer of Record" was recommended.
 
The expenses related to several larger line items, for example "Evaluation and design of grading and stormwater management," could not be estimated without a more detailed survey. The cost for repairs that could be estimated came to nearly $70,000, but surveying to determine the scope of the "TBD" line items may nearly double that. While Mr. Shepherd could not formally provide a comprehensive estimate without survey results, he suggested the total repairs could easily reach several hundred thousand dollars.
 
The NTRA Board commissioned the study in anticipation of the property developers — ABVA — initiating the turnover of the neighborhood to the association. While the developers have not yet proposed a date for that turnover, the study will provide the NTRA negotiating leverage to hold ABVA responsible for conducting or funding the repairs. (For more background about the turnover, read the December Town Crier article, "Q&A: What Is Going on with Shirley Park Transition?")
 
Also discussed in the meeting were the potential need for legal representation due to the extensive nature of the repairs, as well as concerns that James City County has not had greater involvement in assessing the discrepancies between approved design and executed construction.
 
Several Shirley Park residents brought up additional common area issues during the meeting, and Mr. Shepherd will work with the NTRA Board to conduct further observations and finalize the study.
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