Riptide Builders Newsletter – January 2021
January 25, 2021
Welcome to the Riptide Builders Newsletter! First and foremost, we want to wish all of you a Happy New Year! May 2021 bring you joy and happiness.
Moving forward, this newsletter will serve as one of the primary sources of current information from Riptide Builders and the Sea Trail Master Association (STMA) board about what is going on within the Sea Trail community. Future newsletters will include details on upcoming projects, key information from the STMA board, and details on how we intend to best serve the community.
We know that many people have questions, and our goal is to provide as many answers as we can in a timely manner. Below are the best points of contact for you to reach out to should you have questions that are not addressed in this newsletter. Again, our goal is to keep you as informed as possible.
Background
As many of you know, in late August of last year Riptide Builders acquired the remaining undeveloped land in Sea Trail with the purchase of Sunrise Corporate Development Holdings. We are actively collaborating and developing plans with the homeowner’s association to bring tremendous new features and improvements to the current Sea Trail community. We are also working with the STMA board and various committees on features we can include in future development property. We are focusing on features that can be assets to existing Sea Trail residents as well as the future residents. The collaboration and teamwork with the present STMA board members has been wonderful. We believe it is vital to have a board that understands how working together, problem-solving together, and most importantly communicating together, will form the best possible Sea Trail for us all. We are confident in the current STMA board and we are extremely excited to achieve great things for Sea Trail together.
About Riptide
As a bit of background for those that are just learning about us, Riptide Builders started building custom homes in the southern portion of Brunswick County in 2009, and our expertise has steadily grown during the twelve years since our inception. Our customers’ satisfaction is important, and we work diligently to exceed expectations and deliver high-quality work through precise attention to detail and premier customer service. We strive to bring first-class materials, leading-edge design, outstanding finish details, luxury features, and exceptional quality to every home we construct. Riptide was founded with a guiding philosophy to develop and to build innovative homes in prime locations which meet and exceed the needs of today’s clients. We hold this philosophy as true today as we did on day one.
Plans for the Future – and the Convention Center
We are excited about our plans for 2021 and beyond. In our upcoming newsletters, we will continuously be communicating and sharing information with you.
An important piece we can share now is that Riptide and Chinaway Corporation are actively collaborating for various improvements to the golf courses, the clubhouses, and restaurants. We are also collaborating and discussing the re-opening of the Convention Center.
It is important to understand that the planned development for the remainder of Sea Trail is vital to the future success of all these advancements. Ownership and staff have met and spoken with numerous residents in the community who would love nothing more than for the Convention Center to be re-opened, the golf course to be enhanced and to prosper, and the food and beverage and clubhouses to be improved with new designs and appointments to better serve the community and guests.
The Big Picture
Sea Trail is its own ecosystem. In recent years we have seen the convention center close and the rental program close and subsequently re-open with less than 90 short-term rentals available today. Sea Trail is home to some exceptionally large facilities that require significant cash flow to thrive. Conventions, golf packages and accommodations are the life blood of these facilities within the community we have all invested in and come to love. We whole-heartedly believe that it would be a tragedy for the golf courses, clubhouses and restaurants to wither away due to insufficient funding and support. However, these key amenities can hardly survive, much less thrive without business — and accommodations are a critical driver of that business. Simply put, conventions are impossible without accommodations, and there can be no accommodations available without future development.
As a bit of historical reference, there were previously over 400 short term rentals in Sea Trail available for convention accommodations and golf packages. We are committed to improving all facilities within Sea Trail to enable them to bloom to their fullest potential. Our plans for the community do not stop with short term development and construction; we are here to invest in the facilities and business that make Sea Trail so unique and desirable. However, we cannot do it alone — we need the support of the community and town to achieve this.
It’s human nature to zero in on the negatives, and we can always find something to criticize. However, to move forward we must all see the big picture. We are committed to having a dialogue with our residents and the town to ensure that the big picture for Sea Trail is a positive one for the entire community.
