Town Crier Articles

 

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.