Town Crier Articles

 

DATE:   Thursday, September 3  

PLACE:  Legacy Hall, 4301 New Town Avenue

TIME:   7:00 PM

 

The New Town Residential Association invites residents, their friends and families, and guests to gather to remember this tragic day which changed so many lives. Share your memories of 9/11 and its impact on your life. Featuring a panel discussion of four New Town residents who were involved in the U.S. government's response as well as working near the New York twin towers. A reception and time for conversation will follow. 

 

 

 

DATE:   Wednesday, September 30 

 
PLACE:  NTRA Meeting Space, 5118 Center Street
TIME:   12 Noon

 

You have no doubt seen the green and white PORCH Food Drive signs that appear throughout New Town around the second Saturday of the month. These signs advertise our community effort to collect food and personal hygiene products to benefit those in need.

 

How does PORCH work?

 

 

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.

We all know how pretty Ivy is!  However, do you know the reasons why it should not be planted or grown in New Town flower beds?

 

Ivy has several drawbacks that can impact your garden negatively. While English Ivy has traditionally been recommended as a fast-growing ground cover, that is precisely what makes it so bad in a flower bed.

 

English Ivy has been labeled as invasive in both the United States and Canada. THINK TWICE BEFORE PLANTING IT IN YOUR NEW TOWN FLOWER BEDS! 

 

Here are five reasons against growing English Ivy in your flower beds:

 

If you'd like some alternate ideas on what to plant, consult this list of resources provided by the NTRA Landscape Advisory Committee. 

 

 

 

James City County offers grants from time to time for area groups and homeowner associations looking to spruce up common areas. The New Town Residential Association has utilized these matching grant awards for landscape improvements in our community already. The matching grants of up to $500 are available to enhance the sustainability and sense of community of neighborhoods through the implementation of environmentally sustainable projects such as water conservation efforts, native and pollinator garden planting, and installation of erosion control measures.

 

The Good Neighbor Grant Application deadline for submissions is September 15  at 4 p.m. Grant award amounts are contingent upon the number of applications received and available funding. For more information, call 757-259-4080 and contact our community manager or a member of the NTRA Board for further details if there's a project you would like to be considered here in New Town.

On July 14th, James City County’s Board of Supervisors narrowly approved rezoning for Westwood Park, a largely residential development next to New Town on Eastern State Hospital surplus property with a 3-2 vote. Of specific interest to New Town residents, during the public hearing JCC staff announced that ABVA had added two proffers to their application to address access to the development – Proffer 16 stating “there shall be no access via Olive Drive to the property” and Proffer 17 to add an emergency vehicle access point during site plan development (tentatively shown as via the New Town Commercial Association maintenance facility area on Discovery Park Boulevard.) 

 

Stephen Rodgers, JCC Planning Commission member, reviewed the Commission’s April 2025 recommendation to deny, which was driven by concerns that the applicant had not done enough to mitigate stormwater and environmental impacts. He noted that ABVA had made several changes in the past year to help address these objections. Vernon Geddy representing the applicant, ABVA, and four JCC residents testified at the hearing with subsequent Board discussion centering on egress, reduced density, stormwater issues, and housing affordability. In response to questions, ABVA’s Michael Youngblood who developed most neighborhoods in our community, explained that of the proposed 139 housing units, he expects to sell the 82 single family homes for between $700,000 and $1 million, and the market rate townhouses would be in the $475,000 - $600,000 range. (At least 28 units are committed to be affordable housing.) 

 

The three supervisors who voted in favor of the development (Chair John McGlennon, Vice Chair Ruth Larson and Powhatan member Tracy Wainwright) spoke to ABVA’s responsiveness to New Town residents’ concerns making the project more palatable. They described its “urban village” appeal as being attractive for young people and their families. McGlennon said the reduction in the development’s proposed size and scale and integration of affordable units swayed him. All three commented on affordable housing as being a key consideration for this PSA location while recognizing that Powhatan Creek issues need to be addressed more strongly with the State because the project’s stormwater restoration fund contribution alone won’t do much to fix things. 

 

Supervisor Null said the Board must consider safety and egress for all developments. The addition of an emergency vehicle outlet alone did not provide two roads for residents’ access.

 

Supervisor Icenhour outlined the pros and cons of the development. He based his no vote on the project’s likely cost to James City County due to the location’s cumulative impacts on the Powhatan subwatershed and sewer systems. This area of the Powhatan Creek Subwatershed is headed towards being a “sewage way.” The projected $2 million cost of stream restoration for the Eastern State property and the need for extensive sewer system improvements will be major infrastructure investments for all JCC taxpayers. He felt it was unwise to keep adding to housing inventory that further degrades the sewer system without a better idea of the long-term solution, citing the “7,000 units that have been approved but not yet built in the county.”

DATE:   Thursday, September 3 

 

PLACE:  Legacy Hall
TIME:   7:00 PM

 

Virtually every American above a certain age has a clear memory of what they were doing on September 11, 2001 when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing 3,000 people and creating terror and confusion throughout our country. These attacks had a deep impact on American society and politics and led to the global war on terror.

       

On Thursday, September 3, the New Town Residential Association invites residents, their friends and families and others to remember together this tragic day, which changed so many lives.  

     

Drawing on an oral history of 9/11, our commemoration will begin with residents speaking the words of first responders and decisionmakers as well as those in the towers, on the planes and others.  Then, speakers Tony Zotto, who was head of Vice President Cheney’s Secret Service detail, Leslie Lautenslager, aide to Secretary of State Colin Powell, and two New Town residents, Bob Hyatt and Tim Weidman, who worked in buildings close to the Twin Towers, will share their experiences. Finally, we will ask members of the audience to share their memories of the day.  

   

Afterwards, there will be a reception and opportunity to continue sharing  memories.