The St. Alban’s Square neighborhood, off Concord Road behind St. Alban’s Church (photo), has come a long way in the decade since opponents and supporters battled over whether the project should be built. Now, the neighborhood association is being recognized as the best in its class in North Carolina. And during an Oct. 4 election forum at the church, there was agreement the neighborhood has been a planning success.

The St. Alban’s Square Neighborhood Association was named 2007 Association of the Year among medium-sized, mixed-use neighborhoods in the state. Association President Dave Smith and other neighborhood council members were in Cary, N.C., Sept. 21 to receive the award, from the North Carolina Chapter of the Community Association Institute.

BATTLING CHANGE

The 80-acre neighborhood is sometimes known as “The New Neighborhood in Old Davidson,” the name given it by developer Doug Boone.

A decade ago, neighbors fought to halt or alter the 270-home project, which was the first proposed under updated town regulations influenced by a planning trend called “New Urbanism.” Hundreds of residents signed a petition against the project.

New Urbanism eschews cul-de-sac and housing-only developments in favor of a more traditional town feeling, with a mix of uses. Today, the completed development is denser than other Davidson neighborhoods, with 139 closely-spaced detached homes and 131 attached townhomes. And there are retail stores, offices and institutional uses (the church). The New Neighborhood also includes open space, with trails, a playground and a dog park.

At the Oct. 4 candidate forum, Mr. Smith referred to the New Neighborhood as “the quiet side” of Davidson. That prompted Mayor Pro-Tem and mayoral candidate John Woods to reflect on the battles a decade ago and how it has become an example of good planning:

“When I was first elected in 1997, this was a combat zone. For those of you who were not here in 1997, who live in this fabulous neighborhood, it was an angry and very bitter debate over whether or not this neighborhood would ruin Davidson,” Mr. Woods said.

“Six months later, after heavy negotiations with the developer, Doug Boone, whom you all know, we created this lovely neighborhood. And every time I ride in here, I think of the great work that was done here,” he said.

Mr. Boone has called it the “finest work of my development career” and now lives there. Other new residents who moved to Davidson to live in the neighborhood talk about how they like it and its neighborhood association has now been recognized statewide.

Mayoral candidate William E. Jackson Jr., who is campaigning against the current town board’s growth management policies, said he likes the neighborhood, and joked that he sometimes worships at St. Alban’s, even though he is a Presbyterian.

“This is one of the most attractive places to live. I would give a lot of credit to Doug Boone,” Mr. Jackson said.

WINNING NEIGHBORHOOD

Residents of St. Alban’s Square Neighborhood Association pose with their award. Pictured (from left): Dave Smith, Shirley Fischer, Alan Sterling, Mike Stenhouse, Luann Christine [holding part of certificate], St. Alban’s rector Rev. David E. Buck [standing in back], Joyce Feir, Judy McLean [holding part of certificate], Hank Howell [standing in back], Ed McLean, Tom Fischer, Nancy Kahn and Sherman Kahn.

MORE ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The following information comes from neighborhood association president Dave Smith and incorporates information submitted when the community association was nominated for the CAI award by Vera Victorino of Abbott Enterprises of Charlotte, the neighborhood’s property manager.

Main streets and avenues were named after Southern authors (Conroy, O. Henry, Faulkner, Wolfe, Clemens, and Twain). Alleys for townhome garage entry are called byways and are named for individuals who had property sold to the development or who were prominent in the history of the Town of Davidson. There are six park areas that were deeded over to the Town of Davidson and are now operated by the town. These parks include two children’s play areas, picnic areas, two small soccer fields, and a master square for mixed play and entertainment. In addition, there is also an off-leash dog park also run by the Town of Davidson, but officially part of a broader Mecklenburg County system. Another area adjacent to the dog park has been designated as a Nature Preserve and includes natural areas with trails. The Association also maintains three additional park areas and two running fountains. All parks and fountains, town-owned or owned by the Association, are maintained on a regular basis and are planted with seasonal flowers.

