Town Crier Articles

Shirley Park, the sixth and final official New Town neighborhood, is nearing completion with a “turnover” expected to occur in Spring 2026. This Q&A explains what this means for New Town residents and the New Town Residential Association (NTRA).

 

 

Turnover is the process by which the developer (“ABVA”) transfers the ownership of the infrastructure and common areas of Shirley Park to those responsible for the long-term maintenance of the neighborhood. For example, NTRA will assume full responsibility for the common areas (think: green spaces) including some of our streets/alleys and walkways, and the drainage systems, including the stormwater BMPs (ponds). The primary goal of NTRA is to ensure the project is completed in a satisfactory manner to limit the future liability of the homeowners association. Our governing documents (Section 4.9 of the New Town Residential Master Declaration) state that these common areas shall convey “in a condition acceptable to the Association.”

 

The Virginia Department of Transportation will take over the primary streets, sidewalks and sewer lines. Other areas may be under the authority of James City County.

 

 

The developer makes a formal request to the county, VDOT and NTRA for the turnover. The county’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the development was built according to approved plans, as well as to sign-off on sound wastewater management practices. The county holds a type of surety bond on the developer that is released upon satisfactory completion of the project as laid out in its JCC approved plans. VDOT’s focus is roads, public sidewalks, and sewers. NTRA will focus on common areas, landscaping issues, sidewalks/curbs, collection areas, and drainage. These features must meet what was in the original plans for the neighborhood – i.e. additional wish list ideas are not a consideration.

 

 

In August, the NTRA Board appointed a Shirley Park Turnover Committee, comprised of Shirley Park residents. There are nine committee members and the committee is chaired by John Lewis. The committee’s role is advisory, and the Board ultimately votes on whether to “accept” Shirley Park from the developer. Sommer Wrona is the primary Board liaison to the committee.

 

A key piece of the turnover process is an engineering study conducted by an outside firm (see NTRA Policy 5.1-Turnover or Acceptance of Assets). Think of this as a “property inspection” for the entire community. This study will be conducted by the Virginia Beach office of Giles Flythe Engineers. 

 

Another very important part of this process is input from residents, and you may report any issues to shirleyparktransition@gmail.com. You should have seen flyers around the neighborhood or in your inbox. We encourage you to include photos/videos of any issues you see. Please note, the transition cannot address issues on your personal property or home, except possibly as they relate to broader community issues, such as drainage. To date, more than two dozen emails have been received documenting issues with drainage, landscaping, sidewalks, common areas, roadways, and collection areas. Based on the recommendations contained in the engineering study, this residents punch list and other factors, the Committee will consider its recommendations for the Board including whether additional investigation is needed.

 

 

After holding its initial organizational meeting, the committee participated in a detailed walk-thru of landscape issues with Sommer and representatives from Phan’s Landscaping. The committee has subsequently met with representatives from James City County regarding stormwater management and accessibility issues. These conversations are ongoing and we may work with other county departments as needed.

The committee held an introductory call with the engineering firm in November to share concerns and outline priorities. Giles Flythe Engineers is expected to be onsite in the coming weeks, and the committee will have ongoing dialog. ABVA’s representative had requested a preliminary meeting with the committee but this has not yet been scheduled.

 

 

Please remain vigilant about observing and reporting any deficiencies you see in our beautiful neighborhood! We regularly monitor the inbox at shirleyparktransition@gmail.com and welcome your questions, comments and concerns. We will keep you informed as the transition process progresses.

It’s not too late to get your car ready for the worst of the coming winter weather. The following are some maintenance tips and suggestions from me to you with help from AAA and Bridgestone to help keep us safe and avoid an inconvenient and time-consuming roadside wait for assistance.  

