Features
FHA Open Meetings
Update, February 24, 2021
An open meeting in the form of a webinar was held Tuesday, February 16.
The agenda included two items:
Results of the Community Assessment Survey
Presented by Tony Daniels and Steve Stewart
Plans for the Future of Beechmast Pond
Presented by Jesse Fearrington
Attendees asked many questions about these topics using the webinar Q & A. Some of the questions were answered at the time. Answers to all of them have been prepared, and you can read the answers at this page. The page also includes a link to a recording of the webinar.
The next open meeting will be Tuesday April 27, held again as a webinar. The meeting will be devoted to further diiscussion of plans for Beechmast Pond. More information will be provided closer to the time.
Homeowners Association Dues
Updated February 12, 2021
Residents have been notified that the dues statement from HRW for 2021 contains two errors. The name of our association should be "Fearrington Homeowners Association". The address for remitting your payment contains an incorrect zip code; it is missing one digit. The correct zip code is 07101-4904.
Payments may be returned by the Post Office because of the incorrect zip code. If you have not yet submitted your payment, you should change the name of our association and use the correct zip code. If your payment is returned, please re-send with the correct zip code (above).
And, as they say, that's not all. The Pittsboro Post Master today also requested that residents who use HRW return envelopes to mail payments be sure to place their return address at the top left corner of the envelope. It seems the space on the HRW envelope for the return...
Covid Vaccine Information
Updated, January 27, 2021
As you may know, Covid-19 vaccine supplies are limited. Anyone 65 or older is now eligible to receive a vaccination, but it has been difficult in recent days to find vaccination locations where appointments are available. There are a number of websites that may be helpful for finding an appointment. A place to start may be the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services site, https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/findyourspot. The Fearrington Cares website also maintains a list of web links and phone numbers that is updated regulalry, and can be helpful.
Please note: Even after you have been vaccinated, it will remain essential that you and everyone you know continue to follow the guidelines that have been published widely: Maintain physical distancing, wear a mask, frequently wash your hands and stay home when you're sick.
As an example of the difficulties that the vaccination program is confronting, here's...
Wastewater Management, 2021
Updated January 28, 2021
As noted in the newsletter, Fitch Utilities is now managing the Fearrington Village wastewater system. Fearrington Utilities has plans to upgrade and renovate our existing plant this year. They plan to completely rehab each of the three tanks by taking them offline one at a time. They will then sand blast the interior before recoating it.
Recently a Fearrington resident noticed that the effluent (the discharge from the plant) was unusually brown in color. When contacted, Fearrington Utilities indicated that they have begun the rehabilitation process, and one tank had been taken offline for a while. This may have led to an overflow from the other tanks. Obviously, we are concerned, and continue to monitor the situation.
Confusion Over Wastewater Services Bill
Updated January 24, 2021
Wastewater services have now been taken over by Fitch Utilities. Charges for 2021 through Fitch Utilities will be the same as they were last year, $259.97. You should have received a bill from them for that amount. You should also have received a communication from them about smoke testing of the pipes and conduits. If you have questions, you can contact them at 919-542-4000.
You may also have received a statement from Envirolink, the former manager of the system that is no longer involved. Assuming you are not in arrears for payments to Envirolink, you will find that the statement is simply an indication of your current balance, which is, of course, $0.00.
President's Message
Sanity
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe—Lewis Carroll, Alice Through the Looking-Glass. Alice reading the poem “Jabberwocky”
Sometimes, when things in our world seem insane, I go with Alice through the looking glass to find a world where things are even sillier and less rational. It has usually improved my view of our own world. Lately, however, in a world beset with pandemic, job loss, and political characters who make the March Hare, Cheshire Cat, and Red Queen seem realistic and sane, that solution has not been so satisfying.
As I said in my last article, we humans try to impose our will on reality with New Year’s resolutions where, according to statistics, at least half will have been broken by this time. In our small world of Fearrington Village, your FHA works in many ways to maintain or create the environment we...
Community Assessment Survey
In 2018, the FHA Board of Directors established the Long-Range Planning Committee (LRPC). This committee meets regularly to examine future issues of the Village and determine a way forward. In early 2020, the LRPC determined the need for a community survey and asked the Lifestyle Subcommittee to conduct that effort. During the summer and into the fall of 2020, the subcommittee developed the survey instrument and launched its survey in November 2020. The survey was distributed to 1709 individual residents; 900 completed surveys were returned, a remarkable 52.7% response rate.
Results Overview
Results of the survey suggest that residents have a generally positive view of life in the Village. They appreciate the attractiveness of their surroundings, their neighbors, the many paths and trails, and the general safety of the Village. Residents tend to be active, with the vast majority using the walking trails at least occasionally. Villagers use and appreciate...
Concerning the FHA Website
The FHA Community Survey found that almost 20% of village residents do not use the FHA website as a source of information, and fewer than 20% use it regularly. This is unfortunate, for the website is the most effective way for us to provide up-to-date information about important topics.
The most frequently used source for information is this newsletter. Proud as we are of the newsletter, however, it has some limitations. Anything you read here was written at least ten days ago, and it cannot be updated for another month.
But, if you are reading the HTML version of the newsletter online, you are in fact using the website right now! At the top of this page you may see a blue menu bar. This provides instant access to the features of the website. (If you are using a phone or other small device, you may not see the full...
Confusion Over Envirolink Bill
Most of you have received a final sewer bill from Envrolink, and you may have been confused by the amount. The bill is over 50 percent more than you normally pay. This does not reflect an increase in fees. Although the bill states that it is for services from November 13 to December 13, the bill actually covers service until the end of December. It is the last bill you will receive from Envirolink. On January 1, service will be taken over by Fitch Utilities (see article in the upcoming newsletter concerning developments in wastewater service). If you pay by credit card and incur an additional “convenience” fee, it will have increased as well.
Charges for 2021 through Fitch Utilities will be the same as they have been for this year.
—Gordon Pitz, communications@fhaboard.org
Fearrington Village 101: Who Does What?
When many of us moved to Fearrington, the Handbook and Directory gave us the essential information, but slowly other questions emerged. Why do I pay dues to two organizations? What does the Fearrington Homeowners Association (FHA) do and who belongs to it? How does it fit in with the service groups shown on the website, and what exactly is a service group? What role, if any, does Fitch Creations still have in management of the overall development? How close to “finished” is Fearrington? Here are some of the answers you may have been looking for.
Building the Dream
The Fitch vision was to develop a quiet country lifestyle with a vital and attractive village center, parks, open spaces, recreation, and housing to meet different lifestyles. In 1975, Chatham County gave the approval to Fitch Creations to create a Planned Urban Development (PUD). The first phase of single-family homes, now known as...
