As we near the opening of the Bridgewater Pool, the board wanted to provide an update for 2025. We’ve had some changes to our board in the last week. Unfortunately, our newest member Erica Glauber has made the decision to step away from the board to focus on personal matters. The board thanks Erica for stepping up and wishes her nothing but the best moving forward! Conversely, please join us in welcoming Eric Woody and Susan Miller to the Bridgewater Board. We are excited to have their feedback and suggestions as we navigate through the next two years.
Speaking of the pool, it officially opens on May 8th. This year we have contracted with Clarity Pool services for our weekly maintenance. They have done a fantastic job since coming on board with us in January. We expect to see a marked improvement under their management. Additionally, look for the following improvements at the pool:
- Based on numerous requests, we have added a new handrail at the shallow end of the pool to assist our residents entering and exiting the pool safely.
- A new keycard system was also installed after our old one went down following hurricane Helene. Note: The old keycards will not work and need to be replaced.
- We are happy to announce we will be offering free WIFI access at the pool this year during operating hours. Residents can simply log on to the WIFI named: BridgewaterPool and enter password: bwpoolaccess!
As mentioned at the annual meeting, the biggest focus (and financial commitment) for the board in 2025 will be addressing the retention pond behind Grand River Lane. Our intention was to tackle this project in 2024, however, due to numerous unbudgeted expenses we had to postpone this until this year. Over the past year we have had an infestation of beavers wreaking havoc on the functionality of the pond. Once the beavers are removed, the pond will need to be drained, and the damage repaired. At the same time, we also need to address a sinkhole that has formed due to a drainage line failure. Finally, we must replace a manhole cover on one of the access points that has gone missing. The original quote we received to address these issues was in excess of $13,000. Christina has been working diligently to bring this quote down before we commit to any work.
Other projects that are slated for this year:
- Street Signposts: As several neighbors have pointed out, the street signposts need a fresh coat of paint. Now that the weather is breaking, we expect to have this addressed soon.
- Pool Entrance Common Area: The board is exploring options for the common space near the pool parking lot entrance where the hurricane decimated a number of trees. Lack of irrigation makes it challenging to add any additional foliage to the area. We hope to have a feasible solution in place in the next 60 days.
- Library: An outdoor community library box will be installed this year, we will share more details upon completion.
- Playground: The board is very hopeful we will be able to install a small children’s play area adjacent to the pool. After we finalize the expenses for the retention pond repairs, we can begin to focus on this amenity.
- Summer Movies and Food Trucks: Thanks to the assistance of Lindsey Barb, we will soon be posting the schedule for the Summer Food Trucks as well as the movie nights. Our goal is to add more mainstream movies to the mix to attract a broader audience for the summer. Look for more details soon!
Lastly, the HOA Board has continued to listen to your feedback and improve our community website: www.bridgewatersimpsonville.com. Effective immediately, residents are now able to submit their ARC requests directly on the website via an online form for approval. We have also added the ability to submit any community violations directly to the website for review. Please note, this process is not intended to maliciously harass another neighbor but rather to ensure that the community continues to be a source of pride for all residents. When a suspected violation is reported, the Board will verify the occurrence prior to forwarding it to our property management company to issue the violation. Both these areas can be accessed on the front page under “community portal”.
As this new board enters another two-year term, we want to the residents of Bridgewater for your commitment and support to making Bridgewater a better place to live. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any of us on the board directly. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer!
