Last updated: 7/14/2020

The Sandbridge Dunes board of directors voted to keep our pool closed for the rest of 2020  The board's explanation is below:

Sandbridge Dunes Unit Owners,

Our decision to close the swimming pool was a very hard one.  The 5 member board had 3-4 very long and emotional meetings on the topic.  All through this period, Chuck Mullins had the pool maintained and ready for the Governor's decision.

Throughout this period, we consulted our insurance broker several times, adding several more hours to our consideration.  As a broker of 28 years, I feel the insurance question/concern is as important as any.  As of last week, no insurance carrier will offer any defense monies or pay any judgement awards on our behalf.  Any and all claims are excluded from the entire worldwide insurance community.

Lawsuits, and they will come, will linger for years as attorneys search for monies.  Liability is a problem shared by all of us, owners, SBD entity, BOD, etc.  What we need to show is that we were most prudent in attempting to protect our guests and our owners.  Signed waivers and hold harmless agreements are a complete and immediate throw-away.  Totally useless.  Ask any lawyer.

Our Dunes problem is complying with your Governor's guidelines.  Yes, pools can now open but under incredibly strict guidelines that are well beyond our abilities to conform to.  10 feet of distancing in a 25 foot wide pool?  Impossible.  The hiring of trained attendants and a supervisor for a 12 hour, 7 day stretch?  Not budgeted at the $20,000+ estimated labor cost.  Constant cleaning everytime a person stands up from a chair or enters/exits the bathroom?  Limited access to 1 or 2 of our 6 entry points?  Fire regs might object.  Management and storage-offsite of the health care info.  There are many others that are contained in the rules we are forwarding to you.

We are also sending a link to a CAI Zoom 90 minute review (click here) on this specific topic.  A lawyer, Insurance broker and a community manager presented what they are experiencing in Hampton Roads.  A handful of community pools may be open out of the hundreds that are out there.  

All three agreed, "Don't do it."  As an add on, the Commonwealth plans on aggressive enforcement to 100% of the guidelines.  "if you open, it will be a daunting task."

This week in the busiest of the summer so far.  We are jammed.  Masks?  Only a few.  License plates?  New York, New Jersey, PA, Connecticut.

They are on their vacation and are acting as if the virus is on vacation, too.   It isn't.  Numbers of new cases in the 23456 area cases have tripled in the past 2 weeks.  I fear what our carefree guests will leave with us...…..we'll see in a couple weeks.

In closing, all members of our Board really wanted to open the pool.  It is in our collective best interests to keep it closed and be a prudent as possible.

To contact any board member with comments or concerns about this decision, please visit this page. 

On July 1, 2020 the Commonwealth of Virginia entered Phase Three for safely re-opening the state as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Some of these guidelines relate directly to Sandbridge Dunes (e.g., swimming pool, fitness room, and community room) .  Click here to see the Forward Virginia Phase Three Guidelines. The Virginia Beach emergency website for COVID-19 is: https://emergency.vbgov.com/.   

Here are some specifics about Sandbridge Dunes:

• Until further notice, all common area surfaces that people frequently touch (i.e., door handles, stairwell railings, and elevator keypads), will be cleaned twice daily, 7-days-per-week, with an EPA-recommended chemical disinfectant. (Note: A link to the EPA's list of disinfectants can be found below).
• The fitness room is closed until further notice.
• The pool is closed until further notice.  In the meantime, the pool is being cleaned daily (as if it were open) so that once conditions permit the pool can be opened as soon as possible.

The following additional information is provided as a service to Sandbridge Dunes unit owners:

1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website has comprehensive information about this outbreak.
2. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a list of chemical disinfectants to use against viruses like the one that causes COVID-19.  
3. Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has a Coronovirus Resource Center, including a worldwide interactive map showing the spread of the disease.
4. Community First Management, our condominium management company, has posted COVID-19 related information to their website.  Please see their homepage for details.
5. Chadwick Washington, a law firm, has distributed information for community association leaders.