A Message from Your HOA President

February 4, 2025

First, a quick update:
We have a new Community Manager (for the Single Family HOA), Jennifer Grant. Jennifer can be reached at Jennifer@MyStreetVA.com or (804) 456-4334.

I also want to share an important Board update:
I informed our Board during our January meeting that 2026 will be my final year serving as HOA President. This is a planned transition, and I’ll likely stay involved in the community, but I will not be continuing in the President role. Strong neighborhoods stay strong when more neighbors are willing to step in over time, and I want to be transparent now so we can build that bench the right way.

2025 in review (and thank you):
Bell Creek is a very special place! We are made up of so many young families, and one of the greatest joys of living here is watching the kids grow up together. The sense of community is real, and it’s something worth protecting. That’s why I’ve been so proud of what we accomplished together last year.

Here are a few high-level highlights from 2025:

• Social events: We held 10 fun and engaging social events and attendance was consistently strong. We hosted 5 minor events (about $350–$500 each), 1 medium event (about $1,000), and 4 major events (about $2,000–$5,900). We were under budget too!

• Pool operations: The pool season ran smoothly with great partners and leadership from Douglas Aquatics and our lifeguards, many of whom live right here in Bell Creek!

• Communication: We maintained strong homeowner communication with solid upkeep of our platforms (email, website, Facebook) and very few, if any, complaints about responsiveness. I am very proud of our Board’s consistently understanding approach to HOA issues along with their fair and balanced approach to violations.

• Vendor management: Our board and management had consistent and very hands-on vendor management across key areas like pool operations and landscaping.

• Architectural and community governance: Fair and timely architectural review and compliance, with most responses within one week and none approaching our maximum timeframes.

• Financial stewardship: We ended 2025 in a stable position, essentially on-budget overall, with a year-end net income of about $68K. Reserves remain strong at about $406K, with total association assets of about $445K.

We also continue to choose to invest back into our community events. Our social events budget is about 4% of our annual HOA budget. That investment has helped Bell Creek feel connected, not just maintained.

Here is the reality for 2026:
We have extremely limited volunteers out of our 430 homes, and for 2026 we have no one who stepped up to serve as Social Committee Chair or Co-Chair. Because of that, our Board has determined our events will be scaled back.

I know everyone is busy with careers, kids, and family schedules. That’s exactly why the only way Bell Creek stays strong is if we rotate responsibilities and divide the work so it never becomes a heavy commitment for any one person. The community experience we all enjoy is a direct result of neighbors stepping up. And candidly, as I step back from doing so much, what we experience as a community may change unless more people get involved.

I do not think it is fair to ask the five volunteer Board members, or one major committee Chair, or two committee co-chairs, who already serve in a significant capacity, to take on even more. Over the last several years, a very small group of volunteers has carried a lot of the work required to keep Bell Creek running smoothly, including community communication (email, website, socials), pool application approvals, social event planning and execution, and efficient clubhouse rental operations that support HOA income and the association’s success. For us to maintain what our neighborhood expects and deserves, we need more homeowners to get involved.

Your input matters: 2026 Social Events Survey
I believe we manage Bell Creek as a “member-led association” – I see our HOA as a special membership you pay into, and thus you should reap benefits of your investment.  

I’m asking every household to complete this short survey, so your input directly guides what we prioritize and how we use HOA funds for our limited social events and community activities.

Survey link: https://forms.gle/FZG4FbsxpHivJFQ28

Deadline: February 20, 2026

This survey is structured so that if you are not interested in HOA social events, it will take only about 30 seconds, but we still want your response!

If you are interested in sharing more, your input will directly influence what we prioritize and what we can realistically deliver in 2026.

A quick note for anyone who might be willing to help:
Being a Social Committee Co-Chair is not nearly as heavy as it sounds. We plan the year as a large group/volunteer effort upfront, then there is very little work for several months until the first event. We already have a list of vendors we use, a solid idea of what food we order, and a menu of event concepts we’ve run successfully. We typically secure the major rentals and family activity options early in the year so we’re not scrambling later and we get the best cost and options. Most of the “time” around an event is simply the week-of coordination (things like picking up food) and day-of setup, execution, and takedown, which always includes many volunteers.

What we need is someone to co-lead with me, a true collaborator who can help drive the plan and keep the wheels turning, and someone I can rely on even when I’m not in the middle of every detail. I lead in a way that trusts committee leadership, while still providing structure, tools, guidance, and a proven framework so no one feels like they’re doing it alone.

If you’re open to learning more, please consider raising your hand for a short walkthrough conversation. No pressure, no commitment required just to talk. The survey will also give you a chance to indicate if you’re willing to be contacted about volunteer roles.

In closing, Bell Creek is what we make it. Thank you for taking the survey by February 20, and thank you to everyone who has helped make our community feel like a community.

Sincerely,

-Jeff