New Resident Guide [DRAFT]

About Gloucester, VA

[brief history of Gloucester]

Here are some helpful links to county resources and other activities in Gloucester:

Neighborhood Layout

Riverwatch is divided into 4 sections with numbered lots within each section.
There are conservation areas highlighted, as well as common areas owned by the HOA.

HOA Roles & Responsibilities

The Riverwatch Home Owners Association is operated by the Board – 5 members that are elected for two-year terms. Any resident in the neighborhood can be nominated to the board and elections are held during the Annual Meeting. The neighborhood can only function if we have volunteers willing to join the Board and help it operate. No prior experience is required, just a willingness to support your community.

Please reach out to any or all of the Board if you have any questions or concerns so that the Board can better represent all of our residents throughout the year with any issues.

Your participation in the HOA makes a big difference. In addition to joining the Board you can also support the neighborhood by joining committees. There are four committees, each with a specific charter, that you can volunteer for to help guide our neighborhood:

  • Social Committee
    • [summary of roles & responsibilities]
  • Architectural Review Board (ARB)
    • [summary of roles & responsibilities]
  • Pool & Dock Committee
    • [summary of roles & responsibilities]
  • Landscaping Committee
    • [summary of roles & responsibilities]

If you would like to volunteer for a committee please submit the Committee Volunteer Form on the Documents page.

Signing up for the Website

New owners and residents are encouraged to create an account for this website to get access to all of the documents and additional information that is not available publicly.

Signing up for Community Partners

Community Partners are a professional organization hired by the Board to support transactions with residents (collecting dues, etc) and ensure the Board operates within the confines of state law.

[sign up link…]

What to Expect from the Board

Annual Meeting: This happens once per year (typically in March) with the express purpose to elect the board and vote on any other community-wide issues.

Quarterly Meetings: These meetings are open to all residents, but are primarily used for accomplishing the business of the HOA Board. This often includes reports from the various committees, approving contracts or other decisions, and hearing any comments from the community.

Executive Sessions: During the Quarterly Meetings, there are occasions where the Board needs to meet to discuss sensitive issues (typically financial or other violations from a specific resident). These sessions are not open to all residents.

Town Hall Discussions: The Board holds periodic discussions to gather information and open up a dialog with residents. These are not official board meetings and as such no decisions are made. However, community questions, thoughts, and other input should help the Board make better decisions for the entire neighborhood.

Meetings are typically held at the Gloucester County Main Street Library on Tuesdays at 7pm. Notice will be given on the website, in writing (for annual meetings), and via reminder emails. Most meeting dates are scheduled one year in advance

Social Events: There are a number of social events held throughout the year and organized by the Social Committee. In previous years these have included Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Halloween, and Christmas parties. All events are posted to the calendar page on the website.

Email Reminders: Once per month a reminder email is sent out for any upcoming social events, meetings, or other pertinent information about the neighborhood. Residents can include information in these reminder emails by emailing the Secretary of the Board.

Neighborhood Directory: Please reach out to the Secretary of the Board to determine what information you would like made available to the rest of the residents (email and / or telephone number) as part of our neighborhood directory. This is not publicly available, but can be downloaded by any resident to get contact information.

Rules & Regulations

One of the primary community benefits is the pool and boat dock. The pool is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The pool does not have a lifeguard on duty and is locked with a code – contact a board member if you do not have the gate code.

The updated pool rules are available on the Documents page.

The storage yard is another benefit available to all residents to store water craft, trailers, and campers. Note that no vehicles can be placed in the storage yard. Please review the storage yard rules and submit a storage yard registration form so the board can properly account for all of the property in the storage yard.

[Include an executive summary of the bylaws/covenants – making it clear that it’s not legally binding, just to highlight some key issues that have come up in the past]

Available Services

While the HOA Board has contracts with some of the specific companies listed below, the following list does not constitute a recommendation or preferred vendor.

Landscaping –

Cleaning –

  • Cleaning Cents
  • [other]

Trash –

Tree Trimming

  • [tbd]

Painting

  • [tbd]

Pools

  • Continental Pools
  • The Pool Store
  • [other]

Electrical

  • [tbd]

Home Builders

  • [tbd]