As we enter the season of celebration, thanksgiving, and abundance, we all have a great deal to celebrate and appreciate here in Kingspoint. It has been a good year in our community. Many hands make light work, and we all appreciate the work of the many volunteers who keep the community humming. The thoughtfulness and dedication that Kingspoint neighbors show to one another and to our neighborhood ensures that Kingspoint remains vibrant, caring, and beautiful.
Kingspoint neighbors are helping to set the mood for Halloween with such creative displays this year! If you have not yet had a chance to walk around our neighborhood and enjoy all the autumn and Halloween decorations, please take time to walk or drive through the community soon. There are lighted displays, pumpkins and cobwebs, pots of bright flowers and festive fun on every street.
We are looking forward to Halloween Trick-or-Treating on Tuesday, October 31, from 6PM-8PM in James City County. The Kingspoint Club’s Social Committee has organized a Halloween party for members at the Clubhouse, with Trick-or-Treating to follow at 6PM.
Please remember to have the little ones carry lights and wear colors easily seen after dark. All neighbors can assist by leaving their streetlights burning to make it brighter and safer for those out celebrating.
Neighbors who aren’t participating in Halloween Trick-or-Treating should leave their porch lights off.
Now that days are growing shorter, please take extra care to make sure you are visible when you are out walking, jogging, or biking so there are no close calls with drivers. Lights and reflective clothing will help ensure your safety and alleviate stressful moments for folks heading out in the morning or coming home at dusk.
David Miller has been overseeing our project to bring electricity to the front entrance and tells us that we should have new lights on the Kingspoint sign around November 1. He has done a great job of working with the contractors, the county, and with Dominion Power to bring this effort to fruition. The effort is not inexpensive, however, and so we are making a follow-up membership appeal to new neighbors and to those who did not contribute annual membership dues to the KPNA last spring. Anyone who wants to help support this effort to light the entrance may leave their contribution with Treasurer Karen Schneider at her home at 100 Kingspoint Drive. We appreciate everyone who contributes and supports the work of the Neighborhood Association.
Lately I’ve had contacts from neighbors telling me that there are stray chickens pecking about in their yards. Everyone who buys a home in Kingspoint is expected to sign the Covenants which follow the deed to their home, and the covenants clearly prohibit keeping livestock. (Covenant #5, in your 2023 Directory) It is a health issue, especially these days when the Avian Flu has affected poultry flocks across the country, and it is a safety issue if chickens get in the street. There should be no chickens in Kingspoint. If you see wandering chickens, then you should call either animal control (757.565.0370) to request that they are picked up or call our county zoning office (757.253.6718) to complain.
Please make your plans now to vote on or before November 7. Your vote is very important in this mid-term election with seats on the Board of Supervisors and the School Board in play. Our neighborhood votes at Laurel Lane Elementary School. Anyone who hasn’t voted already will find the information and contacts you need on the JCC Office of Election’s website. Here is complete information about the options available to you to vote this year. Visit the VOTE411.org website to learn about the races on our ballot.
We spot a wide variety of wildlife in Kingspoint. Visit the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources website for easy reference materials should unusual wildlife that may turn up in your yard. Cornwells Wildlife Control (757.264.6369) will safely remove a variety of animals from your property and will help you close openings to your home to keep wildlife out of doors. Any birdseed, small pets, or food left outdoors overnight may attract unwelcome visitors.
Many thanks to Ann Hobson and her volunteers for their continued work at our neighborhood entrance. Tom Mahone and Chris Bonday are continuing their dedicated efforts to keep the grass neatly trimmed. If you are willing to join our crew of volunteers to help with maintenance chores at the entrance, please get in touch with Ann at annhobson1010@gmail.com.
If you are new to the community, or have a new family living near you, please let us know so we can visit with a copy of the Kingspoint Directory and include them in the 2023 listings. Contact kpwebmistress@gmail.com to be added to or removed from our email news list. Please visit our KPNA websitefor news and useful community links.
