Spring inspections coming soon;
Checklist can give you a head start
Abbitt Management has agreed to hold off conducting its annual spring inspections until the first week in May, giving Stratford Manor owners some notice so they can reduce the number of easy-to-fix items on Abbitt’s inspection checklist.
“We want these annual inspections to be a collaborative effort between
Abbitt and our owners,” said SMA
President John Gullett. “If owners will do an informal inspection of their
home’s exterior now, they can get two steps ahead of the inspector and have
fewer “reminders” and violations on their report.”
An extensive list of things the inspector will be looking for can be found on the Association’s website at stratfordmanornn.blogspot.com, under the Architectural Compliance heading. In 2022, the inspections identified 249 “reminder” items that required some sort of repair, cleaning or repainting. Mr. Gullett said that many of the items involved weeds, dirty siding, clogged gutters, or damaged trim boards.
“Most owners understand that we are all in this together,” he said,
“and that we all have a stake in preserving the beauty and value of our entire community.”<
Springtime Brings Out Landscapers:
The Association’s landscaper, Gum Grove Services, began operating under its new full-year contract effective March 1, and wasted no time in getting a multitude of spring work under way. They have been busy spraying, fertilizing, and mulching, in addition to mowing and picking up debris.
Mulching the common areas was
completed early on, with Gum Grove getting a bit zealous in some places while
missing a few others. “As with most new jobs,” said Landscaping Committee Chair
Fran Hodges, “there have been a few “hiccups” as Gum Grove gets the lay of the
land.”
"With mulch being so expensive these days," said Ms. Hodges, "the Board decided not to buy more to fix these mistakes - - we just want to make sure they don't happen again next year. But overall, Gum Gove is doing a great job."
Meanwhile, the Landscaping Committee is working on improving soil conditions for fall planting by having samples analyzed, while selecting plants and shrubs for entrance signs that will withstand the drought conditions, be resistant to pet urine, and be beneficial to pollinators.
Know your HOA rules: Vehicle Inspections Must Be Kept Current!
A little-known rule in the SMA’s bylaws states that any motor vehicle that is abandoned, inoperable, unlicensed, or does not display a valid Virginia state inspection sticker cannot be parked or stored anywhere in Stratford Manor—even if it is in an owner’s or renter’s own parking space.
President John Gullett said the SMA Board was reminded of this rule when it learned that there were several parked vehicles that had expired inspection stickers. “We asked Abbitt to send out warning notices to these owners,” he said, “and the vast majority has already complied.”
He explained that the policy is designed to ensure that all vehicles are in good running condition—including effective brakes and safe tires, along with well-functioning steering systems. “When it comes to our residents’ safety, we have to take steps to minimize any danger—and a vehicle that is not properly maintained represents a danger to pedestrians and property."
He
said residents—whether owners or renters-- who delay getting a valid inspection
sticker run the risk of having their cars towed.<
Slow down! Speeders Reminded of 15 mph Limit in Stratford Manor
As more young families move into our community, the need for drivers to look out for children and others in the road becomes even more important.
The Association already has speed limit and “Children at Play” signs posted in various locations. But responding to an owner’s request, the Board voted to install another “Children at Play” sign on Sloane Place.
“It’s now commonplace to see children playing outdoors,” said President John Gullett, “but we continue to get reports of motorists who ignore our 15- mile-per-hour speed limit.
“It doesn’t make sense to risk hitting a child just to save a minute or two. I'm asking all residents to keep an eye out for speeders and help us remind them to slow down."
Know Your HOA Board: Bob Lucas
Editor’s note: This Newsletter is featuring a different member of the SMA Board in each issue, so that other Stratford Manor owners can get to know them better. This edition’s profile features Bob Lucas, the Association’s treasurer and chairman of the Infrastructure Committee.
“I accepted an invitation to fill a vacancy on the Board in 2019,” explained Bob Lucas. “While I wasn’t eager to get involved at the time, I felt it was my civic duty. Now that I have experienced the inner workings of the Board for a few years, I know that owners can make a real difference.”
As Treasurer, Bob is responsible for managing the Association’s money, which currently amounts to well over $300,000. “The Board makes all the big financial decisions,” he said. “I just make sure the day-to-day expenses don’t get out of line.” He’s also responsible for the Board’s Infrastructure Committee, which focuses on maintaining the community’s common elements such as fencing, sidewalks and curbs, and the roads and parking lots.
Bob and his wife of 53 years, Barb, moved into Stratford Manor in 2017, after he retired from working many years as a consultant with the Defense Department. Prior his consulting work, Bob spent time in the Air Force and Marines, including two tours of duty in Vietnam. “I was an Army brat, so I followed in my father’s footsteps.” Despite enjoying flying, Bob turned down an invitation to attend the Air Force Academy because his dream was to go to West Point. “That didn’t work out, so I went to Texas A & M University to study aerospace science. That’s where I met Barb. We hit it off instantly, and on Valentine’s Day, 1970, we got married.”
Bob was stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton in the 1980s, and he and Barb decided years later that it was a good area to live. Barb was a longtime restaurant entrepreneur, and at various times owned the Briar Patch tea room in Poquoson and the Boxwood Inn in Lee Hall. “When Barb decided to sell her business, we began looking for a home to retire to,” said Bob. “I was looking in York County, but Barb steered me to this place—and I was so glad she did. It was the right price, a good location and a great neighborhood.” They live at 156 Wellesley Dr.
And he and Barb took full advantage of their neighborhood, walking through the other sections of Stratford Manor and out onto Wellesley on a daily basis. They were featured in our Newsletter in 2020 for their dedication to picking up litter along the road and sidewalks on their walks. “We take a strong trash bag and collect items that others have tossed away.” Why? “It offended us, so we did something about it,” said Bob.
If you haven’t seen Bob and Barb on
their trash pickup activities recently, it’s because they now do it only on
weekends. “We did it every day for years,” said Bob, “ but I recently took a
full-time consulting job at Ft. Eustis, so our trash collection is now
restricted to the weekends.” Barb does reconnaissance during the week, taking
note of the trash building up. This lets Bob know how many bags to take along on
their weekend strolls. <
Trash pickup schedule
April 25—Recycling, bulk pickup & trash;
May 2—Trash only; May 9--Recycling, bulk pickup & trash.
May 16—Trash only; May 23—Recycling,
bulk pickup & trash.
May 31—Trash only (Wednesday pickup due to
holiday); June 6—Recycling, bulk pickup & trash.
June 13—Trash only; June 20—Recycling,
bulk pickup & trash.
Stratford Manor News Briefs:
Don’t forget to clean those roof dryer vents—Stratford Manor owner Phyllis Bunn, who lives at 115 Wellesley, was having difficulty getting her clothes dried. Typically, she would have to add another 30 minutes to normal drying time in her dryer, and decided to find out why. She ended up calling a professional dryer vent cleaning firm ( As is the case with most Stratford Manor units, Ms. Bunn’s dryer vent goes straight up to the roof, making it difficult to clean on her own) . Based on recommendations from other owners, she contacted Atlantic Vent, a Newport News-based company, to take a look.
Employing
a system which uses a combination of rotating brushes and suction from a high-powered
vacuum, Atlantic cleaned Ms. Bunn’s vent and checked for loose
connections. “The lint was really piled
up,” she
, “and it scares me just to think of how a fire could have started.” She said the price was reasonable, and her dryer now runs so well she doesn’t need those extra 30 minutes of drying time.
If you need further convincing, know this: every year firefighters in the U.S. respond to nearly 14,000 home fires that are caused by clothes dryers. Roughly 27 percent of those fires are caused by an accumulation of lint. (The Association cannot recommend a vendor, but Ms. Bunn enthusiastically endorses Atlantic Vent. Their number is 757-595-7660.)<
Street lamp repair turns out to be a challenge—When Abbitt contacted Atlantic Wiring recently to repair a darkened street lamp near 111 Sloane, all involved assumed it would be routine. The SMA Board decided last summer to convert all of its street lamps to LED lights, one at a time, when repairs are needed. But after the electrician replaced the old sodium lamp with a longer- lasting LED system, it didn’t light up. The problem: power wasn’t getting to the light.
This called for digging up dirt to locate any breaks in the wiring leading to the lamp. “It took him digging six holes,” said Tricia Wells, Stratford Manor’s Property Manager, “but he found the damaged section. It had burnt up under the root of an old oak tree.” He had to pull the wire up and rerun that section, but it’s now shining brightly in the night.<
Storm drainage work delayed—Longhill Excavating’s plans to work on Stratford Manor’s storm
drainage system in February were altered when their camera equipment stopped
functioning and had to be repaired. Those repairs were completed last week, but
Longhill still has to finish previous work already under way. A new schedule has not been issued.inute or two. I’m asking all
residents to keep an eye out for speeders and help us remind them to slow
down.”<
At Long Last, Entrance Sign on Kenilworth Lights Up!
The SMA Board has been telling owners for quite some time that the entrance sign on Kenilworth is destined to be lit. But the lack of electricity-- and shade from nearby cedar trees-- made it challenging.
Finally, thanks to recently elected board member Doug Marmon , a bright light is now lighting up the signage. The commercial grade, solar-powered light has a 675-lumen bulb—making it much brighter than the small, 125 lumen light at the Wellesley entrance to Sloane.
The equipment cost the Association $241, but installation charges were avoided because Mr. Marmon and his son, Nathan, volunteered to do the work (The landscaping Committee earlier cut back the tree branches blocking the sun).
“I can’t say this was easy,” said Mr. Marmon, “but we were happy to provide this service to the community. “
President John Gullett said the Board has already approved the same work for the dimly lit Sloane signage. Mr. Marmon cautioned the Board that it remains to be seen if there will be enough sunlight to allow the solar unit to work as well as the new light.
A third sign at the Wellesley
entrance is hard-wired to a nearby street lamp.<
SMA Board:
John Gullet, President (2023)
Donna Groller, Vice President (2025)
Bob Lucas, Treasurer (2024)
Frances Hodges, Secretary (2025)
Nancy Allen (2024)
Betty Blackburn (2023)
Lisa Hall (2023)
Doug Marmon (2025)
Madoline Wallace (2024)
Association Website: stratfordmanornn.blogspot.com
Contract the Board via email: stratfordnn@gmail.com or through Abbitt
Property Management: Abbitt Management
Tricia Wells, Manager
Jennifer Norman, Assistant Manager
Email: associations@abbitt.com - phone number 757-874-4900
Board Meeting Dates:
June 14, 2023 - August 9, 2023 - October 11, 2023 - December 13, 2023
Meetings are held on Wednesdays, and start at 5:30 p.m. Unless noted otherwise, each meeting will be held at Abbitt Management, Suite 205, 11835 Fishing Point Drive, Newport News, VA.
Annual Meeting: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. - Christ United Methodist Church
"Let's all DO OUR PART to continue to make Stratford Manor a beautiful place in which to live"..........
