To help reduce the number of emails you receive from the Association, the Board will now (try to limit) communication to one weekly neighborhood email with important announcements, upcoming events, things to know, etc.   The weekly email will be called McCullough Minute and will be sent on Wednesdays.  Other emails may be sent separately as necessary, but we will do our best to stick to the weekly email.   

The Clubhouse access system is back up and functioning regularly!  

McCullough’s Inaugural Fall Festival
🎃🍂 You're Invited to McCullough’s Inaugural Fall Festival! 🍂🎃
📅 Date: Sunday, October 19th
🕛 Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 Location: Community Clubhouse & Grounds

Join us for an afternoon of festive fun for all ages at the McCullough Fall Festival! The event will feature music, family-friendly games, and a variety of activities for kids to enjoy. Satisfy your cravings at the popular 5th Sin Food Truck, or spice up your look with Permanent Jewelry by Lindsay Cadenhead. Don’t miss the excitement of Sunday Football games playing on the big screen in the clubhouse. Get creative with our Pumpkin Decorating Contest, or bring the heat in the Chili Cook-Off judged by a panel of special guests. There’s something for everyone—come celebrate the season with your neighbors!

🎃 Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Get creative and show off your fall spirit!

• Households are invited to bring a decorated (not carved) pumpkin to display in the clubhouse.
• Voting Period: October 19–24
• The community will vote for their favorite pumpkin, and the winner will be announced at Trunk or Treat on October 25th!
• Please label your pumpkin with your household name when dropping it off.

🌶️ Chili Cook-Off Instructions
Think your chili has what it takes to win?

• Bring your best homemade chili to the Fall Festival for a friendly competition judged by a panel of special guests.
• Please use sign up HERE to participate
• Please arrive by 11:45 AM to set up your chili station.
• Judging will begin at 1:00 PM, and the winner will be announced during the event.
• Prizes will be awarded for Best Overall, Most Creative, and Spiciest Chili!

McCullough Trunk-or-Treat
📅 Date: Saturday, October 25th
🕕 Time: 3:00PM-7PM
📍 Location: Community Clubhouse Parking Area

Get ready for a spooktacular evening of Halloween fun at our annual Trunk-or-Treat event! Dress up in your favorite costume and enjoy:

🎶Music
🚚 Delicious Food Trucks
🍬 Trick-or-Treating from Decorated Trunks

We’re inviting all residents to sign up to decorate their trunks and be part of the fun! Use the link HERE to sign up your trunk! Whether you go spooky, silly, or spectacular, your creativity helps make this event magical for the whole neighborhood.

🎉 Contest Announcements:
During the event, we’ll also announce the winners of the Pumpkin Decorating Contest and the Halloween Home Decorating Contest—so be sure to stick around and celebrate with the champions!

Upcoming Social Events: view the calendar here!

Landscape Committee Notes

Fall 2025 Schedule

NC Single Family Homes ONLY:

1. • 9/10 - 9/21: Service Irrigation systems
     • Homeowner Action: NC single-family homeowners need to service their irrigation system and ensure heads are not clogged and are working properly.
   • 9/15– 9/21: Please mark/flag your sprinkler heads (preferably after your weekly mowing service – zone map is available on the website). 
     • Please note: Any damage from aeration (the following week) to unmarked sprinkler heads will be the homeowner's responsibility.
   • 9/22 – 9/30: Aeration and seeding by US Lawns
     • Homeowner Action: Seeding takes 2-4 weeks to germinate based on weather and soil conditions. Please ensure you're adequately watering your lawns and minimizing foot traffic to promote seed growth.
   • 9/29 – 10/30: Final pruning, leaf clean up begins
     • Homeowner Action: If you would like certain bushes/landscapes to not be pruned, please tie a neon pink/yellow/orange ribbon on that specific plant. The crews will know to skip it.
   • 11/1 – 11/4: Holiday Decor Removal
     • Homeowner Action: NC Single-family homeowners need to clean up Halloween and/or Fall decorations to allow US lawns to continue mowing for the remainder of the season.
   • 11/7 - 11/30: Laying pine needles by McManus Farms

US Lawns aims to have landscape beds and lawns for NC single-family homes completed before Thanksgiving, weather permitting.

SC Homeowners – while all lawn maintenance is the homeowners' responsibility to complete (including the boulevard between the sidewalk and street), please feel free to use the above timeline as a guide to maintain your lawn to the McCullough Standard!

TOA Homeowners – please log in to the TOA website to ensure your work orders and questions specific to your landscaping are directed to your manager or email support@kuester.com.