Happy Summer to All! We hope that everyone has something fun planned to enjoy with loved ones. We are blessed with so many opportunities to have a great time in the Williamsburg area, and the Fourth of July is always a special celebration in the community.
With children home for summer break and the pool open, we are all more mindful when driving around the community. We have more walkers and bikers than any other time of year. If you are out in the early morning or late evening, kindly carry a flashlight or wear reflective clothing so drivers can see you from a distance and give you plenty of space. Walkers should remember to walk facing oncoming traffic, and to allow space for cars to pass safely.
Neighbors have asked that we use special caution when entering Kingspoint Drive from Northpoint Drive and from Crownpoint Road. Though no sign is posted, many of us stop and look before pulling out into these busy intersections and drive a bit more cautiously than usual through our neighborhood when school is out.
Remember to visit the ‘Little Library’ in the Smith’s front yard at 103 Southpoint Drive to check out the available books for summer reading. The rule is simple: If you borrow a book, then donate a book, or return the book you borrowed. The library is there for everyone’s use and enjoyment. What a fun way to encourage our kids to read this summer!
Lisa Smith, who maintains the library, shared that there is a new selection of children’s books available. She also shared her dismay to find that someone egged the little library this past weekend. She and her husband built the library for the community and want to offer this gift of books to everyone who visits. It is very disturbing to find out that someone vandalized it. If there were other recent acts of egging or other vandalism in the community, please let me know at kpwebmistress@gmail.com. We can request additional patrols from county police if necessary.
You may already know that our long-time postal carrier, Rodney Hammond, plans to retire at the end of this month. Rodney has been an important part of our community for many years now and is legendary for his friendly, helpful service to his customers. He always goes above and beyond what might be expected to take care of ‘his family’ in Kingspoint. If you see Rodney over these final days of his service, please express your appreciation for all he has done for Kingspoint neighbors and our pets.
We have two new families in our community.Kathryn and Matt Haines and their four children are now living at 121 Kingspoint Drive. Kathryn will continue to commute back and forth to their previous residence in Chesterfield County through the end of the year as she completes her term on the School Board there. Daniel and Brittany Quinn are moving into their new home at 102 Wakerobin Road with their cat and two dogs. They expect to be living here full time by mid-July. Dan is a graduate of Jamestown High School, and his parents still live in the area. Please see their introductions elsewhere in the June Crier.
Long time KPNA Board member, and former Treasurer Brandy Belue and her family will leave us in the next few weeks for their new home in Florida. Brandy and Brian are returning to their home area to be closer to their families and their work. We will all miss them, and their daughter, Willow, because they have been an important and beloved part of our community for so many years. Brandy and her dogs are well known to other dog walkers in our community, because she always has a friendly greeting and some comment to bring a smile. Brandy has served on our KPNA Board since 2019. Please wish Brandy well when you see her during her last few weeks here in our community.
New neighbors will notice that we can hear fireworks from both Colonial Williamsburg and from Busch Gardens here in Kingspoint. Busch Gardens hosts “Summer Nights” from June 16 through August 13 with concerts each Saturday evening. Fireworks are planned on Friday and Saturdays at 9:15 PM, weather permitting.
There will be a full schedule of special events at Colonial Williamsburg on July 4, 2023, including a program of patriotic readings and music at 8:00 PM, on the Governor’s Palace Green, withfireworks are at 9:30 PM. There is a free, one day pass available for July 4 only, and you apply for it online at the link above.
As a reminder,the use, possession, display, sale or storage of fireworks is illegal in James CityCounty. This includes fireworks that were legally purchased elsewhere. Anyone wishing to set off personal fireworks must first obtain a permit from the Fire Marshal. (See FYI below for more information) The sounds of fireworks or weapons may be troubling to many neighbors and their pets. Let’s work together to maintain our peaceful, neighborly community so that it feels safe and welcoming for all.