Pulling it All Together: Our Vision
Sea Trail has been dormant for well over a decade, but things are now happening. We understand the many benefits of quality, diverse development allows. That’s why our plans include re-opening and revitalizing facilities; sidewalks throughout all future development property and some existing developed areas; diverse amenities throughout Sea Trail; greenspace areas; a future entry and exit from Angels Trace Road; tremendous additional funding to the HOA from new development and increased capital contributions; and funding which allows for dues to stay low and our budgets to increase. These improvements will benefit Sunset Beach by growing the tax base and therefore increasing the town’s tax revenue, ABC revenues and accommodations tax revenues. This will benefit all Sunset Beach residents, regardless of whether they live in Sea Trail, by allowing the town to generate additional revenues at the current tax rate.
Our vision for Sea Trail is to become the premier resort in our region. We have made an extremely large investment in Sea Trail, and no one is more committed than us to ensuring that Sea Trail reaches its full potential and continues to be one of the most attractive places to live and visit in our region. This is a team effort; we are in this together. Our team at Riptide is excited to bring these enhancements and improvements to our community. We are overjoyed to be working with the great STMA board and look forward to meeting any residents that we have not already met.
We all know how powerful the rumor mill can be, especially when those rumors make it to Facebook and NextDoor. If you have questions about our plans, please reach out to us! We’ll be honest and transparent and give you the full story. All we ask is that you keep an open mind until you hear all of the facts. If you have questions or concerns, please communicate with the board or us directly. We will always do our best to listen and accommodate when and where we can!
We highly encourage you all to review the Second Amended Master Declaration and Development plan if you have not done so already. This document outlines the declarant rights, property rights, and more. The Second Amended Master Declaration can be viewed on the STMA website or by clicking here.
Below is a map of Sea Trail to outline tract locations/names, future development areas, roads, and current amenity locations.
Official Point of Contact
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Todd RademacherCommunity Planner/Public RelationsFor questions or information pertaining to general community development or future planning, please contact Todd.Work: 910.579.7778 |
| Todd has 21 years of local government experience as a planning director in North Carolina. He has spent many years in Sunset Beach and is familiar with subdivision planning and development and is a key member of Riptide Builders. Todd is well versed in wetlands, stormwater, natural habitat planning and is excited to be a part of the upcoming Sea Trail development. | |
Projects Underway in Sea Trail
South Entry Sales Office
One of the projects currently underway is the remodeling of the South Entry Sales Office. Previously upon entering the south entrance of Sea Trail, your eyes were met with the old sales office — which was a bit of an eyesore. Below are “before” images of the sales center before and our plans for what it will look like when remodeling is complete with community and town support, this type of revitalization could happen with many commercial structures within Sea Trail in the not-so-distant future.
The new sales office will be the primary hub for both the Riptide Builders Sales Team and Sea Trail Realty. Sea Trail Realty is a new company comprised of several seasoned general real estate brokers and property managers. This team of experts will sell and focus exclusively on Sea Trail real estate in order to directly serve the current residents of the Sea Trail market with their listing, sales or property management needs.
The South Entry Sales Office is making great progress and is expected to be complete by the end of February!
Sales Office Before Remodel
Sales Office Remodel Plan
Upcoming Projects in Sea Trail
In the near future, we will provide an elaborate overview of the Townhomes on Eastwood Bluff at Sea Trail, Byrd Watch and Crooked Gulley Pointe. In the meantime, below are some details on what to expect.
Townhomes on Eastwood Bluff at Sea Trail
The Eastwood Bluff Townhome community project began before Sea Trail Corporation went into bankruptcy many years ago. Due to the circumstances, the project became dormant and was never completed, and has been an eyesore for the community. However, all of the underground infrastructures were installed for this project to include all of the water, sewer, and stormwater systems and many state permits were still active. The community has an active HOA and recorded declarations and by-laws. The infrastructure installed underground was extremely costly and something that could not be easily removed. Our engineering team and design staff collaborated and made dramatic improvements to the exteriors, floor plans and, most importantly, the amenities that were originally designed for this project. Work on the Townhomes on Eastwood Bluff at Sea Trail will begin in the upcoming months. When completed, the project will include 22 total buildings, with four units per building. Additionally, the Townhomes on Eastwood Bluff at Sea Trail will feature a brand-new pool, a beautiful pool/clubhouse, pergola dining areas with fire pits, benches, grilling stations, lush landscaping, and more. A detailed site map along with pricing will be available soon. Sidewalks with an abundance of street trees will be installed along Eastwood Park Road bordering Eastwood Bluff all the way to Clubhouse Road. Sidewalks will then adjoin from the Byrd Watch project where they will run down both sides of Clubhouse Road to the boundaries of Byrd Watch, which is approximately the current location of the Convention Center parking lot and the entry to Pelican Reserve (formerly known as tract 6) at Mill Pond Road on the other side. Sidewalks with more lush street trees will continue into Crooked Gulley circle and terminate at the end of the Byrd Watch boundary on Crooked Gulley Circle.