 

• Get the battery tested: On winter’s coldest mornings, we’ll need our car’s battery to be fully charged and in good condition to start the engine. 
• Examine antifreeze levels: Antifreeze is a mixture of water and ethylene glycol, or propylene glycol. It’s essential for keeping our vehicle’s engine functioning properly no matter the season. Without it, our car’s engine could overheat in the summer or seize up in the winter.
• Add repellent to windshield fluid: Scraping ice-covered windshields and windows is an arduous, chilly task. Adding a hydrophobic repellent such as Rain-X to your windshield, will ease the scraping process.
• Keep window washer fluid full: Replace windshield wiper fluid often.
• Maintain window defrosters in working order: Being unable to see clearly before and even behind us creates unsafe driving conditions.
• Check (and possibly replace) your tires:
  • As temperatures drop, so will tire pressures—typically by 1 PSI (pounds per square inch) for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Proper tire pressure levels can be found in the owner’s manual or on a sticker typically located on the driver’s door jamb. 
  • Examine tires for tread depth. If there is any uneven wearing and cupping, then we may encounter difficulty driving in winter. Tires with less than 4/32” of tread have reduced traction in wet and snowy conditions.   
• Check your headlights: Snow, dirt and grime hinder the headlight’s ability to illuminate the way. Consider purchasing a headlight restoration kit, which will restore the headlight housing ensuring the best visibility. These kits range from $20 - $40 and are available at most automotive stores.  
• Have a professional check the brakes: Car brakes don’t always give a warning when they’re worn low or experiencing other problems.  
• Consult your owner’s manual for guidance: First and foremost, be sure to follow instructions in your car’s owner manual.      

December 10 – 7:00 PM – New Town Residential Association Annual Members Meeting and Election of Board of Directors

Legacy Hall, 4301 New Town Avenue

 

December 12 – 6:30 PM - New Town Residential Association Annual Holiday Party

Legacy Hall, 4301 New Town Avenue

 

Every weekend in December – Visit with Santa Claus on Saturday and Sunday afternoons thru December 21

12:00pm-3:30pm

 

Santa’s Workshop

4915 Courthouse Street, located to the right of Regal New Town

 

It’s time to prepare for a new year in the life of our New Town Residential Association (NTRA) Board of Directors. Four of the five positions on the NTRA Board will be up for election in November-December. The residents that we elect will guide our Association into the future. 

 

Three of our present Board members are completing their 2-year terms of service and the term of one Board-elected member will end in December. (We are seeking three volunteers to serve for 2 years and one volunteer for a 1 year term in order to balance out/stagger future terms of office.) WE NEED YOU! Fresh ideas of new Board members can help improve our community.  

 

 

Candidates may come from any neighborhood, but per our by-laws we cannot have more than two Board members from any single NTRA neighborhood. Our returning Board member, Sommer Wrona, lives in Charlotte Park. Therefore, one candidate from Charlotte Park and two candidates from each of our other neighborhoods could be elected to the 2026-2027 Board.  

 

 

 - Time: A willingness to serve, and a schedule sufficiently flexible, to allow for 

- Commitment to taking seriously the legal and fiduciary responsibilities of the position. Do you have sufficient commitment and ability to function as part of a team where members must value, respect, support, and collaborate with one another so that the essential community business gets done? How about the self-management needed to keep confidential information confidential? Will you prioritize the Board’s legal responsibilities, and the best interests and welfare of the whole NTRA community over personal agendas or loyalties? 

 

- No Outstanding Violations: Candidates for the Board of Directors or any of our official committees cannot have uncleared or unaddressed violations. If you think you would be willing to serve NTRA as a Board member — please, please, please! - clear your violations before you put your name forward. 

 

 

If you believe you can handle the time commitments, the investments of self, and the responsibilities of an NTRA Board member, and are not in a violation status, you will be doing your neighbors a huge favor by becoming a candidate for our Board! 

 

Do this by sending an email by November 6, 2025 with your full contact information to ntra.secretary@gmail.com, along with a picture of yourself and a brief biographical statement. This email should include relevant vocational information, your special skills, or earned credentials, and your reasons for being willing to serve our community as a Board member.  

The first Saturday of October was a beautiful day. The bright sky and mild temperature drew New Towners out of their homes to celebrate the coming of fall at New Town’s fourth Fall Festival.  From 2:00 on, families with young children in tow, young adults, and seniors approached the Village Walk green, which was decorated with scare crows, ghosts, and pumpkins.  The pace of their steps increased, as they heard Activities Committee member Jon Tomas’s flawless rendition of a carnival barker’s patter, as he urged them to participate in the afternoon’s games, races and other activities.   

