The Arlington Place Property Owners Association held their annual meeting on Monday,
January 29, 2018 at the Burton Village Clubhouse in Arlington Place.
Following a Neighborhood Meet & Greet, Kelly Shields of Seaside Management called the
meeting to order at 5:00. A quorum was established with 30 properties represented in person
and Doug Anderson and Donna Reynolds representing the developer and the unsold properties.
HOA Board Members were introduced: Becca Lang, Donna Reynolds and Doug Anderson.
Jeff Shields and Kelly Shields were in attendance representing Seaside Management.
The Advisory Committee, and all owners, introduced themselves.
Approval of 2017 Annual Meeting Minutes: Upon motion duly made and seconded, minutes of
the 2017 annual meeting were approved by all.
Board of Directors Report:
a) Donna Reynolds reported that the developer met with the Town of Minnesott Beach
officials regarding existing ordinances, such as the wastewater ordinance, affecting
Arlington Place. The Town revised various ordinances and in some cases, defer to
county and state requirements, which simplifies the rules and makes them easier to
understand and adhere to. Ordinances affecting the Outfitters Cottage properties were
also resolved in meetings with the Town Planning Board and Board of Commissioners.
b) Received approval for dog park and storage area power.
c) In 2017 the developer put the top coat of pavement in the Burton Village area of the
neighborhood, lots 1-138. The other sections of road are scheduled to be paved in 2018
with advance notice given to owners. The roads up to the gates are state-maintained
and roads beyond the gates are private. When the top coat of pavement is complete on
the remaining private roads, the developer has the option to turn over ownership to the
POA. There are no plans to turn over road maintenance to the association this year.
d) Past assessments were collected from all owners in arrears and the lawsuit that the POA
filed against these owners was settled, with the POA collecting dues in full. For the first
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time, we have a $0 balance in accounts receivable compared to a $50,000+ balance at
this time last year. Moving forward, we have set a precedent for dues collection
without exception. The possibility of foreclosures was a previous concern of the POA
but there were no related foreclosures.
e) Received approval for riverfront beach, which will start spring 2018.
f) All septic permits are now extended until 2020. Owners planning to build still need to
obtain an Authorization to Construct septic permit from the county before construction.
g) A section was cleared in the storage area for items that don’t need to be in the locked
fence. We will rearrange items and limit space to 1 large or 2 small spaces per
household. If an owner has more items to store, they will need to make other
arrangements. Long term plan is to gate off the driveway entrance.
h) Signed with a new marketing firm for 2018: Circle Squared Publishing, owner Will
Conkwright.
i) Two new model homes will be built this year.
j) The board offered their thanks to the Advisory Committee for their ongoing efforts.
Advisory Committee Report:
a) Rick Vogt gave highlights from the Advisory Committee (AC), and encouraged owners to
use the AC as their avenue to ask questions and submit concerns and ideas to the BOD.
The AC had 5 meetings in 2017.
b) Per AC suggestions, the clubhouse water fountain was removed, and replaced with a
LeBleu water bottle system. Pickle ball lines were painted on tennis courts. An exercise
bike and cleaning station was added to the clubhouse gym and the elliptical machine
will be repaired. New pool furniture will be ordered prior to the summer season and
damaged furniture will be removed. Trail entrance was widened. Will also be installing
sail shades on one side of pool and looking into an acoustic solution for the clubhouse.
c) Residents are generally given 2 weeks advance notice of AC meeting dates in order to
allow time for owners to submit questions, and meeting minutes are posted on the
neighborhood section of website.
2017 Financials and Ratification of 2018 Budget:
a) Kelly Shields of Seaside Management presented the end of year 2017 financial reports,
noting variances as compared to the budget. Legal fees were higher because of the
dues collection settlement but this will not be an expense that we will incur in future
years.
b) At year end, there were no accounts in arrears. All owners, including those on approved
payment plans and those owing for multiple years, have paid their assessments in full.
c) Kelly then presented the 2018 budget. The annual assessment stays the same, $750 for
improved properties and $550 for unimproved properties and operating expenses are
similar, with exceptions noted. Kelly explained the breakdown of expenses the
developer is paying which go towards property landscaping and insurance.
