President’s Corner
After learning that the coronavirus was
spiking this summer in our area, the
board decided to cancel its August 12 meeting. This is the
third-straight board meeting we had to skip. We have discussed with Abbitt the
alternatives: virtual or remote meetings, or an in-person meeting that would
allow for social distancing. We must try one or the other soon.
Meanwhile, we
were able to complete our second owner survey, with over 50 owner responses
received. Among other things, we learned that 63% of those who responded feel
that hiring Abbitt Management one year ago was an improvement; 85% said they
made most of the repairs Abbitt’s inspector cited last spring; and 36 out of 43 respondents are in favor of
a cap on rentals.
These surveys are tremendously helpful to your board, for they give us guidance on what owners consider priorities for our HOA. More later.
What are Top 10 things All new residents should know?
What are some of the things you wish everyone in Stratford Manor would remember to do? We posed that question to SMA board members recently, and came up with the list below. See if you agree.
Some of us notice
that newer residents often commit violations of rules that most of us take for
granted. Some are trivial, but others can be downright annoying to the rest of
us.
Rather than count on new buyers finding all the do’s and
don’ts in the binder they receive before closing, we developed this cheat sheet
that focuses on what we see as the common offenses, large and small. It will be added to the Welcome Basket for
newcomers, but we thought all of us could benefit from these reminders. Here
they are:
1.
Do not
put out your bulk trash prior to the weekend before pickup. Nothing we can
think of causes more complaints than a large pile of trash on or near the curb
in the wrong week. Neighbors yell “eyesore”, and want somebody to do something
about it. It’s easy to get the collection weeks mixed up, but a solution is
handy: clip out the trash schedule in each newsletter and tape it to your
refrigerator door. It will tell you when the next bulk waste pickup is
scheduled (the truck comes every two weeks; the same day as the recycling
truck).
2.
Don’t
leave your trash or recycling bins out for days at a time. So you follow
the schedule and set out your bins on time. But then, you let them linger at
the curb for days. Do us all a favor and retrieve your bins by the next
morning. It’s a rule. And when you put out your bins, remember to leave 3-4
feet between them. If the truck can’t grab your bin, it won’t get emptied.
3.
If you
decide to change your exterior paint colors, get approval before doing it. Most
owners appreciate uniformity in the exterior look of homes in our community.
Before picking up that paint brush to change the color of your door, windows,
porch or trim, submit an architectural review application, downloadable at
stratfordmanornn.blogspot.com. If for no
other reason, it will protect you in the case of an error.
4. Do not allow your visitors to park on the curb. We all recognize the need for contractors doing work in our community to sometimes park on the curb nearest their customer. Also understandable is the brief stay of a case worker checking on a patient. Otherwise, parking on a Stratford Manor curb is prohibited. That’s because it can be a hazard to others. Curb parking could also result in the offender’s vehicle being towed, so if your visitor needs to find a parking space, direct them to a nearby public street.
5. Do not use your front porch as a storage area. It may seem inconsequential to you, but if we all stored coolers, tools, and bikes on our front porches, Stratford Manor could pass for a junk yard!
6. Do not speed anywhere in Stratford Manor. Our speed limit throughout the community is 15 mph. Any faster, you run the risk of hitting seniors walking or children playing. Please slow down! It only takes a couple of minutes more to get where you are going.
7. If you see a crime being committed, call
the police at 911. Sending an email to Abbitt or calling a SMA board member
the next morning will be too late. The SMA does not have a police force or
security, nor do we have the power to arrest. If you witness something illegal,
call 911. That’s what it’s for! Just
keep in mind that violating an SMA rule is not the same as a crime. The police
do not enforce SMA rules.
8. If you have a complaint about a neighbor, contact Abbitt. Sending an emailed complaint to Associations@abbitt.com is the preferred method for registering a complaint about a neighbor or situation. This will ensure that the message gets seen by Abbitt and the appropriate board members. And please don’t send in hearsay evidence of a violation. If you are complaining, we assume you witnessed it yourself.
9. Question about a board decision or activity? Send a note to our Gmail address. If you are unclear about a rule, or want the board to consider an idea of yours, write to the SMA email address, stratfordnn@gmail.com.
10 Last but not least, follow proper dog etiquette.
If you are a dog owner, remember that your pet must be leashed while
outside, no matter how cute and friendly you think he is. Also, you are
required to pick up any dog waste your pet creates, on your property or in the
common areas. That includes your patio, which may be fenced in but becomes a
source of offensive odors for your neighbors if dog waste is allowed to sit.
