Prior Events

Architectural Standards Review

In our January meeting we plan to review requests and vote on updates to our Architectural Standards.  If you wish to contribute an idea, please join our meeting or email us!

Capital Improvements Committee:

We are looking for great ideas and volunteers!  Email us if you have an idea and/or want to help!  HOA.BellCreek@gmail.com.  

With every sale of a home, $750 is paid to our capital improvement funds, which the HOA uses to enhance our neighborhood.  Most recently, this has paid for our basketball court, updating our playground, new signage for the roads, and lawn games for social events.

WHAT’S NEXT?  That’s where you come in!

ALL ideas welcome… upgrade clubhouse, a pergola for the pool, benches along the sidewalks…

LET US KNOW YOUR IDEAS.  JOIN THE PLANNING MEETING ON 8/5 @ 6PM.

Quarterly Inspections:

Home inspections were completed week 1 of July!  You will be notified if an issue was noticed. 

Please fix the issues quickly, and communicate with our HOA Manager when completed, with a photo of the correction. 

GloFiber Coming to Bell Creek

Many of us have gotten flyers saying that GloFiber will be installed in Bell Creek. This will provide us with another internet option, other than Comcast.

• This will require digging and burying lines in utility easements and may require construction work being done on/near your property. 

• The HOA Board found more about Utility Easements:

  • Guide to Easement Law from Commonwealth Contractors

  • Code of Virginia about Utility Easements

• We are told any damage left will be repaired to your satisfaction, by GloFiber.  Driveway repairs may have a temporary repair, with final repairs getting completed all at one time at the end of the project.  GloFiber is making promises to make sure things get done to your satisfaction.

• Utilities are/will be marked before; we ADVISE YOU MARK YOUR SPRINKLER HEADS TOO!

The HOA has no control over what is approved by the County, and what work gets completed on easements, or what the County requires GloFiber to perform as part of their process (like opening driveways to confirm lines go under).  However, we will do our best to represent one voice if issues arise.  We have already been in contact with the project representatives.

Thank You to our Clubhouse Committee!

• Outgoing Chairpersons Nikki Singleton and Beth Robertson – Thank you for many years of service!

• Our NEW Chairpersons Jess Keck & Lisa Owens – Welcome to the HOA team!

New HOA Management Company

We are excited to welcome our new HOA Management Company, myStreet, and look forward to building a wonderful and long-lasting relationship with them!

For more about myStreet and the transition, please see letters from your HOA Board and myStreet

HOA Capital Improvement $ At Work

• Three new “Children at Play” signs were installed

• At the roundabouts on Brigadier and Brevet

• Near the tennis courts on the way out (so now folks see if as they approach the clubhouse from both sides)

New Pool Management in 2024

We are excited to start a partnership with Douglas Aquatics to manage our pool, starting in 2024!

• We received excellent feedback from other neighborhoods (not from referrals) about Douglas’ performance.

• They have some cost-savings plans with their scheduling which help us.

• We have the opportunity to pay our Guards an increased rate of $16, to make our pool more competitive and help to ensure we are fully staffed all summer.

• They have different levels of leadership which will oversee the lifeguards on a periodic basis with feedback forms sent to the HOA.

• If you have a teenager interested in a summer job, have them consider being a lifeguard at Bell Creek! Contact Douglas with any questions about their team – lifeguard@douglasaquatics.com

2024 Social Event Planning

The Social Committee is hosting a PLANNING SESSION for 2024 events - Please join us for a BREAKFAST/BRUNCH POT LUCK on Saturday January 6 @ 10AM.

• This is different from prior years where planning meetings happened throughout the year

• This year there will be ONE main planning meeting to plan most of the event’s details, with event leaders assigned and planning to take place well in advance.

• This will give us advantages like:

• Better availability for entertainment and rentals which can be booked earlier in the year

• Hopefully, greater involvement from our neighbors who only need to attend ONE meeting to plan this year’s events and then can choose which events they're passionate about to help volunteer later

• Event leaders and committee members will still complete last-minute plans as the event approaches, which should be minimal 

January Board of Directors Meeting

• January’s Board of Directors Meeting is moving to Thurs January 11 @ 6PM

• During our January Meeting, a few important topics will be discussed which we wanted to inform you about:

• Annual consideration for modifications to the Architectural Standards: This will be a time where recommendations for any changes can be presented to the board, and for the board to vote on, in order for our design standards to remain relevant and fresh, while maintain the foundations the neighborhood was built with.

• 2024 Capital Improvements discussion: Here we will discuss what, if any, capital improvements may be considered for 2024.  2023 we planned our playground, basketball court and some new social event items... got any ideas?!

• Neighborhood security discussion: We are considering using Flock cameras at the entrances of the neighborhood to increase safety, and we will discuss it more during the meeting.  See more about Flock here.