Byrd Watch
Lots and homes within Byrd Watch are now available for purchase. Survey markers have been placed throughout the area to indicate rough lot lines. We anticipate breaking ground on this project in late spring/early summer of 2021. When completed, the Byrd Watch community will consist of 49 single-family homes with premier golf course and water views. As noted above, sidewalks and street trees will be installed down Clubhouse Road on both sides of this project and into Crooked Gulley Circle. Sidewalks will connect all down Eastwood Park Road and will eventually continue to the north entry of Sea Trail by Discovery Lake (formerly known as tract 1) and will continue out all the way through Pelican Reserve (formerly known as tract 6) and connect to a new entry and exit point for Sea Trail at Angels Trace Road. Our design team is looking at several unique amenities to include within some of the common areas of these properties. One point of focus is to create a bird viewing area with some platforms and commercial grade viewfinders. We are also going to do our very best with the engineers and surveyors to preserve trees where allowable for birds that we all love to watch and admire.
Below is an image of the Byrd Watch site map:
Crooked Gulley Pointe
This array of five single-family homes is also now available for purchase. These homes will be listed in the low 400’s and feature stunning golf course views. Vertical construction on these five homes will take place in the first quarter of this year.
If you are interested in more details such as pricing, timeline, features or the purchase of any of the above projects, please reach out to the Riptide Sales Team. They are always available to answer any questions you may have!
Office: 910.579.7778
Email: sales@riptidebuilders.com
Below is an image of our Sales Team listed from left to right: Julie Chortanoff, Britney McCarthy, and Lauren Gembe.
Smaller Upcoming Projects
Additionally, we are looking to create more court-type amenities (like pickle ball) that are close to the existing tennis courts and club house. We also want to make the community a better place for your four-legged friends by creating a location for a dog park. We are working with the STMA board on various options that we have with Sunrise property and various common areas within Sea Trail. There are many more projects that we are planning and working on to enhance Sea Trail, but we will save some for future newsletters.
Riptide Builders is devoted to bringing positive change to Sea Trail while making it one of the most sought-after communities in the area. We look forward to working with you to make it happen.
Sea Trail Golf Club Newsletter
Please click Sea Trail Golf Club January-February 2021 Newsletter for all of the latest information from the Golf Club!
Pat Gardner
Pat Gardner, formerly of Sugar Sands passed away January 20 at the age of 90. She and her late husband, Herb, were very active in the early days of Sea Trail. Pat had been a resident at Autumn Care for many years.
STMA BOARD UPDATE – 1/22/2021- Treasurer & Riptide Updates
Dear Sea Trail Homeowners:
There have been some changes in the Sea Trail Master Association Board of Directors. John Rothermel will no longer serve on the Board of Directors or as the Treasurer. We want to thank John for his 11 years of dedication and service as the STMA Treasurer.
Effective immediately, we are happy to announce that Greg Barratt has been appointed to the Sea Trail Master Association Board of Directors and has been elected as Treasurer for the Board. We are excited to welcome Greg to the STMA Board. Greg and his wife Jenni have been residents of Sea Trail for 9 years. He has been serving as Long Range Planning Committee Chair for STMA for the past few years and was a Past President of Sea Trail Men’s Golf Association. Greg will be an excellent addition to the Sea Trail Master Association Board.
