By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great local journalism.
Residents frustrated as some Forsyth County HOAs announce pools will remain closed
06022020_RiverstonePlantation_1
The Riverstone Plantation Homeowner’s Association is one of several boards in Forsyth County that made the decision to keep their amenities closed with no opening date planned. (Photo for the Forsyth County News)
Residents in some Forsyth County neighborhoods are left searching for answers as they have watched subdivision pools open all around them while their own amenities have remained closed.The Riverstone Plantation Homeowner’s Association is one of several boards in Forsyth County that made the decision to keep their amenities closed with no opening date planned. At first, the HOA announced earlier in May that it would be opening its pool, asking residents to volunteer to monitor the space and make sure pool visitors were keeping social distancing guidelines in mind. Days later, however, several residents were disappointed and frustrated when the HOA provided them with a statement from its attorney, Benjamin Ost, stating that it was recommended that it keep the pool and other amenities closed for the time being.“The Board has met all of the requirements of the C.D.C. sanitizing and social distancing guidelines, but even with these processes in place the risk to our Association is still great,” the HOA’s statement reads.Ost advised the HOA that even following social distancing guidelines, cleaning as often as possible and putting up warning signs may not prevent lawsuits against the HOA if a resident were to contract COVID-19 while using its amenities.In the meantime, the statement provided that the HOA will continue to work with committee members and vendors to try to open the pool back up as soon as it is safe for both residents and the HOA to do so.The president of Chadbourne’s HOA, Frank Garrahan, came to a similar decision, letting residents know in an email that it is too soon to open neighborhood amenities.“I know that many of you would like to see our amenities area opened,” Garrahan wrote in the email. “I too would like to see it opened and things getting back to normal.