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d) There are no planned reserve expenditures. Following owner questions and there being
no objection, the budget was deemed ratified.
e) Kelly then presented a resolution prepared by the association’s CPA that “any excess
membership income over membership expenses or excess of membership expenses over
membership income for the year ended December 2017/2018 shall be applied against the
subsequent tax year member assessments as provided by IRS Revenue Ruling 70-604.” Motion
made, seconded, and approved by all.
f) There was discussion on the future costs of road maintenance and the need for a
Reserve Study to project these, and other amenity/infrastructure costs.
2017 Year in Review: Becca Lang presented a summary of 2017, as follows:
a) Neighborhood Growth
● Lots sold or under contract: 381, 304, 104, 275, 323, 405, 62, 206, 274, 22, 200,
288, 373
● Welcomed new neighbors: Diane & Rock Rockwell, Ellen & Wright Sizemore,
Charles & Lois Alexander, Kim Jacomo, Rickie Moore, Paul & Taras Raggio, Daniel
& Maryann Moore (and girls), Leslie & Sarah Morgan (and girls), Richard & Mary
Plezia, Joe & Camille Zambito, Tony & Cathy Morehead, Chris & Cali (and
boys), Josh & Rebecca Rose, Geanine & Johnnie Tyson
● Neighborhood stats: 83 neighbors full and part time, 35 complete homes, 8
under construction now/soon.
b) Neighborhood Improvements
● Street lights installed on Burton Farm Dr. All lights upgraded to LED.
● Clubhouse upgrades: replacing the water fountain with LeBleu, replaced well
cover, clubhouse doors repainted, exercise bike and cleaning station added to
fitness room, pickle ball lines added to tennis court, added a new grill and
umbrellas, replaced pool drains.
● Added for owner use a sunfish sailboat, paddleboards, kayaks, storage rack
● Dog park installed where the trail meets Burton Farm Road.
● Power extended to storage area, installed along the right side at multiple
locations.
● Top coat of asphalt installed throughout Burton Village
● Trail entrance widened near lot 132
c) Events & Marketing
● 2017 sponsorships/donations: MG&CC corporate sponsor, Cycle NC (1200
cyclists at our pit-stop), Partnership for Pamlico Children annual Ball, GOLD
sponsor for the Croaker Festival, Girls on the Run, Speckled Trout Tournament,
OPTI Southeast Championship, Arapahoe Charter School
o all sponsorships and donations are made by the developer in AP’s name –
The HOA does not incur this expense
● Neighborhood Events: Parade of Homes (Carolina & Creekside Cottages won 1st
place for their categories), March Madness Neighbor vs. Neighbor, Annual July
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th
party, AP Chili Cook-off Team (2nd
place), Halloween party and trick or treat,
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rd
Annual Oyster Roast, Mariner 5K, realtor CE, pickle ball, water aerobics, Color
Run for the high school, Hope Clinic volunteer party
● Marketing: Facebook engagement 4,000+, mobile and desktop website being
updated to be launched in February.
● AirBnB Outfitter’s Cottages: 400+ reviews on Airbnb almost all 5 star, rental
earnings over $156K. Cottage guests continue to be our top marketing lead
source. Many guests have turned into neighbors which makes sense, people
stay and live the lifestyle and can picture themselves moving here, which is often
said in reviews.
2018 Plans: Becca Lang presented plans for 2018, as follows:
a) New construction homes to begin soon include MacMahon, Lot 153; Balsly, Lot 200;
Ostmann, Lot 206; Whitman, Lot 157; Jenkins, Lot 232; Foreman, Lot 304; Thibideau, Lot
323; model, Lot 373, plus handful of others this summer
b) Planned Neighborhood Improvements
● New riverfront dock (150’) and beach (165’) will be added this spring. This will
include a sandy beach, bulkhead, jetties, dock and pier. CAMA permits were
received and a marine construction company has been hired.
● Widen neighborhood entrance
● Shade sails and new furniture at pool/clubhouse
● Landscaping down Burton Farm Dr.
● Top coat of asphalt in remaining private roads of the neighborhood
● Continue with On the Edge Landscaping for amenity maintenance, J&B Services
for pool maintenance and cleaning, Total Land for property maintenance.
● Spectrum cable and internet service will be running lines through neighborhood,
gives another option for TV and internet.
● POA reserve study options this year. Need to start building our reserve funds to
account for potential repairs/maintenance of the amenities.