It has been a busy 5+ months since Riptide Builders closed on the acquisition of Sunrise Corporate Development Holdings, LLC, which owned the undeveloped land in Sea Trail. There are lots of exciting things happening and we look forward to sharing them with Sea Trail residents very soon. We know that communication is very important to all of us. The STMA Board will be sending regular Board updates as well as Declarant updates from Riptide Builders. Don’t forget to check our website on a daily basis for up to date information on the Covid Vaccine, Riptide Builders, Upcoming Events, our Newsletter, CAMS and Facilities. See links to the website below.
The 2021 STMA Board members are committed to a common vision to improve and invest in our Sea Trail community. Our top priority is to make Sea Trail a better and more vibrant community for all.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact an STMA Board Member.
Take Care and Stay Healthy!
Sea Trail Master Association Board of Directors
January is a BIG Month at the Old Bridge
We miss you. In this time of Covid we miss seeing you. We know that many of you have experienced this virus on a personal level. You are part of our family and we hold you in our hearts.
In January 2011, the Old Bridge made its way to a new home, close to but out of the water.
January 7: The Old Bridge had its last opening, all of the NCDOT crew who had maintained and repaired it over the years came to ride it one last time.
January 10-21: The first part of the bridge reached its new home. We arrived that morning to find one of the red metal ramps waiting for us! The next addition was the middle section. This was the heaviest portion of the bridge and weighed in at 31 tons! A few tree branches had to be trimmed to allow the crane to get close enough to the bridge. As you might imagine, moving the bridge was a lot of work Although we couldn’t pay the crew in dollars, we showed our gratitude by hosting a pizza party just before the Tender House was moved
January 21: Finally, the big day arrived! The Tender House was hoisted using a spreader bar and a 50 ton crane. The slow move from the waterway to the site took over an hour. It seemed a bit like moving the space shuttle because it moved only a foot or so per minute. Large ropes were used by workers to prevent it from swinging. After a long trip, the Tender House was almost in place. The crane operator skillfully lifted the structure over the bridge, relying on guidance from crew members on the ground. Ever so gently it was lowered into place on the gravel bed prepared by our much loved engineer, Gerry Strickland. After we finally entered the Tender House, we found a bottle of Off still sitting upright on the windowsill. Amazing!
And now here we are, ten years later!! We’re so grateful for your support and we remain hopeful that we’ll be able to see you in a while, maybe as soon as late summer. It can’t be soon enough!!
For more information:
Website: www.theoldbridge.org
Email: theoldbridgesb@gmail.com
Museum of Coastal Carolina & Planetarium Information
Click on the various links below to learn more about the offerings from the Museum of Coastal Carolina and Ingram Planetarium plus opportunities to volunteer:
The 2021 Great Backyard Bird Count occurs from February 12 to 15. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a yearly citizen science project where people can watch, learn about, count, and celebrate birds.
The Museum of Coastal Carolina’s Coastal Gallery, a changing exhibition of work by local artists, is featuring Artwork by Joyce Houle through May 15.
The Museum of Coastal Carolina reopens in February on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 3:00. From March through May 15, the museum will be open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:00 to 3:00. Here are the Spring Programs for 2021
Health & Safety Resource Committee Program Rescheduled to Zoom
The Health & Safety Resource Committee program Estate Planning Essentials scheduled for January 28 in the PP has been changed to a virtual program being offered per Zoom. Click Invitation Estate Planning Essentials Zoom Event for all of the information and to sign up for this program.
Rourk Library in Shallotte Temporarily Closes to the Public
Brunswick County’s Rourk Library branch location in Shallotte is temporarily closed to the public; the reopening date is still to be determined. Library patrons are encouraged to take advantage of the county library system’s extensive virtual services or visit one of its other four locations at this time.
Curbside pickups for library items will also discontinue at the Rourk Library location until it reopens. Rourk Library will not issue fines while closed. Patrons can still return items through the book drop outside the library.
Free Wifi will remain available for individuals in the library parking lot. Individuals are asked to follow the Three Ws—wear a face covering, wait six feet apart from others, and wash hands regularly—whenever visiting a library branch or parking lot for Wifi access.
Brunswick County will provide an update when the Rourk Library branch location reopens to the public.