Welcome: New Board Members, New Executive Roles!

Neighbor Jeff Clark was elected to the Board of Directors and Board Member Jeff Meyer was re-elected to the Board of Directors!

New board roles announced:

PRESIDENT

Jeff Meyer

VICE-PRESIDENT

Chuck Robertson

SECRETARY

Andrea Vansickel

TREASURER

Patricia Clapp

DIRECTOR

Jeff Clark

If you see these neighbors, give them a “thank you” for volunteering their time and energy for the betterment of our wonderful community!

Shelton Trail Update

You may have noticed some changes to the Shelton Trail - So we have been in communication with the Rural Plains Foundation and look forward to forming a nice bond with our neighbors over there! 

They say there are a lot of exciting things going on in the park and the Shelton House:

• There is a new trail that meanders through the woods that begins at the bridge, crosses the road and winds back around to the road.

• This was done to take advantage of the woods and also the current road has erosion issues. Efforts in the past have not worked to slow down the erosion.

• More improvements will be made to the new trail. Once those improvements are complete the gravel road section will go back to nature. There isn't a timeline for all that to happen as of yet.

Check out their Facebook Page and Website

Join Your HOA Board

Each year, some HOA Board positions expire and the neighborhood votes for who will serve the community. Terms are two-year terms, and this year we have two board positions expiring. Think about serving!

Responsibilities of Board Members:

• MANAGING THE FINANCIAL BUSINESS OF THE ASSOCIATION

• DIRECTING COMMUNITY COMMITTEES

• UNIFORM ENFORCEMENT OF HOA RULES

• DIRECTING THE HOA MANAGER

• MAINTAINING COMMON AREAS

• SERVING THE COMMUNITY BETTER

WHY JOIN?

1. MAKE A DIFFERENCE

   When you serve on the HOA board, you get a say in the way the neighborhood is managed: the Bylaws, the budget, and how the neighborhood is managed by our HOA management company.

   As a homeowner, you have a vested interest in the state of the neighborhood. Joining the HOA board can ensure that your property is in good hands.

2. PROTECT PROPERTY VALUES

   Those so-called “pesky” rules and regulations are just one form of an HOA’s responsibilities to homeowners. Their goal isn’t to annoy you, but to maintain property values as well as the condition of the neighborhood.

   Having a spot on the board of directors gives you a chance to follow up on violation notices and make sure they’re enforced swiftly, fairly, and consistently.

3. BUILD YOUR RESUME

   A spot on the HOA board looks great on a resume!

   Serving on an HOA board gives you organizational and leadership experience that can translate well to your profession.

County Updates Impacting Bell Creek

Thoroughfare Road

A thoroughfare road from Studly Road to Verdi Lane (through Bell Creek, between the Single Family and Reserve sections) has been part of the Hanover County's “COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN” since 2000. 

During the 9/27/23 Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board unanimously voted to remove the road from the Comprehensive Plan during its next update.

Rezoning Request - New Development Adject to Bell Creek

On 9/27/23 the HOA Board were made aware that the Developers have withdrawn their rezoning application, and no longer wish to pursue the development adjacent/connected to Bell Creek.

Annual Inspections

AS WE DO EVERY YEAR, YOUR VOLUNTEER HOA BOARD AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE WILL BE CONDUCTING ANNUAL INSPECTIONS OVER THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.   

The purpose: To inspect for violations of our Maintenance Requirements and Architectural Standards, which are designed to maintain the visual, aesthetic harmony, and quality of homes throughout the community, thereby protecting property values and enhancing the quality of lifestyle for all residents.  

 Common* violations to check for:

 YARDS: Unmaintained yard and garden growth, Damaged or molded (greenish) fences, Trashcans not concealed with approved enclosure, Basketball hoops in the front yard, or with sandbags, blocks, bricks, etc. used to stabilize the equipment, Structures in disrepair (sheds, play equipment, etc.), Failure to obtain ARC approval for removing or planting of trees, installing hardscapes, fences, retaining walls or play equipment (swing sets, trampolines) 

HOMES: Faded shutters and doors, Missing siding, trim or shutters, Satellite dishes located front or side yard, or visible from the front of the home, Mold growth on home or structures, Failure to obtain ARC approval for changes to: door colors, painting/staining of decks, structures built on your property

 Mailboxes: Damage to post (common from weed-whacking and weather), Molded or faded post or mailbox, Numbers missing (required on both sides), faded, not a 3” minimum or not approved style, Mailbox post not approved style,

*Inspected issues are not all inclusive in the above list.  Additional items from our guidelines may be addressed, which are not listed here but are in the Standards linked above. 