If you have a pet peeve about your neighbors that you think should be on this list, drop a note to the SMA Newsletter at our email address,stratfordnn@gmail.com. Who knows? We may get enough nominees to do a “Top 10—Part 2” in a future issue.
Stratford Manor News Briefs
Board nominees sought—Nominating Committee Chair Linda Wahlert is looking for at least one good man—or woman—to run for a seat on the SMA board in November. A total of three seats—those currently held by John Gullett, Satori Gregorakis and Ms. Wahlert herself—will be up for grabs at the annual meeting.
But Messrs. Gullett and Gregorakis have informed Ms. Wahlert that they intend to run for reelection, leaving hers as the only seat currently without a candidate. Nominations may be made from the floor for any of the three seats at next November’s meeting, but the nominating process starts now so that the board is assured of enough candidates to fill all vacancies.
If you think you might want to volunteer, contact Ms. Walhert at 570-1296 or at lindawahlert@hotmail.com.
President John Gullett said the field inspector for DLM Architects, the firm conducting the new study update, visited the community on August 17. “The physical analysis he conducted is one of two parts of the study,” said Gullett. “The other is a financial analysis that provides information necessary to help us determine if we have sufficient reserves.” He said the study should be completed by September.
Storm damages 2 homes
When Tropical Storm Isaias hit Hampton Roads on
August 4, Stratford Manor residents braced for the worst-- but with two
exceptions we dodged a bullet.
Two homes on Wellesley Drive suffered damaged roofs as large tree branches
slammed into their units at about 4 a.m. Thankfully, there were no injuries.
The homeowners called their insurance companies to
repair their roofs, and the SMA arranged for its landscaping firm and tree
service company to clean up the common area and trim the damaged trees.
Elsewhere in Stratford Manor, most homes saw the
lights flicker but stay on during the storm, and the heavy rain drained away
quickly.
What was left was tons of storm debris throughout
the community—debris that Year Round Landscaping (YRL) began cleaning up the
same day as the storm.
Nancy Allen, who supervises YRL, said the workers hauled
away some five 16-foot trailer loads of debris through August 18. “And that was
mostly from the front of the homes,” she said.
At press time, the landscaper was concentrating on cleaning up the smaller branches and other debris, which may take another two trailer loads. “It was a huge amount of storm debris,” said Ms. Allen, “but they will get it done.”
Owner Spotlight: Barb and Bob Lucas
They are a familiar sight in Stratford Manor: An older couple walking the length of Wellesley Drive twice a day. But look a little closer and you will see something unusual—they are picking up litter along the road and sidewalks, all the way up to the bus stop on Warwick Boulevard!
“It’s just something we started when we moved in here three years ago,” said Barb Lucas. “We walk for exercise, but the trash thrown on the ground tarnished the beauty of the walk, so we decided to do something about it.” She and her husband, Bob Lucas, carry plastic bags with them to contain all the “treasures” they pick up. Their finds have included underwear, a new shirt with tags, and even spent ammunition.
Barb and Bob, who live at 156 Wellesley Dr., came to the Peninsula in 1984 when Bob was in the Air Force. She operated the Briar Patch tea room in Poquoson years ago, sold it and bought the Boxwood Inn in Lee Hall. She sold that restaurant when they moved into Stratford Manor in 2017.
Bob, who recently retired from consulting work with the Dept. of Defense, joined the SMA board at last November’s owners meeting. He heads up the board’s Infrastructure Replacement/Repair Committee.
“We love it here,” said Bob. “It’s a nice quiet and safe neighborhood, and we have made lots of friends.” And the new shirt they found? She washed it and donated it to Goodwill.
Do you know someone who might make an interesting “Spotlight on Owners” subject? Send your suggestion to stratfordnn@gmail.com. They must be an owner who lives in Stratford Manor.
Trash Pickup Schedule
Aug.
18—recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Aug.
25—Trash only
Sept.
1—recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Sept.
9—Wed. Pickup due to holiday—Trash
only
Sept.
15----Recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Sept.
22---Trash only
Sept.
29---Recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Oct.
6---Trash only
Oct.
13—recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Oct.
20—Trash only
Oct. 27--Recycling, bulk pickup & trash
If your container was missed, call
757-933-2311 within 24 hours.
Trash and recycling receptacles should be curbside
no earlier than the evening before scheduled collection day and removed from
the street by the morning after collections.