The question of whether area residents may rent out portions of, or their entire homes for vacationers has been a hot topic in our area for the past few years. In areas of Virginia where this has been allowed, many affordable properties are purchased by those intending to rent them instead of living in them. This has been a topic of discussion for our county government recently, and you may have seen the May 27 article about this in the Virginia Gazette. This article prompted neighbors to inquire about the short-term rental policy in Kingspoint.
Short term rentals are not allowed in Kingspoint for two reasons. First, Covenant 1 states that “Lots may be used for residential purposes only…” All homeowners are bound by our Kingspoint Covenants, which follow each deed. (Find the complete list in your 2023 Neighborhood Directory.) The second reason is that our zoning is R-1. Residential Zoning doesn’t permit short term rentals. If anyone is renting a room, apartment, or their entire Kingspoint home for any purpose other than as a permanent residence (for a minimum of 30 days), they are in violation of county code. Please contactChristy Parrish, JCC Zoning Administratorat 757.253.6671 with any questions or concerns you may have about this matter.
This should be reassuring to families who don’t want vacationing strangers coming and going to short term rentals near our homes, and the many sorts of problems this sort of situation invites.
A major rehabilitation project to the Colonial Parkway begins in August. The project will upgrade about 10 miles of the Parkway, and will last for three years, ending at the end of June 2026. There will be disruptions and detours in various areas beginning in August.
There will be an ‘open house’ meeting about this renovation project next Thursday, June 22, 2023, from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMat the Quarterpath Recreation Center, Multipurpose Room 2, 202 Quarterpath Road, Williamsburg. Two brief presentations and Q&A sessions will be held at 6:15 and 7:30.
Summer brings out a wide variety of wildlife in our neighborhood, which is home to many species. Neighbors routinely see frogs. turtles, lizards, and snakes as well as many sorts of birds, rabbits, squirrels, deer and sometimes even foxes, raccoons, opossums, and other creatures. Please watch out for these animals and help to protect them as they find their way to areas of safety in the ravines and around the lakes. Most of these wild areas are Resource Protection Area easements and vegetation there may not be disturbed, by law. Please be aware that many of the animals, including all snakes, are protected, as well. Learn more here.
Many of us enjoy living in communitywith the many animal and plant species indigenous to our area. It is a thrill to watch nesting eagles and to notice the birds and butterflies who visit us each season. Let’s help protect the wildlife that shares our community. Don’t leave pets outside unattended at night and remind children to use caution when playing outside in areas where they may encounter snakes or biting insects. Please remember, too, that any food, food containers, or standing water left out will attract various animals.
The first settlers in our area wrote that at Jamestown, “the air is alive with a buzz.” The same can be said today. Learn more here about the various insects that thrive in our area each summer, and how to protect yourself while enjoying time outside at area attractions.
Many thanks to Ann Hobson and Phillip Schneider for their continued work at our neighborhood entrance. Tom Mahone and Chris Bonday are continuing their dedicated efforts to keep the grass neatly trimmed. If you are willing to join our crew of volunteers to help with maintenance chores at the entrance, please get in touch with Ann at annhobson1010@gmail.com.
If you are new to the community, or have a new family living near you, please let us know so we can visit with a copy of the Kingspoint Directory and include them in the 2023 listings. Many thanks to Mary Haines, who has joined our team of volunteers, and the KPNA Board, to help greet new families in the neighborhood.
Please visit our KPNA websitefor news and useful community links.
Crape Myrtle
FYI: Fireworks
The summer celebrations are important to all of us, and many of us have visitors this time of year. We are looking forward to the public Fourth of July special events and fireworks displays in our area.
As a reminder,the use, possession, display, sale or storage of fireworks is illegal in James CityCounty. This includes fireworks that were legally purchased elsewhere. Anyone wishing to set off personal fireworks must first obtain a permit from the Fire Marshal.
We are all aware of the serious injuries and property damage caused by accidents with fireworks and outdoor fires, especially when the weather has been dry.
The Kingspoint Neighborhood Association 