Church Point

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The Future of the Church Point HOA

Many years ago, a wise man told me that “every journey begins with a plan”. One problem with the word “plan” is that a lot of people see it as gospel and are afraid to deviate from it. When that happens, organizations get stale, miss their targets and loose sight what they wanted to achieve. In case of an HOA, this might result in homeowner disinterest, reduced sense of community and eventually a loss of property value. This is why plans need to be agile and constantly evolve to achieve the desired effects.

Below is an initial “Future Business Plan” for the Church Point HOA. It is intended to be a living document to ensure agility. The structure is loosely based on the Balance Scorecard Pyramid recommended by Robert Kaplan and David Norton from the Harvard School of Business.

The intent of this plan is to develop a common understanding on why the HOA exists, where we want to go and how we will get there.

Mission – Why we exist?

In 1990, developers started to transform the Church Point Dairy Farm into the Church Point neighborhood we know today (see history). One of the first actions of the developers was to establish a Homeowners Association as a legal Corporation in the State of Virginia. Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Declaration of Restrictions (collectively referred to as the Governing Documents) were written and approved. The Articles of Incorporation spell out (in article II) why the HOA was created and what the key objectives are:

  • Engage with the members (lot owners) to promote health, safety, welfare and common benefit of the residents.
  • Maintain, preserve, improve and operate the Common Areas consisting of 4 parks and miles of trails.

Vision – What we want to be?

The premier location in Hampton Roads – A highly desirable neighborhood with above-average property values, a robust family-oriented social fabric and well-maintained common areas; all driven by a strong desire for continuous improvement, volunteerism and effective communication.

Strategic Initiatives – What we need to do?

  • Kickstart:
    • Building on the growing interest of homeowners, establish a near-term “coalition of the willing” to kickstart the next chapter in the Church Point evolution:
      • Assist the Board of Directors in developing a plan to articulate, achieve and evolve the vision.
      • Develop an information campaign based on greater openness and transparency.
      • Reach out to all lot owners in Church Point.
      • Focus on the positives, (re)gain trust and offer value.
      • Organize information events to articulate and shape future plans, address volunteer opportunities and start building a stronger social fabric.
      • (re)establish the right committees with associated resolutions.
      • Ensure committees have the resources to perform identified tasks.
  • Direct:
  • Communicate:
    • Virginia State Law (paragraph 55.1-1817) “requires the Board of Directors to establish a reasonable, effective, and free method, for lot owners to communicate among themselves and with the board of directors regarding any matter concerning the association”. Short term tasks include:
      • Establish a Communications Committee through a Board resolution.
      • Seek volunteers to initiate and run this new committee.
      • Consider the following responsibilities:
        • Maintain a website enabling residents to access all common information.
        • Maintain a social media presence (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) to announce events and outcomes (with links to HOA website).
        • Maintain a neighborhood directory where people can opt-in to providee email addresses and/or telephone numbers (homeowner names are already available in the public domain).
        • Maintain an opt-in Email/SMS(texting) service to receive alerts and announcements.
        • Provide a quarterly newsletter via USPS mail to all homeowners.
        • Provide adequate signage at both entrances for upcoming events.
  • Fund:
    • In the past, the Church Point HOA handled all budgetary issues inside the Board of Directors or outsourced them to the management company. Many HOAs around the country, however, have created Budget Committees to assist the Board of Directors in their duties.
    • It is recommended to create a Budget Committee through a board resolution responsible for:
      • Reviewing budgets and financial documents from previous years.
      • Evaluating upcoming maintenance expenses.
      • Gathering estimates from vendors.
      • Estimating costs of special projects or services for the upcoming year.
      • Calculating HOA annual fees.
      • Assessing reserve fund levels and determining how much needs to be set aside.
      • Finding ways to cut costs and source funds.
      • Creating a budget that effectively balances income and spending.
      • Monitoring the HOA’s adherence to the annual budget.
  • Approve:
    • To protect property values, Rules and Regulations have been established and need to be maintained and enforced. Any changes to home are potentially subject to HOA approval.
    • This is the responsibility of the Board, assisted by the Architectural and Rules Enforcement Committee (AREC).
    • Short term tasks include:
      • Revitalize AREC (volunteers needed).
      • Simplify the Declaration of Restrictions and the derived Rules and Regulations.
      • Ensure homeowners understand that rules don’t exist to hinder them. They are there to safeguard and increase the value of their investments. Individual homeowners can only control their property while the HOA can enforce it for the rest of the neighborhood.
  • Landscape:
    • Provide for the expenses, maintenance, preservation, improvements and operation of the commonly-owned parks and trails as well as areas owned by others but maintained by the HOA in the best interest of all.
    • This is the responsibility of the Board, assisted by the Landscaping Committee. Short term tasks include:
      • Revitalize the Landscaping Committee (volunteers needed per park/trail).
      • Incorporate the functions that used to be performed by the now defunct Garden Club (which was independent from the HOA) in the Landscaping Committee resolution.
      • Develop a running 5 year improvement plan to assist the board in planning, budgeting and determining volunteer requirements.
  • Socialize:
    • Promote the health, safety, welfare and common benefit of the residents of Church Point through a strong social fabric and an appealing annual program of events.
    • This is the responsibility of the Board, assisted by the Social Committee. Short term tasks include:
      • Officially establish the Social Committee through a Board resolution.
      • Develop an annual plan each summer (for the next calendar year) to support the Board in their budgeting process and to offer neighbors an insight into next year’s opportunities at the annual homeowner’s meeting in November.
      • Re-establish the welcome function as part of the Social Committee. The quickest way to integrate new people in the neighborhood is to welcome them with open arms.
  • Protect:
    • The Neighborhood Watch Program is an Initiative by the National Sheriffs’ Association to unite law enforcement agencies, private organizations, and individual citizens in a nation-wide effort to reduce crime and improve local communities.
    • Church Point had an Official Program since 2002 (see history). Today however, our program is not/no longer registered.
    • In January 2013, the Virginia Beach Police Crime Prevention Unit began promoting the use of the social networking site Nextdoor.com to neighborhoods and Citizen Advisory Committees throughout the city.
    • It need to be determined if Church Point wants to (re)establish the program or if we just want to rely on Nextdoor. If we want to continue, a volunteer has to be found. It requires 80% of all lot owners to sign up in order to be recognized.