Helpful Tips:

• Fall Irrigation Maintenance
• Turf Tips Maintenance for:
  • Bermuda
  • Fescue
• More landscape guidelines and tips can be found here!
• Tree pruning tips can be found in the Documents folder

Pulte Updates

Alley Project Update as of 10.8.25

Please see the map below, which has been updated to reflect completed alleys, and the next ones up!  

• Alleys 19, 20, 21, & 24 are complete. 
• Alley 18: One section was observed with alligator cracking and Pulte has agreed to repair this location. The other cracks that were marked during the initial walks and captured in the report will be sealed. The sidewalk repair will be addressed as part of the final sidewalk punch out process. These repairs are not expected to disrupt access to the alley and will be scheduled with the crews during the ongoing alley project. 
  
• Alley 22 & 23: Still underway and now anticipated to be completed October 8th, weather pending.  
• Alley 15, 16, & 17 are slated to begin on October 9th. 
• Alley 14 is slated to begin on October 16th. 

The crews are still working to complete a few minor items on each of the alleys so residents may see contractors working over the next week or so. However, those repairs will not restrict alley access. 

During the scheduled repairs, driveway access and alley access will be restricted. A barricade will be placed at each entry point when repairs begin.  The barricades will remain in place until all repairs are completed and cured to allow for access to be restored. It is anticipated each alley will be closed for access for two weeks. If repairs can be completed earlier, access will be restored as soon as possible.

As a reminder, please ensure that all irrigation systems are turned off during alley repairs.

Pulte will address any curb repairs and landscaping damages.  If you have specific questions, please contact Pulte directly.  Their contact information is below. 

Pulte Customer Care 

Email: Charlotteservice@pultegroup.com (preferred contact method)

Contact Number: (704)-414-7031

Standards Committee & ARC NEWS

• Spring Reminder: mulch (black or brown only) and pine straw are permitted for ground or landscape bed covering. Rocks are not permitted.
• As the weather warms up, it’s tempting to start home improvement projects. Take a look around the exterior of your home first and consider pressure washing, cleaning, or touching up paint if needed. Addressing any issues now can be preventative in the future, and help avoid a violation saving you a headache, and our community money!
  • Received a violation? Don't fret, just communicate with us!
• Ready for a home improvement project? First review the governing documents and Neighborhood Living Standards (NLS). Second, submit an application for review (don't forget to wait for approval before beginning!)

Questions? Reach out to the Standards Committee

Safety & Security Committee

We heard your feedback and recently installed landscape light fixtures at both the Marfield and Cedar Park entrances to improve the visibility of our islands at night.

Suggestions or concerns? Contact the S&S Committee

Communications

Newsletters can be found via Community Info > Documents > Newsletters & Eblasts

EBlasts & Updates

The Board has received several inquiries regarding the display of political signs and flags within our neighborhood.

This is a reminder that the McCullough Covenants specifically address this matter in Article VI: Use Restrictions and Rules, Section 3: Signs.

Political signs are those advocating for voters to elect a certain candidate for public office or to vote one way or another on a certain issue. A political sign may only be displayed on McCullough properties if it is no larger than four (4) square feet, is displayed no sooner than forty-five (45) days prior to the election, and is removed within seven (7) days after the election. Flags advocating for the election of one candidate/issue or another fall under this "sign" definition and must me the same restrictions. Please note that the board has the authority to impose a fine of up to One Hundred Dollars ($100) per day for violations of this Section.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

• Quarterly Open Owner ForumMeetings:
• Q4 2025: Annual Meeting of the Members, October 6, 2025
• Q1 2026: TBD
• Q2 2026: TBD
• Q3 2026: TBD

The dates above are subject to change.

Crystal Lake - Dam Reconstruction Updates:

Following the reconstructed dam failure in August 2024, the Board engaged outside legal counsel to advise the Association on its potential legal recourse against the parties involved in the design and construction of the initial dam repair.  As of September 2025, the Association is exploring mediation with all parties to reach an acceptable resolution as quickly as possible.  Once the legal process concludes, the Association will need to consider its next steps with the project taking financial implications and community interests into account. 

Dam Reconstruction Documents:

Town hall presentation

Plans

Homeowner Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Fact Sheet (includes overview, historical information, plan, etc.)

Board Corner

In September 2022, the board and standards committee initiated the approval process for the implementation of permanently installed LED lighting on roof lines. After consulting with vendors and gathering input on its usage in other communities, a set of conditions was established for all Architectural Review Committee (ARC) approvals of this "new tech." However, these conditions have not yet been detailed in the Neighborhood Living Standards (NLS).

Finance Committee

Financials are released on the 25th of each month. Find them here.

Primary Contact - Erin Beck; email: mcculloughswimteam@gmail.com

McCullough Swim Team, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization; a separate business entity from McCullough Neighborhood Association, Inc. ("The HOA").

SWIM MEET