● Work closely with the Advisory Committee to proceed in best interest of AP and
owners.
c) Events & Marketing
● MG&CC corporate sponsor, Croaker Festival, Girls on the Run, Fur Ball, Mariner
5K, realtor CE, Little League Team: The Arlington Place Pirates, pickle ball, water
aerobics, March Madness, Annual July 4th
party, AP Chili Cook-off Team,
Halloween party and trick or treat, Annual Oyster Roast
● Communication: reminder that monthly updates are posted to the FOR OWNERS
section of the website. Hootboard is our neighborhood message board for
events and information. “Like” Arlington Place on Facebook for more updates,
pictures, events.
● Marketing: New direction for 2018 marketing. AP signed with Circle Squared
Publishing.
d) New Website: Becca introduced Will Conkwright of Circle Squared Publishing (CSP).
CSP already has a new website under development, which will launch in a few weeks.
Will Conkwright presented features of the new ArlingtonPlace.com. The site will be
faster and more organized highlighting the pages found to be most desirable to
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potential owners, such as the ability to search homes and land on an interactive
neighborhood map. There will continue to be an owners section.
e) Marina Progress: Doug Anderson gave an update on the marina. When the new beach
area is complete, the developer will revise the marina permit. It is important that the
project permitting does not overlap, which is why marina revisions are submitted after
beach/dock construction. The modified marina permit will better accommodate a
variety of boat slips, rearranging the slip configuration. Process for approval will take
approximately 9 months, and will be paid for by developer. No set time frame for
marina but still very much in the long term plans when developing future phases.
f) Other Items
● Work with AC on recommendation for revision of Design Guidelines and some
covenant edits. An example is boats/campers parked in driveways, current
covenant says 24 hours but would like it revised to 1 week to better
accommodate owners working on their boats. We will also replace renderings in
the Design Guidelines with actual neighborhood pictures. The neighborhood has
evolved in a good direction but some of the guidelines don’t reflect what is
already built and are outdated. Guidelines do allow for edits as needed.
● Developed a new Architectural Review Committee application form for
improvements made after original construction. Form can be used for
landscaping, fences, outbuildings, etc. This will provide owners with a clear and
streamlined path to make improvements that still satisfy the ARC requirements.
● Gates to remain open during the day, closed at night. Owners get 1 gate remote
and can purchase additional and can also set a personal 4 digit gate code. If
owners need remotes, stickers, private codes or mirror tags they should contact
Peyton. Also have the No Trespassing flyers to put on non-owner cars at the
office.
Questions & Comments:
Will anyone be clearing out rocks from the new beach water? Yes, there will be some
neighborhood cleanup days. We will get direction from the marine contractor to see if
placement of rocks can create jetties to build up sand.
Will there be anything for shade at the new beach? We will attempt to move the viewing
platform or just the roof part. There are some mimosa trees that will overhang by the dock.
Can the sound system at the girl’s summer camp be lowered? This is not something the
association can control.
Will the installation of Spectrum lines disturb the roads? They only bore under roads and in a
small trench alongside roads. If anything is damaged, they are responsible for repairs at their
expense.
Can a composting restroom be added at the kayak center? That will be considered.
Is a pond/lake still in the plans? So far, all quotes have been much higher than expected so it
remains in the planning stage. Hoping for a reengineered option that will lower the
construction costs.
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Can repairs be made to the roads that already have the top coat? When the top coat is added
to the remaining area, any issues with the roads in Burton Village can be addressed.
Is it the homeowner’s responsibility to clean their driveway culvert? Yes but the contractor
may take care of that under the one year warranty.
Can more owners be added to the AC and BOD and can the annual meeting be scheduled on a
weekend? That can be discussed further.
Is there a requirement for water aerobics instructors to carry liability insurance? Participants
are required to sign a waiver, and board will follow up to ensure instructor has proper
insurance.
Can an AED defibrillator be added to the clubhouse? That is a good idea and will be considered.
Will there be a small general store/gas station be added at AP entrance? We already have one
designed and we think it’s would be a great addition but we would need to find an
investor/operator.
Will there be shaded boat slips? This can be considered. There are plans for dry stack storage.
What is boat depth draft? Six to eight feet is planned.
Owner reported the Arapahoe volunteer fire department has been re-rated from Class 8 to
Class 5 which will significantly lower homeowners’ insurance premiums.
Owner reported the town planning board meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month, and
encouraged everyone to go.
Owner announced the New Bern antique show is in 3 weeks, there are 38 dealers from NY to
FL. Check website for information. www.newbernpf.org
Owner announced Valentines Dinner Dance on Feb 9th,Minnesott Beach and Country Club.
There being no further questions, the meeting was adjourned at 6:50pm.