 

At our old-fashioned Fall Festival, there was something for everyone. It began with kids scrambling to find pumpkin-shaped eggs filled with candy in our fall version of the traditional Easter Egg hunt.  Children then howled with laughter as they vied to hit their opponent with a handful of whipped cream in the game Pie Face Show Down. The “losers” happily licked fingerfuls of the cream off their faces. To the delight of their parents, they also burned off energy, running from area to area where they “earned” candy as they tossed bean bags, rope rings and balls onto a variety of objects, scrambled through tunnels, stepped from box to box to box, shimmied under  the limbo pole, raced each other carrying an egg on a spoon, and hopped in old-fashioned flour sacks. Winners of the races, which were particularly popular this year, and the mummy wrap contest won prizes.   

 

 

 

The kids, however, needed no enticement to build and then destroy structures made of cardboard bricks, although one little guy built his house with no intention of letting anyone touch it. Sometimes holding hands with parents, children also happily marched to music around a giant circle of numbers as they dreamed of winning one of the three giant cookie cakes. They also expressed their artistic inclinations by painting pumpkins, which they happily took home to adorn their front steps.   

 

Teens, adults, and seniors joined in the pumpkin painting, competed in tossing bean bags at the cornhole boards, and hit a few croquet balls.  Others simply enjoyed the happy vibes of the occasion as they basked in the gentle sunshine and companionship and enjoyed the fall-themed music provided by Rick Richards.

 

   

 

Everyone enjoyed the homemade Halloween decorated cookies, the three varieties of popcorn, apples, oranges and cider, and many also enjoyed two hours of freedom from electronics and from the stresses of modern life.  Reflecting on the event, one little guy said to his mother: “Mommy, this is so much fun.  Can we do it tomorrow?” and another mother observed that her children “were beyond happy.”   

 

There are lots of other fun photos in the website Photo Album - 2025 Fall Festival Fun.

 

We would like to thank the members of the Activities Committee, including Susan Schlimme, Jon Thomas, Terri  Finn, Liz Fones-Wolf, Gayle Ducan, Ruth Burgess, Linda Ellis, and Jennifer Morgan, for organizing and staffing the Fall Festival. They and twelve other New Town volunteers, including Merry Thomas, Ken Fones-Wolf, Lynn Griswold, Tracy Burd, Angela Lesnett,  Mark Patterson, Darce Patterson, Bobbie Falquet, Anne-Isabelle Hughes and Scott Ellis, made the Fall Festival possible.    

 

The Activities Committee next is event is a Holiday Party on Friday, December 12,  6:30-9:00 at Legacy Hall.

The New Town Residential Association (NTRA) Board of Directors elects the officers of the Association (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) shortly after the annual election of Board members during the Board’s organizational meeting. Our governing documents require that the President of the Association be a Board member.  Board membership is not required for the other roles, including the Secretary and Treasurer positions. They can be New Town residents or others that are found to be qualified by the Board of Directors. Holding the position of Secretary or Treasurer is a way that renters in New Town can become involved in governing our community.

 

Currently, our Association needs a dedicated individual to serve as our Association Treasurer.  We need an individual with a strong financial background who can oversee the financial activities of the NTRA and help ensure that Chesapeake Bay Management Company is correctly managing the Association’s financial assets. If the Board is unable to find a volunteer to serve as Treasurer, it will be necessary to hire a certified public accountant to perform the service which will require an increase in owners’ general assessments.

The James City County Board of Supervisors (BOS) has not yet taken any legislative actions on the two pending development projects for Eastern State Hospital surplus land.

 

 

Jim Icenhour, BOS Chair, announced at the scheduled October 14th public hearing that the Westwood Park applicant had requested a postponement.

 

In an October 14 email to the JCC Director of Community Development, ABVA’s attorney requested that the “Board of Supervisors defer this case until its February 10, 2026 meeting. We look forward to participating in the Comprehensive Plan discussions that will take place in the meantime.” BOS voted to open the public hearing and then postpone any staff presentations until this February 2026 BOS meeting.