More information about Brunswick County’s library system and its virtual services are at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/library/
Media Inquiries: contact the Communications Director at 910.253.2995 or email meagan.kascsak@brunswickcountync.gov
Ingram Planetarium Hosts Virtual Walk-a-Thon to the ISS
Ingram Planetarium is hosting a virtual Walk-a-Thon beginning February 20. The planetarium invites space fans to walk to the International Space Station (ISS). Click Walk-a-Thon to the ISS for all of the information.
OIMF Updates/Information
New Owners to Sea Trail January, 2021
Please click New Owners January, 2021 to find the most current list of new owners moving into Sea Trail. To find their specific information as to street address, email addresses and phone numbers just log in to the Member Directory section of the website. Please Note: This specific information is only available on the member directory once the new owner updates their profile information themselves.
We will continue to add New Owners to the Newsletter on a monthly basis or as we receive it from our STMA administrator.
Welcome to all!!
Ray Dillon Passed
Ray Dillon, longtime Sea Trail resident and husband of former Garden Club member, Marie Dillon, died this morning at his son’s house in FL. No other details are available.
Please keep the Dillon family in your thoughts and prayers.
PRESIDENT’S UPDATES – 01/09/2021
Dear Sea Trail,
I hope this first week of 2021 is going well for all of you. A few updates that I wanted to bring to your attention:
CAMS: We have completed the first week of transitioning to CAMS for our financial management. A large percentage of our homeowners have paid their 2021 dues and we thank you! If you are having any issues, please call CAMS at 1-877-672-2267. Please be aware that your dues payments need to be received by CAMS by January 29th. We appreciate your patience during this transition!
FACILITIES: All indoor facilities (Pink Palace, MAC and Fitness Center) will continue to be closed until further notice due to the increasing numbers of COVID in our area. We will re-visit this decision in two weeks to determine if it is feasible and safe to re-open the facilities.
LIBRARY: We have decided to re-open the Library on Monday, January 11th at 10:00 am. Everyone must wear masks and limit your time in the library (enter at your own risk). The library will continue to have a volunteer assistant to insure that we only have a maximum of 4 people in the Library which includes the volunteer. The library will be open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Please do not visit the library if you have any cold or flu symptoms.
COVID VACCINES AND INFO: COVID Vaccines – Our Website team of Candy Fowler and Emily Shea are doing a wonderful job of keeping our website updated with up to date information on the COVID vaccine. There are links to all of the latest COVID information on our website. At the bottom of this email are links to our website, CAMS, Coronavirus information etc. I encourage you to use our website, as it is an excellent resource. You do not need to log in to view this information!
RIPTIDE BUILDERS: There are a lot of exciting things happening in Sea Trail since Riptide Builders Development Inc. purchased Sunrise Corporate Development Holdings, LLC. on August 4, 2020. We plan to keep the Sea Trail Community informed of Riptide Builders current plans for development and building activity. The Website Team has created a Riptide page on our Sea Trail MA website, which will keep our community informed on Riptide Builders latest Sea Trail information. Riptide Builders will be sending out a newsletter soon to all Sea Trail homeowners and these newsletters will also be posted to the Riptide Builders STMA website page. Stay tuned for exciting news!
I know it is a very stressful time in our world. I encourage you to take a walk through our beautiful community or on our peaceful Sunset Beach.
Take Care and Stay Healthy!!
Roz Dahlen, STMA President
John Goodrich Passed
As many of you know, Sea Trail Garden Club member and STLGA member, Kate Goodrich, lost her dear husband John last week. John was a former President of the Sea Trail Property Owners Association (now the Master Association).
Donations in John’s honor can be made to Brunswick County Family Assistance
Please keep Kate and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
Brunswick County COVID Vaccine Updates
More details regarding COVID Vaccines in Brunswick County:
- To sign-up to receive vaccine updates from the Board of Health Sunshine List: Call (910) 253-2250. Wait for the prompt for the COVID info. You will connected with someone who will ask you for your email address. You will then receive updates regarding vaccinations, scheduling for Brunswick County and other important updates.
- For more details in Brunswick County regarding vaccines, scheduling and other FAQs go to: https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/health/coronavirus/
- To sign-up to receive updates from the Brunswick County Sunshine List, go to: https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/info/email/
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR COVID PAGE: https://seatrailma.com/cdc-updates/