Process if a violation is noted:

1.       You will receive DIGITAL communication for your first notice (via email and/or the TownSquare site) asking you to remedy and communicate back.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR EMAIL REGISTERED WITH THE HOA, PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM LOCATED HERE.

2.       After 2 weeks, a re-inspection will be completed, and you will be notified now by mail if the violation is not corrected.

3.       After another 2 weeks, a re-inspection will be completed, and you will be notified via mail if the violation is not corrected and offer you an opportunity to attend a violation hearing.

4.       After another 2 weeks, the HOA Board will host a violation hearing for all violations documented which were not corrected, at which time the homeowner may, if they choose: a). demonstrate evidence of correctness, b). offer and obtain approval on a plan to remedy the issue, or c). request an exception.

5.       If the homeowner does not obtain approval from the Board for any of the forementioned requests at the violation hearing, the HOA will initiate a financial fine of $10.00 per day for up to 90 days for any offense of a continuing nature.

Neighborhood Improvements

A group of awesome volunteers on our new Capital Improvements Committee have been organizing, planning, and managing multiple projects to upgrade Bell Creek for several months, funded by our Captial Improvements funds.

1. We have installed a new basketball court near the playgroud!

2. We have signed off on plans to enhance our playground. We expect to be completed at some point over the next 16 weeks.

   • Removing a few outdated elements and replacing them, including a few Climbing Fixtures, a Motorcycle with Side Car Motion Toy, a small Toddler Play House (our large element with slides and the swings will remain)

   • Adding some new benches, a sunshade and a larger trash can

   • We will be re-mulching the entire playground and adding a bigger boarder near the pool

3. We have invested in some items to enhance our social events, to include

   • A backdrop for our Cookies With Santa event, to make out photos even better

   • Items for social events like our own cornhole boards, a popcorn machine, lawn games and large coolers (to name a few)

We extend Big thanks and appreciation to our HOA President Jeff Meyer, our Pool Committee Chair Hilary Curtis, neighbors Mike Hathaway, Shannon Hathaway & Mike Camp - all who have volunteered to be responsible for coming up with ideas, vetting ideas and getting quotes, developing plans, and will continue to manage the projects!

buy 10 additional pool guest passes!

• Each household gets an automatic 10 guest passes at the start of the season, free.

• You may elect to buy an additional 10 guest passes for $30, processed through our HOA Square system (no cash) +a 3.3% processing fee.

• If you elect to purchase more guest passes, please email Pool.BellCreek@gmail.com. Be sure to include your address.

• After emailing, we will send you an email with an invoice to make payment.

• When the payment is processed and confirmed your guest passes will be manually updated on your profile by the Pool Committee.

Note: 

• Additional passes must be purchased with 2-day notice to allow for your HOA volunteers to respond, process the invoice and update your registration.

• A payment being processed does not indicate the guest passes are automatically issued, since the registration system needs to be updated manually.

• Lifeguards CANNOT process payments or take cash. 

July HOA Board of Directors Meeting

Our HOA Board of Directors Meeting will be moving to Wednesday 7/13, still at 6PM. We hope to see you there!

Air Quality Update / Pool Impact

Your HOA Pool Committee & Board, along with our pool management company, monitor the air quality and may need to take the following these steps:

• If the air quality on an “AQI scale” is less than 150, will see no impact.

• If the air quality on an “AQI scale” is 150-250, may see reduced capacity limits if guard staff feel uncomfortable or unwell at work. We will use our best efforts to bring in staff who want to work, but under these conditions cannot guarantee replacement staff.  If this results in the need to close our pool, we will notify you as soon as possible.

• If the air quality on an “AQI scale” is 250+, our pool will need to be closed for the remainder of that shift, for the guard’s safety. Shift change happens at 3pm and we will reevaluate the air quality at the next shift change (if we closed in the morning we will check it at 3pm, if we close after 3pm we will check the next morning).

This important for the lifeguarding staff, that must stay outdoors and for our swimmers as well. Please reach out if you need to discuss any of the above.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/mechanicsville/23111/air-quality-index/341245

Event Update: Red, White & Blue Celebration

Unfortunately, and fortunately, our events this year have been very popular and well attended, which is so great, but has also depleted funds as we have overspent on our food budgets to accommodate the attendance.  With that happening, our options were to downsize future events, or cancel one event and add the remaining budget to another.

Your Social Committee has made the decision to CANCEL the 'Red, White & Blue Celebration' planned for 7/8 and allocate the remaining funding to the Fall Festival.  We think this is the best decision to make at this time.

Reminder: As you see events, please be sure to register in advance.  Several events this year has seen unregistered families attending, and even 25% of attendance registering within 48 hours (for which we then ran out of food prematurely).  Registering ahead greatly helps us plan accordingly.  We hope everyone can help with that.