 

Following this agenda item, a planned public hearing on the Comprehensive Master Plan Land Use designation change for the Parcel C Eastern State Hospital property was similarly opened and then postponed until the December 9, 2025 BOS meeting. When the JCC Master Plan was updated in 2021, it retained the designation of Public Lands for the Eastern State property given the limited available information on the potential impacts of a land use change to Mixed Use. (Note: the BOS had postponed action on this Parcel C land use designation change in April 2023 until a rezoning application was submitted for consideration. ABVA’s formal application (Z-23-0004) for Westwood Park in May 2023 triggered the need for a Master Plan revision.)

 

In preparation for a December 2025 BOS vote, the Supervisors held a short discussion of the Eastern State Master Plan land use change at its October 28th BOS business meeting. JCC Staff had prepared a memorandum explaining that geographic specific language could be adopted for both Mixed Use and Economic Opportunity districts. The Chair requested that staff develop additional information on the different levels of mixed use, including the “economic opportunity designation” that might be applied to Eastern State Parcel C. Supervisors expressed concern that there was too much residential coming to the area – both from a traffic congestion and economic diversity perspective. Per their discussion, the County needs to find a balance that is “truly mixed.”

 

The Westwood Park development rezoning public hearing was called to order and remains open. Residents who have not previously commented may still submit written comments or plan to speak at the February 10, 2026 BOS meeting. Similarly, the Master Plan land use change hearing also remains open and additional public comments may also be considered at the December 9th BOS meeting. The address for comments is: Community Development, 101-A Mounts Bay Road, P.O. Box 8784, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8784 or email: community.development@jamescitycountyva. gov

 

Have you taken steps to prepare your home for the coming winter weather? After the heat of summer and the crisp, sunny days of fall, it’s hard to imagine that winter weather will soon arrive, but taking steps now to prepare your home for colder temperatures could save you money on heating bills and costly repairs, and might even help to keep you and your family safer, dryer, and warmer.

 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, has some suggestions you might want to consider to consider:      

• Insulate and weatherstrip:  Add insulation to your attic, basement, and crawl spaces. Seal drafts by applying weatherstripping to windows and doors and caulking any visible cracks.

• Protect your pipes:  Prevent frozen and burst pipes by insulating pipes in unheated areas like your garage or basement.

o   During extreme cold, let indoor faucets on exterior walls slowly drip to keep water flowing.

o   Open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air to circulate.

o   Know how to shut off your main water valve in case a pipe does burst.

• Prepare your heating system: Have a professional inspect and clean your heating system and chimney every year. Also, keep flammable materials at least three feet away from all heat sources.

• Clean gutters: Remove any debris from your gutters to prevent ice from building up and causing roof damage.

• Maintain your roof and trim trees:  Inspect your roof for loose shingles and check with a professional to ensure your roof can handle the potential weight of snow and ice. Trim any tree branches that could fall on your home during a storm.    

 

At October's noon talk, New Town resident (and Board Chair), Jack Espinal, spoke about one of his passions - bats.

 

Jack’s interest in bats began with a childhood visit to Moaning Cave In California. His first bat acquaintance was Juri, a fruit bat. We learned some bats are mammals that hibernate during the winters in caves and or migrate, depending on the species.  

 

 

We saw an informative presentation with two pictures in particular of Austin, Texas. That city has a large population of bats that residents and visitors line up at dusk to watch the flock emerge and fly over a bridge to begin their hunt for a meal of flying insects.

 

Jack reassured us that while vampires were not real, vampire bats are. However, they aren’t in the United States and usually bite hooved animals in Mexico and Central America where they live. Researchers have discovered that vampire bats have an anticoagulant in their saliva. Another bat fact that needs more research is bats rarely get cancer. Scientists have discovered they have a gene that suppresses the disease.

 

Of the 1,500 bat species. 30% are endangered. Some things we can all do to protect bats are don’t use pesticides, leave dead trees on the ground, and don’t hunt bats.

   

 

Thanks to our landscapers at Olde Capital, sporting pink bandanas and lead by owner Richard Scruggs, for their good work in preparing trails and sidewalks in support of October 4th's Run For The Hills, a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness.