Messages from Our Neighborhood Founder
Doug Boone

STREET REPAIRS – UPDATE ON PROGRESS

The following activities are underway with regard to repair and final paving of neighborhood roads. Further information will be reported as available.

1. Only a few street trees remain to be planted during the next two to three weeks.

2. Contract negotiations for asphalt pavement repairs are in progress.

3. Removal and replacement of the street and byway pavement marked with red-orange paint should start July 18, 2005, weather permitting. The contractor should be able to keep one lane of traffic open most of the time while working on the streets. The contractor will dig out and replace asphalt each day unless surprised by bad weather so holes in the road will not be open overnight. Byway pavement will be repaired to the final surface level of the existing pavement. The byways do not receive another layer of asphalt.

4. A pre-warranty inspection of the subdivision improvements with Mecklenburg County’s inspector and the Town’s Director of Public Works will be conducted once the pavement repairs are complete.

5. The punch list will be completed shortly after the inspection and inspected by Mecklenburg County and the Town.

6. Once the County and Town agree the streets and storm drainage meet the Town’s standards, the Town will send the Founder a pre-warranty inspection letter, which will start a one-year warranty.

TOWN PARKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The Town has informally accepted the town parks for maintenance and the Founder continues negotiations with the Town regarding maintenance standards. The Association’s maintenance contractor has provided a proposal to the Town to maintain the parks according to the Neighborhood-Wide Standard. Upon reaching agreement with the Town about maintenance standards the Founder will convey the parks to the Town.

ST. ALBAN’S CHURCH BELLS

For years the Founder encouraged St. Alban’s Episcopal Church to install bells in its bell tower because of the powerful symbolism the bells represent of small town life. Due to the generosity of one of its members, the church recently installed high quality electronic carillon bells. Many New Neighborhood residents have said how much they like the bells and how much it reminds them of small town experiences.

The church started marking time at the quarter hour, but cut the schedule to the half hour based on complaints from a few individuals. In addition to marking time, the church will use the bells as a call to worship service and for events like weddings, funerals and special celebrations. The church sounds the bells from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday and from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm on Sunday, including a morning call to worship.

The church can play the bells more hours of the day, play church music periodically, or play seasonal music. If you want to hear the bells more call or write the church to express your opinion.

It is the Founder’s opinion that the bells have added to New Neighborhood property values as well as quality of life in the neighborhood.