New Property Owners’ FAQs
What’s Wintergreen?
Different people describe Wintergreen differently, depending on how they approach it. It's a beautiful four-season resort. It's a leafy subdivision. Wintergreen is a vacation get-away high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. It's a country club. It's a nature preserve. Wintergreen is a site for weddings, music festivals, athletic obstacle course contests, and skiing. It's exclusive. Wintergreen is open to everyone.
Wintergreen is in a national forest. It's in Nelson County, Va., (or Augusta County). It’s wine country. It’s remote. It's a NORC. It's a vacation place. Wintergreen is a corporation. It’s a nonprofit. It's suburbia. It's expensive. It's affordable. It's free.
It would be easy to make a good case for each of those descriptions, depending on who is describing what. Each one alone is wrong. One thing is clear, however: Wintergreen, now over 50-years-old, is a success. The primary power behind that success has been the passion and imagination that thousands of individual property owners have brought to this community.
Like the blind men who came upon the elephant, when the parts are put together a clear image of Wintergreen emerges.
The entire WPOA website is dedicated to helping everyone find answers to their questions about this unique community. Take time to explore its many pages with links to many other Wintergreen websites.
Using the search box below (and also found at the bottom of almost every page of this website) is a good way to start.
See the answers to some frequently asked questions by new property owners below, or simply email your questions to admin@wtgpoa.org.
Sign up for emailed news and updates from the Wintergreen Property Owners Association HERE. Welcome!
Fishing passes must be displayed by owners and guests when fishing the community lakes and streams. Find out more here.
Wintergreen is a Bear Smart Community, go here for details.
New Owner Informational Form
These attractive flyers are designed to help visitors enjoy Wintergreen. Professionally printed copies can be had at the WPOA’s office as well as almost all WPOA facilities (the mail kiosk on the mountain, Tuckahoe Clubhouse, the WPOA pools, etc.) Also, property owners can download WPOA’s “community rules” to share with short-term renters and guests HERE.
Wintergreen homes and condominiums that are leased out for short-term rentals (less than 30 days) are required to be registered with WPOA. Learn more
What’s the difference between WPOA & Wintergreen Resort?
Wintergreen is seen by some as an unusual “resort community” because how over the years it has evolved into a community with a resort. Wintergreen Resort is now a separate and independent resort enterprise within the community. Wintergreen property owners have the option of purchasing a Wintergreen Resort membership and many do.
All Wintergreen property owners are a part of WPOA; their assessments are determined by an elected board of directors and payment is not optional. Assessments fund what can best be described as small town municipal services. WPOA operates “the town” of Wintergreen, providing for public safety (police, fire & rescue), maintaining roads, road surfaces, snow removal, mowing, signage, administration, and the operation & maintenance of a few community amenities. WPOA is not in the resort business and the resort does not provide community governance.
Who owns Wintergreen?
Wintergreen is a community with many owners. What is called the "resort community" is made up of some 3,600+ individual properties. Owners of these properties all operate under the rules of the Wintergreen Property Owners Association (WPOA). Much of the protected forest open space is owned by WPOA.
The largest property owner within Wintergreen is Wintergreen Resort, an independent business. The rules of WPOA give the resort special consideration and the resort, in turn, has responsibilities to the community. The resort is owned and managed by Pacific Group Resorts which owns or manages other resort properties in the U.S and Canada. Much of Wintergreen is open to the public, but some resort amenities are designated for the resort’s club members and their guests only. Property owners can purchase memberships to access these exclusive amenities.
A sophisticated network of cooperating providers has evolved at Wintergreen. Just as an example:
Nelson County manages the trash and recycling. The Nelson County Service Authority (NCSA) provides water and sewer services on the Mountain, while Aqua Virginia provides water and sewer services in Stoney Creek. Wintergreen is one of the rare communities in the U.S. that has two firms that offer high-speed fiber-to-the-home internet, Firefly and Nelson Cable.
WPOA is most like a small municipal government, overseeing a professional fire and rescue squad as well as a fully-certified police force, roadway maintenance, and administration. WPOA operates two community swimming pools, maintains many of the fishing ponds in Stoney Creek, the Tuckahoe Clubhouse in Stoney Creek, a few parks, and more. There are several professional independent groups such as Wintergreen Adaptive Sports, Wintergreen Music, and the Nature Foundation at Wintergreen, plus several groups–large and tiny–run completely by volunteers. See more about our community here.
Do we need a Wintergreen decal on all of our cars?
Owners are encouraged but not required to place decals on their vehicles. Decals are available from WPOA. They include a unique number identifying the vehicle to the owner’s property. The decals have proved helpful to the Wintergreen Police and WPOA in identifying owners from visitors, are often used to resolve parking issues, and provide easier access for owners through the gatehouse when restrictions are in place during special events. Click Here for more information.
“For Sale” real estate signs are not allowed?
Correct. In fact, all outdoor yard signs are generally prohibited with a few exceptions. Go Here for details. On the other hand, property address signs are required for all residents to assist 911 call response. Learn More Here.
Can I burn my yard waste? Are open fire pits allowed?
No. Wintergreen takes fire prevention seriously. Open air burning of leaves, debris and garbage is prohibited within Wintergreen. Click Here for more details.
Here’s a list of contractors which can assist with yard debris.
Can guns be fired within Wintergreen?
The rules on firearms here are typical of most Virginia communities: The discharge of a firearm or air gun is prohibited within the residential, public, or commercial areas within Wintergreen. Exceptions can be made for the emergency dispatch of vermin. In the event of such emergency discharge, the person responsible must notify the Wintergreen Police Department. This restriction applies to the developed areas within Wintergreen. It does not apply to WPOA’s wildlife control programs.
What are the rules on motorcycles and RVs? Where can I land my helicopter?
With a few exceptions, Wintergreen’s covenants allow only conventional automobiles to be parked or maintained on any lot or residential building site within Wintergreen. More information on the motorcycle policy can be found by going HERE.
WPOA has a policy for owners or guests arriving or departing by helicopter. Go here for details.
Links to more answers to some of the classic questions from new owners…
How do I get mail? Where do put my trash? Which pools do I have access to as an owner?
What is required of property owners who rent to vacationers? How do I access Wintergreen Resort’s Lake Monocan? How and when do I pay WPOA’s assessments?
Who do I call to set up my utilities? Where can I find local contractors and services? Who delivers firewood? Why doesn’t Wintergreen have better recycling?
Have another question? Try our customized SEARCH or just email admin@wtgpoa.org.