The governing body of the Association is a seven member Council of Stewards. Council meetings, held every other month, are open to residents and special time is allotted for input and discussion of issues. In support of the Council of Stewards, there are seven active committees that handle details regarding landscaping and maintenance contracts, budget, and governance. Association committees are made up of solid members and leadership is strong. A member of the Council of Stewards is assigned as a representative on each committee to maintain communications and to help with issues regarding governance. All committees meet on a regular basis and provide specific input to each year’s budget. Two membership meetings are held each year, a general meeting in August for election of new members to the Council and a meeting for budget approval in November. With assets of nearly $400,000, the annual budget is around $350,000.

What makes St. Alban’s Square Neighborhood so attractive as a place to live is the total sense of community created by the layout and setting. The Founder still lives in the neighborhood and maintains a close relationship with both the Town of Davidson and the neighborhood. Local town officials know and respect or neighborhood and have been very appreciative of the addition of our parks to the town system. The sidewalks and parks make the neighborhood an attractive place to walk. In addition to the townhome setting, small lots for the single-family homes invite people to meet fellow neighbors and to participate in activities. The church not only adds to the sense of community, but also serves as a meeting location and community center for the entire neighborhood. The relationship between the church and the Association has been a good one and continues to be one of shared commitment.

Since its development, neighbors have stepped-up as volunteers for organization and planning for numerous activities. These include a group of morning walkers, a Women’s Breakfast Group, a Men’s Breakfast Group, a book club, and a bridge club. Periodically, the neighborhood will hold a “Neighborhood Dinner Out” at a local restaurant. There is also an active Discussion Group that meets quarterly to discuss topics of interest to the neighborhood or community. Candidate forums during election years are popular. The Discussion Group is open to other associations and members of the community and has drawn good attendance.

There is a monthly newsletter to keep residents and owners informed of news in the neighborhood. Although not the only official means of communication, it does serve as the best way to communicate actions from the Council of Stewards and announcements for meetings. One or two pages of the newsletter are also devoted to activities in the Town of Davidson and at Davidson College, less than a half mile from the neighborhood.

Through the efforts of a volunteer in the neighborhood, St. Alban’s Square has an excellent website [www.stalbanssq.org]. The site includes newsletter copies, pictures of special events, copies of governing documents, a neighborhood directory, and links to other useful websites in the Town of Davidson.

The neighborhood holds an annual Spring Party in New Neighborhood (SPINN). This has proven to be a very successful event for the past 5 years and draws an attendance of between 250 and 300 residents. The event is funded as a budget item and includes a picnic atmosphere with well organized children’s games and activities. There has been a lot of support from the Town of Davidson each year with attendance by the police and fire departments and, most recently, the Town’s K-9 patrol. Contributions to door prizes by local merchants that support our neighborhood were particularly generous this year.

St. Alban’s Church has an outstanding music program and has achieved status as an Associate Member of the Arts and Science Council. There is an annual Sunday Concert Series conducted by the church. The neighborhood newsletter publishes announcements of these events and they are well attended by residents.

The Town of Davidson prides itself on maintaining a small town atmosphere and strongly controls development within the town limits. New Neighborhood was looked at very closely when the development plans were first presented. The town eventually agreed that this type of neighborhood fit well with the town image and growth. One can see many similar patterns to new developments now under construction. Members of the Town Board are proud of what they consider a very successful story in New Neighborhood.

The Founder used a great deal of foresight when planning the neighborhood. For example, from the beginning, there has been a $100 Enhancement Fee charged to anyone selling property after original ownership from the Developer. This money is used to enhance the “quality of life” in the neighborhood and has had a number of ideal applications. One example: Money from this fund was used by Boy Scouts as an Eagle Scout project to build a bridge across a creek in one of the common areas.

In addition to the off-leash dog park, St. Alban’s Square Neighborhood streets and sidewalks are also pet friendly and area cleanly. Pet mitt stations are located in common areas throughout the neighborhood to insure that walking is a pleasant activity.

Abbott Enterprises, Inc. of Charlotte is contracted as the Association’s management company and keeps the financial books. As of January 2007, the Association begins the renewal of a two-year contract with Abbott and the relationship continues to be strong. Abbott continues to be responsive to Association needs.

In order to promote care of yards and property among single-family homeowners, a Yard-of-the-Month contest was started between the months of April and November in 2006. This has had positive impact on landscaping appearance and was well received by residents. This contest also led to a Holiday Season decorations contest in December. Both programs have been continued in 2007.