Town Crier Articles

New Town Poolside Social a Great Success
Posted on September 1, 2026 6:47 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
 
The NTRA Activities Committee hosted a Poolside Social on August 7th at 7:00 p.m., bringing together approximately 60 residents for an enjoyable evening of food, music, and community fellowship.
 
Guests were treated to delicious nibbles catered by Anatolia Bar & Grill, which was enjoyed by all in attendance. The evening was made even more special by the fabulous live music provided by Joe's Day Off, whose performance created the perfect atmosphere for a summer gathering.
 
Residents had the opportunity to relax by the pool, visit with neighbors, and make new friends while enjoying a beautiful summer evening. The strong turnout and positive feedback from attendees made the event an overall success.
 
The Activities Committee would like to thank everyone who attended and helped make the Poolside Social such a memorable and enjoyable night. We look forward to seeing everyone at future community events.
This Friday is Our Summer Poolside Social
Posted on August 1, 2026 7:00 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
 
Kicking Off Summer With A Splash
Posted on July 1, 2026 6:45 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
 
The New Town Residential Association (NTRA) hosted the annual Pizza Party at the pool to kick off the summer season. The weather cooperated by providing sunny skies and moderate temperatures. Approximately 65 New Town residents shared beachballs, picked out summer themed sunglasses, and caught up with neighbors. Lunch, provided by the NTRA Activities Committee, included pizza, watermelon, chips, and ice cream novelties.
 
Many thanks to the amazing volunteers from the NTRA Activities Committee; as well as the Pool Committee volunteers, lifeguards and maintenance teams who contributed to another fantastic NTRA event.
 
The next NTRA Activities Committee pool event is August 7th.
 
 
 
A Primer on the Division of Labor in the New Town Residential Association
Posted on July 1, 2026 6:44 AM by Jack Espinal, Treasurer
 
As a followup to Everett Lunsford's  April primer article on “New Town”, let’s focus on our homeowners association. There are four specific entities in the New Town Residential Association (NTRA).
 
The Board of Directors - this is the Association’s governing body. Who are we? Five volunteer members elected to staggered terms.
  • Established by the Association’s Articles of Incorporation to serve Members of the NTRA
  • Officers that legally represent the corporation, per the NTRA Bylaws
    • President (Must be a member of the Board)
    • Vice President
    • Secretary
    • Treasurer
(We also have created non-voting support positions for an Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer.)
  • Fiduciary responsibility to the Association and its Members
  • Formally makes decisions for the Association at monthly Board meetings
NTRA Committees – staffed by volunteers from throughout New Town.
  • Appointed by the NTRA Board
  • Assist the Board in the management of the community
  • Governed by a Board-approved Charter
  • Generally, bound by the same rules as the NTRA Board
We have one very special committee, the Architectural Review Committee (ARC), which is the only Committee that can make independent decisions on behalf of the Association.
  • Interacts through our management company directly with residents
  • Evaluates proposed changes to the exteriors of homes
  • Ensures that the look and feel of the community is retained
  • Ensures compliance with the New Town Master Plan and ARC guidelines
  • ARC decisions can be appealed to the Board of Directors
Our Management Company or Managing Agent – Chesapeake Bay Management (CBM).
Paid to run operations, i.e. perform day-to-day tasks for the community. Staffed by one manager and an administrative assistant. The Management Company works directly for the Board of Directors.
 
CBM's duties include:
  • Collecting assessments
  • Maintaining financial documents
  • Conducting exterior home inspections and follow-up
  • Managing violations
  • Obtaining proposals from contractors
  • Organizing and providing support for meetings
  • Overseeing work performed by contractors
  • Responding to owner questions and concerns
As you can imagine communications between each of these four entities is critical.
FAQ: What should residents do when they notice a streetlight problem?
Posted on July 1, 2026 6:42 AM by Town Crier Staff
(With thanks for the reminder and edits from David Carter)
 
All homeowners should become familiar with the NTRA website which provides a wealth of information including a simple means of reporting problems of any kind through our ticketing system.
 
From the MENU, under the RESIDENTS tab, select “REPORT AN ISSUE.”  From the drop down menu choose  “STREETLIGHT PROBLEM.” 
 
Fill in requested information to help speed the repair:
  • A pole number is attached near the base of every streetlight (see photo showing number 2 CB 1) that conveys information to the electrician who will be dispatched to change the bulb or for repair. 
  • Noting the address of the nearest home or intersection is helpful, but the electrician really needs the exact pole number to match with the neighborhood wiring.
  • Be specific with details if you are reporting something other than an electrical issue; for example, physical damage to the light pole, broken glass in the globe or a disconnected armature. The situation may require someone other than an electrician.
Also if you observe streetlights on during the day, note and report these also. We don’t need to burn these lights when the sun’s out after all we’re paying for the electricity!
 
Sometimes there may be a wait on the repair for efficiency reasons because items are batched together for correction. 
 
While this article addresses streetlights, please note to report a power outage call Dominion Power at 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) or use the Dominion Energy app on your cell phone to report an issue. 
 
Keeping the streetlights working adds safety and security to our community, so thank you for keeping the lights on.
 
Batter Up! Baseball Fun Enjoyed by All
Posted on June 1, 2026 6:57 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
 
The New Town Residential Association in association with the William and Mary athletics department held its Second Annual Baseball/Picnic Event! Under beautiful sunny skies, over 45 New Town residents attended the W&M baseball game against Elon University on Sunday, May 3rd for food, friendship, and fun. With a wonderful field level picnic area along the 3rd base line, community members enjoyed traditional baseball picnic food and had great views of the game. 
 
Did someone mention food?  Hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, apple pie, brownies, and more were provided by the Activities Committee. Several winners came away with some fun door prizes including a W&M Team poster signed by all of the players, and a basketball signed by the women’s basketball team and coaches.
  
Many thanks to the amazing volunteers from the NTRA Activities Committee as well as the other volunteers who helped organize and present another fantastic NTRA event. Thanks to the William & Mary Athletics office for all of their work and cooperation for another New Town/WM event. Thanks also to our volunteer photographers for these pictures!  

Look for more NTRA Activities Committee events coming up this summer, starting with the June 6th Pool Pizza Party!
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
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.
 
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.
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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